NASCAR is a big racing company in America known for stock car races. It’s one of the biggest racing organizations in the world, and many people in America love to watch its races. The company was started by a man named Bill France Sr. in 1948. Right now, his son, Jim France, is the boss. Their main office is in Daytona Beach, Florida. Every year, NASCAR organizes over 1,500 races in many places, not just in the U.S., but also in countries like Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and some in Europe.
A long time ago, people who secretly made and sold alcohol during prohibition times used to race their cars in North Carolina. They wanted to see whose car was the fastest. In 1935, Bill France Sr. thought it would be a good idea to have these races in Daytona Beach. He believed that if he organized the races well, many people would come to watch, and racers would trust him. This idea worked, and by 1948, NASCAR was born. Today, it has different levels of races. The top one is the Cup Series, followed by the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series. Big car companies like Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota have their cars racing in these series.
While most racers are from America, some come from Canada, Mexico, Europe, and other places. The Cup Series has 36 big races in a year and some special ones like the Clash and the All-Star race. Most of these races happen on oval tracks, but some are on road courses and even city streets.
Richard Petty is a famous racer who won 200 times in the Cup Series, which is a record. He, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson all won the championship seven times, which is also a record. As of 2023, a racer named Joey Logano is the current champion.
History
Early stock car racing
In the early days, Daytona Beach in Florida was the main place where people tried to set speed records with their cars. Between 1905 and 1935, 15 speed records were made there. By 1936, when people thought of fast cars, they thought of Daytona Beach. Drivers would race on a course that was partly on the beach and partly on a road called State Road A1A. This course was 4.1 miles long, with two straight paths connected by two sandy and rough turns.
Now, how did stock car racing begin in the U.S.? It started during a time when it was illegal to sell alcohol, called Prohibition. People secretly made a kind of alcohol called moonshine, especially in the Appalachian mountains. To sell this without getting caught by the police, they used small, fast cars. These cars were changed to make them faster, handle better, and carry more moonshine.
When Prohibition ended in 1933, some people still wanted moonshine. So, drivers continued to sneak it around, this time trying to avoid officials who wanted to tax them. As time went on, these fast cars got even better. By the late 1940s, there were races where people could show off their fast cars and compete for prizes and pride. These races were a big deal in the Southern U.S., especially in a place called Wilkes County in North Carolina. Back then, many race cars were just regular cars that had been changed to be faster and tougher.
Legends of NASCAR
William France Sr
William France Sr., often called “Bill,” moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1935 because the Great Depression made life hard in Washington, D.C. He knew about Daytona’s fast car history and even raced there in 1936, finishing fifth. By 1938, he was in charge of organizing races. Before the big war, Bill organized a few races and believed people would love watching regular cars, or “stock cars”, race. But there was a problem: sometimes, race organizers would take all the money and leave without paying the drivers. To fix this, Bill met with other big names in racing in 1947 in Daytona Beach. From that meeting, it was born in 1948.
Erwin “Cannonball” Baker
Erwin Baker, nicknamed “Cannonball,” was first Commissioner. He wasn’t just a car racer but also raced motorcycles and even took part in the famous Indianapolis 500 race. He was mostly known for driving really fast across the country, from New York to Los Angeles. When he passed away, they named a big race and even a movie after him, called the ‘Cannonball Run’. He’s remembered in several Halls of Fame and got the cool title of “King of the Road.”
Bob “Barky” Barkhimer
In the 1950s, Bill France Sr.’s son, Bill Jr., was in California because of his Navy duties. His dad asked him to meet Bob Barkhimer in San Jose. Bob, or “Barky” to his friends, was a big deal in small car racing and later took charge of many speedways in California. Bill Jr. spent a lot of time with Bob and learned a lot about west coast racing. By 1954, thanks to Barky, it started organizing stock car races on the Pacific Coast.
Wendell Scott
Wendell Scott made history as the first African-American to win a top-level race. He was an incredible driver and in 2015, he was honored by being added to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Start of NASCAR
In 1936, a group of car drivers met in Daytona Beach, Florida. They raced different types of cars to see which was fastest. The sandy track was tough, and many cars got stuck. Only 10 out of 27 cars finished the race. Milt Marion won, and a young man named Bill France came in 5th.
By 1947, Bill France thought of creating a series where drivers could race under the same rules. He started the “National Championship Stock Car Circuit” (NCSCC). Even though a big group, the AAA, didnt give him money for this idea, Bill went on with his plan. He promised $1,000 and a trophy to the winner of the season. Fonty Flock won that year after taking part in 24 races and winning 7.
Bill France decided to gather everyone at the Streamline Hotel in Florida in December 1947. Here, he shared his dream of a big racing organization. They wanted to name it the “National Stock Car Racing Association”, but that name was taken. So, they picked “National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing”, or NASCAR.It officially started on February 21, 1948, thanks to Bill France and some other drivers.
Originally, NASCAR had three types of races: Modified, Roadster, and Strictly Stock. But fans didnt like the Roadster races, so it was stopped. The Strictly Stock division began in 1949 with a race near Miami. The first big race was in Charlotte on June 19, 1949. Jim Roper won it. Over time, these cars changed a lot for safety and speed reasons.
Even cars from other countries, like British MG cars, joined some NASCAR races. The first race outside the U.S. was in Canada in 1952, won by Buddy Shuman.
NASCAR’s Top Racing Series
Cup Series
The Cup Series (NCS) is like the “big league” for car racing. It’s the most famous and makes the most money. Each year, there are 36 big races spread over 10 months.In 1972, the company R. J. Reynolds Tobacco sponsored this series. So, for a while, it was called the Winston Cup Series. In 2022, Joey Logano was the champion and Three racers, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson, share the record with seven championships each
When people say “Cup,” they usually mean this series. Jimmie Johnson won five times in a row from 2006-2010, creates a special record! This was a big deal because it added more money and a new way to earn points. Around this time, the season had fewer races, and it started to look like modern NASCAR.
In 2004, a company named Nextel started sponsoring, so the name changed to the Nextel Cup Series. They also added a new way to decide the champion, called the “Chase.” Later, when Nextel and Sprint merged, the name changed again to the Sprint Cup Series.
NASCAR made many rule changes over the years. One big change was in 2011, where they changed how race winners earned points. In 2014, they made the Chase even more exciting, with more drivers and a system where some drivers could be removed from the championship race!
In 2017, Monster Energy drink became the sponsor, so it was the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Instead of calling the last races the “Chase,” they just called it “the playoffs.”
After 2019, they decided to do something different. They didn’t have just one big sponsor but four “main partners.” These were Coca-Cola, Xfinity, Busch Beer, and GEICO. So, the top racing series simply became the NASCAR Cup Series again.
NASCAR’s Xfinity Series Explained
The Xfinity Series is the second most important car racing series, just under the main “Cup” series. In 2022, a racer named Ty Gibbs won this series.
Here’s a brief history: The series started in 1982 and was first sponsored by Budweiser, a beer brand. In 1984, it changed names to the Busch Grand National Series and then to just the Busch Series. After 2007, Nationwide Insurance took over as the sponsor until 2014. Now, the series is named after its new sponsor, Xfinity, a brand by Comcast.
The Xfinity Series has fewer races than the top Cup Series and offers less prize money. An interesting thing is that some racers race in both the Xfinity and the Cup Series on the same weekend. Kevin Harvick was the first to do this and even won the Xfinity Series title two times!
However, this practice was a bit controversial. Some felt it was unfair because the top racers had an advantage and took spots from the regular Xfinity racers. People called these racers “Buschwhackers,” which is a fun name combining the series’ old sponsor and the idea of being ambushed.
In 2007, the head people thought about how to solve this. They had many ideas, but by 2011, they decided that racers can only compete for a championship in one of its series each year. This rule still exists.
In 2010, the cars used in the Xfinity Series were made to look more like the ones in the Cup Series. And in 2016, NASCAR brought a special race format called the “Chase” to the Xfinity and Truck Series. In 2017, they started calling this the Xfinity Playoffs.
Lastly, to make things fair, by 2020, experienced Cup racers were limited in how many Xfinity races they could join, especially the most important races at the end of the season.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Explained
The Craftsman Truck Series is about racing modified pickup trucks. It’s one of three main racing series, with the others being the Xfinity and Cup Series. In 2022, a racer named Zane Smith was the champion of this series.
Back in 1994, NASCAR introduced a new series called the SuperTruck Series. Craftsman, a tool brand, was a big supporter, so in 1996, the series name changed to emphasize Craftsman’s role. At first, people thought of the truck series as a bit strange or for older drivers. But over time, it became very popular. Some racers, like Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards, moved directly to the top Cup Series without racing a full season in the Xfinity Series. Other experienced racers, who might not have won a lot in other series, found success in the truck series, such as Ron Hornaday Jr. and Todd Bodine.
The series changed names a few times because of its sponsors. In 2009, it was renamed the Camping World Truck Series. Ten years later, in 2019, it became the Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Then in 2020, it changed to the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. But, by 2021, it went back to being the Camping World Truck Series. And here’s some cool news: Craftsman, the original sponsor, is coming back to be the main sponsor in 2023!
Just like the Xfinity Series, the Truck Series also has a special race format since 2016. It’s called the Truck Series Playoffs (it used to be named “The Chase”). Only eight racers can join the Playoffs, and after each group of races, two racers leave the competition. By the final race, only four racers compete for the championship title.
ARCA Menards Series Simplified
The ARCA Menards Series is a cool racing series where drivers zoom around both big, famous tracks and smaller, local ones. This series mainly happens in the middle part of the U.S., known as the Midwest. For a long time – 60 years, in fact – a private group owned and ran this series. But then, on April 27, 2018, NASCAR, which is a big name in racing, took over. Now, it’s a part of the NASCAR family! So, in short, it’s a race series with a mix of big and small tracks, mostly in the Midwest, and is now managed by NASCAR. Cool, right?
International NASCAR Series Explained
Pinty’s Series
Have you heard of the Pinty’s Series? It’s a cool racing series in Canada that came from an older series called the CASCAR Super Series. NASCAR bought this series in 2006. Now, it hosts races across six provinces in Canada with a total of 13 exciting events. And guess what? You can watch these races on a channel called TSN. Some drivers love racing in Canada so much that they stick around, but others like J. R. Fitzpatrick and D. J. Kennington have tried their hand in bigger races in the U.S. The cars in this series look a bit different than American ones. They’re more like “late model” cars but still have powerful V8 engines.
PEAK Mexico Series
In 2006, NASCAR thought, “Why not have races in Mexico too?” So, they started the NASCAR Corona Series, which is now known as the PEAK Mexico Series. It replaced an older race series and gave racing fans in Mexico something exciting to cheer for.
NASCAR Mexico T4 Series
But that’s not all for Mexico! Since 2004, there’s also been a smaller race series called the NASCAR Mexico T4 Series. It’s a mini stock racing series, which means the cars are a bit different but still super fun to watch!
Whelen Euro Series
Europe wasn’t left out either. There was already a race series in Europe called the Racecar Euro Series. In 2012, NASCAR said, “Let’s be a part of this!” and began working with them. A year later, with some help from a company called Whelen Engineering, it got a new name: the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
So, itisn’t just an American thing. They have thrilling races in Canada, Mexico, and even Europe! No matter where you are, there’s NASCAR action nearby. Cool, huh?
NASCAR’s Regional Racing Explained
NASCAR Roots
Besides the famous national races, NASCAR has a bunch of local and regional races grouped under the title “NASCAR Roots”.
Weekly Series
Picture this: local race tracks across the U.S. and Canada where local heroes race their cars. They’re part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. The best racer across all these tracks can win the Whelen All-American Weekly Series National Championship. So, drivers from different tracks can compete to see who’s the national best. And guess what? Big stars like Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart started right here!
Whelen Modified Tour
This one’s special. They race open-wheel “modified” cars. It’s oldest division, going all the way back to 1985!
ARCA Menards Series East and West
Think of this as the step before the big leagues. They race cars that are a bit like the older Xfinity Series cars, just not as powerful. This series has an East and a West division based on where they race. Over the years, they’ve had different names and sponsors, but in 2020, they got their current name: ARCA Menards Series East and West.
AutoZone Elite and other divisions
In the past, NASCAR had this division called the **AutoZone Elite Division**. They raced cars that were lighter than the main cars. But, after 2006, they stopped this division because of some challenges, like finding good tracks to race on. They did have a special race, though, called the Toyota All-Star Showdown where the best from different series raced against each other.
Did you know that in 2002, over 9,000 drivers had licenses from NASCAR to race in all these different levels? That’s a lot of racers!
And the coolest part? Every year, the winners from all these series, including the national ones, are invited to Las Vegas for a special week called Champions Week. It’s a big celebration for the best of the best in NASCAR.
Online Racing with NASCAR: Dive into the Virtual World
eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series
Imagine racing without ever leaving your house! In 2010, NASCAR took a leap into the online world and partnered with a platform called iRacing to launch their first eSports racing series named the NASCAR iRacing.com Series. Here’s the cool part: racers can start at the beginner level with the “Amateur Series” and aim for the top at the NASCAR iRacing.com World Championship Series. The best racer each year even gets an invite to a real event in Miami, walking away with a trophy and $10,500!
By 2018, things got even more exciting. iRacing introduced a “Road to Pro Series” where players could race virtual trucks, mirroring the real-world trucks. They also added popular car models from the Xfinity Series. Why? To give racers a feel of the real Cup series cars.
Things got even bigger in 2020. Thanks to Coca-Cola sponsoring the series, it got a new name: the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. The prize? A whopping $300,000! Plus, fans could watch six of these virtual races on TV, thanks to NBCSN.
eNASCAR Ignite Series
Think of this as the junior league for young gamers aged 13-16. NASCAR and iRacing created this as a stepping stone. Young racers start with virtual US Legends cars and as they get better, they move up to Modified Tour cars. It’s a great place for the young champs to start their racing journey!
Driver Safety in NASCAR
NASCAR races are thrilling, but they haven’t always been super safe. Over the years, they’ve improved safety, but often after something sad happened. For instance, special fire-resistant suits for drivers were made a rule only after a racer named Fireball Roberts had a tragic accident with fire.
In 2000 and 2001, several drivers including the famous Dale Earnhardt lost their lives in accidents. This pushed NASCAR to think seriously about how to better protect drivers from strong crash forces. They also added a “kill switch” to stop cars quickly and made sure fuel containers wouldn’t spill easily.
There was a special wall called the “SAFER Barrier” that could absorb crash impacts, which had been around since 1998. However, it was slow to use it. But after Dale Earnhardt’s accident in 2001, where he hit a concrete wall and got severely injured, NASCAR made big changes. They made drivers use the “HANS device” which protects the driver’s head and neck during crashes. They also introduced a new design for racing cars in 2007, called the “Car of Tomorrow”, making them safer.
Since these changes, especially after Earnhardt’s accident, it has become much safer. By 2021, no driver has had a fatal accident during a race.
NASCAR’s Website
In 2000, Turner Sports started managing its website. The website had lots of cool features and news about races. However, in 2012, it has decided that they wanted to run their own website again. So, they made a new and improved NASCAR.com in 2013. This website was designed to let fans interact more and also worked really well on phones and tablets.
In 2019, NASCAR made another big announcement. They partnered with The Action Network, a group that focuses on sports betting – which means guessing which team or player will win and placing money on that guess. This new partnership meant that NASCAR’s website would have articles and information about betting on races.
Why did NASCAR do this? Well, in 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court made a decision that allowed more places in the U.S. to have legal sports betting. NASCAR saw this as a chance to get ready for more fans who might want to bet on their races. Before this, it also made an exclusive agreement with Genius Sports, a company that provides data for sports betting. They wanted to create a special NASCAR game for fans to play on legal betting websites.
NASCAR in Movies and Shows
Have you ever heard of the movie “Days of Thunder” from 1990? Or how about “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” from 2006? These are just a couple of movies that are about racing. Some other fun movies with NASCAR themes include “Herbie: Fully Loaded”, “Ta Ra Rum Pum”, and “Logan Lucky”.
If you’ve seen the animated “Cars” movies by Pixar, you’ll notice that they seem a lot like races. Especially the third “Cars” movie, which took many ideas from the real history of NASCAR.
It isn’t just in movies! Some of their drivers have been on TV shows too. They’ve been on shows like “The Cleveland Show”, “Sullivan & Son”, and “Last Man Standing”.
Did you know that NASCAR also teamed up with a game on Roblox called “Jailbreak”? This was a special event that started on November 5. To celebrate its turning 75 years old, they also worked with the “Jailbreak” game makers to create a new game called “NASCAR Speed Hub”. So, whether it’s movies, TV shows, or even games, it has become a big part of our culture!
FAQs About NASCAR
Q: Who are some famous NASCAR drivers?
A: Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Danica Patrick are just a few of the many celebrated drivers.
Q: What is the “Daytona 500“?
A :The Daytona 500 is one of the most famous and prestigious races in NASCAR, held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.
Q: How can I watch NASCAR races?
A: NASCAR races are broadcasted on various television networks, and some races are also available for streaming online.
Q: What’s the difference between the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Truck Series?
A: These are different racing series within NASCAR, with the Cup Series being the top tier. The Xfinity Series is a step below, and the Truck Series involves racing modified pickup trucks.
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Our Reader’s Queries
Who is the richest NASCAR driver?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is undoubtedly the wealthiest and most renowned NASCAR driver, with a staggering net worth of $300 million. His success on the track and off has made him a household name, and his popularity shows no signs of waning.
Why is Dodge not in NASCAR?
Following their championship win with Penske Racing and driver Brad Keselowski in 2012, the automaker withdrew from the sport. This decision was prompted by their refusal to offer Penske Racing a multi-year deal, leading the team to switch to Ford. Despite their departure, Keselowski continued to celebrate victories in the No. car.
How much do NASCAR drivers make?
The salary of a NASCAR driver varies depending on their level of experience and success. The top earners in the industry can make an annual salary of $111,000, which breaks down to a monthly pay of $9,250. Those in the 75th percentile earn an average of $86,000 per year, or $7,166 per month. The average salary for a NASCAR driver is $78,621 annually, or $6,551 per month. Drivers in the 25th percentile earn a yearly salary of $50,000, or $4,166 per month.
What kind of engine does NASCAR use?
Since 2012, cars have been powered by EFI V8 engines, replacing the carburetion system that had been used for 62 years. These engines feature compacted graphite iron blocks and pushrod valvetrains that actuate two valves per cylinder. The displacement is limited to 358 cubic inches (5.9 liters).
