Gentlemen. Start Your Engines!
Special Contribution Article
I know what you are thinking…what a junk post. It isn’t even worth my time. However, NASCAR is the second most popular sport in the U.S. behind pro football. Plus if you’re looking for a family-friendly sport now that baseball is back on the hotseat, I would suggest you check out this incredible sport. Additionally, I can’t think of another sport that is more important to a city than NASCAR is to the Charlotte area. So, for this, here is NASCAR for dummies, my perspective.
Brief History of NASCAR
Essentially, NASCAR (which stands for the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing) was founded in the 1948 by Bill France Sr. NASCAR is still in the France family today as it is now headed by Brian France. The first races took place on the actual beach in Daytona Beach FL, where NASCAR is currently headquartered.
NASCAR’s 3 major divisions
NASCAR has three separate racing divisions that it operates. The Sprint Cup Series (Formerly Winston Cup and Nextel Cup) is the highest level of auto racing. 43+ drivers run 36 races a year in their quest to be the Champion. Last year’s champion, Jimmy Johnson (#48 Lowes Chevrolet), is from California and is teammates (and I say that loosely) with Jeff Gordon.
The Nationwide Series (formerly the Busch Series) would be compared to the minor leagues. Up until this season, the cars between both series looked similar but Nationwide Series cars have smaller engines and different handling configurations. This series is made up of former Sprint Cup series drivers, up and coming drivers and current Sprint Cup stars. The current Nationwide series champion is Carl Edwards (#60 Ford Fusion). While this series runs in many of the same venues as the Sprint Cup series, this series also travels to Canada and Mexico for additional races.
Last, but not least, is the Craftsman Truck Series. Widely regarded as the most exciting series in NASCAR, the series features only 35 drivers (though more try to qualify but are sent home) piloting cars that look similar to pickup trucks. The trucks have smaller engines however because they are so boxy, the racing is far better. This series is made up of Sprint Cup vets and up and coming stars. If you’re new to NASCAR and don’t think you could sit through an entire race, watch one of these. Races last only 150 or so laps and feature only a couple pit stops. The most recent champion is Ron Hornaday (Camping World Chevrolet).
NASCAR also operates series in Canada as well as a regional series (Busch East, Busch West, and Whelen Modified). Most of the drivers racing today came from these series as well as ARCA, so if you want to go find yourself a young, unknown star to support, head to your local track to enjoy the weekly regional series.
The Cars
In the early going, the cars were showroom stock cars however safety and performance mandated that they move to a car resembling the stock model. The cars are all hand fabricated by the teams to the specifications of NASCAR. Unlike CART, Formula One, or Indy, stock cars feature no electronic aids like traction control, rev limiters for pit road or manumatic transmissions. The engines are all carbeurated V8’s also built by the teams themselves. In all series, there are Toyotas (Tundras and Camrys), Chevys (Silverado, Impala, and Monte Carlo), Fords (F-150 and Fusion), and Dodges (Rams, Chargers, and Avengers). Toyota is the latest to the series and rumor has it that Honda and possibly Nissan may be looking to join in the coming years.
The Teams and Drivers
Race teams are not like teams in other sports. Each car represents their own individual race team and sponsors and often times, one owner can own many race teams. While the teams may work for the same owner and occasionally help each other on the track, when it comes to winning, they are all individuals. Each week 45-52 drivers qualify to race in 43 spots on Sunday, but not always the fastest guy gets to race (and this part is very complicated involving stupid rules so I’ll just leave it there). In NASCAR’s top series, most of the drivers and teams live locally here in Charlotte and are based within 40 minutes from the center of Charlotte. The teams are Michael Waltrip Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Roush-Fenway Racing, Chip Gnassi Racing w/Felix Sebates, Richard Childress Racing, Robby Gordon Motorsports, Penske Racing South, Bill Davis Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing (yes, that Joe Gibbs), Morgan Mcclure Motorsports, Petty Enterprises, Red Bull Racing, Hall of Fame Racing, Robert Yates Racing, DEI (Dale Earnhardt Inc), Gillett-Evernham Motorsports, The Wood Brothers, and HAAS CNC Racing.
The most popular drivers are Dale Earnhardt Jr (son of the late Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Kasey Kahne (none of which I like). Most hated are Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Gordon (by Earnhardt fans). Last year, Juan Pablo Montoya and A.J. Allmendinger came over from open wheel racing and new for this year are Patrick Carpentier, Jaques Villeneuvue, Dario Franchitti, and Sam Hornish Jr…all from open wheel.
The High Speed Chess Match
If you like a sport that requires strategy, NASCAR racing is for you. There are so many variables. First, is performance and initial handling of the car. If a car is set up to qualify well, it usually doesn’t race well meaning that these drivers usually will cause a wreck trying to drive a car only meant for two laps. Then there’s pit road. Come to early and you may get burned by a caution flag. Pit too late and your day is over. Miss a lug nut, speed, or wreck a guy on pit road and the penalty costs the driver a lap. Not choosing the right combination of tires can cost a team a victory. Then there’s what they can’t control and that usually involves another car wrecking into them. Its a big time strategy sport.
The Races
The NASCAR season is comprised of 36 total races, however the last 10 are considered a playoff (called The Chase). Only the top 12 drivers at the end of 26 races will be eligible to win the Championship for that year. To keep things close, the points for the top 12 drivers are reset and seeded based on wins.
Unlike most sports, NASCAR’s biggest race is the very first one of the year, the Daytona 500. The Daytona International Speedway is classified as a Superspeedway, meaning that the cars travel upwards of 200 MPH. To qualify for this race is uniquely Daytona as there are 2 races (The twin Gatorade duels) that determine who will race in the Daytona 500. Most other races simply have qualifying. The fastest track on the circuit is Taladega Superspeedway and the slowest would be Martinville Raceway. Regarded as one of the most exciting is Bristol, as the racetrack looks like a football stadium with its steeply pitched raceway. Typical Bristol races involve a lot of wrecks because of the tight race track and slow speeds.
The All Star Race here in Charlotte is the only one that doesn’t pay any points and is strictly for money. Drivers qualify in heats for the chance to win one million dollars. Second place back get nothing.
NASCAR and Charlotte
As I stated earlier, the majority of the NASCAR teams are based in the Charlotte area. Charlotte is also home to three races each season at the Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord, just north of the city. Currently under construction is the NASCAR Hall of Fame in uptown Charlotte and will be the official home of NASCAR’s operations. If you are a race fan, you must make a visit to Charlotte to tour the race shops. Most shops offer free tours and allow you to take as many pictures as you want. The drivers are usually pretty accessable since they are almost all locals. One of the best race shops is Raceworld USA in Cornelius, home to Michael Waltrip Racing. Raceworld has a lot of unique, interactive exhibits and even a theatre on site.
The industry of NASCAR benefits the Piedmont region of North Carolina to the tune of over a billion dollars a year through the race teams and their hundreds of highly paid employees, drivers, sponsors, support industry, and related manufacturing industry.
The Story of 2008
There will be a few main stories for the start of the 2008 NASCAR season. First, NASCAR’s most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr (known as Jr.) switched teams in the offseason to drive for Hendrick Motorsports. Jr. fans hated this decision because Hendrick also owns the cars of Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon, the two polar opposites of Dale Jr. However fans quickly forgave Jr and have rekindled their bromance. Both Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon are champions and Hendrick Motorsports is far and above the best team in NASCAR so all eyes will be on Jr. to see if his lackluster performance as of late is as a result of a lack of good equipment or lack of talent.
Joe Gibbs Racing, formerly of Chevrolet and Pontiac before that, switched manufacturers this season to Toyota. JGR is the home of former champ Tony Stewart (#20 Home Depot), powerhouse rookie Denny Hamlin (#11 Fedex) and hated fenom Kyle Busch (#18 Interstate Batteries). This will be the first major team to switch to Toyota and it his hoped that this change will mean the other Toyota teams will be more competitive this year as well. Last year was certainly not a banner year for the new brand however they did have success late in the season, sitting on numerous poles and running well.
Everyone will be looking at the open wheel racers who are now jumping into stock cars, many for the first time. Juan Pablo Montoya made a lot of enemies by wrecking quite a few racers last season as he was adjusting to a car that didn’t handle, brake, steer like he was accustomed to. He did manage a victory in Sonoma California on a road course.
What’s Next?
The Daytona 500 is on Fox Sunday Feb 17. If you have the ability, watch it in HD with the surround sound turned up. Its second best only to being there. Directv offers a Hot Pass package, which allows you to ride along with your favorite driver during the race and listen to his radio chatter and exclusive commentary. Then, atleast once, you must attend a race to see, smell, and feel the rumble of the engines for yourself. Finally, sign up for either a ride along or racing driving school. Many tracks operate Petty Driving Experience schools as well as many others. Experience what it is like to go 180 in a car around a track. Truly the most fun you can have fully clothed.
For more information, visit www.nascar.com or www.jayski.com.
Well I hope this helps.
Sincerely;
Jonathan Osman
The Charlotte House Hunter
Charlotte NC Homes, Charlotte Real Estate