The National Stock Car Racing Association (NASCAR) is the largest motorsport organization in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series, there are also seven regional series. More than 1500 races are held under the NASCAR umbrella on more than 100 tracks a year. The races take place in 38 states of the USA, Canada and Mexico. In 1996, 1997 and 1998, NASCAR also held demonstration races in Japan and Australia.

 

Starting as a regional entertainment in the southeastern United States, NASCAR has grown to become the second most popular professional sport in terms of television ratings in the United States, second only to the National Football League. Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries.

 

Each race is watched by an estimated 75 million fans who purchase more than $ 2 billion worth of licensed merchandise annually. These fans are considered the most loyal to the brand of any other sport. The Stock Car Racing Association manages to host 17 of the 20 most attended sporting events in the United States of the year.

 

 

The Sprint Cup Series (NCS) is the top division of the NASCAR series. Hence, it is the most popular and most profitable series of the National Stock Car Racing Association. Since 2001, the Cup Series season has consisted of 36 races over 10 months. Fans often refer to it simply as "The Cup" or "Nascar" as it is the main championship of the entire series.

 

The Xfinity Series is the second highest level of professional competition in this series. Unlike other world championships, such as Formula One, the second NASCAR motto is not very different from the first. Both championships use a similar technique, the same tires, and the races are held on the same tracks (most of the season). The main differences lie in the training and skill of the pilots and the team, there are also additional restrictions to reduce the series.

 

The Camping World Truck Series is a NASCAR racing series featuring pickup trucks. This is the "tritium" motto of the national divisions of NASCAR. The idea for the Truck series originated in 1993, when a group of off-road drivers created a prototype of a pickup truck in the style of the stock car racing series. They were first shown during the 1994 Daytona 500 race and a number of demonstration races were held throughout the season. These trucks proved to be extremely popular and this led NASCAR to create a series in 1995, originally known as the "Super Truck Series''. It is now called the Camping World Truck Series because of the title sponsored Camping World.

 

Bemorepanda prepared some interesting facts about 2022 NASCAR Cup Series.

 

1. In the United States, stock NASCAR racing has a rich history. The roots of this competition go back to the prohibition era, when bootleggers used fast little cars to transport alcohol. Much time has passed since the abolition of Prohibition, but the popular love for fast cars has not passed. The result was stock car racing. 

 

2. In 1948, Bill France formally established NASCAR as the official governing body for motorsport. This species is incredibly popular today. Let's see how NASCAR racing has changed from 1948 to the present day.

 

3. Auto racing was widespread throughout the Wild West even before NASCAR became the governing body in this area. In the 30s, the racer Joe Chitwood Sr. achieved special success. He raced the Indy 500 seven times. After completing his auto racing career, Chitwood decided to create his own auto show with professional stuntmen. 

 

4. During the entire existence of the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show, about 3,000 vehicles were destroyed. After that, Chitwood became a road safety consultant.

 

 

5. In 1954, Jack Chockett became the winner of NASCAR. In order to become the owner of the prize-winning place, he used a car modified by his own hands. Chockett competed in major national races for the next two years. As a result, he managed to climb to the highest level on the Pal Beach Racetrack in 1955. In 1956, the last NASCAR Chockett race took place. In his entire career, he never managed to win. Over the next two decades, he continued to drive modified vehicles. However, he did not succeed in regaining his glory as a strong race car driver.

 

6. In 1957, NASCAR races underwent significant changes. This was largely due to the construction of the Daytona International Speedway. The first race on the new track took place in 1958. The track, which has become one of the most famous in the world, cost the organizers $ 3 million. 

 

7. The construction took two years. The track was officially opened only in 1959. More than 100 thousand people could fit in the stands at the same time. At that time, it was one of the fastest tracks on which auto racing could take place.

 

8. A year before the official appearance of NASCAR, Fonty Folk had to replace his brother Bob in the races, who was unable to participate due to injury. In the same year, Fonti won the national championship. 

 

 

9. After receiving the official status of NASCAR, Folk continued to take part in races on modified cars. In 1949 he won the championship again. Fonti stopped participating in NASCAR races only after a terrible accident in the 1957 race. In 2004, the racer was inducted into the Georgia Automotive Hall of Fame.

 

10. Another iconic figure in NASCAR racing is Vicky Wood. This brave race car driver was not afraid to compete with her male colleagues. She appeared on the track at Raceway Park in Toledo. Today the history of NASCAR already knows many women racers. 

 

11. Currently, the most famous female NASCAR driver is Danica Patrick.

 

 

12. Dale Earnhardt Sr. is considered one of the best racers in the history of NASCAR. He died doing what he loved. In 2001, he had an accident in the Daytona 500. His son finished second in the race on the same day.

 

13. Dale's career began in 1985 when he first joined Richard Childress's team. Their friendship with the owner of the team lasted 15 years. Together they have won six NASCAR championships.

 

14. Many refuse to admit that NASCAR racing is primarily a team sport. Of course, all the public's attention is riveted on the driver. But to win, he first of all needs well-coordinated work of the whole team. The team of Greg Zipadelli became a striking example of such joint work. Before each race, he held small briefings with members of his squad. 

 

15. Zipadelli's career began in 1988. It was then that he first became crew chief for Mike McLaughin. This year the team won first place for the first time. Greg was only 21 at the time. Today he still races as a crew chief.

 

 

16. Ralph Earnhardt is direct proof that racing is a family business. Ralph started with racing on dirt roads. The start of his professional career at NASCAR dates back to 1953. It was then that he won his first NASCAR Sportsman Championship. For the next couple of years, Ralph occupied an honorable second place in the standings.

 

17. In the late 70s and early 80s, a racer named Larry Pearson became especially popular among motorsport fans. He competed in the NASCAR Dash. He managed to win as many as five times. Larry also took part in the Busch and Cup Circuit races. Larry retired in 1999 after the Textilease Medique 300 competition.

 

18. This race car driver became famous not for his victories on the track, but for an epic accident, after which he survived. During a race in 1951, his Ford rolled over on the hood. Despite this, Flanders finished 31 of 59. He completed only 145 out of 250 laps. Everyone he overtook overheated or got into accidents.

 

19. Many have used NASCAR racing as an opportunity to promote their brand. So, in 1969, for the first time before the NASCAR race, an advertising campaign of Union 76 Oil was held, in which 76 attractive young girls took part. Then they joined the winner of the race. In 2017, the Monster Energy Corporation decided to use the same advertising move.

 

 

20. At first glance, it might seem that a cool and tense relationship should develop between racers. But in reality this is not at all the case, and many photographs taken before the races prove it. 

 

21. For example, a 1969 photo of Neil Castle and G.C. Spencer shows the first rider casually leaning on the hood of the second to chat about something. Today it is already difficult to catch two riders, at ease talking about something. Only the number of sponsorship stickers on the cars remains unchanged.

 

22. In the modern world, car racing is also very popular. As a rule, modified vehicles of a new generation take part in the competition. It should be noted that this is a very dangerous sport. If you do not cope with driving, the consequences can be very different, up to and including death. Therefore, before starting to take part in competitions, it is worth thinking several times.

 

23. Nascar. Many people consider this kind of auto sport very boring and dull - bright and attractive cars wind a lot of circles (and the Nascar tracks are nothing more than ovals). 

 

24. Common between the road version and the racing car - only the name (until 70, cars with a "circulation" of the road version of which was 500 units were allowed to participate in races. Cars prepared for racing participated in the competition, but they were based on their road counterparts. Then they moved away from this concept).

 

 

25. Manufacturing plants provide teams only with engine blocks, teams build a car themselves.

 

26. Car frame: a space frame made of steel pipes, onto which steel sheets are subsequently welded, thereby forming the car body.

 

27. To ensure the safety of the driver, 6 or 7 point seat belts are used.

 

28. Dimensions: wheelbase 110 "(2794mm), length 208" (5283mm), width 76.5 "(1943mm), height 53.5" (1358mm).

 

29. Aerodynamic elements: front splitter, rear spoiler and skirts.

 

30. Wheels: Goodyear supplied slicks, mounted on 5 nuts, dimension 300 * 54 R15. Many teams pump nitrogen into their tires, not air.

 

 

31. Brakes: cast iron or steel, have a diameter limitation of 12.72 "(323.09mm).

 

32. Intake: carburetors were used until 2012, later it was decided to switch to injectors.

 

33. Release: the absence of a muffler as such, and even more so a catalyst.

 

34. Fuel tank capacity: 17.75 US gallons (approximately 67 liters).

 

35. Fuel: E15 high-octane racing gasoline (15% ethanol content), supplied by Sunoco.

 

 

36. Weight: 3200-3400 pounds (without driver and with driver and fuel, respectively; approximately from 1450 to 1540 kg).

 

37. Gearbox: 4-speed mechanics.

 

38. The engine: V8, 16V (2 valves per cylinder) are used, with a volume of 358 cubic inches (5.86 liters, until 1971 engines with a volume of 429 cubic inches - 7 liters) are used, turbines, compressors and etc., the compression ratio is 12: 1, the power of this American atmospheric monster, according to various sources, is from 750 hp. up to 865hp (on some tracks (read Daytona and Talladega), the power is limited to 445hp). The torque is 530 foot-pounds. which equals approximately 718 N / m.

 

39. Average speed of about 333 km / h;

 

40. Pit stop time is up to 14 seconds, the number of mechanics on the pit is limited to 7, it is allowed to lift the car only from one side.

 

 

41.Since 2018, as many as 3 races have taken place on the roads: cars of the Nascar Cup Series compete on the Sonoma Raceway (3.2 km track with 10 turns), Watkins Glen (5.4 km track with 11 turns) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (3.7 km track with 17 corners). The latter, in September 2018, became the first road track used at Playoff, thus confirming the growing importance of these tracks.

 

42. In the Nascar Cup Series, the different tracks are more noticeably different: on large ovals, such as Talladega and Daytona, pilots do not use the brakes, except on the return circle and in the event of an accident. On shorter oval tracks like Martinsville, pilots apply the brakes for about 7 seconds on each of the two corners. With a lap time of 20 seconds, the brakes are up to 70 percent.

 

43. One of the main differences between Formula 1 and Nascar Cup Series rims is the material they are made from: carbon is banned from American racing and therefore cast iron rims are used on cars. Some consider this to be an indicator of technological backwardness, unaware that Brembo is continuously researching and testing various metrics and performances on cast iron brake discs, starting with ventilation. This means designing ventilation ducts that regulate the cooling of the disc during competition. And the number of computational experiments, static and dynamic tests carried out by Brembo regarding the size, shape, number and curvature of the channels is no less than the tests of the holes of carbon discs.

 

 

44. Unlike Formula 1, where each team uses the same brake caliper model throughout the season (of course, taking into account evolutionary developments throughout the season), in the Nascar Cup Series 3 races, different tracks require the same number of brake calipers, since the brakes are used in different ways. On Super Speedways (4 km long) the brakes are only used to enter the box or when yellow flags appear. On Intermediate tracks (1.6 to 4 km) the brakes are rarely used, while on short track the brakes are applied throughout the corner.

 

45. Over the past decade, the braking systems of the Nascar Cup Series race cars have been significantly improved thanks to Brembo, which draws on its know-how accumulated over 40 years of racing. With just 4 pistons, modern calipers provide the same stopping power as the 6 pistons of the previous decade. Better discs and pads mean an average 20 percent increase in maximum braking.

 

46. But not everyone knows that in the Nascar Cup Series, too, every team demands a more or less significant individual approach to the braking system from Brembo. Since the drivers of the same team have different braking styles (some use a racing car style with initial heavy braking that is then reduced, the other prefers the opposite), two members of the same team can use different friction materials.

 

47. In Nascar Cup Series races, caliper temperatures can reach 440 degrees Fahrenheit, equal to over 226 degrees Celsius. Even the pads and discs have a higher temperature, which reaches 871 and 982 degrees Celsius, respectively. All this is possible thanks to the Brembo HTC 64T brake fluid, which has a boiling point of 335 degrees Celsius, much higher than that of the competition.

 

48. It seems to us that in order to brake a car weighing one and a half tons, braking systems of impressive dimensions are required. However, the Brembo 6-piston front monobloc caliper for Short Track trails weighs 2.8 kg, while the front 4-piston caliper for Super Speedway weighs less than 2.3 kg. The rear calipers are even lighter: 2 kg for the car for the Short Track and 1.5 kg for the Speedway, for which even the Light version weighing 1.2 kg is available.

 

 

49. 9mm of wear per pad, which is recorded on average at Martinsville and 11mm that is consumed at Watkins Glen. These two values ​​are further confirmation of the not at all secondary role of brakes in the Nascar Cup Series competition.

 

50. The Nascar Cup Series is the queen of entertainment. This is confirmed by the fact that 12 pilots won at least one competition in 2018. The format of the championship, the minimum difference in the team's budget and the similar performance of the 3 engines used create a balance due to which the competition is held with a minimum separation and unclear outcome until the very wave of the checkered racing flag.