List of NASCAR seasons

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The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the official sanctioning body of the sport of stock car racing in North America. [1] [2] It was formed in February 1948 by race car driver Bill France Sr. as the replacement for the National Championship Stock Car Circuit sanctioning body. [1] [2] NASCAR sanctions the top level national NASCAR Cup Series, the second-tier proving ground NASCAR Xfinity Series, the third-tier NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for modified pickup trucks, [3] as well as a series of American regional championships. [1] The NASCAR championship season consists of a series of races, held usually on oval tracks, and in a few cases, road courses. [4] Each season throughout NASCAR history has consisted of between 8 and 62 races. [5]

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The results of each race are combined to determine two championships in each of the top series, one for drivers and one for manufacturers. The Drivers' Championship is awarded to each division's most successful NASCAR driver over a season, as determined by a points system, and has been awarded since the first NASCAR season in 1949. The Manufacturers' Championship is awarded to the each division's most successful NASCAR manufacturer over a season, also determined by a points system based on race results. [6] The Manufacturers' Championship was first awarded in 1952.

Seasons

Note: In any given season, the overall Manufacturer's champion may not been the supplier to the overall Driver's champion.

Related Research Articles

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in the world and is one of the largest spectator sports in America. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and his son, Jim France, has been the CEO since August 2018. The company is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Each year, NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 48 US states, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stock car racing</span> Form of automobile racing

Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately 0.25 to 2.66 miles. It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It originated in the southern United States; its largest governing body is NASCAR. Its NASCAR Cup Series is the premier top-level series of professional stock car racing. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and the United Kingdom also have forms of stock car racing. Top-level races typically range between 200 and 600 miles in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASCAR Xfinity Series</span> Second tier division of NASCAR

The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a Cup Series event scheduled for that weekend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Long</span> American racing driver (born 1967)

James Carlyle "Carl" Long is an American professional stock car racing driver, mechanic, and team owner. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 66 Toyota Supra for MBM Motorsports. In the past, he served as a mechanic for Mansion Motorsports, Spears Motorsports, and Travis Carter Motorsports. He was a crew chief at Front Row Motorsports for Eric McClure and Competition director at Rick Ware Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buschwhacker</span> Term for top tier NASCAR drivers who compete in lower tier division races

Buschwhacker is a term for NASCAR drivers who are regulars in the top-level NASCAR Cup Series but who also compete on a regular basis in the second-tier Xfinity Series. The original coinage of the term "Buschwhacker" refers to Anheuser-Busch's longtime title sponsorship of the second-tier series through their Busch beer brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour</span> American auto racing series

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) is a modified stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified Division. The Modified Division is NASCAR's oldest division, and is the only open-wheeled division that NASCAR sanctions. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events are mainly held in the northeastern United States, but the 2007 and 2008 tours expanded to the Midwest with the addition of a race in Mansfield, Ohio. The tour races primarily on short oval paved tracks, but the NWMT also has made appearances at larger ovals and road courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARCA Menards Series West</span> American auto racing series

The ARCA Menards Series West, formerly the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR AutoZone West Series, NASCAR Winston West Series and NASCAR Camping World West Series, is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series was first formed in 1954 as a proving ground for drivers from the western United States who could not travel to race in the more traditional stock car racing regions like North Carolina and the rest of the southern United States.

The NASCAR playoffs, formerly officially known as the Chase for the Nextel/Sprint Cup, is a championship playoff system used in NASCAR's three national series. The system was founded as 'The Chase for the Championship' on January 21, 2004, and was used exclusively in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2004 to 2015. Since 2016, NASCAR has also used the playoff system in the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Bell (racing driver)</span> American racing driver

Christopher David Bell is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing, part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 20 Toyota GR Supra for JGR, and part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 1 Toyota Tundra for Tricon Garage. He is the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Cindric</span> American racing driver (born 1998)

Austin Louis Cindric is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Berry</span> American racing driver (born 1990)

Josh Berry is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart–Haas Racing, and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 15 Ford Mustang for AM Racing. Berry is noted for getting his start as a standout in Late Model Stock Cars with JR Motorsports from 2010–2023 where he became the all-time winningest driver in CARS Tour history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garrett Smithley</span> American racing driver (born 1992)

Garrett Kirk Smithley is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 4/6 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports and the No. 45 Chevrolet Camaro for Alpha Prime Racing. He has also previously competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Bilicki</span> American racing driver (born 1995)

Joshua M. Bilicki is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for MBM Motorsports, and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 92 Chevrolet Camaro for DGM Racing and the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. He has also previously competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and sports car racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrison Burton</span> American racing driver (born 2000)

Harrison Brian Burton is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Wood Brothers Racing. He is the son of former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton. In 2020, Burton became the first driver born in the 2000s or later to win a NASCAR Xfinity Series race, and in 2024 became the first to win a NASCAR Cup Series race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Williams (racing driver)</span> American racing driver (born 1993)

Josh L. Williams is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing. He also owns Josh Williams Motorsports, which fields cars for development drivers in the ARCA Menards Series, Late Model Stock Cars, Legend Cars and Bandoloero's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Mills (racing driver)</span> American racing driver (born 1996)

Matthew Robert Mills is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports. He has also previously competed in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASCAR Cup Series</span> Top tier auto racing division within NASCAR

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carson Hocevar</span> American racing driver (born 2003)

Carson Scott Hocevar is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports. He is a former member of the Drivers Edge Development driver development system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Layne Riggs</span> American racing driver

Layne Griffin Riggs is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving for No. 38 Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports. He is the 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion and is the son of former NASCAR driver Scott Riggs.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tikkanen, Amy (August 14, 2024). "NASCAR". Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Woodward, A. (June 8, 2018). "National Association For Stock Car Auto Racing". International Directory of Company Histories. Retrieved August 16, 2024 via Encyclopedia.com.
  3. "NASCAR's three national series, how they work". NASCAR.com . July 22, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  4. "How the NASCAR regular season works". NASCAR.com . July 26, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "NASCAR Cup Series Page". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  6. "NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Standings". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  7. "NASCAR Xfinity Series Page". Racing-Reference.info. Archived from the original on 2015-06-27. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  8. "NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Page". Racing-Reference.info. Archived from the original on 2017-06-29. Retrieved 2020-03-06.