What is NASCAR?
What is NASCAR? NASCAR Racing is one of the most popular sports in America today. This fast-growing sport reaches thousands of new fans every week. For those of you new to the sport here is a quick introduction. NASCAR is an acronym which stands for "National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing."
NASCAR is a sanctioning body which oversees many types of racing across the country.
The three top series under the NASCAR banner are: NEXTEL Cup Series, Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series. When most people say NASCAR they are referring to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
NASCAR Race Cars - A modern NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race car has only a passing resemblance to its "strictly stock" heritage. These cars are built from the ground up as pure racing beasts. They are based on four door American made cars. For example, the currently eligible race cars include the Ford Fusion, Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Monte Carlo and, beginning in 2007, the Toyota Camry. These are not the sleek open-wheel pointy-nosed race cars that run Formula One, CART or IRL series. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup cars have fenders which are important because they allow side-to-side contact between cars without allowing the wheels to hook causing a big wreck.
A NEXTEL Cup car weighs in at 3,400 pounds and has a wheelbase of exactly 110 inches. The engine is a 358 cubic inch V8. These powerplants can generate over 750 horsepower. By comparison a showroom stock 2007 Chevy Corvette generates about 400 horsepower with its V8 engine. NASCAR Race Tracks Today the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series features 36 races on 22 different race tracks. 34 of those races feature all left turns on ovals or D shaped race tracks. Two races are held on road courses.
A short answer to, What is NASCAR?