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79-1101: (Redirected from Grand National Division ) The name NASCAR Grand National Series refers to former names of the following NASCAR series: National-level stock car series: NASCAR Cup Series (known as NASCAR Grand National Series between 1950 and 1970, then the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series between 1971 and 1986) NASCAR Xfinity Series (known as NASCAR Busch Grand National Series between 1986 and 2003) Regional-level stock car series (termed as Grand National Division by NASCAR): ARCA Menards Series East (known as NASCAR Busch Grand National North Series between 1987 and 1993; later formally known as NASCAR Grand National Division East Series) ARCA Menards Series West (known as NASCAR Busch Grand National West in 1970; later formally known as NASCAR Grand National Division West Series) NASCAR Grand National East Series (held in 1972 and 1973) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] List of sports-related pages with

158-542: A front engine rear-wheel-drive design. A roll cage serves as a space frame chassis and is covered by a 24-gauge sheet metal body. They have a closed cockpit, fenders, a rear spoiler, and an aerodynamic splitter. Fielding a car for one season usually costs $ 10–20 million. Each team may build its own cars and engines (per NASCAR's specifications) or purchase cars and engines from other teams. NASCAR in Australia Bringing NASCAR to Australia

237-733: A 15-year hiatus in 2001, but departed after 2012, leaving just Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota. Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer as of 2023, with 851 race wins and 42 manufacturers championships. Ford ranks second with 728 victories and 17 manufacturers championships. Dodge is third in wins with 217 and two manufacturers championships (albeit no longer in NASCAR), Plymouth fourth with 191 with one manufacturer championship (albeit no longer in NASCAR), Toyota fifth with 180 wins and three manufacturers championships, and Pontiac sixth with 154 and one manufacturer championship (albeit no longer in NASCAR). Cup Series cars (often called "Cup cars") adhere to

316-571: A fistfight on national television. This underlined the drama and emotion of the sport and increased its broadcast marketability. The race coincided with a major snowstorm along the United States' eastern seaboard, successfully introducing the sport to a captive audience. In 1981, an awards banquet began to be held in New York City on the first Friday evening in December. The first banquets were held in

395-468: A new awards program called the Winston Million . From 1985 to 1997, any driver who won three of the four most prestigious races in the series was given one million dollars. The prize was only won twice; Bill Elliott won in 1985, Darrell Waltrip nearly won in 1989, Davey Allison nearly won in 1992, Dale Jarrett nearly won in 1996, and Jeff Gordon won in 1997. The Winston Million was replaced with

474-455: A number of awards are given to drivers finishing outside the Chase. The highest finishing non-Chase driver (13th place at the end of the season from 2007 to 2013 and potentially anywhere from fifth to 17th place starting in 2014) is awarded a bonus of approximately one million dollars and was originally given a position on stage at the post-season awards banquet. The awards banquet now focuses solely on

553-674: A number of drivers successfully move from AUSCAR, including Brad Jones who won five straight AUSCAR titles before winning his first series in NASCAR, and John Faulkner . As popular V8 powered sedans became less successful in the Australian Touring Car Championship due to Group A being dominated by imported turbocharged cars such as the Ford Sierra RS500 and various Nissan Skylines , NASCAR arrived in Australia at exactly

632-484: A one off race held in Canada . The Daytona 500 , the most prestigious race, had a television audience of about 9.17 million U.S. viewers in 2019. Cup Series cars are unique in automobile racing. While the engines are powerful enough to reach speeds of over 200 mph (320 km/h), their weight coupled with a relatively simple aerodynamic package (based on the body styles of cars currently available for retail sale in

711-413: A pair of checkered flags in flight. By 2009, the popularity boom of the 1990s had ended, and television ratings over the previous ten years had become more or less stagnant. Some long-time fans have criticized the series for losing its traditional appeal because of abandoning venues in the southeastern United States in favor of newer markets. They have also voiced discontent over Toyota 's presence in

790-558: A playoff held within the final ten races. This number was increased to 12 teams in 2007. The Chase participants had their points increased to a level mathematically unattainable by anyone outside this field (roughly 1,800 points ahead of the first driver outside the Chase). From the inaugural Chase in 2004 to the 2006 Chase, the drivers were seeded based on points position at the end of the regular season, with first place starting with 5,050 points and tenth place starting with 5,005. From 2007 to 2010,

869-840: A points system with equal points being awarded for all races regardless of length or prize money. This system ensured that the top drivers would have to compete in all the races in order to become the series champion. This system remained unchanged from 1975 until the Chase for the Championship was instituted in 2004. Since 1982, the Daytona 500 has been the first non-exhibition race of the year. ABC Sports aired partial or full live telecasts of Grand National races from Talladega , North Wilkesboro, Darlington, Charlotte, and Nashville in 1970. Because these events were perceived as less exciting than many Grand National races, ABC abandoned its live coverage. Races were instead broadcast, delayed and edited, on

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948-511: A regular in the NASCAR Busch Series in the United States, chose to "cut his teeth" in the more relaxed Australian championship to gain valuable experience rather than jump straight into the cut and thrust of the more professional American series. Occasional forays onto other circuit began during the 1990s, first to Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney before also racing as a support category at

1027-468: A similar program, the Winston No Bull Five, in 1998. This program awarded one million dollars to any driver who won a prestigious race after finishing in the top five of the most previous prestigious race. The series underwent a large boom in popularity in the 1990s. In 1994, NASCAR held the first Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway . Between 1997 and 1998, the winner's prize money for

1106-663: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States . The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, when

1185-500: Is regarded in NASCAR's record books as the first season of GN/Cup history. Martinsville Speedway is the only track on the 1949 schedule that remains on the current schedule. Rather than having a fixed schedule of one race per weekend with most entrants appearing at every event, the Grand National schedule has included over sixty events in some years. Often there were two or three races on the same weekend and occasionally two races on

1264-407: The 1998 Tobacco Industry Settlement that sharply restricted avenues for tobacco advertising, including sports sponsorships. The changes that resulted from RJR's involvement in the series as well as from the reduction in schedule from 48 to 31 races per year established 1972 as the beginning of NASCAR's "modern era". The season was made shorter, and the points system was modified several times during

1343-623: The Bathurst 1000 with the cars regularly being faster than the V8 Touring cars on the Mount Panorama Circuits 1.1 km long Conrod Straight, reaching over 310 km/h (193 mph), though overall lap times were approximately 10 seconds per lap slower than the made for road racing V8 tourers. By the end of the 1990s, the popularity of the series had fallen below viability with rounds cancelled in 2000, and with major sponsors favouring

1422-646: The Waldorf-Astoria 's Starlight Room and in 1985 were moved to the much larger Grand Ballroom. For 2001, the banquet portion was dropped in favor of a simpler awards ceremony, which was also moved to the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center the following year. However, in 2003, the festivities returned to the Waldorf's Grand Ballroom, and the banquet format was reinstated. In 1985, Winston introduced

1501-622: The 1/2 mile long trotting track at the Granville Showground that surrounded Sydney's Parramatta Speedway into a banked paved oval, thus giving a third oval track for the series to use. However, the plans never got past the planning stage. The Australian NASCARs were supporters of the Gold Coast Indy 300 run by CART on the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit during the early years when CAMS sanctioned categories ignored

1580-442: The 10th place car. The points earned are added to a driver/owner's regular season points total, while the winner of the stage receives an additional point that is added to their point total, after the reset, if they get into the NASCAR playoffs. The stage lengths vary by track, but the first two stages usually combine to equal about half of the race. The final stage (which still pays out championship points to all drivers) usually equals

1659-452: The 1960s with the Hemi, never won a Manufacturers Championship until Ford pulled out of racing in the early 1970s. GM was still using four different brands in NASCAR in 1991, but within three years, Buick and Oldsmobile were gone. Pontiac survived until 2004, leaving only Chevrolet. 2007 saw the first new brand since 1971, when Japanese manufacturer Toyota joined. Chrysler's Dodge brand returned after

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1738-491: The ABC sports variety show Wide World of Sports . In 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first stock car race that was nationally televised live 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 for the win. Immediately, Yarborough, Allison, and Allison's brother Bobby were engaged in

1817-1058: The Beach Television and radio CBS ESPN/ABC Fox/Fox Sports 1 Hot Pass IndyCar Radio Network Motor Racing Network NBC/USA Network Performance Racing Network Speed TNT Lists Drivers African-American drivers Female drivers Hispanic drivers Fatalities Champions Cup Series Xfinity Series Truck Series Closest races Cup Series Xfinity Series Truck Series Cup Series Manufacturers' champions All-time Cup Series winners Seasons Series Teams Former teams Tracks Video games Topics Awards Banquet/Champion's Week Buschwhacker Criticism Drive for Diversity Engines Ferko lawsuit Mini tournaments Crown Jewel (NASCAR) Dash 4 Cash Triple Truck Challenge Hall of Fame Playoffs Race Team Alliance Road course ringer Rookie of

1896-443: The Championship. The first driver to win multiple Championships was Herb Thomas in 1951 and 1953, while the record for the most Championships, seven, is shared by Richard Petty , Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson . Johnson has the record for most consecutive Championships; he won five Championships from 2006 to 2010 . So far every Champion has originated from the United States. The Cup Series Owner's Championship operates in

1975-488: The Chase, with all of the series' sponsored and contingency awards moved to a luncheon at Cipriani the day before the banquet. This playoff system was implemented primarily to make the points race more competitive late in the season, and indirectly, to increase television ratings during the NFL season, which starts around the same time as the Chase begins. The Chase also forces teams to perform at their best during all three stages of

2054-549: The Daytona 500 tripled. This coincided with a decline of popularity in American Championship Car Racing . In 1999, NASCAR made a new agreement with Fox Broadcasting , Turner Broadcasting , and NBC . The contract, signed for eight years for Fox and six years for NBC and Turner, was valued at $ 2.4 billion. In 2001, Pixar visited NASCAR tracks as research for the 2006 animated film Cars , which included

2133-642: The Thunderdome but interest waned over time and big-name guest drivers were lured from circuit racing to bolster fields. Star touring car drivers Allan Grice and Dick Johnson were both early supporters of the concept, with both travelling to the US to race in the Winston Cup Series, although success was limited. Another touring car star in Kiwi Jim Richards also raced successfully in NASCAR in Australia. At

2212-693: The Thunderdome, the top speed for the NASCAR's was around 300 km/h (186 mph). This compared to the Australian-based AUSCAR's (which while also using smaller V8 engines, ran on road tyres rather than racing slicks ) which had a top speed of approximately 265 km/h (165 mph)). Like in the United States, many of the NASCAR drivers in Australia came from the ranks of dirt track speedway , with drivers such as Barry Graham, Gene Cook, Robin Best, George Elliot, Terry Byers, Neville Lance, Terry Wyhoon, Todd Wanless, and Max Dumesny all being regulars in

2291-601: The United States) make for poor handling. The bodies and chassis of the cars are strictly regulated to ensure parity, and electronics are traditionally spartan in nature. In 1949, NASCAR introduced the Strictly Stock division, after sanctioning Modified and Roadster division races in 1948. Eight races were run on seven dirt ovals and on the Daytona Beach beach/street course. The first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race

2370-859: The Year Rules and regulations Tire war Fuel injection Car generations: Generation 1 Generation 2 Aero Warriors Generation 3 Generation 4 Car of Tomorrow Generation 6 Next Gen Safety in NASCAR Start and park Streamline Hotel The Big One Winston Cup era [REDACTED] Category [REDACTED] Commons [REDACTED] Sports portal [REDACTED] United States portal Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NASCAR_Grand_National_Series&oldid=1150848064 " Category : Set index articles on sports Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description

2449-441: The car in the 43rd position. If more than one car did not qualify, owners' points continued to be assigned in the manner described, decreasing by three for each position. Under the post-2010 point system, only cars that actually start in a given race earn owner's points. There is a separate "Chase for the Championship" for the owners' points. A 2005 rule change in NASCAR's three national series, revoked from 2013 onward, affects how

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2528-517: The case of the NASCAR Cup Series' longest race, the Coca-Cola 600. A stage consists of normal green flag racing followed by a stoppage on a designated lap signified by the waving of a green and white checkered flag, then a yellow flag. The top-10 finishers in each of the first two stages are awarded bonus championship points, 10 points to the winner, 9 points for the 2nd place car, down to 1 point for

2607-410: The circuit over one mile (1.6 km) long. In 1959, when Daytona International Speedway was opened, the schedule still had more races on dirt racetracks than on paved ones. In the 1960s as superspeedways were built and old dirt tracks were paved, the number of races run on dirt tracks was reduced. The last NASCAR Grand National race on a dirt track (until 2021 ) was held on September 30, 1970, at

2686-584: The collapse of The Power Tour; Andrew Miedecke was leading the championship after Queensland Raceway. Revival efforts continued through the 2000s and 2010s, Bob Jane attempted to get things going with the Holden Monaro, the Stockcar Australia Road Series was attempted followed by Historic Stock Car Racing Series Australia and a revival finally gained some traction with the introduction of OzTrucks to Australia before Stock Cars Australia arrived on

2765-571: The conclusion of the 2003 season. NASCAR negotiated a contract with Nextel , a telecommunications company to replace Winston, and in 2004 the series became known as the Nextel Cup Series. The 2006 merger between Sprint and Nextel resulted in the Cup Series being renamed the Sprint Cup, beginning with the 2008 season. The Sprint Cup trophy was designed by Tiffany & Co. and is silver, with

2844-519: The creation of a charter system (in association with the Race Team Alliance , formed in 2014), which would guarantee 36 teams' entry to all 36 races. Eligibility for a charter would depend on a team's attempts to qualify for every race within the previous three seasons. In conjunction with this rule, NASCAR also reduced the size of the Cup field to 40 cars. Along with the change in title sponsorship for

2923-504: The eastern end of the Bob Jane owned Adelaide International Raceway also saw NASCAR racing, giving the category the chance to run on both a high banked speedway and a traditional flat short track. The slower Super Bowl was a welcome addition to the series as it offered a new challenge with its short straights and much tighter turns which unlike the 24° banking at the Dome that allowed for high speed,

3002-538: The final exemption is not used because all past Champions are already in the field, it will pass to another car based on the number of owner points. In some circumstances, a team's owners' points will differ from the corresponding driver's points. In 2005, after owner Jack Roush fired Kurt Busch during the next-to-last race weekend of the season, the No. 97 team finished in eighth place in owner's points, while Busch ended up tenth in driver's points. In 2023, after Chase Elliott

3081-410: The first driver outside the Chase. (Under the new point system, a race winner can earn a maximum of 48 points, as opposed to 195 in the pre-2011 system.) The ten automatic qualifiers received a bonus of three points for each win during the regular season, while the two wild card qualifiers received no such bonus. As in the past, the race layouts for the remaining ten races were the same, with no changes to

3160-516: The first race under the current points system, the 2011 Daytona 500 . Under another rule newly implemented for the 2011 season, drivers are only allowed to earn drivers' points in one of NASCAR's three national series. Trevor Bayne , who won the race, did not earn any drivers' points because he chose to run for the Nationwide Series championship. However, he earned 47 owner's points for Wood Brothers Racing (43 base points, three bonus points for

3239-461: The fourth, two for the fifth, and one point for the sixth positioned manufacturer. This meant that if Chevrolets placed first through tenth in a given race and a Ford was 11th and a Dodge 12th, Chevrolet earned 9 points, Ford 6 and Dodge 4. Starting in 2014, NASCAR changed the system to mimic the Owner's Championship. Under this system, each manufacturer's best finishing representative effectively earned them

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3318-450: The half-mile State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina . Richard Petty won that race in a Plymouth that had been sold by Petty Enterprises to Don Robertson and rented back by Petty Enterprises for the race. Between 1971 and 2003, NASCAR's premier series was sponsored by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company cigarette brand Winston , dubbing it the Winston Cup Series. The series

3397-475: The heavily televised V8 Supercars , the series moved to an exclusively road course calendar in 2001 and was renamed V8 Stock Cars, The 2001 season was a road race series with races at Mallala , Queensland Raceway , Oran Park (twice), Winton , with the final round being held at the Calder Park Raceway. The 2002 season was abandoned after races were held at Mallala, Oran Park and Queensland Raceway due to

3476-617: The last ten races, where the difference in points is greatly minimized. This is called the NASCAR playoffs . The series holds strong roots in the Southeastern United States , with about half of the races in the 36-race season being held in that region. As of 2020 , the schedule includes tracks from around the United States. There have been races held outside the United States with exhibition races previously held in Japan and Australia , and

3555-499: The mainland which limited its audience (though this didn't stop Tasmanian drivers from competing, such as the winner of the first two Australian championships, Robin Best). It was at Oran Park in 1995 where 1993 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion, American Kevin Schwantz , made his NASCAR debut. Schwantz won that race at Oran Park driving a Chevrolet Lumina and later went on to be

3634-415: The new sponsor of NASCAR's premier series. On December 19, 2016, NASCAR announced the new name for the series, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series as well as the new series logo and new NASCAR logo. On April 11, 2018, Monster Energy announced an extension of their sponsorship of the series through the end of the 2019 season. In 2017, stage racing was introduced. Races were broken up into three stages, four in

3713-496: The new title sponsor, and the series was renamed the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (2017–2019). In 2019, NASCAR rejected Monster's offer to extend the naming rights deal beyond the end of the season. NASCAR subsequently announced its move to a new tiered sponsorship model beginning with the 2020 season similar to other U.S. based professional sports leagues, where it was simply known as the NASCAR Cup Series, with

3792-443: The next four years. Races on dirt tracks and on oval tracks shorter than 250 miles (400 kilometres) were removed from the schedule and transferred to the short-lived NASCAR Grand National East Series , and the remaining races had a minimum prize money of $ 30,000. NASCAR's founder, Bill France Sr. , turned over control of NASCAR to his oldest son, Bill France Jr. In August 1974, France Jr. asked series publicist Bob Latford to design

3871-532: The number of manufacturers involved, and the manufacturer's championship was a major marketing tool. In the Xfinity Series , the championship is known as the Bill France Performance Cup. Up to the 2013 season, points were scored in a 1960–1990 Formula One system, with the winner's manufacturer scoring nine points, six for the next manufacturer, four for the manufacturer third among makes, three for

3950-463: The other half. Also, a regular season points championship is awarded to the driver who scored the most points in the first 26 races (regular season). This championship does not award any bonus points to the winning driver. Otherwise, the points system and playoff format remained the same. The MENCS trophy was in the form of a chalice that stood at three feet tall and weighed 68 lbs. Made of machined aluminum and taking over 300 hours of craftsmanship,

4029-402: The owner's points are used. Through the 2012 season, the top 35 (NASCAR Cup Series) or top 30 (other series) full-time teams in owner points are awarded exemptions for the next race, guaranteeing them a position in that race. These points determine who is in and who is out of the next race and have become crucial since the exemption rule was changed to its current format. At the end of each season,

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4108-401: The points reset were changed as well. From 2011 to 2013, the ten drivers with the most points automatically qualified for the Chase. They were joined by two "wild card" qualifiers, specifically, the two drivers with the most race wins who were ranked between 11th and 20th in drivers' points. Their base point totals were then reset to 2,000 points, a level more than 1,000 points higher than that of

4187-405: The points totals of each driver who made the Chase were reset to 5,000 points, plus ten additional points for each race victory during the first 26 races. Points would still be awarded as usual during the affected races. The driver leading in points after the 36th race would be declared the champion. As part of a major change in the points system that took effect in 2011, the qualifying criteria and

4266-399: The race meeting in 1992 giving the category its first run on a road course in Australia. NASCARs only other regular stop became Sydney's Oran Park Raceway from the mid-1990s, with the cars ran under lights and utilised the shorter 1.96 km road course rather than the 2.6 km Grand Prix circuit. Throughout its run in Australia, NASCAR never ventured west of Adelaide and never went off

4345-702: The relationship between the two was tenuous and drifted over time. AUSCAR was also the name of the second-tier category with cars based on the Australian made Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon running 5.0L V8 engines . In 1987 with the completion of the Calder Park Thunderdome extensions the much delayed first NASCAR race late in the 1987 racing season with the first major event, the 1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500 following on February 28, 1988. Initially Winston Cup drivers such as Neil Bonnett , Bobby Allison , Michael Waltrip , Dave Marcis and Kyle Petty visited

4424-455: The right time to exploit a dissatisfaction within Australian race fans and crowds were initially promising, although they faded. The installation of lights at the Thunderdome for night racing in 1991 brought crowds back to peak levels and for the next five years enjoyed success. This success was limited though with only one circuit available. While most of the cars used were those seen in America at

4503-434: The same day in different states. In the early years, most Grand National races were held on dirt-surfaced short oval tracks that ranged in lap length from under a quarter-mile to over a half-mile, or on dirt fairgrounds ovals usually ranging from a half-mile to a mile in lap length. Of the first 221 Grand National races, 198 were run on dirt tracks. Darlington Raceway , opened in 1950, was the first completely paved track on

4582-655: The same manner as the Driver's Championship, except that points are awarded to each individual car. If an owner enters more than one car, each car is viewed and scored as a separate entity. The points in the Owners Championship is identical to the Drivers' list, with one minor exception: Drivers who are not eligible to earn points toward the Drivers' title can still earn points toward the Owners' Championship. An example of this occurred in

4661-483: The same number of points as that team earned, including any bonus points from leading a lap or winning the event. In NASCAR's earliest years, there was a diverse array of machinery, with little support from the car companies themselves, but by the mid-1960s, participation was exclusively American manufacturers with factory support. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors were the primary, if not only, competitors for much of NASCAR's history. Plymouth, while somewhat successful in

4740-2116: The same or similar names This article includes a list of sports-related pages with the same or similar names. If an internal link for a specific sport article referred you to this page, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended sport article, if one exists. v t e NASCAR Chairmen and presidents Bill France Sr. Bill France Jr. Mike Helton Brian France Jim France Major national racing series Cup Series Xfinity Series Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Regional ARCA Menards Series East West Whelen Modified NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Weekly short track racing NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series International series NASCAR Brazil Brasil Sprint Race NASCAR Canada Canada Series NASCAR Europe Whelen Euro Series NASCAR Mexico Mexico Series Online racing series eNASCAR Series eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series eNASCAR Ignite Series EuroNASCAR Esports Series eNASCAR College iRacing Series D-BOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series Former series NASCAR Australia NASCAR in Australia AUSCAR AutoZone Elite Division Midwest Series Northwest Series Southeast Series Southwest Series Other series Baby Grand National/Dash Series Busch All-Star Tour Convertible Division Grand American Grand National East Mini Stocks North Tour Speedway Division NASCAR Sportsman Division (1989–1995) NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series eNASCAR Heat Series Special events Toyota All-Star Showdown UNOH Battle at

4819-495: The scene under the leadership of Brian Walden before Zac O'Hara taken over leadership duties and brought Stock Car racing home to Calder Park Raceway in August 2023. Stock Cars Australia is currently holding stock car races in Australia, they race at locations such as One Raceway, Sydney Motorsport Park, Winton Raceway and Calder Park Raceway, they use a combination of Cup cars, Xfinity Series cars, AUSCARs, OzTrucks and GTA's, Scott Nind

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4898-455: The scoring system. On November 20, 2011, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards ended the season in a first-ever points tie. Stewart's five season wins (all in the Chase) over Edwards' one win (in the third race of the season) gave Stewart the tie-breaker. Hence he was named the winner of the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. For 2014, NASCAR announced wide-ranging changes to the Chase format: To encourage continued competition among all drivers,

4977-503: The season, the first half of the regular season, the second half of the regular season, and the Chase. Previously, the champion could have been determined before the last race, or even several races before the end of the season, because it was mathematically impossible for any other driver to gain enough points to overtake the leader. The title sponsorship with Sprint ended after the 2016 season. On December 1, 2016, NASCAR announced it had reached an agreement with Monster Energy to become

5056-637: The series began leasing its naming rights to the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , it was referred to as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (1971–2003). A similar deal was made with Nextel in 2003, and it became the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (2004–2007). Sprint acquired Nextel in 2005, and in 2008 the series was renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (2008–2016). In December 2016, it was announced that Monster Energy would become

5135-595: The series, the 2004 season also introduced a new system for determining the series champion, influenced by the system used in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series . Originally known as the Chase for the Nextel Cup (or simply "The Chase" , and later changed to Sprint branding), the ten highest-scoring drivers and teams (plus ties) in the first 26 races of the season became eligible to win the championship by competing in

5214-584: The series, with Coca-Cola also assuming naming rights of the regular season trophy. The MENCS trophy design was retained under the new series name, though it was renamed the Bill France Cup. The NASCAR Cup Series Drivers' Championship is awarded by the Chairman of NASCAR to the most successful Cup Series driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on race results and victories. First awarded in 1949 to Red Byron , 32 different drivers have won

5293-459: The series. Japanese telecommunications corporation SoftBank acquired Sprint in July 2013. While NASCAR was suspicious of diversity promotion and aware of the negative implications of the redneck image, it also recognized the opportunities to expand the sport. NASCAR's CEO Brian France has become a prime target for criticism among fans during his tenure from 2003 to 2018. In 2016, NASCAR announced

5372-494: The series. NASCAR, like the AUSCAR series, also attracted a number of touring car drivers such as Charlie O'Brien , Greg Murphy , Russell Ingall , and the final ever series champion Andrew Miedecke . Other drivers included Bob Jane's son Rodney Jane and his nephew Kim Jane (his brother's son) who were also race winners in both AUSCAR and NASCAR, and in the case of Kim Jane a four-time NASCAR series champion. NASCAR in Australia also saw

5451-484: The sponsors of the series being called Premier Partners. The four Premier Partners are Busch Beer , Coca-Cola , GEICO , and Xfinity . The championship is determined by a points system, with points being awarded according to finish placement and number of laps led. The season is divided into two segments. After the first 26 races, 16 drivers, selected primarily on the basis of wins during the first 26 races, are seeded based on their total number of wins. They compete in

5530-508: The time such as the Chevrolet Monte Carlo , Chevrolet Lumina, Ford Thunderbird , Oldsmobile Cutlass , Oldsmobile Delta 88 , Buick LeSabre , and Pontiac Grand Prix , locally developed Holden Commodore 's and Ford Falcon 's were also raced with Allan Grice notably driving a VN Commodore to several wins in 1990, while Jim Richards also raced an EA Falcon with some success. In 1990 the 1/2-mile (805 metre) Speedway Super Bowl at

5609-403: The top 35 contenders in owner's points are also locked into the first five races of the next season. Beginning in 2013, the rules reverted to a system more similar to the pre-2005 rules. In the NASCAR Cup Series, the first 36 places in the field are determined strictly by qualifying speed. The next six places are awarded on owner points, with the final place reserved for a past Series Champion. If

5688-537: The trophy's exterior was decorated with the outlines of all 23 NASCAR Cup Series tracks. The cup portion was said to hold approximately 600 ounces of liquids, or 37 cans of Monster Energy. Beginning with the 2020 season NASCAR's top level of competition became known as the NASCAR Cup Series . As part of a tiered sponsorship model, Busch Beer , Coca-Cola , GEICO , and Xfinity became the Premier Partners of

5767-462: The voices of NASCAR drivers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. To avoid advertising tobacco in a Disney film, "Piston Cup" served as Pixar's allusion to the Winston Cup (however, by the time the film came out, Nextel had replaced Winston as the series title sponsor). During the 2002 season, R.J. Reynolds notified NASCAR leadership that they would terminate their title sponsorship prematurely at

5846-419: The win, and one bonus point for leading a lap). Before a major change to the points system was implemented in 2011, there was a slightly different addition to the system of allocating owner's points. If more than 43 cars attempted to qualify for a race, owner's points were awarded to each car in the following manner: the fastest non-qualifier (in essence, 44th position) received 31 points, three points fewer than

5925-437: Was held at Charlotte Speedway on June 19, 1949. Jim Roper was declared the winner of that race after Glenn Dunaway was disqualified for having altered the rear springs on his car; the first series champion was Red Byron . The division was renamed "Grand National" for the 1950 season, reflecting NASCAR's intent to make the sport more professional and prestigious. It retained this name until 1971. The 1949 Strictly Stock season

6004-444: Was injured, his No. 9 car continued to earn owner points during his absence, which ultimately culminated in a playoff berth in owners points, though Elliott himself didn’t make the playoffs as a driver. The team finished 10th and Elliott finished 17th. A Manufacturer's Championship is awarded each year, although the Driver's Championship is considered more prestigious. In the past, manufacturer's championships were prestigious because of

6083-608: Was only 7° at AIR. When compared to the much faster Thunderdome, the Bowl earned the reputation of a bull-ring (NASCAR's lapped the Thunderdome at over 140 mph (225 km/h) while lapping Adelaide at around 78 mph (126 km/h)). NASCAR continued to run a single round of the series in Adelaide until the series folded in 2001. In 1992, plans were announced by Bob Jane and Channel 7 in Sydney (with help from speedway promoter and Seven's lead motor racing commentator Mike Raymond) to turn

6162-555: Was originally called the Winston Cup Grand National Series before "Grand National" was dropped in 1986. In 1971, the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act banned television advertising of cigarettes. As a result, tobacco companies began to sponsor sporting events as a way to spend their excess advertising dollars and to circumvent the ban. RJR's sponsorship became more controversial in the wake of

6241-529: Was the creation of four-time Australian Touring Car Championship and Bathurst 500 winner, Bob Jane , whose personal A$ 54m investment created the Thunderdome at the Calder Park Raceway , modelled on a scaled-down version of the Charlotte Motor Speedway . Australian NASCAR racing was sanctioned by Jane's Australian Stock Car Auto Racing (AUSCAR) authority on behalf of NASCAR in America but

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