NASCAR Cup Series facts for kids
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| Category | Stock cars |
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| Country | United States |
| Inaugural season | 1949 |
| Manufacturers | Chevrolet · Ford · Toyota |
| Engine suppliers | Chevrolet · Ford · Toyota |
| Tire suppliers | Goodyear |
| Drivers' champion | Joey Logano |
| Makes' champion | Chevrolet |
| Teams' champion | Team Penske |
 Current season |
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The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series organized by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. It's the most famous stock car racing series in the United States.
This exciting series started in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division. From 1950 to 1970, it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, a company called R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company became the main sponsor, and the series was renamed the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Later, Nextel Communications took over sponsorship, and it became the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (2004–2007). When Sprint acquired Nextel, the series was renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (2008–2016).
From 2017 to 2019, Monster Energy was the title sponsor, and the series was called the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Since 2020, it's simply known as the NASCAR Cup Series. Now, it has "Premier Partners" like Busch Beer, Coca-Cola, and Xfinity.
The champion is decided using a points system. Drivers earn points based on where they finish in each race and how many laps they lead. The season is split into two parts. After the first 26 races, 16 drivers who have won races get a special boost in points. They then compete in the final ten races, which are called the NASCAR playoffs.
Many races are held in the Southeastern United States, but the schedule now includes tracks all over the country. There have even been exhibition races in Japan and Australia, and a points race in Canada. Soon, the Cup Series will race in Mexico City for the first time. The Daytona 500 is the most important race of the year.
Cup Series cars are very special. They have powerful engines that can go over 200 miles per hour! Even though they are fast, their weight and simple design make them tricky to handle. The car bodies and frames are carefully checked to make sure all cars are fair.
Contents
History of NASCAR Cup Racing
Early Days: Strictly Stock and Grand National
In 1949, NASCAR created the Strictly Stock division. Before this, they had races for modified cars and roadsters. The first Strictly Stock season had eight races on dirt tracks and a beach/street course in Daytona.
The very first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race was held at Charlotte Speedway on June 19, 1949. Jim Roper won after another driver was disqualified. Red Byron became the first series champion. In 1950, the division was renamed "Grand National" to make the sport seem more professional. This name lasted until 1971. The 1949 season is counted as the first in the history of the Cup Series. Martinsville Speedway is the only track from the 1949 schedule that is still used today.
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In the early years, the Grand National schedule had many races, sometimes over sixty in a year! Often, there were two or three races on the same weekend, or even two races on the same day in different states.
Most early Grand National races were on dirt oval tracks. These tracks ranged from small quarter-mile ovals to larger mile-long fairground tracks. The first paved track over a mile long was Darlington Raceway, which opened in 1950. Even when Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959, there were still more dirt races than paved ones. As new superspeedways were built and old dirt tracks were paved, dirt races became less common.
The last NASCAR Grand National race on a dirt track (until 2021) was on September 30, 1970, at the State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina. Richard Petty won that race.
The Winston Cup Era
From 1971 to 2003, a cigarette brand called Winston sponsored NASCAR's top series. It was first called the Winston Cup Grand National Series, but "Grand National" was dropped in 1986. In 1971, a law stopped cigarette ads on TV. So, tobacco companies started sponsoring sports events instead.
Many changes happened in 1972, marking the start of NASCAR's "modern era." The season became shorter, and the points system was changed several times. Races on dirt tracks and very short oval tracks were removed from the main schedule. Bill France Sr., who started NASCAR, gave control to his son, Bill France Jr.. In 1974, Bill France Jr. asked Bob Latford to create a points system where all races gave the same points, no matter their length. This made sure top drivers had to race in every event to win the championship. This system stayed the same until 2004.
Since 1982, the Daytona 500 has been the first official race of the year.
In 1979, the Daytona 500 was the first stock car race shown live on national TV by CBS. In the last lap, leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crashed while fighting for the lead. This allowed Richard Petty to pass them and win. After the crash, Yarborough, Allison, and his brother Bobby got into a fight on TV! This showed the excitement of the sport and helped it become more popular.
In 1985, Winston started a special award called the Winston Million. A driver who won three of the four biggest races would get one million dollars. This prize was only won twice: by Bill Elliott in 1985 and Jeff Gordon in 1997. Later, it was replaced by the Winston No Bull Five, which also awarded one million dollars for winning a big race after doing well in previous ones.
NASCAR's popularity grew a lot in the 1990s. In 1994, the first Brickyard 400 was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The prize money for the Daytona 500 tripled between 1997 and 1998.
In 2001, the creators of the animated movie Cars visited NASCAR tracks to learn about racing. The movie included voices from famous drivers like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr.. To avoid showing tobacco ads, the movie used "Piston Cup" instead of "Winston Cup."
Nextel and Sprint Cup Eras
In 2002, R.J. Reynolds decided to end its sponsorship. NASCAR then made a deal with Nextel, a phone company. So, in 2004, the series became the Nextel Cup Series.
When Sprint and Nextel merged in 2006, the Cup Series was renamed the Sprint Cup, starting in 2008.
The Sprint Cup trophy was designed by Tiffany & Co. It was made of silver and featured checkered flags.
By 2009, the big growth in popularity from the 1990s had slowed down. Some long-time fans felt the series was losing its traditional feel because it moved away from some older tracks in the southeastern U.S. They also didn't like that Toyota joined the series.
In 2016, NASCAR created a "charter system." This system guarantees 36 teams a spot in all 36 races. To get a charter, a team had to try to qualify for every race in the previous three seasons. With this new rule, NASCAR also reduced the number of cars in a Cup race to 40.
The Chase for the Cup Playoffs
Along with the new sponsor in 2004, a new system was introduced to decide the champion. This was called the Chase for the Nextel Cup (or "The Chase").
Originally, the top ten drivers (and ties) after the first 26 races would compete in a playoff over the final ten races. Their points were reset to give them a fresh start. This number of playoff drivers increased to 12 in 2007. From 2007 to 2010, each Chase driver's points were reset to 5,000, plus ten extra points for each race win they had in the first 26 races. The driver with the most points after the 36th race became the champion.
In 2011, the points system changed again. The top ten drivers with the most points automatically made the Chase. Two "wild card" drivers also joined: the two drivers with the most wins who were ranked between 11th and 20th in points. Their points were reset to 2,000. The automatic qualifiers got three bonus points for each win, but wild card drivers didn't. In 2011, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards ended the season tied in points! Stewart won the championship because he had more wins (five) than Edwards (one).
In 2014, NASCAR made big changes to the Chase format:
- It was renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Grid.
- Between 12 and 16 drivers could qualify.
- Most spots (15 out of 16) were for drivers with the most wins in the first 26 races. The last spot went to the points leader if they didn't have a win. All Chase Grid drivers had their points reset to 2,000, plus three bonus points for each win.
- The Chase was divided into four rounds. After the first three rounds, four drivers with the fewest points were eliminated. Any driver who won a race in the first three rounds automatically moved to the next round.
- Round of 16 (Races 27–29): Starts with 16 drivers.
- Round of 12 (Races 30–32): Starts with 12 drivers.
- Round of 8 (Races 33–35): Starts with eight drivers.
- Championship 4 (final race): The last four drivers compete for the title. The highest finisher among them in the final race wins the Cup Series championship.
This playoff system was put in place to make the championship race more exciting until the very end of the season. It also helps increase TV ratings, especially when the NFL season starts.
Monster Energy Era
After Sprint's sponsorship ended in 2016, Monster Energy became the new sponsor. On December 19, 2016, the series was officially named the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Monster Energy extended its sponsorship through the end of the 2019 season.
In 2017, "stage racing" was introduced. Races were split into three stages (four for the longest race, the Coca-Cola 600). After the first two stages, the top 10 finishers earned bonus championship points. The winner of a stage also got an extra point for the playoffs. The lengths of the stages vary by track. A regular season points championship is also awarded to the driver with the most points after the first 26 races.
The MENCS trophy was a large chalice, three feet tall and weighing 68 pounds. It was decorated with the outlines of all 23 NASCAR Cup Series tracks.
NASCAR Cup Series Today
Since the 2020 season, NASCAR's top level is simply called the NASCAR Cup Series. Busch Beer, Coca-Cola, GEICO, and Xfinity are now the main partners. The trophy design from the Monster Energy era was kept, but it was renamed the Bill France Cup.
Drivers' Championship
The NASCAR Cup Series Drivers' Championship is given to the best Cup Series driver each season. It's decided by a points system based on race results and wins. The first champion was Red Byron in 1949. So far, 32 different drivers have won the championship. Herb Thomas was the first to win multiple championships (1951 and 1953). The record for most championships, seven, is shared by Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson. Johnson holds the record for winning five championships in a row, from 2006 to 2010. All champions so far have been from the United States.
Owners' Championship
The Cup Series Owner's Championship works like the Driver's Championship, but points are given to each car. If an owner has more than one car, each car is scored separately. The points for the Owners' Championship are almost the same as the Drivers' points. One difference is that drivers who aren't earning points for the Drivers' title can still earn points for the Owners' Championship. For example, in the 2011 Daytona 500, Trevor Bayne won the race but chose to compete for the Nationwide Series championship, so he didn't get driver points. However, his team, Wood Brothers Racing, earned 47 owner's points.
There is also a separate "Chase for the Championship" for the owners' points.
Before 2013, the top 35 full-time teams in owner points were guaranteed a spot in the next race. This was very important for teams to make sure they could race. Now, the first 36 spots in a race are decided by qualifying speed. The next six spots are based on owner points, and the last spot is for a past Series Champion.
Sometimes, a team's owner points can be different from its driver's points. In 2023, when Chase Elliott was injured, his No. 9 car kept earning owner points. This helped the team make the playoffs in owner points, even though Elliott himself didn't make the playoffs as a driver.
Manufacturers' Championship
A Manufacturer's Championship is awarded every year, but the Driver's Championship is considered more important. In the past, this championship was very important because many different car companies were involved.
Until 2013, points were given based on how well each manufacturer's best car finished. For example, if a Chevrolet finished first, it earned 9 points for Chevrolet. Starting in 2014, the system changed to be more like the Owner's Championship. Now, each manufacturer earns the same points as its best-finishing car.
Car Brands in NASCAR
In NASCAR's early days, many different car brands raced, with little help from the car companies themselves. By the mid-1960s, only American manufacturers with factory support were competing. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors were the main competitors for a long time. Plymouth was successful in the 1960s but didn't win a Manufacturers Championship until Ford left racing in the early 1970s. GM used four different brands in NASCAR in 1991, but soon only Chevrolet remained. Pontiac lasted until 2004. In 2007, Toyota, a Japanese manufacturer, joined the series. Chrysler's Dodge brand returned in 2001 but left after 2012. Now, only Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota compete.
Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer, with 851 race wins and 42 manufacturers' championships as of 2023. Ford is second with 728 wins and 17 championships. Dodge is third with 217 wins and two championships (though no longer in NASCAR).
Cup Cars: What They're Like
Cup Series cars, often called "Cup cars," have their engine in the front and power sent to the rear wheels. They have a strong roll cage that acts as the car's frame, covered by a thin metal body. They have a closed area for the driver, fenders, a rear spoiler, and a front splitter for aerodynamics. It can cost $10–20 million to prepare a car for one season! Teams can build their own cars and engines or buy them from other teams.
The cars use V8 engines with fuel injection since 2012. These engines are limited to 358 cubic inches (about 5.8 liters). Even with these limits, modern engines can produce over 850 horsepower! Before NASCAR added a "gear rule," Cup engines could spin at more than 10,000 revolutions per minute (rpm). At most tracks, engines run at 9,200–9,400 rpm for hundreds of miles. A Cup engine weighs about 575 pounds.
The front suspension uses a double wishbone design. The rear suspension used to be a two-link live axle, but the new Next Gen car (introduced in 2022) has fully independent front and rear suspensions. Brakes must be made of magnetic cast iron or steel and can't be larger than 12.72 inches in diameter. The only parts for aerodynamics are the front splitter, spoiler, and side skirts. While older cars didn't have rear diffusers, the new Next Gen car does. These cars can reach speeds of about 200 mph on some tracks.
Cup Series engines use an electronic control unit (ECU) from Freescale. However, traction control and anti-lock brakes are not allowed. Live data from the car is only used for TV broadcasts.
For races on road courses, Cup cars must have at least one working windshield wiper. The first time rain tires were used in a Cup Series race was in 2020 at the 2020 Bank of America Roval 400 and in 2021 at the 2021 Texas Grand Prix.
How Cup Cars Have Changed
Generation 1 (1948–1964)
When the series started, cars were truly "stock." They were production vehicles with no changes allowed. Drivers even raced with factory seats and radios still in the car! To keep the track safe, windows were rolled down, lights were removed or taped, and side mirrors were taken off. The 1957 fuel-injected Chevrolet 150, known as "the black widow," was the first car banned by NASCAR. It won 59 races, more than any other car in Cup Series history. Before the mid-1960s, cars were usually based on large cars like the Chevrolet Bel Air.
Generation 2 (1965–1980)
In 1965, cars started using modified frames. Mid-size cars like the Ford Fairlane became popular. Eventually, cars were built specifically for NASCAR. These included the Ford Torino Talladega with its rounded nose, and the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird with their tall rear wings and shark-like noses. These cars could reach speeds of exactly 200 mph! In 1971, NASCAR changed the rules to limit these special cars by reducing their engine size. This rule was so effective that almost no one tried to race these cars in that setup.
Starting in August 1970, NASCAR added a restrictor plate to engines larger than 366 cubic inches to slow them down. In 1975, NASCAR reduced the maximum small block engine displacement to its current 358 cubic inches. These changes happened as American car manufacturers stopped supporting racing and during the 1973 oil crisis.
Generation 3 (1981–1991)
The smaller American cars of the late 1970s created a challenge for NASCAR. Rules required a minimum wheelbase of 115 inches, but newer cars were much shorter. So, for the 1981 season, the wheelbase rule was changed to 110 inches. The Buick Regal with its unique nose was very strong at first, followed by the aerodynamic 1983 Ford Thunderbird. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix added bubble-shaped rear windows to stay competitive. Due to financial problems, Chrysler Corporation left NASCAR at the end of the 1985 season.
The 1987 season was a big moment for NASCAR Cup Series cars. During qualifying for the Winston 500, Bill Elliott set a world stock-car record with a speed of 212.809 mph. But then, during the race, Bobby Allison had a flat tire and crashed into the fence at Talladega Superspeedway, injuring several fans. After this crash, NASCAR made restrictor plates mandatory at Talladega and Daytona International Speedway to reduce speeds. By 1989, GM cars used V6 engines and front-wheel-drive in production, but the NASCAR racers still used the old V8 rear-wheel-drive setup, making them less like "stock" cars.
Generation 4 (1992–2007)
The Generation 4 car, starting in 1992, further moved away from "stock" cars. Steel bumpers were replaced with lighter fiberglass. In 1994, "roof flaps" were added to all cars after Rusty Wallace had two crashes where his car went airborne. In 1995, the new Chevrolet Monte Carlo returned, starting a trend of rounder car shapes. When the Ford Thunderbird was retired after 1997, Ford used the four-door Ford Taurus body for racing (even though NASCAR cars don't have opening doors).
During this time, NASCAR would sometimes change rules during the season if one car model became too dominant. This led to some teams trying to hide their true speed to get better rules.
Because the Ford Taurus race car was very asymmetrical, NASCAR stopped this practice. New body rules in 2003 made all cars conform to common "templates" to ensure fairness.
Car of Tomorrow (2007–2012)
In 2007, NASCAR introduced a completely new car design called the "Car of Tomorrow" (CoT). It first appeared at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2007. NASCAR planned to use the CoT in all races by 2008 to help teams save money.
The CoT was designed to control costs, make cars more equal, and improve driver safety. The car was wider and taller, and the driver's seat was moved closer to the center. The most noticeable change was a rear wing instead of the usual spoiler. The new rules also stopped cars from having asymmetrical bodies.
The rear wing was controversial for a few years. Many people didn't like how it looked, and it was blamed for cars going airborne in high-speed spins. In 2010, NASCAR decided to replace the wing with the original spoiler.
In 2011, NASCAR changed the front of the car again. A big engine change happened in 2012 when NASCAR started using fuel injection technology instead of carburetors.
Generation 6 Car (2013–2021)
In 2013, car manufacturers were given more freedom to make their NASCAR Cup Series cars look more like their street versions.
All NASCAR Cup Series cars started using a digital dashboard made by McLaren in 2016. This dash has many customizable screens, allowing the driver to see lots of information like lap times and engine health.
Since sedan sales declined, "pony cars" (coupe-based models) returned to the Cup Series. Chevrolet switched to the Chevrolet Camaro in 2018, and Ford switched to the Ford Mustang in 2019.
Next Gen Car (2022–Present)
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In 2022, NASCAR introduced a brand new, seventh-generation car called the Next Gen. This car has improved aero and downforce and new technologies like center lock wheels and rear diffusers. The Next Gen car is also meant to lower costs and attract new car manufacturers to compete with Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota.
In 2023, a special Next Gen Camaro from Hendrick Motorsports raced in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, a famous endurance race.
Car Setup and Handling
Teams adjust the car's suspension, brakes, and aerodynamic parts to suit different racetracks. A car that "understeers" (or is "tight") wants to go straight when the driver turns the wheel. A car that "oversteers" (or is "loose") feels like the back end is sliding, which can cause a spin if the driver isn't careful. Teams can adjust things like front and rear downforce, spring rates, and tire pressure to fix these handling issues.
Tire stagger (using tires of different sizes) and the type of rubber in the tires also affect handling. These are set by NASCAR and Goodyear and cannot be changed by teams.
Changing weather can also affect how a car handles. On oval tracks, rain stops the race immediately. NASCAR has developed rain tires for road courses. The first time they were used in a Cup Series race was in 2020 and 2021.
NASCAR Cup Tracks
Most NASCAR Cup Series races are held in the eastern United States, with only seven tracks west of the Mississippi River. The 2024 season included 31 races on oval tracks and 5 on road courses. Oval tracks vary in length from 0.526 miles at Martinsville Speedway to 2.66 miles at Talladega Superspeedway. Most oval tracks are paved with asphalt, but three tracks use concrete for all or part of their surface. While the series used to race on dirt tracks, it stopped for over 50 years after 1970. In 2021, dirt racing returned with an event at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Some tracks are true ovals, like Bristol Motor Speedway. However, more than half of the current Cup tracks are a type of "tri-oval." Other unique shapes include Darlington Raceway's "egg" shape and the triangular Pocono Raceway.
While NASCAR usually races counter-clockwise on ovals, Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International are complex road courses where cars race clockwise. The series' first road course race was in 1954. Since 1963, there has been at least one road course race every year.
Tracks have different amounts of banking (sloping) in the corners. New Hampshire Motor Speedway has the flattest corners (7 degrees), while Talladega Superspeedway has the steepest (33 degrees).
Race speeds vary a lot depending on the track. The fastest track is Talladega Superspeedway. The record average speed there is 188.354 mph, and the record qualifying lap is 212.809 mph, set by Bill Elliott in 1987. This record is unlikely to be broken because restrictor plates (and later tapered spacers) were made mandatory in 1988 to reduce speeds. The slowest tracks are Sonoma Raceway (a road course) and Martinsville Speedway (a short oval).
See also
In Spanish: NASCAR Cup Series para niños
- List of all-time NASCAR Cup Series winners
- List of NASCAR Cup Series champions
- List of NASCAR tracks
- List of NASCAR teams
- NASCAR Xfinity Series
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
- NASCAR rules and regulations
