Throughout human history racing has been a popular sport. The ancient Greeks ran in the first Olympics. The Romans were famous for their chariot racing. The English would race ships around the world on their trade routes and horse racing is still popular today. So it is only natural that as soon as automobiles were made people began racing them.
There are two major racing institutions in the world. The first is the F1 or Formula 1 that is run by the Federation International de Automobile. It is far more popular overseas then in the United States. The most popular racing organization in the states is the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR.
Despite all odds, NASCAR is incredibly successful and popular in America. In fact, it has developed into a 3 billion dollar a year industry that is second only to football in television ratings. It boasts 75 million fans that fill out 17 of the top 20 attended single day sporting events. Fans are rabid in their loyalty to drivers, teams and car manufacturers.
Unlike other sports organization like the NFL or NBA, NASCAR is owned and operated by a single family. It was founded in 1948 by Bill France Sr. and today his grandson Brian is CEO of the company. It is also unique in its scoring system. Besides winning individual races each driver is given points for where they finish. At the end of season the driver with the most points wins the national championship. This often called the chase for the cup.
NASCAR runs many levels of races, the lower one acting as a sort of “minor league” for emerging drivers and crews. That being said there are three large, sanctioned series. The most lucrative and prominent series is the Nextel Sprint Cup series. It is a 10 month long, 36 race event and has had many of the most famous drivers such as Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and of course Dale Earnhardt. From 1972-2003 The Cup, as it is often called, was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds and called the Winston Cup. Now it is the Sprint Cup, being named after its sponsor.
The next level of races is the Nationwide Series. Founded in 1982 it was originally sponsored by the Budweiser Brewing Company and called the Busch Grand National Series, until Nationwide Insurance took over in 2007. The popularity and winnings are less than the Spring Cup it still does well overall. It is also the only series that has races outside of the United States.
The last larger sanctioned series is the Camping World Truck Series. Started in 1994 and originally sponsored by Craftsmen, it is often seen as sort of a “final tour” for senior drivers. However, the last few years have seen it growing popularity. Of particular note it has produced several Sprint Cup drivers who skipped the Nationwide series altogether.
While it is true that NASCAR has a redneck reputation, its popularity continues to grow and expand beyond its roots. Something many sports fail to do.
Aiden Jefferson lives and drives in Orange County, which is often much like a NASCAR race in and of itself. Enterprise Car Sales is a great place to look for certified used vehicles.
