Throughout 2024, NASCAR had an average television viewership of 3.85 million, ranking it among the most popular sports in the USA. NASCAR’s 10-month-long season, from February to November, always gives fans plenty to look forward to.
NASCAR has a long history as it was founded in 1947 by Bill France Sr. Since then, the sport has grown to become just as popular as football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey. The NASCAR Euro Series is a new addition to NASCAR that could see tremendous growth in other countries.
What is NASCAR?
NASCAR is the name used for multiple racing series. This consists of the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Craftsman Truck Series. The Cup Series is the most popular and is the highest level of NASCAR.
NASCAR Cup Series
The Cup Series takes place on a race weekend on various intermediate ovals, short tracks, road courses, and superspeedways across the USA. Races are split into three types: stage, non-point, and playoffs. The most important races are the stage races, as drivers need to secure as many points as possible to earn playoff spots.
Non-point races can be seen as an exhibition race. They are the most fun to watch as drivers are keen to try different tactics that may or may not pay off. On the flip side, the playoffs are the most important part of the season, as drivers who don’t do well are eliminated.
As far as vehicle restrictions go, NASCAR Cup Series engines may not exceed 358ci or 5.86 litres. This is to ensure the competition is fair and that no team can take advantage of higher power output. There are also strict rules regarding fueling and fuel injection systems. Other restrictions include:
- Restrictor plates between the intake manifold and the carburetor.
- No forced induction is allowed, e.g., turbochargers and superchargers.
- Each car must use a fuel injection system.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
The Xfinity Series is a NASCAR series with a major focus on talent development. The race format is identical to the Cup Series, but the races have fewer laps, and the vehicles use a flange-fit composite body. This chassis lowers overall costs and is significantly safer and more advanced than its Cup Series counterpart.
The engines used in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series are the same and have similar outputs. However, Xfinity Series cars are smaller and lighter, have smaller wheels, feature a carburetor, and have a single-exit exhaust. As a development series, the rules of Xfinity are the same, the only difference being the number of rounds used.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The Craftsman Truck Series pickup trucks use the same 358ci V8 engine and can either have a carburetor or an electronic fuel injection system. In this series, 10 drivers will reach the playoffs. It would then be cut to eight drivers and then four for the championship race.
Rules and Procedures
To compete, drivers must participate in a practice run and qualifying race to determine their starting position. The rules of qualifying depend on the racetrack, but the process has two rounds that give each driver a single timed lap per round for most tracks, with some getting two timed laps.
Once the first round has finished, the top 10 fastest qualifiers will enter the second round to determine the starting order. This also stands as a fantastic betting prop, especially on Sportybet, which allows bets using cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Tether.
NASCAR Flag System
NASCAR uses a series of colored flags to determine different events or incidents throughout a race. These flags include:
- Black and white checkered flag: Race completion.
- Black flag: Immediate pit due to rule-breaking or dangerous driving.
- Red flag: Race stoppage due to bad weather or another hazard.
- Green and white checkered flag: The end of the race stage.
- Blue flag with yellow stripe: Alerting drivers of fast-approaching cars.
- White flag: One lap remaining.
- Yellow flag: Caution due to accident or another hazard.
- Green flag: Race starts.
Choose Rule
The 2020 season saw NASCAR implement the Choose Rule. This allows drivers to voice their opinions on where they’re placed during double-file (line-up two by two) restarts, with the higher-ranked driver allowed to choose the high line or the low line of the track.
Car and Driver Requirements
The general rules dictate that the car’s number must be visible on both doors and the roof, while the manufacturer’s decal specs must be on the rear bumper and the front of the car. There are strict rules regarding the placement of sponsors and the exterior design.
Throughout a race weekend, the driver must use the same car along with all of its components, and the car will go through multiple inspections beforehand. It’s prohibited to change transmissions or engines, and in the Truck and Xfinity series, components need to last two race weekends.
The sport continues to grow, and with the dawn of electric motorsports, significant changes are on the horizon. Luckily, roaring V8 engines are here to stay, at least for now.
