2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series facts for kids

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was an exciting year for stock car racing in the United States. This was the 71st season of professional stock car racing and the 48th season of the modern Cup Series. The racing action kicked off at Daytona International Speedway with special races like the Advance Auto Parts Clash and the Can-Am Duel. The biggest race, the 61st Daytona 500, also happened there.

The regular season of races wrapped up with the Brickyard 400 on September 8, 2019. After that, the special playoff races began. The whole season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17, 2019. This year was also special because the Ford Mustang car joined the Cup Series for the first time!

What is NASCAR?

NASCAR stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. It's a company that runs many different car races in the United States. The Cup Series is the highest level of racing in NASCAR. Drivers race special cars called "stock cars" on oval tracks and road courses.

Teams and Drivers

In NASCAR, teams have special agreements called "charters." These charters guarantee them a spot in every race and a share of the prize money. Many teams and drivers competed in the 2019 season. Here are some of the main teams and the car brands they used:

• Chevrolet had teams like Chip Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Richard Childress Racing.
• Ford had teams such as Front Row Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, and Stewart-Haas Racing.
• Toyota was represented by teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Leavine Family Racing.

Each team had a main driver and a "crew chief." The crew chief is like the coach for the race car and helps the driver make decisions during the race. Some drivers were rookies, meaning it was their first year in the Cup Series.

The 2019 Race Schedule

The 2019 season had 36 main races, plus a few special events. These races took place at famous tracks all over the United States.

Key Races and Events

• Daytona 500: This is the biggest and most famous race of the year, held in February at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. It's often called "The Great American Race."
• All-Star Race: Before the middle of the season, there's a special All-Star Race where only top drivers compete for a big prize, but it doesn't count for championship points.
• Regular Season End: The regular season finished with the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September. This race is held at a very famous track known for the Indy 500.

The Playoffs

After the regular season, the top drivers compete in the Cup Championship Playoffs. This is like a tournament to decide the champion.

• Round of 16: The top 16 drivers start in this round.
• Round of 12: Drivers who do well move on to the next round.
• Round of 8: Even fewer drivers make it to this round.
• Championship 4: Finally, the last four drivers compete in the very last race of the season, the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The driver who finishes best among these four in that race becomes the NASCAR Cup Series champion!

Here is a look at some of the races from the 2019 season:

Related Pages

• 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series
• 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series

Images for kids

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  Kyle Busch, the 2019 champion and 2019 regular season champion.

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  Martin Truex Jr., finished 5 points behind Kyle Busch in second place.

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  Kevin Harvick, finished 7 points behind Kyle Busch in third place.

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  Denny Hamlin, finished 13 points behind Kyle Busch in fourth place.

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  Brad Keselowski leads the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway in March, a race he wins

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  Kyle Busch leads the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway in April

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  Polesitter Chase Elliott leads the Gander RV 400 at Dover International Speedway in May

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  Denny Hamlin leads the field to the green flag at the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway in October