nascar

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the NEXTEL Cup, the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. It also oversees NASCAR Regional Racing and the Dodge Weekly Series. NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 38 states, Canada, and Mexico. In 1996, 1997 and 1998, NASCAR held exhibition races in Japan. NASCAR also held an exhibition race in Australia in 1988.

Beginning as regional entertainment in the Southeastern U.S., NASCAR has grown to become the second most popular professional sport in terms of television ratings inside the U.S., ranking behind only the National Football League. Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. It holds 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S.¹, and has 75 million fans who purchase over $2 billion in annual licensed product sales. These fans are considered the most brand-loyal in all of sports, and as a result, Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other sport.

NASCAR's headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, FL, although it also maintains offices in four North Carolina cities: Charlotte, Mooresville, Concord and Conover as well as New York City, Los Angeles, Arkansas, and international offices in Mexico City, and Toronto, Ontario. NASCAR and the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) cooperated and opened a technical school in North Carolina called NASCAR Technical Institute, where aspiring students train to be NASCAR mechanics.

History

Early history

In the first decade of the 1900s, Daytona Beach became known as the place to set world land speed records. The beach became a mecca for racing enthusiasts. Fifteen records were set at the beach between 1905 and 1935, when the Bonneville Salt Flats became the premiere place to host land speed record attempts. In 1936 the course began hosting car racing events. Drivers raced a 1.5 to 2 mile stretch of beach as one straightaway, and beachfront highway A1A as the other.

Early race drivers were often involved in bootlegging. The runners would modify their cars in order to create a faster, more maneuverable vehicle to evade the police. The next logical step for the owners of these cars was to race them. These races were popular entertainment in the rural Southern United States, and they are most closely associated with the Wilkes County region of North Carolina. Most races in those days were of modified cars, street vehicles which were lightened and reinforced.

Mechanic William France Sr. moved to Daytona Beach from Washington, D.C. in 1935 to escape the Great Depression. He was familiar with the history of the area from the land speed record attempts. France entered the 1936 Daytona event, finishing fifth. He took over running the course in 1938. He promoted a few races before World War II.

France had the notion that people would enjoy watching unmodified "stock" cars race. Drivers were frequently victimized by unscrupulous promoters who would leave events with all the money before drivers were paid. In 1947, he decided this racing would not grow without a formal sanctioning organization, standardized rules, regular schedule, and an organized championship. On December 14, 1947 France began talks with other influential racers and promoters at the Ebony Bar at the Streamline Hotel at Daytona Beach, Florida that ended with the formation of NASCAR on February 21, 1948.

NASCAR was founded by France on February 21, 1948 with the help of several other drivers at the time. The points system was written on a barroom napkin. The sanctioning body hosted their first event at the Daytona beach on February 15, 1948. Red Byron beat Marshall Teague in the Modified division race. NASCAR had several divisions in its early years.

The first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race ever was held at Charlotte Speedway (not the Charlotte Motor Speedway) on June 19, 1949 (a race won by Jim Roper after Glenn Dunnaway was disqualified after the discovery of his altered rear springs). Initially the cars were known as the "Strictly Stock Division" and raced with virtually no modifications on the factory models. This division was renamed "Grand National" beginning in the 1950 season. However, over a period of about a dozen years, modifications for both safety and performance were allowed, and by the mid-1960s the vehicles were purpose-built race cars with a stock-appearing body.

One of the tracks used in the inaugural season is still on today's premier circuit: Martinsville Speedway. Another old track which is still in use is Darlington Raceway, which opened in 1950. (The oldest track on today's NEXTEL Cup circuit is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which dates back to 1909; however, the first Brickyard 400 did not take place until 1994.)

Most races were on half-mile to 1-mile (800 to 1600 m) oval tracks. However, the first "superspeedway" was built in Darlington, South Carolina, in 1950. This track, at 1.38 miles (2.22 km), was wider, faster and higher-banked than the racers had seen. Darlington was the premiere event of the series until 1959. Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4 km) high-banked track, opened in 1959, and became the icon of the sport. The track was built on a swamp, so France took a huge risk in building the track.

The first NASCAR competition held outside of the U.S. was in Canada, where on July 1, 1952, Buddy Shuman won a 200-lap race on a half-mile (800 m) dirt track in Stamford Park, Ontario, near Niagara Falls. On July 18, 1958, Richard Petty made his Canadian debut in a race at Toronto at the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds. He completed 55 laps before crashing, while father Lee won the 100-lap feature.

Beginning of the modern era

NASCAR made major changes in its structure in the early 1970s. The top series found sponsorship from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) (tobacco companies had been banned from television advertising and were looking for a promotional outlet). The "Winston Cup" (began in 1971) became the top competitive series, with a new points system and some significant cash benefits to compete for championship points. The next division down, called Late Model Sportsman, gained the "Grand National" title passed down from the top division and soon found a sponsor in Busch Beer. In the mid-1970s some races began to get partial television coverage, frequently on the ABC sports variety show, Wide World of Sports.

Finally, in 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first stock car race that was nationally televised from flag to flag on CBS. The leaders going into the last lap, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison, wrecked on the backstretch while dicing for the lead, allowing Richard Petty to pass them both and win the race. Immediately, Yarborough, Allison, and Allison's brother Bobby were engaged in a fistfight on national television. This underlined the drama and emotion of the sport and increased its broadcast marketability. Luckily for NASCAR, the race coincided with a major snowstorm along the United States' eastern seaboard, successfully introducing much of the captive audience to the sport.

The beginning of the modern era also brought a change in the competitive structure. The purse awarded for championship points accumulated over the course of the season began to be significant. Previously, drivers were mostly concerned about winning individual races. Now, their standing in championship points became an important factor.

NASCAR Sanctioned Series

• Nextel Cup Series
• Busch Series
• Craftsman Truck Series
• NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
• NASCAR Regional Racing
• Dodge Weekly Series

NEXTEL Cup

Main Article: NEXTEL Cup

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series is the sport's highest level of professional competition, and consequently it is the most popular and most profitable NASCAR series. The 2006 NEXTEL Cup season consists of 36 races over 10 months, with well over $4 million in total prize money at stake at each race. Writers and fans often use "Cup" to refer to the NEXTEL Cup series, and although ambiguous, the use of "NASCAR" as a synonym for the NEXTEL Cup series is common.

In 2004, NEXTEL took over sponsorship of the premier series from Winston, formally renaming it from the Winston Cup to the NEXTEL Cup Series. In 2004 Kurt Busch became the first driver to win the NEXTEL Cup. In 2005, Tony Stewart became the first driver to have won both the Winston Cup and the NEXTEL Cup.

Busch Series

Main article: Busch Series

The NASCAR Busch Series second higest level of professional competition in NASCAR. The cars are very similar to Nextel Cup with only a few differences. The season is several races shorter, and the prize money is lower. Over the last several years, several Nextel Cup drivers have tried to run races in both series, using the Busch race as a practice.

Craftsman Truck Series

Main article: Craftsman Truck Series

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a popular NASCAR racing series that features modified pickup trucks. It is one of the three national divisions of NASCAR, together with the Busch Series and the Nextel Cup.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was formed in 1995. The series distinguishes itself from the two other top series in NASCAR by using a heavily modified version of a pickup truck instead of a car. The series was first considered something of an oddity or a "senior's tour" for NASCAR drivers, but eventually grew in popularity and has produced Nextel Cup series drivers who had never raced in the Busch Series.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series

Main article: NASCAR Canadian Tire Series

NASCAR announced the purchase of Canadian racing series CASCAR in September 2006. The CASCAR Western Series will become NASCAR's fourth-tier series starting in 2007.

Other NASCAR racing series

In addition to the four main series, NASCAR operates several other racing circuits.

Many local racetracks across the United States and Canada run under the Dodge Weekly Series banner, where local drivers are compared against each other in a formula where the best local track champion of the nation, as based on a formula, wins the Dodge Weekly Series National Championship.

NASCAR also sanctions three regional racing divisions: The Whelen Modified Tour, which races open wheel "modified" cars in Northern and Southern divisions; the Grand National Division, which races in the Busch East (Formerly Busch North) and the AutoZone West Series. Grand National cars are similar to Busch Series cars, although they are less powerful, and the AutoZone Elite Division, which races late-model cars which are lighter and less powerful than Nextel Cup cars, split into four divisions, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, and Midwest. At the end of 2005 NASCAR announced that the AutoZone Elite Division would be discontinued after the 2006 season due to having trouble getting NASCAR-sanctioned tracks to successfully host AutoZone Elite Division events, plus escalating costs of competing and downsizing of the Division in recent years.

In 2003, NASCAR standardized rules for its AutoZone Elite and Grand National divisions regional touring series as to permit cars in one series to race against cars in another series in the same division. The top 15 (Grand National) or 10 (AutoZone Elite) in each series will race in a one-race playoff, called the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, to determine the annual AutoZone Elite and Grand National champions. This event has been hosted at Irwindale Speedway in California since its inception.

Many drivers move up through the series before reaching the NEXTEL Cup series. In 2002, over 9,000 drivers had licenses from NASCAR to race at all levels.

The winners of the Dodge Weekly Series National Championship, the four AutoZone Elite Divisions, the two Whelen Modified and Grand National Divisions, and the three national series are invited to New York City in December to participate in Champions Week ceremonies which conclude with the annual awards banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Championship points system

For all NASCAR series Championships, driver points are given out for each race based on two categories: Final Position, and Laps Led.

For points according to position, there are three different scales. First Place gets 180 points, with ten points separating first from second. It is impossible to win a race without leading a lap, so the minimum for a winner to receive is 185 points. After second place (170 points), the first scale starts, with five points separating second through sixth place. After sixth place the second scale starts, separating drivers by four points for positions seven through eleven. After that, the third scale is in effect, separating the rest of the field by three points (see chart on left). This is why cars will sometimes go back on track after a wreck, even if they have no chance of winning. By moving up three positions, they gain nine more points.

For points according to laps led, if a driver has led at least one lap in the race, they are awarded an extra 5 points on top of what they earned based on position. In addition, the driver who leads the most laps earns an additional 5 points, for a maximum of 10 points. Lap leadership is determined at the finish line on each lap. A driver cannot simply lead part of a lap on the back stretch; the driver must be the first across the line to be considered the leader for that lap, or is declared the leader by crossing the last scoring loop as the leader when a caution is signaled.

Drivers’ points are assigned to the driver who starts the race. It is legal (though rare) to change drivers during a race, but the replacement driver gets no points. When Martin Truex, Jr. replaced Dale Earnhardt, Jr. during a 2004 Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway (while Earnhardt was recovering from an injury), the points counted towards Earnhardt's total.

Points are also given to the owner of a car. For a car that makes the field, the owner points are the same as the driver points for that race. Cars that fail to qualify for a race gain owner points based on how well they qualified, continuing the 3 points per position so that the 44th car in qualifying gets 31 points, the 45th gets 28 points, and so forth.

Since 2005, the top teams in owner points (35 in Nextel Cup, 30 in Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series, must be full time teams) earn an exemption into the starting field. If weather conditions prevent qualifying from occurring, the starting order for the race is set using owner points (top 35/30), then former series champions, then the defending race winner, then current year race winners, and then by most qualifying attempts with owner points breaking ties. For the first five races in each year, the owner points from last year are used instead. Since the top drivers usually race the same car in every race, this has little effect on the championship, but this can affect the strategy of new or lower ranked teams.

For example, Hall of Fame Racing had Terry Labonte in their #96 car in the first five Nextel Cup races in 2006. As a former champion, Terry Labonte was entitled to start in each race, even if the car encountered a difficulty in qualifying. With five guaranteed starts, the #96 car was easily able to gain enough owner points to place it in the top 35 and thus give regular driver Tony Raines a guaranteed starting spot in each race when he took over the driver's seat for the rest of the year. Lower ranked teams sometimes use a road racing specialist when the race is one of the few each year held on a road course to maximize the owner points of the car, especially when they are near the top 35 exemption.

NASCAR points system development

From the beginning of championship series until 1967 championship points were based on prize money purses. Races with lesser purses paid fewer points than races with bigger purses.

First, NASCAR point system used for championship from 1949 till 1951 awarded points on basis 10 points for the 1st place, 9 pts for 2nd, 8 pts for 3rd and so on, multiplied by 0.05*race purse (Race worth $4000 paid 200 points to the winner, 180 for 2nd place...). No info about how many points were given to drivers finishing below 10th place.

From 1952 till 1967, NASCAR point system was based on linear scale for first 25 positions: 25-24-23-... Coefficients changed, but were always depending on prize money. From 25th place down there were awarded the same number of points.

In 1968, NASCAR started to award points depending on race distance, not prize money. Point system was 50-49-48-... multiplied by 1 for events to 249 miles, 2 for events 250-399 miles and 3 for events 400 miles and more. System stopped from 50th place. This system was in use until the end of 1971 season.

In 1972, together with shortening the schedule, the point system was also modified. Basic points of 100-98-96-... were awarded for each race. Additionally, lap points were awarded for the number of laps completed. Tracks under 1 mile, 0.25 points a lap; 1-mile tracks, 0.50; 1.3-mile track (Darlington), 0.70; 1.5-mile tracks, 0.75; 2-mile tracks (Michigan), 1.00; tracks 2.5 miles and over, 1.25. This system was also used in 1973.

In 1974, the points system was simple: Total money winnings from all track purses (qualifying and contingency awards did not count), in dollars, multiplied by the number of races started, and the resulting figure divided by 1,000 determined the number of points earned. By the end of the season Richard Petty had such a big lead in points, that he increased it even by finishing 30th while his main rival Cale Yarborough made a top-5 (Remember - the money was multiplied by the number of races started. Even if Cale made more money in one particular race, when the total money was multiplied by e. g. 27, the difference between the two leaders could also increase in comparison with situation after race 26).

The current NASCAR points system was developed in 1975 following years of trouble in trying to develop a points system -- from 1949 until 1971, six different systems were used, and in 1972, NASCAR used a different system each year for the next three years.

That type of inconsistency, which included a system, which rewarded most mileage for the entire season, and then another year where mileage and finishing positions were counted, favored larger circuits, and some fans complained about a champion who only won one race. That resulted in a 1974 ill-fated attempt at basing the points system on money and starts. Even though one driver won consecutive races, his opponent who had won the big money races had scored more points.

Bob Latford, a former public relations official at Lowe's Motor Speedway, devised NASCAR's most popular points system, which was adopted in 1975, which NASCAR used two different versions for their series from 1982 until 1998. In the system, the winner received 175 points, second 170 points, and other positions exactly the same as the current points system.

Until 1998, the Busch Series points system offered 180 points for the winner, but no bonuses for leading laps. The same was true for the Craftsman Truck Series until the end of that season, when NASCAR decided to standardise the points system for their series.

One complaint about the points system was how a driver could finish second and receive an equal number of points as a race winner, which was possible if the driver who led the most laps finished second. NASCAR fixed the problem in 2004 by adding five points to the winner.

Safety

History of Safety in NASCAR

Safety in racing has come a long way since the first green flag dropped. Up until the last few years, NASCAR was heavily criticized for its lack of focus on safety. Many safety precautions were not mandatory, as they are in other racing series, but only optional or recommended. NASCAR changed its stance on this after one of the sport's most popular drivers, Dale Earnhardt, was killed in a racing accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

Seats

The seats that the drivers sit in have evolved over the past few years. Most of the seats found in the race cars wrap around the driver's rib cage which provides some support during a crash, spreading the load out over the entire rib cage instead of letting it concentrate in a smaller area. Some of the newer seats wrap around the driver's shoulders as well, which provides better support because the shoulders are more durable than the rib cage.

Seat belts and harnesses

The seat belts in stock cars are very important. They are built to be stronger than a normal seat belt. The seat belts used are the five- or six-point harness, which is two straps coming down over the driver's shoulders, two straps wrap around the waist, and one or two come up between the legs. Since a string of accidents in 2000 and 2001 that killed Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, Tony Roper and Dale Earnhardt (plus several other drivers in minor circuits) under similar circumstances, NASCAR has made it mandatory for the drivers to wear the HANS device. Though NASCAR allowed another system, the Hutchens device, in the past, since 2005 HANS is the only head and neck restraint device allowed for use.

Restrictor Plate

As a safety measure to reduce speeds at the two high-banked superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega), a restrictor plate must be placed between the carburetor and intake manifold to restrict air and fuel flow and, therefore, power. This has reduced speeds at these tracks to the point that higher speeds are now seen at some tracks where restrictor plates are not mandated, specifically Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. While Atlanta is generally considered the fastest track, restrictor plates are not mandated there, in 2004 and 2005 higher qualifying speeds were posted at Texas, earning it the title of the circuit's fastest track. Unrestricted, Nextel Cup cars produce over 750 horsepower (600 kW) and can run at speeds in excess of 200 mph. Rusty Wallace completed a 2004 test for NASCAR at Talladega in which he used an unrestricted motor to complete average lap speeds of 221 mph and top speeds near 230 mph (Source: [1] NASCAR.com).

Roof flaps

In 1994, NASCAR introduced roof flaps to the car, which are designed to keep cars from getting airborne and possibly flipping down the track. If the speed of the car is high enough, it will generate enough lift to pick up the car if it spins backwards. To prevent this, NASCAR officials developed a set of flaps that are recessed into pockets on the roof of the car. When a car is turned around, and is going fast enough, the flaps come up and disrupt the airflow over the roof, eliminating most of the lift. The roof flaps generally keep the cars on the ground as they spin, although it is not guaranteed.

Barriers

Beginning in the early 2000s, most tracks have installed softer walls and barriers along the track, called SAFER (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction) barriers. Soft walls are typically built of steel and styrofoam; materials that can absorb the impact of a car at high speeds, as opposed to a concrete wall which absorbs little-to-none of the impact. There are four types of softer walls and barriers:

• Cellofoam — This is an encapsulated polystyrene barrier — a block of plastic foam encased in polyethylene.
• Polyethylene Energy Dissipation System (PEDS) — This system uses small polyethylene cylinders inserted inside larger ones. Designers of PEDS believe the system increases the wall's ability to withstand crashes of heavy race cars.
• Impact Protection System (IPS) — This inner piece of the wall is then wrapped in a rubber casing. Holes are drilled in the concrete wall and cables are used to tie the segments to it.
• Compression barriers — This idea is to place cushioning materials, such as tires, against the concrete wall, and then cover those cushions with a smooth surface that would give when impacted, and then pop back out to its previous shape once the impact is over.

Pit Road Safety

Pit road safety has become a major focus of NASCAR officials in recent years. At each track there are different speeds the cars are required to travel at. The speed limit depends on the size of the track and the size of pit road. NASCAR uses an electronic scoring system to monitor the speeds of cars on pit road by measuring the time it takes to get from checkpoint to checkpoint. As the cars are not equipped with speedometers, the cars in prerace warm up laps are driven around the track at the pit road speed following the pace car so the drivers can mark their speed on the tachometer.

All over the wall pit members are required to wear helmets, full fire suits, and gloves; while the refueller must wear a fire apron as well as the suit. Tire changers must also wear safety glasses to prevent eye injuries from lug nuts thrown off the car.

As with changes to car models, NASCAR will institute new rules during a season if it deems it necessary to enhance safety.

North Carolina race shops

North Carolina has been deemed "NASCAR Valley" as 73% of all American motorsports employees work in North Carolina (this includes other motorsports series such as CART and ARCA). The majority of NASCAR teams are located in or near the Charlotte-metro area. Cities in North Carolina that are home to NASCAR teams include: Charlotte, Wilkesboro, Mooresville, Concord, Statesville, Huntersville, Welcome, Kernersville, Randleman, Greensboro, High Point, Harrisburg, and Kannapolis. Specifically, 82% of Nextel Cup teams, 72% of Busch Series teams, and 55% of Craftsman Truck Series teams are based in North Carolina. The majority of NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series drivers maintain their primary residences near Charlotte.

NASCAR Media

TV/radio coverage

See: NASCAR on television and radio

Video games

See: NASCAR Video Games

Criticism

Difficulty as compared to other forms of motorsport

One of the most common criticisms of NASCAR is that almost all of the tracks are ovals (usually tri-ovals). This has led to a famous but unattributed quote that compared NASCAR racing to "taxis turning left for 500 miles". NASCAR is sometimes perceived as requiring less driving skill to race, compared with the rough terrain and sharp turns of Rally as well as the complicated twists and turns seen in the typical Formula One course that put up to 5 or 6 G's of stress on the driver's body. NASCAR includes road course races in each of its top two series but this is usually a small percentage of the schedule, and although most regular drivers participate, a few teams bring in road racing specialists just for these races. NASCAR supporters counter that NASCAR is not the only racing league to run a large number of races on "simple" oval tracks; the Indy Racing League also runs many oval track races. These tracks may also contribute to close finishes in the races.

Supporters also note that NASCAR tends to have more cars in its races, and maintains a more extensive schedule than other leagues. NEXTEL Cup races have 43 cars in competition at the start of each race, compared to 22 for Formula One and 15-20 IndyCar, and the teams must endure a 36-race schedule over 41 weeks, at a wide variety of tracks, with different setups and strategies being required for each track. Teams usually only have about five days to prepare before arriving at any given track. The schedule is one of the most demanding in motorsports, and has caused some drivers, such as Rusty Wallace, to retire for reluctance to commit to such a grueling season.

It is also notable that some drivers that achieved relative success in road racing, such as Scott Pruett and Christian Fittipaldi, have failed to duplicate that success in NASCAR.

It is also notable that while attending the Formula 1 2006 United States Grand Prix, Jeff Gordon said that when he drove Juan Pablo Montoya's F1 car in June 2003 he was shocked at the speed, braking, and handling of the vehicle and that driving one is on a whole different difficulty level.

Technology

Critics also note that the 1950s-era technologies used in the 'stock cars', such as carburetors, cast-iron pushrod engine blocks, and leaded racing fuel (see the Environmental impact section) bear little resemblance to modern day street vehicles. Modern NASCAR vehicles share very few attributes of the commercial models they are associated with; for example, the production Chevrolet Monte Carlo weighs nearly the same as the NASCAR Chevy Monte Carlo, but the NASCAR vehicle has an eight-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels, whereas the production car has a front-wheel-drive V6 (a V8 is optional). Supporters note that this is a modern condition: when NASCAR first started 50 years ago, the race cars were substantially similar to production vehicles, but the safety and performance needs of modern racing have required custom-built race cars. Supporters also note that the strict equipment rules place less emphasis on getting a technological advantage, and thus more emphasis on individual driver skill. All of NASCAR's series also run on spec tires made by certain tire manufacturers such as Goodyear and American Racer. Some note that this discourages tire competition and development, which leads to the absence of rain/wet condition tires, or to races (such as the 2005 Coca-Cola 600) where tires seem to self-destruct.

Business structure and decision making policies

NASCAR's business structure has also been criticized. Since its founding in 1947 by William France Sr., the overall NASCAR organization has been majority owned by the France family, ensuring that the family controls a majority of the overwhelming revenue that the sport generates (compared to other sports where the owners and players split revenue almost evenly). NASCAR is also criticized for its reluctance to promote some aspects of safety that it would have to pay for (e.g. traveling safety crew)[2][3], and other allegedly monopolistic aspects such as merchandising and race-track ownership. In addition, due to its overwhelming influence and lack of driver say, NASCAR has even been compared to a dictatorship by some motorsports, political, and economic analysts.[4][5] Examples of such influence include the cancellation of the SPEED Channel television show Pit Bull (which frequently criticized many of NASCAR's decisions and policies and enjoyed modest ratings), frequent use of the vague "detrimental to NASCAR" rule, and the creation of rules on whim, especially during a race. NASCAR has taken to penalizing drivers in recent years, especially after the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show, with fines, point penalties, and lap penalties in races for drivers or mechanics who use obscene language in interviews to the media.[6][7]

Driver competition in multiple series

NASCAR has long allowed drivers to compete in as many series and events as they like, with few restrictions. However, in recent years, top NEXTEL Cup drivers have competed in and dominated the lower tier Busch races on a regular basis, earning NEXTEL drivers the nickname "Buschwhackers". The situation is compounded by the close timing of the races in the 2 series: a typical NASCAR weekend has a Busch race on Saturday followed by a NEXTEL race on Sunday at the same track. Some have wondered why "major league" NEXTEL drivers are allowed to compete in the "minor league" Busch races with such frequency, and whether Busch is an adequate developmental series. Sportswriter Bob Margolis noted that much of this is due to the similarities between the cars used in the two series (they are mostly alike except for the engines), and the desire for NEXTEL drivers to get as much practice time as possible to learn about the track and car setup before the main race.[8]

An additional concern is the risk of injury to top drivers while competing in lower tier events. In 2006, two-time NEXTEL Cup champ Tony Stewart injured his shoulder while driving in a Busch series race. The immediate problem for Stewart was the potential loss of points for missing a NEXTEL Cup race, which would have badly hurt his championship chances. NASCAR rules state that a qualified driver can only earn points if he starts the race (although he may be replaced during the race without penalty), and Stewart was thus forced to start the race to be eligible for points, despite obvious pain. Ricky Rudd then took over at the first pit stop and would finish 25th. Stewart appeared to have recovered by the following week, finishing third, but critics took him to task, noting that Stewart was not merely putting himself in harm's way, but also risking the livelihood of his race team and the investment of his sponsors.[9]

The concern over lower tier events extends to non-NASCAR events as well. During an off week for the NEXTEL Cup in 2004, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. crashed while participating in an American Le Mans event; his Corvette caught fire and he suffered severe burns before he could escape the car. Like Stewart, Earnhardt started and was replaced in his next 2 races.

Environmental impact

Fuel consumption

According to NASCAR, about 6,000 US gallons of fuel is consumed during a typical NEXTEL Cup weekend.[10] For the 2006 season, which includes 36 points races, the total for the season would be 216,000 US gallons. One environmental critic recently estimated NASCAR's total fuel consumption across all series at 2 million US gallons (7.57 million liters) of gas for one season;[11] however, the methodology used has been a point of dispute.

At race speeds, NEXTEL Cup cars get 2 to 5 miles per gallon.[12][13][14] Consumption under caution can be estimated at 14-18 mpg, based on comparable engines generally available to the public. Interestingly, the rate of fuel consumption tends to be the same regardless of the actual speeds of the cars, as teams change gear ratios for each race to ensure that the engine always operates in its optimum power band; however, the fuel mileage will vary for each race, depending on the maximum speeds attained.

As a brief digression, a highly simplified estimate could be made for annual fuel consumption for the NEXTEL Cup alone. The following assumptions will be used:

• Each season is 36 races (in 2006, the season includes 36 points races)
• Each race is 500 miles (in 2006, 18 of 36 races are 500 miles; races vary from 250-600 miles)
• 43 cars start each race (in 2006, 43 is the normal starting field)
• No part of any race is run under caution
• Each car finishes the entire length of each race

Using the lowest mileage figure of 2 mpg, each car would consume 250 gallons per race; the field would consume 10,750 gallons per race. The total consumption for the season would be 387,000 gallons.

As stated, this is a highly simplified estimate. The calculations reflect only NEXTEL Cup fuel consumption under race conditions; practice and qualifying sessions are not included. Certain non-points race events are not included. The Busch and Craftsman series, as well as NASCAR's multitude of other events, are not included. Also, fuel consumption by team vehicles, such as buses or tractor-trailers used to transport race cars and teams, is not included. Finally, fuel consumed by spectators traveling to and from NASCAR events is not included.

The consumption estimates can be put into perspective by comparing consumption to passenger cars. Assuming the average car is driven 12,000 miles in 1 year, and gets 20 miles per gallon, Nextel Cup's annual fuel usage is the equivalent of 645 street cars.

Emissions & pollution

The consumption figures above provide no insight on environmental impact in terms of emissions. NASCAR vehicles are generally unregulated by the EPA, and in particular, they have no mufflers, catalytic converters or other emissions control devices. However, some local short tracks which run under NASCAR sanction require certain emissions control devices. Many short tracks run mufflers in compliance with noise ordinances at some tracks; in the early years of the Craftsman Truck Series, some races were held at venues which required mufflers, a requirement still used in some Busch East, AutoZone West, and Whelen Modified races.

NASCAR's use of lead based gasoline has led to concerns about the health of those exposed to the fumes of the cars (fans and residents living near the race tracks).[15] NASCAR and Sunoco have recently announced that they are moving up their timeline and will be fully switching over to unleaded gasoline in 2007, with certain races in the latter half of the 2006 season being run with the unleaded fuel as well.[16]

Previously, NASCAR and then-fuel supplier Tosco (76 Products) had an experiment in selected Busch Series races in 1998. That did not do as well as NASCAR thought.

The first NASCAR Busch Series race since 1998 to run unleaded gasoline was at the Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois. Although high engine temperatures were reported, the first test has been deemed successful. NASCAR plans to run unleaded fuel in several more NASCAR Busch & Truck series races in 2006, and in the 2006 NEXTEL Cup series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

See also

• 2006 in NASCAR (NEXTEL Cup)
• 2006 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup
• 2006 in NASCAR Busch Series
• 2006 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
• 2007 in NASCAR (NEXTEL Cup)
• Car of Tomorrow
• List of NASCAR champions
• List of NASCAR drivers
• List of NASCAR race tracks
• List of current NASCAR races
• List of NASCAR teams
• NASCAR Rookie of the Year
• NASCAR Hall of Fame
• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
• Days of Thunder

External links

• NASCAR.com, the official site of NASCAR

References

• NASCAR Technology
• Demographics of NASCAR fans
• racing-reference.info Results of every race in NASCAR history
• Nascar Driver Frequency Listings

Notes

Note 1: The largest NASCAR tracks can accommodate upwards of 170,000 people in the stands and infield, far larger than any non-motorsport venue in North America.