NASCAR Racing is one of the most popular sports in America today. This fast-growing sport reaches thousands of new fans every week. For those of you new to the sport here is a quick introduction.
A. First Things First
NASCAR is an acronym which stands for "National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing."
NASCAR is a sanctioning body which oversees many types of racing across the country. The three top series under the NASCAR banner are:
1. Sprint Cup Series
2. Nationwide Series
3. Craftsman Truck Series
When most people say NASCAR they are referring to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
NASCAR Race Cars
A modern NASCAR Sprint Cup race car has only a passing resemblance to its "strictly stock" heritage. These cars are built from the ground up as pure racing beasts.
They are based on four door American made cars. For example, the currently eligible race cars include the Ford Fusion, Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Toyota Camry.
These are not the sleek open-wheel pointy-nosed race cars that run Formula One, CART or IRL series.
NASCAR Sprint Cup cars have fenders which are important because they allow side-to-side contact between cars without allowing the wheels to hook causing a big wreck.
A Sprint Cup car weighs in at 3,400 pounds and has a wheelbase of exactly 110 inches. The engine is a 358 cubic inch V8. These powerplants can generate over 750 horsepower. By comparison a showroom stock 2007 Chevy Corvette generates about 400 horsepower with its V8 engine.
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