Author Daniel S. Pierce discusses the history of NASCAR from its postwar beginnings on Daytona Beach and Piedmont dirt tracks to the billion dollar industry it is today on Tuesday, August 3, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

Real NASCAR follows the career of NASCAR founder Big Bill France from his start as a mechanic and explains how he overcame challenges—including a Detroit auto industry that was unsure of its support, safety issues that killed some of the sport’s stars, and drivers who twice tried to unionize—to build the foundation for what would become modern-day NASCAR.

Pierce taps the memories of several people close to NASCAR in the early years, including such colorful characters as Lloyd Seay, Roy Hall, Gober Sosebee, and Humpy Wheeler and explains how the antics, as much as the talent, of early drivers drew throngs of spectators to tracks in the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s.

Copies of Real NASCAR will be available for sale, and Pierce will sign copies purchased during the event. A show car from the Kansas Speedway will be on display in front of the library from 4 to 7 p.m.