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NASCAR
National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing, Inc.
Type Private
Founded 1948
Headquarters Daytona Beach, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; New York
City, New York
Key people Bill France, Sr. Founder,
Brian France, CEO & chairman
Mike Helton, president
Industry Motorsports
Website www.nascar.com
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest
sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. The three largest
racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the NEXTEL Cup, the Busch Series and
the Craftsman Truck Series. It also oversees NASCAR Regional Racing, the
Whelen Modified Tour, and the Whelen All-American Series. NASCAR sanctions
over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 states, Canada, and Mexico. From
1996 to 1998, NASCAR held exhibition races in Japan, and an exhibition race
in Australia in 1988.
With roots as regional entertainment in the Southeastern U.S., NASCAR has
grown to become the second-most popular professional sport in terms of
television ratings inside the U.S., ranking behind only the National
Football League.[1] Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150
countries. It holds 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S.,1
and has 75 million fans[citation needed] who purchase over $3 billion in
annual licensed product sales. These fans are considered the most
brand-loyal in all of sports and as a result, Fortune 500 companies sponsor
NASCAR more than any other sport.
NASCAR's headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, although it
also maintains offices in four North Carolina cities: Charlotte,
Mooresville, Concord, and Conover. Regional offices are also located in New
York City, Los Angeles, Arkansas, and international offices in Mexico City
and Toronto, Ontario.
History
Early stock car racing
In the first few decades of the 1900s, Daytona Beach became known as the
place to set world land speed records. The beach became a mecca for racing
enthusiasts and fifteen records were set on this beach between 1905 and
1935. Then, in 1936, the Bonneville Salt Flats became the premier place to
host land speed record attempts, so the Daytona course began hosting car
racing events. Drivers raced a 1.5 to 2 mile stretch of beach as one
straightaway and beachfront highway A1A as the other.
Stock car racing had its origins in bootlegging during Prohibition.
Bootleggers needed to distribute their illicit products, and they typically
used small, fast vehicles to better evade the police. Many of the drivers
would modify their cars for speed and handling, as well as increased cargo
capacity, and some of them came to love the fast-paced driving down twisty
mountain roads. One of the main 'strips' in Knoxville, Tennessee, had its
beginning as a mecca for aspiring bootlegging drivers.
The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 dried up some of their business, but by
then Southerners had developed a taste for moonshine, and a number of the
drivers continued "runnin' shine," this time evading the "revenuers" who
were attempting to tax their operations. The cars continued to improve, and
by the late 1940's, races featuring these cars were being run for pride and
profit. These races were popular entertainment in the rural Southern United
States, and they are most closely associated with the Wilkes County region
of North Carolina. Most races in those days were of modified cars, street
vehicles which were lightened and reinforced.
Significant people
William France, Sr.
Mechanic William France, Sr., moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, from
Washington, DC, in 1935 to escape the Great Depression. He was familiar with
the history of the area from the land speed record attempts. France entered
the 1936 Daytona event, finishing fifth. He took over running the course in
1938. He promoted a few races before World War II.
France had the notion that people would enjoy watching "stock cars" race.
Drivers were frequently victimized by unscrupulous promoters who would leave
events with all the money before drivers were paid. In 1947, he decided this
racing would not grow without a formal sanctioning organization,
standardized rules, regular schedule, and an organized championship. On
December 14, 1947, France began talks with other influential racers and
promoters at the Ebony Bar at the Streamline Hotel at Daytona Beach,
Florida, that ended with the formation of NASCAR on February 21, 1948.
NASCAR was founded by William France, Sr., on February 21, 1948, with the
help of several other drivers of the time. The points system was written on
a bar room napkin. The original plans for NASCAR included three distinct
divisions: Modified, Roadster, and Strictly Stock.[2] The Modified and
Roadster classes were seen as more attractive to fans.[2] It turned out that
NASCAR fans wanted nothing to do with the Roadsters, which fans perceived as
a Northeast or Midwest series.[2] The Strictly Stock division was put on
hold as American automobile manufacturers were unable to produce family
sedans quickly enough to keep up with post-World War II demand.[2] The 1948
schedule featured 52 Modified dirt track races. The sanctioning body hosted
its first event at Daytona Beach on February 15, 1948. Red Byron beat
Marshall Teague in the Modified division race. Byron won the 1948 national
championship. Things had changed dramatically by 1949, and the Strictly
Stock division was able to debut with a 20 mile exhibition in February near
Miami.
Erwin "Cannonball" Baker
The first Commissioner of NASCAR was Erwin "Cannonball" Baker. A former
stock car, motorcycle, and open-wheel racer who competed in the Indianapolis
500 and set over one hundred land speed records. Cannonball Baker earned
most of his fame for his transcontinental speed runs. Baker would prove a
car's worth by driving it from New York to Los Angeles. After his death, the
famous transcontinental race the 'Cannonball Run' and the film that was
inspired by it were both named in his honor. Baker is enshrined in the
Automotive Hall of Fame, The Motorcycle Hall of Fame, The Indianapolis Motor
Speedway Hall of Fame, and The NASCAR Hall of Fame. This level of honor and
success in each diverse racing association earned Baker the title "King of
the Road".
Bob "Barky" Barkhimer
In the early 1950s the United States Navy stationed Bill France, Jr., at the
Moffett Federal Airfield in northern California. His father asked him to
look up Bob Barkhimer in San Jose, California. Barkhimer was a star of
midget car racing from the World War II era, and later ran about 22
different speedways as the head of the California Stock Car Racing
Association. Young Bill developed a relationship with Bob Barkhimer and his
partner, Margo Burke. He went to events with them, stayed weekends with them
and generally became very familiar with racing on the west coast. "Barky,"
as he was called by his friends, journeyed to Daytona Beach and met with
Bill France, Sr. In the spring of 1954, NASCAR became the stock car
sanctioning body on the Pacific Coast under Barky.
Strictly Stock to Grand National
The first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race ever was held at Charlotte Speedway
(not the Charlotte Motor Speedway) on June 19, 1949 -- a race won by Jim
Roper after Glenn Dunnaway was disqualified after the discovery of his
altered rear springs. Initially, the cars were known as the "Strictly Stock
Division" and raced with virtually no modifications on the factory models.
This division was renamed "Grand National" beginning in the 1950 season.
However, over a period of about a dozen years, modifications for both safety
and performance were allowed and, by the mid-1960s, the vehicles were
purpose-built race cars with a stock-appearing body.
One of the tracks used in the inaugural season is still on today's premier
circuit: Martinsville Speedway. Another old track which is still in use is
Darlington Raceway, which opened in 1950. (The oldest track on today's
NEXTEL Cup circuit is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which dates back to
1909; however, the first Brickyard 400 did not take place until 1994.)
Most races were on half-mile to one-mile (800 to 1600 m) oval tracks.
However, the first "superspeedway" was built in Darlington, South Carolina,
in 1950. This track, at 1.366 miles (2.22 km), was wider, faster and
higher-banked than the racers had seen. Darlington was the premiere event of
the series until 1959. Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4 km)
high-banked track, opened in 1959, and became the icon of the sport. The
track was built on a swamp, so France took a huge risk in building the
track.
The first NASCAR competition held outside of the U.S. was in Canada, where
on July 1, 1952, Buddy Shuman won a 200-lap race on a half-mile (800 m) dirt
track in Stamford Park, Ontario, near Niagara Falls.
Beginning of the modern era
NASCAR made major changes in its structure in the early 1970s. The top
series found sponsorship from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) (tobacco
companies had been banned from television advertising and were looking for a
promotional outlet). The "Winston Cup" (begun in 1971) became the top
competitive series, with a new points system and some significant cash
benefits to compete for championship points. The next division down, called
Late Model Sportsman, gained the "Grand National" title passed down from the
top division and soon found a sponsor in Busch Beer. In the mid-1970s, some
races began to get partial television coverage, frequently on the ABC sports
variety show "Wide World of Sports."
Finally, in 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first stock car race that was
nationally televised 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 and win
the race. Immediately, Yarborough, Allison, and Allison's brother Bobby were
engaged in a fistfight on national television. This underlined the drama and
emotion of the sport and increased its broadcast marketability. Luckily for
NASCAR, the race coincided with a major snowstorm along the United States'
eastern seaboard, successfully introducing much of the captive audience to
the sport.
The beginning of the modern era also brought a change in the competitive
structure. The purse awarded for championship points accumulated over the
course of the season began to be significant. Previously, drivers were
mostly concerned about winning individual races. Now, their standing in
championship points became an important factor.
NASCAR-sanctioned series
NEXTEL Cup
The "NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series" is the sport's highest level of professional
competition. It is consequently the most popular and most profitable NASCAR
series. The 2006 NEXTEL Cup season consisted of 36 races over 10 months,
with over $4 million in total prize money at stake at each race. Writers and
fans often use "Cup" to refer to the NEXTEL Cup series and the ambiguous use
of "NASCAR" as a synonym for the NEXTEL Cup series is common. As of 2007,
the defending champion is Jimmie Johnson.
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup logo
In 2004, NEXTEL took over sponsorship of the premier series from R.J.
Reynolds, formally renaming it from the Winston Cup to the NEXTEL Cup
Series. A new championship points system, "The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup" was
also developed, which reset the point standings with ten races to go, making
only drivers in the top ten or within 400 points of the leader eligible to
win the championship. In 2007, NASCAR announced it was expanding "The Chase"
from ten to twelve drivers, eliminating the 400-point cutoff, and giving a
ten-point bonus to the top twelve drivers for each of the races they have
won out of the first 26. Wins throughout the season will also be worth five
more points than in previous seasons. In 2008, the premier series title name
will become the Sprint Cup Series, as part of the merger between NEXTEL and
Sprint.
Busch Series
NASCAR Busch Series logo
The "NASCAR Busch Series" is the second-highest level of professional
competition in NASCAR. The cars look very similar to Nextel Cup cars with
only a few differences, such as the weight and length of the car, the size
of the rear spoiler, and the power output of the engine. As of 2007, the
defending champion is Kevin Harvick.
The Busch Series is currently the only series of the top three to race
outside the United States and the only series to have ever held
points-paying international events. The season is a few races shorter and
the prize money is significantly lower. Over the last several years, a
number of NEXTEL Cup drivers have tried to run races in both series, using
the Busch race as a warm-up to the Cup event at the same facility.
Detractors of this practice have labeled such drivers as "Busch-whackers."
The Busch sponsorship is set to expire at the end of 2007 and the series is
currently looking for a new title sponsor for 2008 and beyond.
Craftsman Truck Series
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series logo
The '"NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series" features modified pickup trucks. It is
one of the three national divisions of NASCAR, together with the Busch
Series and the Nextel Cup. As of 2007, the defending champion is Todd Bodine.
In 1994, NASCAR announced the formation of the NASCAR SuperTruck Series
presented by Craftsman. The first series race followed in 1995. In 1996, the
series was renamed the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to emphasize
Craftsman's involvement. The series was first considered something of an
oddity or a "senior tour" for NASCAR drivers, but eventually grew in
popularity and has produced Nextel Cup series drivers who had never raced in
the Busch Series.
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Logo
NASCAR announced the purchase of Canadian racing series CASCAR in September
of 2006. The CASCAR Western Series will become NASCAR's fourth-tier series
starting in the Fall of 2007.
NASCAR Mexico Corona Series
In December of 2006, NASCAR also announced the creation of the NASCAR Mexico
Corona Series, replacing the existing Desafio Corona Series, to begin in
2007.[3]
Other NASCAR racing series
In addition to the five main series, NASCAR operates several other racing
circuits:
Many local race tracks across the United States and Canada run under the
Whelen All-American Series banner, where local drivers are compared against
each other in a formula where the best local track champion of the nation
wins the Whelen All-American Weekly Series National Championship. The Whelen
All-American series is split into four divisions. Each division champion
receives a point-fund money payout and even more goes to the National
champion (driver with most points out of the four division winners). The
Whelen All-American Series is the base for stock car racing, developing
NASCAR names such as Clint Bowyer, Jimmy Spencer, Tony Stewart, the Bodine
brothers and many others along the way.
NASCAR also sanctions three regional racing divisions: The Whelen Modified
Tour, which races open-wheel "modified" cars in Northern and Southern
divisions; the Grand National Division, which races in the Busch East
(formerly Busch North); and the AutoZone West Series. Grand National cars
are similar to Busch Series cars, although they are less powerful. The
AutoZone Elite Division, which races late-model cars which are lighter and
less powerful than NEXTEL Cup cars, is split into four divisions: Northwest,
Southwest, Southeast, and Midwest. At the end of 2005, NASCAR announced that
the AutoZone Elite Division would be discontinued after the 2006 season due
to having trouble securing NASCAR-sanctioned tracks to successfully host
AutoZone Elite Division events, plus escalating costs of competing and
downsizing of the Division in recent years.
In 2003, NASCAR standardized rules for its AutoZone Elite and Grand National
divisions regional touring series as to permit cars in one series to race
against cars in another series in the same division. The top 15 (Grand
National) or 10 (AutoZone Elite) in each series will race in a one-race
playoff, called the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, to determine the annual
AutoZone Elite and Grand National champions. This event has been hosted at
Irwindale Speedway in California since its inception.
Many drivers move up through the series before reaching the NEXTEL Cup
series. In 2002, over 9,000 drivers had licenses from NASCAR to race at all
levels.
The winners of the Dodge Weekly Series National Championship, the four
AutoZone Elite Divisions, the two Whelen Modified and Grand National
Divisions, and the three national series are invited to New York City in
December to participate in Champions Week ceremonies which conclude with the
annual awards banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
North Carolina race shops
Most NASCAR teams are based in North Carolina, especially near Charlotte.
Cities in North Carolina that are home to NASCAR teams include: Charlotte,
Wilkesboro, Mooresville, Concord, Statesville, Huntersville, Welcome,
Kernersville, Randleman, Greensboro, High Point, Harrisburg, and Kannapolis.
NASCAR media
Movies
* Fireball 500 (1966)
* Thunder Alley (1967)
* 43: The Richard Petty Story (1974)
* Greased Lightning (1977)
* Six Pack (1982)
* Stroker Ace (1983)
* Days of Thunder (1990)
* NASCAR 3-D : The IMAX Experience (2004)
* Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
* Cars (2006)
* Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
* Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007)
Television
* NASCAR Racers (1999-2001)
* 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004)
Songs
* "Dale Darrell Waltrip Richard Petty Rusty Awesome Bill Irvin Gordon
Earnhardt Smith... Johnson, Jr." by Tim Wilson
* "I Love NASCAR" by Cledus T. Judd
* "Ridin' With the Legend" by Keith Bryant
* "The Intimidator" by Charlie Daniels
* "Fassst" by Kafani with Keak Da Sneak
* "Speedway at Nazareth" by Mark Knopfler
Video games
NASCAR compared to other forms of motorsport
NASCAR races take place predominantly on oval tracks of 3 or 4 turns, with
all turns to the left. Oval tracks are classified as short track (less than
1 mile), intermediate or speedway (1 to 2 miles) or superspeedway (over 2
miles). Road courses are any tracks having both left and right turns. As of
2007, the NEXTEL Cup series includes 36 points races, comprised of 34
oval-track races and 2 roadcourse races.
NASCAR races are different compared to the rough terrain and sharp turns of
Rally, as well as the complicated twists and turns seen in the Formula One
course that put up to 5 or 6 g's of stress on the driver's body. NASCAR is
not the only racing league to run a large number of races on oval tracks;
the Indy Racing League also runs many oval track races, although Indy cars
usually average over 30-40 miles an hour faster thanks to high downforce
designs.
NEXTEL Cup races have 43 cars in competition at the start of each race,
compared to 22 for Formula One and 18-20 for IndyCar and Champ Cars. NASCAR
teams must also endure a 36-race schedule over 41 weeks, at a wide variety
of tracks, with different setups and strategies being required for each
track. Teams usually only have about five days to prepare before arriving at
any given track.
Criticism
Technology far from "stock" or production
The 1950s-era technologies used in the "stock cars" bear little resemblance
to modern-day street vehicles. Modern NASCAR vehicles share very few
attributes of the commercial models with which they are associated; for
example, the production Chevrolet Monte Carlo weighs nearly the same as the
NASCAR Chevy Monte Carlo, but the NASCAR vehicle has a cast-iron
eight-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels, whereas the production car
has an aluminum alloy front-wheel-drive V6. Also, NASCAR vehicles continue
to use carburetors instead of the now-common fuel injection, and they also
use a 2-valve per cylinder configuration operated by a single cam-in-block
using push rods, instead of the double overhead cams operating 4-valves per
cylinder that are common on production cars.
Supporters note that this is a modern condition: when NASCAR first started
nearly 60 years ago, the race cars were substantially similar to production
vehicles, but the safety and performance needs of modern racing have
required custom-built race cars. Supporters also note that the strict
equipment rules place less emphasis on getting a technological advantage,
and thus more emphasis on individual driver skill. All of NASCAR's series
also run on spec tires made by certain tire manufacturers such as Goodyear
and American Racer. Some suggest that this discourages tire competition and
development, which they further assert has led to the absence of rain/wet
condition tires, and to races (such as the 2005 UAW-GM Quality 500) where
tires seem to self-destruct.[citation needed]
Business structure and decision-making policies
NASCAR's business structure has also been criticized. Since its founding in
1947 by William France Sr., the overall NASCAR organization has been
majority owned by the France family, ensuring that the family controls a
majority of the overwhelming revenue that the sport generates (compared to
other sports where the owners and players split revenue almost evenly).
NASCAR is also criticized for its reluctance to promote some aspects of
safety that it would have to pay for (e.g., traveling safety crew),[4][5]
and other allegedly monopolistic aspects such as merchandising and
race-track ownership. In addition, due to its overwhelming influence and
lack of drivers' say, NASCAR has even been compared to a dictatorship by
some motorsports, political, and economic analysts.[6][7] Examples of such
influence include the cancellation of the SPEED Channel television show Pit
Bull (which frequently criticized many of NASCAR's decisions and policies
and enjoyed modest ratings), frequent use of the vague "detrimental to
NASCAR" rule, and the creation of rules on whim, especially during a race.
NASCAR has taken to penalizing drivers in recent years, with fines, point
penalties, and lap penalties in races for drivers or mechanics who use
obscene language in interviews to the media.[8][9]
Driver competition in multiple series
NASCAR has long allowed drivers to compete in as many series and events as
they like, with few restrictions. However, in recent years, top NEXTEL Cup
drivers have competed in and dominated the lower tier Busch races on a
regular basis, earning NEXTEL drivers the nickname "Buschwhackers". The
situation is compounded by the close timing of the races in the two series:
a typical NASCAR weekend has a Busch race on Saturday followed by a NEXTEL
race on Sunday at the same track. Some have wondered why "major league"
NEXTEL drivers are allowed to compete in the "minor league" Busch races with
such frequency, and whether Busch is an adequate developmental series.
Sportswriter Bob Margolis noted that much of this is due to the similarities
between the cars used in the two series (they are mostly alike except for
the engines and the wheelbase), and the desire for NEXTEL drivers to get as
much practice time as possible to learn about the track and car setup before
the main race. [10] The extra skill and money brought in by teams and
drivers from the NEXTEL Cup Series has led to a wide gap above the Busch
Series only teams, which was most evident in 2006 when NEXTEL Cup driver
Kevin Harvick clinched the Busch Series title with four races to go.
Environmental impact
Fuel consumption
According to NASCAR, about 6,000 US gallons of fuel are consumed during a
typical NEXTEL Cup weekend. [11] For the 2006 season, which includes 36
points races, the total for the season would be 216,000 US gallons. One
environmental critic recently estimated NASCAR's total fuel consumption
across all series at 2 million US gallons (7.57 million liters) of gas for
one season; [12] however, the methodology used has been a point of dispute.
At race speeds, NEXTEL Cup cars get 2 to 5 miles per gallon. [13] [14] [15]
Consumption under caution can be estimated at 14-18 mpg, based on comparable
engines generally available to the public. Interestingly, the rate of fuel
consumption tends to be the same regardless of the actual speeds of the
cars, as teams change gear ratios for each race to ensure that the engine
always operates in its optimum power band; however, the fuel mileage will
vary for each race, depending on the maximum speeds attained.
Emissions and pollution
The consumption figures above provide no insight on environmental impact in
terms of emissions. NASCAR vehicles are generally unregulated by the EPA,
and in particular, they have no mufflers, catalytic converters or other
emissions control devices. However, some local short tracks which run under
NASCAR sanction require certain emissions control devices. Many short tracks
run mufflers in compliance with noise ordinances at some tracks; in the
early years of the Craftsman Truck Series, some races were held at venues
which required mufflers, a requirement still used in some Busch East,
AutoZone West, and Whelen Modified races.
Use of lead additives in gasoline
NASCAR continued to use lead additives in its race gasoline until the 2007
Auto Club 500 at California Speedway on February 25,[16] which led to
concerns about the health of those exposed to the fumes of the cars (fans
and residents living near the race tracks). Lead is a well-known
environmental risk, but the performance needs of race engines (in
particular, the high compression ratios) once made it difficult to switch to
unleaded fuel.
In the US, the commercial use of leaded fuel has been phased out since the
early 1970's, when catalytic converters were required to be installed on new
cars, making unleaded fuel a requirement (leaded fuel will destroy a
catalytic converter). The sale of leaded fuel has been mostly banned in the
US since 1996, but exemptions exist for auto racing, as well as aircraft,
farm and marine equipment.
NASCAR eventually took steps to eliminate the need for leaded fuels. In
1998, NASCAR and then-fuel supplier Tosco (Now ConocoPhilips, the company
who produces the 76 Fuel) conducted an unsuccessful test of unleaded fuel in
selected Busch Series races. In July 2006, in the first in a four-week test
run of unleaded fuel, the first race since 1998 to run unleaded gasoline,
known as Sunoco 260 GT Plus, the same fuel used in road races, was held
during a Busch race at the Gateway International Raceway in Madison,
Illinois. The testing in July 2006 was successful with no suspected engine
failures or malfunctions from the new fuel. In October 2006, NASCAR stated
its intention to transition to unleaded fuel in all three top series
(Craftsman, Busch and Nextel Cup) in 2007, with the exception of the Daytona
500.
During the first race in which unleaded fuel was used, there were a number
of engine failures during the race, leading many to believe that the
unleaded fuel is to be blamed. The drivers who encountered failures include
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Kasey
Kahne of Evernham Motorsports. The engine failures of both Earnhardt and
Truex were attributed in part to the lack of a lead additive, but also to
centrifugal force causing improper distribution of oil between the left and
right sides of the engine. Evernham Motorsports has not disclosed the reason
behind Kahne's engine failure.
Participation of non-US manufacturers
NASCAR's early history included several foreign manufacturers, such as Aston
Martin, Austin-Healey, Citroën, Jaguar, MG, Morgan, Porsche, Renault, and
Volkswagen.[17] At a 1954 road race in Linden, New Jersey, Jaguar cars
finished first, fourth, fifth and sixth.[18]
As a matter of policy, NASCAR restricted entry to American car makers from
the 1960s until 2004, when Toyota was allowed to enter the NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series with the Toyota Tundra. The restriction was relaxed in
recognition of the fact that the Tundra, while Japanese in origin, is built
in America. Commentators have also noted that the "American" cars are often
built or assembled in Canada and Mexico.
Fans have complained about the entry of a foreign manufacturer into what is
perceived as an American sport, while drivers and owners have expressed
concern that Toyota's deep pockets, and stated willingness to spend, may
increase costs for other teams as well.[19]
NASCAR announced in 2006 the addition of Toyota to both the Busch Series and
NEXTEL Cup Series for the 2007 season. Toyota is supporting three Cup teams
in a total of seven cars in 2007. Notable drivers that switched to the
Toyota Camry include Dave Blaney, Michael Waltrip, and Dale Jarrett.
Four Camrys qualified for and ran in the 2007 Daytona 500, becoming the
first foreign make to compete in a NEXTEL Cup race since the British-made MG
in 1962. However, Toyota's debut was marred by a cheating scandal involving
owner/driver Michael Waltrip.
Driver safety
Although NASCAR frequently publicizes the safety measures it mandates for
drivers, these features are often only adopted long after they were
initially developed. The impact-absorbing "SAFER Barrier" that is now in use
had been proposed by legendary mechanic Smokey Yunick during the 1970's, but
his idea had been dismissed as too expensive and unnecessary. Only after the
deaths of Kenny Irwin, Tony Roper, and Dale Earnhardt in 2000 and 2001 did
NASCAR revisit the idea of decreasing the G-forces a driver sustained during
a crash. Other examples of slow reactions include the mandating of a
throttle "kill switch" (mandated after the death of Adam Petty) and
requiring anti-spill bladders in fuel cells and improved fire-retardant
driver suits following the death of Glen Fireball Roberts. Dale Earnhardt
was killed after he received massive head and neck trauma from a hard crash
in the 2001 Daytona 500. Earnhardt's death prompted NASCAR to design the
"HANS Device" (Head And Neck Restraint System), a device that keeps the
driver's neck from going forward in a wreck.
Education
NASCAR Technical Institute* located in Mooresville, North Carolina, is the
country's first technical training school to combine a complete automotive
technology program and a NASCAR-specific motor sports program, and is the
exclusive educational partner of NASCAR.
Notes
Note 1: The largest NASCAR tracks can accommodate upwards of 170,000 people
in the stands and infield, far larger than any non-motorsport venue in North
America.
References
1. ^ http://www.nascar.com/guides/about/nascar/
2. ^ a b c d Fleischman, Bill; Al Pearce (1999). The Unauthorized NASCAR Fan
Guide (1998-99). Visible Ink Press, 6.
3. ^ http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/official/12/08/nascar.mexico.series/index.html
4. ^ CBS Sportsline.com
5. ^ KansasCity.com
6. ^ CNN Money Magazine (online)
7. ^ USA Today, June 20, 2005
8. ^ InsideRacingNews.com
9. ^ SpeedWayMedia.com
10. ^ Sports.Yahoo.com
11. ^ AZCentral.com
12. ^ EMagazine.com
13. ^ EMagazine.com
14. ^ EarthIsLand.com
15. ^ AZCentral.com
16. ^ Bob Passrock (October 21, 2006). Nextel Cup going to unleaded fuel in
2007. scenedaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-17.
17. ^ http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Columns/articleId=119633
18. ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=db-statswatkinsglen081006&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
19. ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ap-nascar-toyota&prov=ap&type=lgns
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