Oval track racing is a form of motorsport that is contested on an oval-shaped race track . An oval track differs from a road course in that the layout resembles an oval with turns in only one direction, and the direction of traffic is almost universally counter-clockwise. Oval tracks are dedicated motorsport circuits, used predominantly in the United States. They often have banked turns and some, despite the name, are not precisely oval, and the shape of the track can vary.
174-577: Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly known as the Atlanta International Raceway from 1960 to 1990) is a 1.540 mi (2.478 km) quad-oval intermediate speedway in Hampton, Georgia . The track has hosted a variety of sanctioning bodies since its inaugural season of racing in 1960, including NASCAR and IndyCar . The track has been owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) since 1990, with Brandon Hutchison currently serving as
348-512: A 1 ⁄ 4 mile (0.40 km) oval for legends car racing within the track's frontstretch, 44 luxury suites, and upgraded garages. The first tire tests on the new surface were run in September by Bill Elliott , and it held its first races in November. In July 2005, a F2 tornado caused by the remnants of Hurricane Cindy hit the facility, causing an estimated $ 40 million in damage to
522-403: A " roval " (a blend word combining "road course" and "oval") is an oval track racing facility that features a road course in the infield (and/or outfield), that is usually linked to the oval circuit. This type of course makes for a multi-purpose track, and allows the facility to be used for both oval and road racing. A typical combined road course consists of the oval portion of the track, using
696-400: A " roval ". As part of the 1997 reconfiguration, developers added a 1 ⁄ 4 mile (0.40 km) oval on the track's frontstretch to accommodate legends car racing . Atlanta Motor Speedway is next to the concurrent U.S. Route 41 and U.S. Route 19 , along with Georgia State Route 20 . As of 2015, the track had a reported capacity of 71,000, with recent estimates being unknown due to
870-484: A " roval "; the road course held its first races in September 1992. That same year, Marcum resigned from his position, with vice president of events at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ed Clark, replacing him. In 1993, Clark announced a three-year plan to expand capacity to 180,000. Along with the announcement, plans for a new condominium complex, totaling 112 units, were made. Groundbreaking on the complex, named Tara Place, started on June 1, and although it saw initial poor sales,
1044-577: A $ 500,000 dragstrip . In 1967, rumors about the potential sale of AIR to various prospective buyers were reported, including driver and businessman Curtis Turner and then- Atlanta Braves owner William Bartholomay . Weaver later died on February 16, 1968. The day before his death, Weaver appointed Jack Black to replace his position as president of AIR. Throughout the facility's first few years, most of its NASCAR-sanctioned races were plagued by rain delays, leading to financial troubles. In addition, according to Macon News writer John Krueger, AIR leadership
1218-510: A 1/8 mile version. Perhaps the most unusual concentric oval facility is Dover Speedway- Dover Downs . The one-mile oval track encompasses a 0.625-mile harness racing track inside. Oval tracks usually have slope in both straight and in curves, but the slope on the straights is less, circuits without any slope are rare to find, low-slope are usually old or small tracks, high gradient are more common in new circuits. Circuits like Milwaukee Mile and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have 9° banking in
1392-524: A 300-mile (480 km) race that was scheduled to first run in late 1959. However, after bad weather plagued the track's construction, the first race was delayed until June 1960. The latter, traditionally called the Atlanta 500, was first run in 1960. The race ran annually in the spring until 2011, when the race was moved to the Bruton Smith -owned Kentucky Speedway . Ten years later, the second race
1566-507: A 4.1-mile (6.6 km) course, consisting of a 1.5–2.0-mile (2.4–3.2 km) stretch of beach as one straightaway, and a narrow blacktop beachfront highway, State Road A1A , as the other. The two straights were connected by two tight, deeply rutted and sand covered turns at each end. Stock car racing in the United States has its origins in bootlegging during Prohibition , when drivers ran bootleg whiskey made primarily in
1740-626: A 500-lap or 400-lap distance. Short tracks in many cases have lights installed and routinely host night races. The short ovals still form the backbone of NASCAR in the feeder series. Three race tracks of this type are also represented in the Cup: Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond. Tracks with potential for future cup races are the Iowa Speedway built in 2006, the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway used until 1984 in
1914-583: A bit different from the cars seen in America, being more akin to a late model , though steel tube-framed silhouette bodies powered by V8 engines is still the norm. In December 2006, NASCAR also announced the creation of a new series in Mexico, the NASCAR Corona Series (now Mexico Series), replacing the existing Desafío Corona Series, to begin in 2007. In 2004, NASCAR also began to sanction
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#17327732057432088-628: 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 , and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. This level of honor and success in each diverse racing association earned Baker
2262-422: A concentric 1/4-mile oval layout. The 1/4-mile layout became a popular venue for legends car racing . The name "legends oval" was derived from this use. They have also seen use with go-karts, short track stock cars, and other lower disciplines. This idea was adopted by numerous tracks including Texas Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway , Las Vegas Motor Speedway , and Iowa Speedway which has
2436-419: A crash including driver Terry Schoonover claimed the life of the first racer at the facility during the 1984 Atlanta Journal 500 . Partly as a result of Schoonover's death, then-general manager Mike Helton announced the construction of new walls. In January 1986, Helton announced $ 3 million in renovations ahead of the 1986 The Winston . Two years later, the facility went through its second repave in 10 years;
2610-480: A full season in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition. These include Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards (who both ran for Roush Racing ). In addition, veteran drivers who have had only moderate success at the other two levels of the sport have revitalized their careers in the truck series, including Ron Hornaday Jr. , Todd Bodine , Mike Skinner , and Johnny Benson . Beginning in 2009, the series became
2784-572: A full-time basis. Kevin Harvick was the first Cup series driver to compete full-time in the Busch Series and win a title, actually doing so twice; in 2001, he did this for Richard Childress Racing but only did so out of necessity as Dale Earnhardt 's death forced him into the Cup series ahead of RCR's intended schedule for him. His win in 2006, where he raced three cars for RCR and his race team ,
2958-624: A hospitality area. Later that year, Clark stepped down from his position as general manager, handing it over to assistant general manager Brandon Hutchison. In late 2019, Clark announced a proposal to build a $ 1 billion entertainment complex if the state of Georgia legalized gambling. A hearing in the Georgia House of Representatives was scheduled in January 2020, with the Henry County Board of Commissioners later voting in favor
3132-582: A lack of driver input from SMI leadership. The repave was completed in late December, and the first tire tests took place the next month. Since the track's inaugural season of racing in 1960, the facility has held two annual NASCAR Cup Series weekends per year for most of its history: the Ambetter Health 400 and the Quaker State 400 . The former, traditionally called the Dixie 500, was initially
3306-498: A lap, plus the driver who leads the most laps. Another significant change involves the qualifying process for the Chase. The number of qualifying drivers will remain at 12, but only the top 10 will qualify solely on regular-season points. The remaining two Chase drivers will be the two drivers in the next 10 of the point standings (11th through 20th) with the most race wins in the regular season. In 2014, NASCAR announced another revamp to
3480-405: A length of one mile or more. Since the introduction of the intermediate oval, Superspeedway is an oval race course of 2 miles or longer. There are six active superspeedways in the United States, the most famous being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway , both 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. These tracks were built in 1909 and 1959 respectively. Indianapolis Motor Speedway
3654-496: A light rain. Some tracks (e.g., Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA) have "rain or shine" rules requiring races to be run in the rain. Safety has also been a point of difference between the two. While a road course usually has abundant run-off areas , gravel traps, and tire barriers, oval tracks usually have a concrete retaining wall separating the track from the fans. Innovations have been made to change this, however. The SAFER barrier
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#17327732057433828-621: A local 5% "amusement tax" on gate receipts, misleading debt figures, and an increase of ad-valorem tax by fourfold had made him back out of the deal, essentially sealing the facility's fate of bankruptcy. Atlanta International Raceway officially filed for Chapter 10 bankruptcy on January 19, 1971, becoming a ward under the orders of United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia judge Sidney Oslin Smith Jr. The court later appointed attorney R. Neal Batson to run
4002-445: A lot of oval tracks, which neither have a classical geometric shape nor still represent a modern tri-oval in the strict sense. While these courses still technically fall under the category of ovals, their unique shape, flat corners, hard braking zones, or increased difficulty, often produces driving characteristics similar to those of a road course. Some facilities feature several ovals track of different sizes, often sharing part of
4176-575: A mini stock racing series in Mexico, known as the Mexico T4 Series. In early 2012, NASCAR announced that it would sanction the existing European-based Racecar Euro Series as a "NASCAR Touring Series". On July 1, 2013, with partnership from NASCAR Whelen Engineering , the series was renamed the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. In addition to the six main national series, NASCAR operates several other racing divisions under
4350-408: A new grandstand was constructed, adding 21,000 permanent seats. The reconfiguration started a year and a half later, turning the track from a 1.52 miles (2.45 km) true oval into a 1.54 miles (2.48 km) quad-oval. The decision at the time drew criticism from drivers, including Dale Earnhardt , John Andretti , and Johnny Benson Jr. The renovation itself cost $ 30 million and added 37,000 seats,
4524-449: A notable exception. Many 1-mile dirt ovals were used by stock cars or champ cars before race tracks with dirt surfaces were removed from the racing calendar in the early 1970s. Many of these racetracks got the nickname "Fairgrounds” — for example Arizona State Fairgrounds , California State Fairgrounds and Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway . The origin of these racetracks was in harness racing , which commonly used 1-mile tracks. Also,
4698-596: 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. The Whelen Modified Tour races open-wheel "modified" cars in Northern and Southern divisions. This
4872-402: A prospective buyer looking to purchase AIR, Charlotte Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith , began. Although the facility was expected to have been sold within the month, by the next day, both men denied that the sale had gone through; Smith reported delays in the sale due to "small snags", and Nix outright denied a closed deal. Four days later, Charlotte Observer writer Tom Higgins reported that
5046-551: A race track were trying to tell people who did how a race track ought to be run." By the running of the Dixie 500 in August, American Raceways oversaw numerous major executive changes. The race itself was under threat of being cancelled when the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) demanded they pay $ 35,000 as a partial payment on their delinquent taxes, which totaled over $ 58,000. As part of a last-ditch effort to save
5220-463: 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 a stock car sanctioning body on the Pacific Coast under Barky. Wendell Scott
5394-574: A result of that sponsorship, the Grand National Series became known as the Winston Cup Series starting in 1971, with a new points system and some significant cash benefits to compete for championship points. In 1972, the season was shortened from 48 races (including two on dirt tracks ) to 31. 1972 is often acknowledged as the beginning of NASCAR's "modern era". The next competitive level, called Late Model Sportsman, gained
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5568-405: A road course, there are many different lines that can work on an oval track. The preferred line depends on many factors including track conditions, car set-up, and traffic. The oval track driver must choose which line to use each time they approach a corner. On a short track in a 25-lap feature race, a driver might not run any two laps with the same line. Both types of racing place physical demands on
5742-463: A row by Cale Yarborough in the late 1970s, the only other time when a driver has won three or more NASCAR Cup Series championships in a row. The Cup Series had its first title sponsor in 1972. R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , which had been banned from television advertising , found a popular and demographically suitable consumer base in NASCAR fans and engaged NASCAR as a promotional outlet. As
5916-506: A sale was imminent, which Nix again denied. In early March, Smith claimed that he was waiting for Nix to agree to the deal. Two months later, although his earlier offer stalled, Smith stated renewed hope at purchasing AIR. After another two months passed, AIR released a press statement that declared that Smith's second offer was most likely going to be accepted by AIR's directors. By mid-October, Winston-Salem Journal writer Mike Mulhurn wrote that Smith had begun planning his first promotions at
6090-459: A scoring error. Bisher later criticized the facility, stating that "[nothing] was ready, there was dirt everywhere. It was like a county fair in the boondocks ". Two weeks later, another annual NASCAR-sanctioned race, the Atlanta 500 , was confirmed to be run in late October. On the same day, a attempt to overthrow Lester by an opposing stockholder group led by T. Walker Jackson and A. E. Deermont
6264-478: A season, along with the pre-season Clash and mid-season All-Star race. NASCAR runs races primarily on ovals , including superspeedways, short tracks, and dirt tracks , but also road courses and street circuits . Richard Petty holds the Cup Series wins record with 200. He is tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson for the championship record, with seven each. Entering the 2025 season , Joey Logano
6438-598: A series of meetings held at the Streamline Hotel in Florida, beginning on December 14, 1947. At 1:00 pm, France called to order the 35 men who represented the NCSCC on the top floor of the hotel. The meeting was the first of four seminars in which France would outline his vision of an organized group of race car drivers. The name originally chosen for the series was National Stock Car Racing Association ; when it
6612-417: A single accident. This type of accident is often called " The Big One ". Oval track racing requires different tactics than road racing. While the driver does not have to shift gears nearly as frequently, brake as heavily or as often, or deal with turns of various radii in both directions as in road racing, drivers are still challenged by negotiating the track. Where there is generally one preferred line around
6786-461: A stand-alone road course layout(s) in the infield not directly linked to the oval layout, or otherwise using only a short portion of the oval. Combined road courses combine the high speed characteristics of ovals with the technical precision of road courses . It allows road racing disciplines the unique experience of being held in the stadium style atmosphere of an oval superspeedway. Numerous combined road courses saw widespread use with sports cars in
6960-690: A statement of approval for a statewide referendum on the issue on the 21st. However, the bill, now titled Senate Resolution 841, was viewed as a long shot; SR 841 needed a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly along with a popular vote, with Georgia historically holding a hardline stance on anti-gambling due to religious influence. In March 2021, the proposal saw revived support when Georgia saw increased support for online sports betting, with Clark now campaigning to legalize gambling. However, by 2022, although Hutchison and Clark maintained they were still campaigning for
7134-419: A stock sale to the general public, with 479,550 shares being offered at $ 4 each; along with the announcement, the duo stated hopes of hosting NASCAR and United States Auto Club (USAC)-sanctioned races. King later stated hopes of expanding the facility's uses to include "almost any conceivable outdoor show", with developers hoping to host four major races annually. With the announcements, it was slated to become
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7308-709: 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 1940s, 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 were lightened and reinforced. Mechanic William France Sr. , moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, from Washington, D.C., in 1935 to escape
7482-544: A young Bill France placed 5th at the end of the day. By early 1947, Bill France saw the potential for a unified series of racing competitors. France announced the foundation of the "National Championship Stock Car Circuit", otherwise known as NCSCC. France approached the American Automobile Association , or AAA, in hopes of obtaining financial backing for the venture. When the AAA declined support of
7656-554: Is Cole Custer in 2023. The modern incarnation of this series began in 1982, with sponsorship by Anheuser-Busch Brewing 's Budweiser brand. In 1984 it was renamed to the Busch Grand National Series, then later just the Busch Series. The Anheuser-Busch sponsorship expired at the end of 2007, being replaced by Nationwide Insurance from 2008 to 2014, and the series is now sponsored by Comcast through its Xfinity brand. The season usually has fewer races than
7830-581: Is NASCAR's oldest division, and the modern division has been operating since 1985 as the Winston Modified Series and later in 1994 as the Featherlite Trailers Modified Series. The ARCA Menards Series ' feeder divisions, which consists of East and West divisions, race pro-stock cars that are similar to older Xfinity Series cars, although they are less powerful. The east division was originally divided into
8004-467: Is a phenomenon found on fast, high-banked superspeedways. It occurs when the vehicles racing are cornering at their limit of aerodynamic drag , but within their limit of traction . This allows drivers to race around the track constantly at wide open throttle . Since the vehicles are within their limit of traction, drafting through corners will not hinder a vehicle's performance. As cars running together are faster than cars running individually, all cars in
8178-451: 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 leagues 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
8352-692: 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. NASCAR, and stock car racing as a whole, traces its roots back to moonshine runners during Prohibition , who grew to compete against each other in a show of pride. This happened notably in North Carolina. In 1935, Bill France Sr. established races in Daytona Beach, with
8526-563: Is primarily a Midwestern United States series. NASCAR acquired the series on April 27, 2018 after being privately owned for 60 years. The NASCAR Canada Series is a NASCAR racing series in Canada that derives from the old CASCAR Super Series (founded in 1981 and bought out by NASCAR in 2006). The new series has races through six of Canada's provinces for a total of 13 events with TV coverage on TSN . Many drivers are content running in Canada while others move up to bigger NASCAR series including J. R. Fitzpatrick and D. J. Kennington . The cars are
8700-610: Is scheduled to continue as planned. The series was renamed again in 2020 to the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series before returning to the Camping World Truck Series name in 2021. On August 26, 2022 it was announced that the original series' sponsor, Craftsman, would return as the title sponsor starting in the 2023 season. The ARCA Menards Series is a racing series that races at big touring series tracks and local racing series tracks. It
8874-560: Is the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama . Built in 1969, it is 2.66 miles (4.28 kilometers) long, and holds the current record for fastest speed in a stock car, lapping at an average of 216.309 mph (348.116 km/h) and reaching 228 mph (367 km/h) at the end of the backstretch. Daytona and Talladega are the pinnacle of stock car superspeedway racing, where restrictor plates are mandated by
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#17327732057439048-491: Is the defending Cup Series champion. In the 1920s and 1930s, Daytona Beach supplanted France and Belgium as the preferred location for world land speed records . After a historic race between Ransom Olds and Alexander Winton in 1903, 15 records were set on what became the Daytona Beach Road Course between 1905 and 1935. Daytona Beach had become synonymous with fast cars in 1936. Drivers raced on
9222-479: Is the end of major league auto racing in Atlanta and the end of AIR". The 1971 Atlanta 500 saw a crowd of around 57,000. While below the number that was claimed to be needed, Batson viewed it optimistically, although warning that "we're not out of the woods". After the race, three groups displayed interest in buying the track, including Howard. In May, Batson was replaced by lawyer Stacy Cotton as trustee, with Walter Nix later being appointed as general manager. Within
9396-587: Is the predominant form of auto racing in the United States. According to the 2013 National Speedway Directory, the total number of oval tracks, drag strips and road courses in the United States is 1,262, with 901 of those being oval tracks and 683 of those being dirt tracks. Among the most famous oval tracks in North America are the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway . Pack racing
9570-449: Is very common as vehicles may travel two and three abreast. This forces drivers to use strong mental discipline in negotiating traffic. There are drawbacks, however. Should an accident occur at the front of the pack, the results could block the track in a short amount of time. This leaves drivers at the back of the pack with little time to react and little room to maneuver. The results are often catastrophic as numerous cars may be destroyed in
9744-682: The MotoGP races were run counter-clockwise, with some reconfigured corners to fix corner apex problems. Michigan was also an example of a clockwise combined road course. Another example is the Adelaide International Raceway in Australia which combines a 2.41 km (1.50 mi) road course with an 0.805 km (0.500 mi) speedway bowl. The Bowl forms a permanent part of the road course and also runs clockwise. At many tracks, multiple configurations are available for
9918-433: The 1960 Atlanta 500 , but parts of the track still remained unpaved. A new scoreboard, touted as the "world's most modern" by The Atlanta Journal , was installed nearly two years later. By mid-1963, after further renovations, Weaver announced that the facility was able to make $ 179,046 (adjusted for inflation, $ 1,781,897) in profit for the year, displaying financial success. In 1965, Weaver announced preliminary plans to build
10092-471: The 1971 Atlanta 500 , securing a loan from the First National Bank of Atlanta. Five board members also pledged to raise $ 175,000–200,000 for the race to run. The race later found itself to be crucial to AIR's survival; with a crowd of 65,000 or more being claimed for the minimum number needed for its survival, former general manager Hal Hamrick stated, "If the fans don't turnout for this one, it
10266-427: The 1979 Atlanta 500 , the first fatality at AIR occurred when Dennis Wade, an 18-year-old mechanic for Dave Watson , was hit by Watson after he spun on pit road, killing Wade. Within the year, Winston-Salem Journal writer Mike Mulhurn reported that a group directed by Hogan tried to oust DeWitt from his leadership at both North Carolina Motor Speedway and AIR. However, the takeover of both facilities failed. In 1984,
10440-548: The 24 Hours of Daytona . Since 2018, NASCAR has held the Bank of America Roval 400 on a combined course at Charlotte . In some rare examples, the combined road course layout is run in the opposite direction to the oval circuit. For instance, at Indianapolis the oval is run counter-clockwise, but the combined road course used during the IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis is run clockwise. However
10614-536: The Appalachian region of the United States. 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. The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 dried up some of their business, but by then the people of the American South had developed
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#173277320574310788-791: The Camping World Truck Series. In 2019, per a branding request made by Camping World, the series was rebranded as the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. As noted previously, the Chase format was extended to the Truck Series in 2016. The format is identical to that used in the Xfinity Series, except that only eight drivers qualify for the Chase (instead of 12 in the Xfinity Series) and only two drivers are eliminated at
10962-527: The Charlotte Motor Speedway , which became its permanent home until 2020. In January 1961, the track confirmed dates for a USAC-sanctioned race in July with Indianapolis-style cars . However, after a frightened Eddie Sachs performed tire tests that saw average lap speeds over 150 miles per hour (240 km/h), USAC decided to cancel the race, with Henry Banks claiming that modifications to
11136-482: 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
11310-634: The roadsters , which fans perceived as a Northeast or Midwest series. The roadster division was quickly abandoned, while the modified division now operates as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour . 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. 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
11484-682: The "Grand National" title passed down from the top division and soon found a sponsor in Busch Beer . In 2004, Nextel Communications took over sponsorship of the premier series, and formally renamed it the Nextel Cup Series. A new championship points system, the " Chase for the Nextel Cup ," (renamed "Chase for the Sprint Cup" in 2008) was also developed, which reset the point standings with ten races to go, making only drivers in
11658-408: The $ 25 million facility partially opened by March 1994. Within 1994, Clark announced further renovations that were scheduled to be completed by 2000. Among said renovations were the addition of 68,000 seats, expansion of luxury boxes, and the reconfiguration of the track to become a quad-oval. Tara Place was fully completed in November of that year, with 32 of the 46 condos being sold. In August 1995,
11832-479: The 16 participating in the Cup Series Chase. Four drivers are eliminated at the end of each preliminary round of the Chase in the Xfinity Series, which also mirrors the Cup Series Chase. This means that four drivers are eligible for the series title entering the final race, as in the Cup Series. Similar to Cup, starting in 2017 "The Chase" moniker was dropped and the final seven races are now referred to as
12006-424: The 1970s and early 1980s. However, their use at the professional level has since diminished considerably, since most layouts lacked the desirable topography and competitive challenges of natural road courses. In addition, most combined road course circuits offer poor sightlines for fans sitting in the grandstands. Oftentimes the challenging infield portion is obscured or not visible at all from the grandstands that line
12180-867: The 2000s were of this type. These include the Chicago Motor Speedway and the Walt Disney World Speedway , which were built during the 1990s construction boom but used for only four years. The historic Nazareth Speedway , which was paved in 1986, was completely abandoned after the 2004 season. Physically, many mile oval still exist such as the Rockingham Speedway and the Pikes Peak International Raceway . However, these racetracks have not been used by nationally important motorsports events for years. There are only three 1-mile tracks left on
12354-461: The 2011 season, drivers would be allowed to compete for the championship in only one of NASCAR's three national series in a given season, although they could continue to run in multiple series. This change was officially confirmed by France in a press conference less than two weeks later, and has remained in the NASCAR rules ever since. Beginning in 2010, the Nationwide cars adapted somewhat to
12528-517: The 2017 film Logan Lucky used the facility as a stand-in for the Charlotte Motor Speedway . As of February 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Atlanta Motor Speedway are listed as: Oval track racing#Intermediate Major forms of oval track racing include stock car racing , open-wheel racing , sprint car racing , modified car racing , midget car racing and dirt track motorcycles . Oval track racing
12702-764: The Busch North series, which raced in Northeastern states, and the Busch East Series, which raced throughout Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. The west division was originally known as the Winston West Series and raced throughout Southwestern and Coastal Pacific states. In 2008, the series came together in east and west divisions under sponsorship from Camping World as the Camping World Series. K&N Filters took over
12876-441: The Chase format, expanding the Chase pool to 16 drivers, and eliminating four drivers after every three races, leaving four drivers to compete for the championship at the season finale at Homestead . In addition, wins were given an increased emphasis, with the 16 drivers with the most wins (15 if the points leader is winless; points leader will receive an automatic berth) gaining a spot in the chase. If there are fewer than 16 winners,
13050-483: The Cup Series, and the prize money is significantly lower. However, over the last several years, a number of Cup Series drivers have run both the Xfinity and Cup Series events each weekend, using the Xfinity race as a warm-up to the Cup event at the same facility. Furthermore, several drivers not only participated in both Cup and Busch/Nationwide/Xfinity events on the same weekend but also began to compete in both series on
13224-573: The Cup, and the Memphis Motorsports Park, which had races of the Busch Series back then until the 2000s. The Auto Club Speedway is to be converted from a 2-mile super speedway to a 1/2 mile short track in 2024. Synonymous with the name, a 1-mile (1.61 km) oval is a popular and common length for oval track racing. The exact measurements, however, can vary by as much as a tenth of a mile and still fall into this category. Most mile ovals are relatively flat-banked, with Dover being
13398-532: The First Georgia Securities Corporation, led by president Richard W. King, announced plans to build a $ 1 million (adjusted for inflation, $ 10,560,554), 50,000-seat, 400-acre racing facility 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta along a location near U.S. Route 41 . Atlanta International Raceway, Inc. (AIR) was formed to head the project. Two months later, King and racing promoter of the nearby Lakewood Speedway , Carl Queen, opened
13572-579: The Lawrence LoPatin-owned Michigan International Speedway , which was built in the same year. With the deal, AIR announced an investment of $ 1 million worth of renovations for the facility, which covered a repave, a new dragstrip, seating expansion, and amenity improvements. The merger was approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in March 1969. By late 1969, after LoPatin expanded
13746-606: 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 (32 km) exhibition in February near Miami. The first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race ever was held at Charlotte Speedway , although this is not the same track as the Charlotte Motor Speedway that is a fixture on current NASCAR schedule. The race
13920-764: The NASCAR Regional banner. Many local race tracks across the United States and Canada run under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly 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 car divisions as well as state and track championships separately. Each division champion receives
14094-468: The NASCAR racing calendar: Phoenix, Loudon, and Dover. IndyCar only returned to 1-mile oval racing with the addition of the Milwaukee Mile in 2024 after 9 years of it being off the schedule. Also referred to with the general term of "speedway", these courses are 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) in length, but the term is particularly reserved for 1.5-mile (2.4 km) tracks. At the beginning of
14268-473: The NCS and the ambiguous use of "NASCAR" as a synonym for the series is common. The 2023 NCS Champion is Ryan Blaney . The record for most championships is 7, held by three drivers: Richard Petty , Dale Earnhardt , and Jimmie Johnson . Johnson has the record for most consecutive with five consecutive Cup Series drivers' championships from 2006 to 2010. Previously, the most consecutive championships had been three in
14442-554: The US 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 . The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) is the sport's highest level of professional competition. It is consequently the most popular and most profitable NASCAR series. Since 2001, the Cup Series season has consisted of 36 races over 10 months. Writers and fans often use "Cup" to refer to
14616-476: The Xfinity Playoffs. Even with restrictions limiting points earnings to one national series, Cup drivers were still running and winning a vast majority of Xfinity series races through 2015. Starting with the 2015 season finale, NASCAR began to add additional restrictions in regards to Cup drivers running Xfinity races. Beginning in the 2020 season, Cup drivers with more than three years of experience in
14790-413: The addition of another unscheduled NASCAR race within the year, signing a $ 636,000 contract with the E. Jack Smith Construction Company to build the remainder of the track. USAC, despite encouraging words from USAC director of competition Henry Banks, reportedly refused to race at the facility unless "changes are made in the banking of the track", with USAC claiming they found "one dip especially awkward". By
14964-408: The back straight of the oval. As they are separate tracks, this creates a unique situation where different races can actually be run on both the oval and the full road course at the same time. Also unique is that unlike most combined circuits which use the oval track's start/finish line and pits, in the case of Calder Park it is the road course start/finish line and pits that are used. This configuration
15138-514: The cars coming towards and moving away from their vantage point. Traditional ovals (such as Indianapolis ) offered only limited linear views of the course, and required fans to look back and forth much like a tennis match. The tri-oval shape prevents fans from having to "lean" to see oncoming cars, and creates more forward sight lines. The modern tri-ovals were often called as cookie cutters because of their (nearly) identical shape and identical kind of races. Additional prominent examples: There are
15312-415: The circumference of the oval track, so many fans choose to view from the ground level inside the infield – leaving the grandstands mostly empty and unsightly. Many combined road course layouts have been abandoned. However, some have enjoyed extended life as venues for testing, driving schools, and amateur race meets . Since 1962, the most famous race continuously held on a combined road course has been
15486-601: The combined road course layout(s). An example of an outfield combined road course can be seen at the Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne , Australia . The Calder Park complex has a 1.119 mi (1.801 km) high-banked oval speedway called the Thunderdome as well as a separate road course. The road course and the oval can be linked via two short roads that connect the front straight of the road course to
15660-737: The company and a rebranded it to American Raceways, the company fell into financial trouble after their director of operations, Les Richter , left the company. In response, American Raceways merged with the STP Corporation . The next year, AIR directors attempted to stop LoPatin from purchasing controlling interest of the facility; by this point, LoPatin was seen as a self-centered dictator who had virtually no practical experience with racing within local Atlanta media. In June, AIR directors initiated plans to sever ties from American Raceways after numerous executives, including Black, were removed from active roles or resigned due to LoPatin's leadership and
15834-497: The company's financial troubles. However, by mid-July, American Raceways was able to purchase complete control over AIR. LoPatin was reportedly ousted shortly after from his position, with Charlotte Motor Speedway president Richard Howard deciding to assist the track so it could run the 1970 Dixie 500 . Furman Bisher later recalled, "it was run like a 10-year-old boy would run a candy store. People who knew nothing about racing were trying to run races. Stockholders who knew nothing about
16008-460: The current " Car of Tomorrow " (or COT) design used by Cup cars, with different bodies from the Cup Series. In 2016, the Chase format was extended to both the Xfinity and Truck Series. Instead of the four-round, 10-race format used in the Cup Series, the Chase in each of the two supporting series consists of three rounds and seven races in all, with each preliminary round consisting of three races. The Xfinity Series Chase involves 12 drivers instead of
16182-444: The driver. A driver in an IndyCar race at Richmond International Raceway may be subject to as many lateral g-forces (albeit in only one direction) as a Formula One driver at Silverstone . Weather also plays a different role in each discipline. Road racing offers a variety of fast and slow corners that allow the use of rain tires . Paved oval tracks generally do not run with a wet track surface. Dirt ovals will sometimes support
16356-486: The drivers, IndyCar will no longer drive super speedways outside of Indianapolis. Michigan Speedway was part of the series from 2002 to 2007, AutoClub Speedway from 2002 to 2005 and a second time from 2012 to 2015, Pocono was used by IndyCar between 2014 and 2019. In NASCAR they are still an essential part of the racing calendar. The closed and partially demolished Texas World Speedway , was the original "sister track" to Michigan. The two-mile oval, with its 22-degree banking,
16530-474: The early twentieth century had wood surfaces. Indianapolis Motor Speedway 's track surface used to be made entirely of bricks, and today, 3 feet (0.91 m), or one yard, of original bricks remain exposed at the start-finish line. Each was hand laid over a 2-inch (51 mm) cushion of sand, then leveled and the gaps filled with mortar. Before the work was completed, locals nicknamed the track "The Brickyard". A combined road course , colloquially referred to as
16704-526: The early years of the Indy Racing League , the series visited several intermediate tracks. The higher-downforce, normally aspirated IRL-type cars proved to be competitive at several of the tracks. The CART series however, mostly stayed away as the faster, more powerful Champ Cars were generally thought to be too fast for this type of circuit. This became evident at the 2001 Firestone Firehawk 600 , when drivers experienced vertigo-like symptoms, and
16878-474: The end of June, while NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. was confident that the track would be ready for racing by July 31, he stated that developers had "a heck of a lot of work to do". On July 3, Furman Bisher, a writer for The Atlanta Journal , remarked that while he was able to confirm that the facility would open on time, he wrote that the facility had only built "necessary conveniences", had costed $ 1.8 million, and that most of its original leadership abandoned
17052-580: The end of each preliminary round (instead of four in the Xfinity Series). As in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, four drivers are eligible for the series title entering the final race. Similar to Cup, starting in 2017 "The Chase" moniker was dropped and is now simply referred to as the Truck Series Playoffs. On May 8, 2018, NASCAR and Camping World announced the Truck Series title sponsor would be moved to Camping World subsidiary Gander Outdoors starting in 2019. The contract through 2022
17226-546: The event of hurricanes, including Hurricane Irma in 2017, Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael in 2018, Hurricane Dorian in 2019, Hurricane Ian in 2022, and Hurricane Idalia in 2023. In 2021, the Atlanta Marathon was moved to the speedway and its perimeter roads as a result of COVID-19 restrictions in Fulton County . That same year, America's Got Talent: Extreme filmed its first season at
17400-456: The facility from filing bankruptcy, they hoped to merge companies with the Charlotte Motor Speedway , led by track president Richard Howard. A deal with Charlotte was officially confirmed in December; an announcement that American Raceways had left the track's management was also made. However, a month later, Charlotte backed out of the merger, with Howard claiming that "many factors", including
17574-463: The facility throughout its lifespan, including original plans to construct a dragstrip and recent plans to construct a casino complex have been made but were either scrapped or came to a standstill. In the late 1950s, plans were made by the First Georgia Securities Corporation to build a facility that rivaled the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . After a months-long delay, the first races were held in 1960. The track faced heavy financial troubles throughout
17748-401: The facility's grandstands, condominium complex, and other amenities. The racing surface, however, was not affected, and cars were able to test on the facility in early August. The next year, developers demolished the backstretch Weaver Grandstands, converting it to a motorhome parking lot. To replace it, developers built a new portion of grandstands on the frontstretch, adding new suites on top of
17922-414: The facility, however, did not start until late November. By February 1959, Turner and Weatherly both threatened to resign from their positions and file lawsuits against the company, with Weatherly stating that they did not pay them enough for stock sold at meetings, a claim which King refuted. In addition, Weatherly claimed that he only hired to promote and did not want to be involved with selling stock, but
18096-464: The facility. The facility has been used in the production of numerous films. It was first used for movie production in 1962 movie Thundering Wheels , with driver Jack Smith being featured in the movie. Since, the facility has been used for the 1980 film Smokey and the Bandit II , the 1982 Daniel Petrie -directed Six Pack , and the 1983 Hal Needham -directed Stroker Ace . In recent years,
18270-399: The field will draft each other simultaneously in one large pack. In stock car racing this is often referred to as " restrictor plate racing " because NASCAR mandates that each car on its two longest high-banked ovals, Talladega and Daytona , use an air restrictor to reduce horsepower . The results of pack racing may vary. As drivers are forced to race in a confined space, overtaking
18444-426: The first year of Smith's ownership, he announced the construction of a new 21,000-seat grandstand along with traffic flow improvements, which had been a major issue with the facility since the track's inception. The improvements were completed by November 1991. A month later, he announced the construction of a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) road course layout that utilized both the oval and specialized infield portions, creating
18618-453: The first year of bankruptcy, AIR made around $ 188,000, showing optimistic progress. In the 1972 Atlanta 500 , a storm plagued the track, destroying numerous amenities, including concession stands and parts of grandstands. However, despite the storm, the race was able to make a profit. The next year, while making around $ 750,000 in profit, Cotton approved a reorganization plan that would allow Jim Baker and Walter Nix to own controlling interest of
18792-573: 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 seen drivers move straight to the Cup Series without running
18966-402: The grandstands. The number of flagship races for the track later decreased to three. A NASCAR-sanctioned race for November 22, 1959, was set in late August, with NASCAR executive director Pat Purcell stating that he thought that the facility would be completed within the next 60 days. In its USAC ventures, however, Indianapolis Motor Speedway superintendent Clarence Cagle recommended changes to
19140-552: The history of NASCAR and IndyCar, this oval size was not very common. Until 1990, there were only five examples. Two of these, the Marchbanks Speedway (1.4 miles) and the Trenton Speedway (1.5 miles), were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s, and only three—Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway—have survived to this day. All other ovals of this type were built after 1994. During
19314-860: The hope that people would come to watch races and that racers would race for him, as other organizers tended to fleece the winners of their payouts. This was a success, and the series was founded in 1948. Races were held in several divisions, which eventually morphed into what is the "ladder:" the Cup Series at the top, the Xfinity Series second, and the Truck Series third, with smaller series spread out below. Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota compete in each series. The vast majority of NASCAR drivers are American, but drivers from Canada, Mexico, Europe, and other places have competed. All Cup Series races are held across America. There are 36 points-paying races in
19488-437: The late 1960s, having to enter Chapter 10 bankruptcy in 1971. Under periods of stability directed by Stacey Cotton and Walt Nix, the facility was bought out by motorsports mogul Bruton Smith in 1990, with Smith and his company, SMI, directing the facility's expansion and renovation under longtime general manager Ed Clark. The track has since gone through two major reconfigurations since Smith's purchase: one in 1997 that changed
19662-407: The layout of the track, and one in 2021 that changed the style of racing to produce pack racing seen at superspeedways . The track in its current form is measured at 1.54 miles (2.48 km), with 28 degrees of banking in the turns and five degrees of banking in the straightaways. The racing surface width varies, with a recorded 52 feet on the frontstretch, 42 feet on the backstretch, and 40 feet in
19836-408: The legalization of gambling and were still in support of building the complex, support for it essentially stagnated. Clark announced his retirement from his position of president in December 2019 which took effect in March 2020, ending a 27-year reign and giving complete control to Hutchison. After Clark's retirement, SMI CEO Marcus Smith hinted an upcoming repave and possible reconfiguration back to
20010-541: The mid-1960s, the vehicles were purpose-built race cars with a stock-appearing body. Early in NASCAR's history, foreign manufacturers had shown interest in entering the series; the British car manufacturer, MG , found a few of its vehicles entered, with some placing. For example, on August 16, 1963 in the International 200, Smokey Cook drove an MG to a 17th-place finish. The first NASCAR competition held outside
20184-727: The money before drivers were paid. On December 14, 1947, France began talks with other influential racers and promoters at the Ebony Bar at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida , that ended with the formation of NASCAR on February 21, 1948. 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. Baker earned most of his fame for his transcontinental speed runs and would prove
20358-471: The newly-built Winners Grandstand. With the addition, seating was expanded to 113,000. Four years later, the track lost one of its NASCAR Cup Series race weekends to Kentucky Speedway , another track that Bruton Smith owned. Throughout the 2010s, AMS made gradual decreases to capacity; by 2015, capacity decreased to 71,000 according to NBC Sports . Further decreases were made in early 2018, when an unspecified number of seats were torn down in order to construct
20532-464: The next year. In the 1970s and 1980s, Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) also raced at the facility. In 1997, the Indy Racing League (IRL) announced plans to race a 500 kilometres (310 mi) race at the facility, starting in 1998. The race lasted for four years; the race was removed from the IRL schedule by the 2002 season. The facility on numerous occasions has been used as an evacuee center in
20706-477: The oldest oval race track, the Milwaukee Mile was originally a race track for horse racing . In NASCAR, 1-mile oval tracks are among the intermediate tracks. IndyCar rates these tracks as short ovals, since IndyCar does not usually run on ovals shorter than 3/4-mile. The 1-mile ovals have lost a great deal of their former importance for oval racing. Most of the racetracks abandoned by NASCAR or IndyCar in
20880-607: The only long, flat tracks on the schedule. Auto Club Speedway, which joined Indianapolis, Michigan and Pocono as the one of four superspeedways used in the Verizon IndyCar Series , was the site of Gil de Ferran 's qualifying lap of 241.428 mph (388.541 km/h) in the CART FedEx Championship Series in 2000 , the fastest qualifying lap recorded at an official race meeting. Due to the low number of spectators or safety concerns by
21054-508: The original oval configuration if the entertainment complex proposal passed. On July 6, 2021, a repave and subsequent reconfiguration was officially announced; the first repave since 1997. Banking was increased in the turns by four degrees to a total of 28 degrees, and the racing surface was narrowed to produce a style of racing similar to superspeedway pack racing. The decision was met with criticism from drivers such as Denny Hamlin , Kevin Harvick , and Kyle Busch ; particularly on accusations of
21228-700: The original series sponsor's name with the notion of being bushwhacked. In May 2007, NNS director Joe Balash confirmed that NASCAR was exploring options to deal with the Buschwhacker controversy. One of the most often-cited proposals was for Cup Series drivers participating in the Nationwide Series to receive no points for their participation in a Nationwide race. In 2007, NASCAR chairman Brian France indicated that all options, except an outright ban of Cup competitors, were still being considered. On January 11, 2011, NASCAR.com reported that beginning with
21402-448: The oval race tracks. As a result, the racetracks have lengths of different accuracy. The following table shows the values that NASCAR, IndyCar and CART/CCWS used to determine the lap speeds and track records. A typical oval track consists of two parallel straights, connected by two 180° turns. Although most ovals generally have only two radii curves, they are usually advertised and labeled as four 90° turns. While many oval tracks conform to
21576-591: The past, NASCAR also sanctioned the AutoZone Elite Division, which raced late-model cars that were lighter and less powerful than Cup Series cars, and was originally 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
21750-524: The plan. Price claimed that if the three bought the track, the stock would lose five-sixths of its value. The court denied Price's bid in January 1975, essentially setting up control for the three. Price later appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States in May, who rejected to hear his appeal. The initial phase of reorganization that included debt payments began in July of that year. By January 1976,
21924-539: The premier series title name became the Sprint Cup Series, as part of the merger between Nextel and Sprint . In 2011, NASCAR announced a number of major rules changes, the most significant being abandoning the points system. The winner of a race now receives 43 points, with one-point decrements for each subsequent position (42 for second, 41 for third, and so on). The winner also receives 3 bonus points, and single bonus points are awarded to all drivers who lead
22098-454: The project by its completion. The first tests on the facility were ran by Jack Smith on July 10, with Smith being told to sandbag the session. The facility officially opened to teams on July 25 for pre-race activities for the 1960 Dixie 300 ; however, the track saw immediate problems. Purcell ordered the fixing of a seven-foot flaw "between the straightaway and the pits" the same day, with no protective guardrails were installed. Rain plagued
22272-861: The race track construction boom of the late 1990s, these tracks began to be labeled with the rather derogatory term "cookie cutter" tracks, as their differences were perceived to be minimal. In 1992, Charlotte became the first intermediate track to install lights and allow for night racing. It is now commonplace for these types of tracks to host night races. Intermediate tracks usually have moderate to steep banking. Almost all modern race tracks that are still used in NASCAR and IndyCar today are of this type. Since their size allows them to compromise high speeds with sightlines, especially tri- and quad-ovals of 1.5-mile length have become commonplace in major racing series that use oval tracks. While intermediate speedways were designed primarily with stock cars in mind, they were also believed to be suited to host Indy cars as well. In
22446-529: The race was cancelled for safety reasons. As of 2020, the IndyCar Series has only one race remaining at a high-banked intermediate track ( Texas ). These tracks began to be removed from the Indy car schedule in the late-2000s and early-2010s due to low crowds and serious crashes, including the fatal accident involving Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas in 2011. Originally a superspeedway was an oval race track with
22620-404: The race, the heavier cars got bogged down in the sand, while the lightweight Fords navigated the ruts of the course, eventually claiming the top 6 finishes for the race. Of the 27 cars that started the event, only 10 managed to survive the ordeal, as officials halted the event 10 miles (16 km) short of the scheduled 250-mile (400 km) distance. Driver Milt Marion was declared the winner, and
22794-450: The remaining spots will be filled based on the conventional points system. Monster Energy became the title sponsor in 2017, which changed the series' name to Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. With Monster Energy's title sponsorship, NASCAR also abandoned "The Chase" name and now refers to the last 10 races simply as "the playoffs" similar to most other sports. After the 2019 season, NASCAR declined an offer from Monster Energy to remain
22968-433: The repave was meant to be done the next year, but Nix decided otherwise. In September 1989, The Charlotte Observer reported that motorsports businessman Roger Penske offered to purchase the facility from DeWitt and Nix at an unspecified amount. However, on the 22nd, the duo was reported to have rejected Penske's offer. On February 22, 1990, both Charlotte and Atlanta local media reported that negotiations between Nix and
23142-447: The same front straightaway. The now defunct Ascot Speedway featured 1/2 mile and 1/4 mile dirt oval tracks, and Irwindale Speedway features 1/2 mile and 1/3 mile concentric paved oval tracks. Pocono Raceway once had a 3/4 mile oval which connected to the main stretch, and circled around the garage area. In 1991, Charlotte Motor Speedway connected the quad oval start-finish straight to the pit lane with two 180 degree turns, resulting in
23316-403: The same start/finish line, and same pit area, but a mid-course diversion to a winding road circuit in the infield (and/or outfield). At some point, the circuit leads back to the main oval, and completes the rest of the lap. On some of the faster ovals, a chicane is present on long back-straights, to keep speeds down, and create additional braking/passing zones. Some more complex facilities feature
23490-431: The second phase started, which gave creditors options for their stock. Two months later, on March 10, the track was officially turned over to a five-man board of directors, ending five years of bankruptcy. With the deal, the three owned around 52% of AIR. In 1978, AIR underwent a repave which was completed by June of that year. By the end of the year, Hogan resigned from his position as general manager. The next year, during
23664-401: The second-biggest racing facility in the United States at the time, only behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . The stock sale stagnated, with only $ 40,000 worth of shares being sold by the end of July. In August, drivers Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly were announced by King as racing directors within the track's leadership, replacing Queen and Ernie Troutman, whose stock in the company
23838-435: The similar construction boom of the baseball/football cookie-cutter stadiums of the 1960s and 1970s, and the subsequent sport-specific stadium construction boom that began in the 1990s. Most of the oval tracks are located in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, there are also many oval tracks elsewhere too, as listed below. NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC ( NASCAR )
24012-669: The sponsorship in 2010. 2019 was the last season for both of the series before they are to go under the ARCA banner in 2020 as part of the unification of the NASCAR K&;N Pro Series East and West and the ARCA Menards Series. The series became known as the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West starting in 2020, meaning 2019 was also K&N's last year as the series title sponsor. In
24186-612: The sport's ruling body to reduce the high speeds accommodated by their steep banking since 1988. Other superspeedways used by NASCAR include the Michigan International Speedway (2.0 miles), Auto Club Speedway (known as California Speedway prior to February 2008) (2.0 miles), and Pocono Raceway (2.5 miles). Auto Club Speedway and Michigan are often considered intermediate tracks by NASCAR due to their similarities with 1.5-mile tracks, while Pocono and Indianapolis are sometimes classified separately, as they are
24360-843: The title of "King of the Road". 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
24534-502: The title sponsor of the top series. On December 5, NASCAR revealed their new sponsorship model. Instead of a singular title sponsor, four "premier partners" ( Coca-Cola , Xfinity , Busch Beer and GEICO ) would be closely affiliated with the top series, which was simply renamed the NASCAR Cup Series. The NASCAR Xfinity Series is the second-highest level of professional competition in NASCAR. The most recent series champion
24708-431: The top series were limited to five races per season. Furthermore, those same drivers are ineligible to run the regular season finale, NXS playoff races, or Dash 4 Cash races. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series features modified pickup trucks . It is one of the three national divisions of NASCAR, together with the Xfinity and Cup Series. The most recent series champion is Ben Rhodes in 2023. In 1994, NASCAR announced
24882-410: 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 would also be awarded five more points than in previous seasons. In 2008,
25056-470: The track as trustee. The bankruptcy itself was also seen as a key point that put the stability of stock car racing into question; superspeedways like Atlanta across the Southeast had found themselves in economic trouble, with car manufacturers withdrawing financial support from it. At the time of the filing, the facility found itself with around $ 1,400,000 in debt. With the move, the facility was able to hold
25230-464: The track for $ 500,000, with the duo planning to use $ 350,000 of the money to buy stocks. The plan caused some outrage among minority stockholders, who felt that the value of their stock had decreased massively with the deal. Bankruptcy judge W. H. Drake recommended the reorganization plan in June. The next month, North Carolina Motor Speedway president L. G. DeWitt joined Baker and Nix in their bid to own
25404-470: The track on the 28th, with "a bad bump in the middle groove of the first turn" being reported by drivers. To run the race, track executive Alf Lester hired 17 high school football players for a week. The race itself did not produce any major problems in the track, with a crowd of 25,000 witnessing Edwin "Fireball" Roberts winning the inaugural race. The victory was disputed by numerous drivers, most notably runner-up Cotton Owens who accused NASCAR officials of
25578-440: The track to accommodate USAC cars had not been made and that asphalt surface readings were at unsafe temperatures; up to 140 °F (60 °C). Track president at the time, Nelson Weaver, later questioned the authenticity of Sachs' fears and put out a statement that criticized USAC officials. Four years later, Weaver began renewed talks with USAC to host a race; this time, USAC awarded a race weekend in September. The race ran again
25752-418: The track to increase safety for it to have a better chance at receiving a USAC date. Construction hit its first snag when road building was delayed due to fears of explosive hazards in August. In October, 20 days of rain plagued the track's construction, with construction being left half complete. As a result, track leaders decided to postpone the race, hoping to reschedule it in December or January 1960. The race
25926-455: The track's general manager. Atlanta Motor Speedway is served by the nearby concurrent U.S. Route 41 and U.S. Route 19 , along with Georgia State Route 20 . The track has a capacity of 71,000 as of 2015. It features numerous amenities, including a nine-story condominium complex, a 1 ⁄ 4 mile (0.40 km) oval on the track's frontstretch, and a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) roval road course layout upon 850 acres of land. Plans to expand to
26100-523: The track's parent company, SMI, refusing to release capacity statistics as late as 2021. At its peak, the facility held a maximum of 124,000 according to a 2010 report by the Atlanta Magazine . The facility also covers around 850 acres of land. The track complex hosts a nine-story condominium complex called Tara Place. It was completed in 1994 and features 46 units along with a ballroom. On April 8, 1958, The Atlanta Constitution reported that
26274-494: The track, unofficially confirming his purchase. Smith's purchase was officially confirmed on October 24, paying $ 19.8 million for the facility. Bob Marcum, the manager at the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway , was appointed as general manager. With the purchase, Smith announced a plan that sought to invest $ 75 million worth of renovations to the track. The facility was also renamed to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Within
26448-619: The track. The reorganization plan was rejected by AIR stockholders; in response, Drake made modifications to appease the opposing stockholders. By the end of the year, Smith awarded the three ownership and placed Larry Hogan and Bob Latford to run AIR. However, in April 1974, leading stockholder James Price challenged the decision in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit , as stockholders voted again to reject
26622-407: The traditional symmetrical design, asymmetrical tracks are not uncommon. Additional prominent examples: The tri-oval is the common shape of the ovals from the construction booms of the 1960s and 1990s. The use of the tri-oval shape for automobile racing was conceived by Bill France, Sr. during the planning for Daytona. The triangular layout allowed fans in the grandstands an angular perspective of
26796-414: The turns and are considered low banked, superspeedways like Talladega have up to 33° of tilt in curves, Daytona has up to 32°, both are considered high banked. Atlanta is the intermediate track with the highest banking, 28°. Winchester has the highest banking of any active oval track with 37° Track surfaces can be dirt , concrete, asphalt, or a combination of concrete and asphalt. Some ovals in
26970-412: The turns. From 1997 to 2021, the racing surface was at a recorded 55 feet with 24 degrees of banking in the turns. When the track first opened as a true oval, it was advertised to be banked at 24 degrees in the turns, with the straightaways being "banked slightly". In 1992, developers added a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) road course layout that combined the main oval with a specialized infield portion to create
27144-466: The venture, France proceeded to announce a set of rules and awards for the NCSCC. France declared that the winner of the 1947 NCSCC season would receive $ 1000.00 (equivalent to $ 13645 in 2023) and a trophy. The season would begin in January 1947 at the Daytona Beach track, and conclude in Jacksonville the following December. Nearly 40 events were logged during the season, and attendance often exceeded
27318-445: The venue's capacity. The competitors were paid as promised, and by the end of the season, driver Fonty Flock was declared the season champion after winning 7 events of the 24 that he entered. Bill France delivered the $ 1000 and 4-foot high trophy to Flock at the end of the season, along with $ 3000 in prize money to other drivers who competed throughout the season. At the end of the 1947 season, Bill France announced that there would be
27492-596: The years. While some tracks use terms such as "speedway" or "superspeedway" in their name, they may not meet the specific definitions used in this article. A short track is an oval track less than one mile (1.6 km) long, with the majority being 0.5 miles (0.8 km) or shorter. Drivers seeking careers in oval track racing generally serve their apprenticeship on short tracks before moving up to series which compete on larger tracks. Due to their short length and fast action, these tracks are often nicknamed " bullrings ". Professional-level NASCAR races on short tracks usually use
27666-430: Was bought by track directors. With Queen sacked, he and King entered into a dispute over future race dates between Lakewood Speedway and Atlanta International Raceway, with both stating that they weren't willing to give up dates if they happened to run races on the same day. Groundbreaking occurred on September 17 at 1 PM EST , with King stating plans to host the first races at the facility "sometime in 1959"; actual work on
27840-643: Was built as a facility for the automotive industry to conduct research and development. Daytona International Speedway was built as a replacement for the Daytona Beach Road Course , which combined the town's main street and its famous beach. Daytona hosts the Daytona 500 , NASCAR's most prestigious race, while the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is home to the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 . The longest superspeedway in North America
28014-421: Was created to provide a less dangerous alternative to a traditional concrete wall. The barrier can be retrofitted onto an existing wall or may take the place of a concrete wall completely. Oval tracks are classified based upon their size, surface, banking, and shape. Their size can range from only a few hundred feet to over two and a half miles. The definitions used to differentiate track sizes have changed over
28188-417: Was damaged in a letter sent to 800 stockholders, which allegedly stated that Mitchell stole $ 100,000 in gate revenue. Although Lester was able to garner enough support by election day to retain the current administration, he decided to resign from his position, handing it to Nelson Weaver. Renovations were steadily made during the first years. A guardrail was eventually installed by late October in time for
28362-418: Was eventually postponed to March 27, the same day as a major race for Lakewood Speedway; however, with the track still being constructed by February, leaders opted to postpone the race indefinitely. Four months later, Art Lester replaced King as president of the facility after he obtained over $ 1 million in financial aid. In addition, the track was able to reschedule the NASCAR race for a July 31 date along with
28536-437: Was filed on September 1 by 15 stockholders who supported Lester against five opposing stockholders who claimed that they wanted to hold a special stockholders' meeting to oust the current leadership, leading to the "endanger[ment of] the corporation's financial structure". A second lawsuit, filed by director I. C. Mitchell for libel , was made nine days later against Deermont and four other stockholders that claimed his reputation
28710-412: Was formed because they felt that "Lester is not doing a good job". Lester, who was facing his second attempt to overthrow him during his tenure, angrily stated that if he was overthrown, leadership would have to pay off an insurmountable $ 562,000 mortgage payment. A vote was scheduled for September 10, with Jackson claiming that their group had enough votes to sack Lester, unlike the first attempt. A lawsuit
28884-461: Was held on June 19, 1949 and won by driver Jim Roper when Glenn Dunaway 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 the "Grand National" division beginning in the 1950 season. Over a period of more than a decade, modifications for both safety and performance were allowed, and by
29058-402: Was later forced to; he also implied that the financial situation and opening date of the track was unstable, stating, "They painted us a pretty picture... that picture isn't so pretty anymore". Four months later, although stock sales saw further stagnation, the project was able to secure a $ 400,000 loan, with King claiming that construction progressed enough that construction crews started building
29232-477: Was plagued by "power struggles for several years" along with "too many chiefs and not enough Indians". NASCAR personalities, including Junior Johnson and Buddy Arrington , also stated displeasure with the facility, with a poor track surface, heavy mismanagement, and traffic concerns being key issues. Before Weaver died, he used his own finances to keep the track afloat; the stability went away after his death. Under Black's leadership, in December 1968, AIR merged with
29406-555: Was pointed out that that name was already in use by a rival sanctioning body, "National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing", proposed by mechanic Red Vogt , was selected as the organization's name. NASCAR was founded by William France, Sr. on February 21, 1948 with the help of several other drivers of the time. The original plans for NASCAR included three distinct divisions: Modified, Roadster, and Strictly Stock. The Modified and Roadster classes were seen as more attractive to fans. It turned out that NASCAR fans wanted nothing to do with
29580-507: Was reinstated to the schedule, this time taking a race weekend in the month of July. Along with its Cup Series races, the track also hosts lower-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series races. In 1986, the facility held a one-off iteration of The Winston (now known as the NASCAR All-Star Race), which had originally meant to be a race that rotated facilities annually. However, after lackluster attendance, moved to
29754-560: Was the first African-American to win a race in the Grand National Series, NASCAR's highest level. He was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina , January 30, 2015. On March 8, 1936, a collection of drivers gathered at Daytona Beach, Florida . The drivers brought coupes , hardtops , convertibles, and sports cars to compete in an event to determine the fastest cars, and best drivers. Throughout
29928-476: Was the first of five consecutive titles in NBS/NNS that were won by Cup series regulars. The practice received criticism because it was thought to give the Cup Series teams an unfair advantage, and that the presence of the Cup Series drivers squeezes out Nationwide Series competitors who would otherwise be able to qualify. These dual-series drivers have been labeled " Buschwhackers ", a play on words which combines
30102-539: Was the site of Mario Andretti's closed-course record of 214.158 mph (344.654 km/h) which stood for 12 years. No major professional series have raced at TWS since the 1990s. The 2.5 mile Ontario Motor Speedway was known as the "Indianapolis of the West", but was bought by the Chevron Land Company in 1980 and partitioned for development. NASCAR and IndyCar use different measuring systems to measure
30276-521: Was used only twice (both in 1987) and has not been used for major motor racing since hosting Round 9 of the 1987 World Touring Car Championship . There have been two distinct oval race track construction "booms" in the United States. The first took place in the 1960s, and the second took place in the mid-to-late 1990s. The majority of tracks from the 1960s boom and the 1990s boom have survived, but some tracks failed to achieve long-term financial success. Incidentally, these two booms loosely coincided with
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