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NASCAR 101
Dangerously fast cars and precision engineering make NASCAR races some of the most watched American television – in fact, NASCAR is second only to American football in terms of regular viewers. This sport is literally a matter of life and death. Here are a few rules of the road:
- The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is a family-owned business that oversees multiple auto racing sports events. Started in 1948, it has been owned and operated by the France family out of Daytona Beach, FL. All but a few NASCAR teams are based in Charlotte, NC.
- NASCAR is the largest sanctioning body of stock car racing in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. NASCAR sanctions over 1500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 states, and Canada.
- Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. NASCAR holds 17 of the top 20 attended single-day sporting events in the world, and claims 75 million fans who purchase over $3 billion in annual licensed product sales.
- It’s as much about speed (pushing 200 mph around the track!) as it is about strategy. A race winner can earn a maximum of 48 points – here are the factors that play into winning:
- Tires: Must be changed periodically throughout the race as they wear down. Oftentimes, late in the race, a crew chief will call for only two tires -- or even no tires -- to be changed during a pit stop, rather than four. This strategy is referred to as short-pitting. This saves valuable seconds in the pits, although it may cost seconds on the track, because a car with four fresh tires is almost always faster.
- Fuel: At any given moment, a crew chief must calculate fuel mileage and decide when to enter the pits for fuel. Lots of race variables can affect this.
- Car Adjustments: Conditions of the racing surface may change during the course of the event, and wind, temperature and other factors all play a part. A delicate balance must be struck by the crew chief -- the slightest over-adjustments or under-adjustments can take a car out of contention. Some adjustments include tire pressure, spring stiffness and chassis weight distribution.
- The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the sport's highest level of professional competition. It is consequently the most popular and most profitable NASCAR series. The 2011 Sprint Cup season consists of 36 races over 10 months. Writers and fans often use "Cup" to refer to the Sprint Cup series and the ambiguous use of "NASCAR" as a synonym for the Sprint Cup Series is common. Jimmie Johnson has won the last five consecutive Sprint Cup Series drivers' championships. He is the first winner of three in a row since Cale Yarborough.
Take a look at the 2001 Sprint Cup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpKNtrN5RGI
Dale Earnhardt Jr wins Daytona 500: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld6HMG-gx9s