Grand American was a NASCAR sanctioned series of pony car stock cars . The series ran from 1968 until 1972. The series was called "Grand Touring" from 1968 to 1969.
72-518: The series was formed in 1968 under the name "Grand Touring" as a competitor to USAC's Stock Car Division and SCCA's Trans-Am Series . It held 19 events in 1968 and 35 events in 1969. It was renamed Grand American for the 1970 season, hosting 27 events. By the 1971 season, NASCAR saw a decline in sponsorship, fan attendance and participation by teams, with Grand American hosting only seven events and NASCAR occasionally inviting Grand American cars to Grand National events that were short on entries (after
144-419: A stock car division from 1956 to 1984. * The inaugural season featured two subtitles: Pacific Coast (won by Sam Hanks ) and Short Track ( Troy Ruttman ). From 1958 until 1962, USAC sanctioned a road racing championship. It was held for sports cars from 1958 to 1961, and adopted Formula Libre rules in 1962. TORC: The Off-Road Championship was founded in 2009 by motocross racer Rick Johnson and it
216-462: A Mustang in the Myers Brothers 250 ) used pony cars at flat tracks that favored the smaller cars. These victories have not been added to either driver's NASCAR Grand National total wins and there is a debate whether or not they should be added. NASCAR had dictated that if a Grand American car won it would not be credited with the victory; first place points would not be awarded. Despite this,
288-584: A common points structure for a season-long championship. The 2012 season did not award a national champion, however the respective regional champions were honored at USAC Night of Champions. National Champions Regional Champions USAC started the Speedway Motors Lightning Sprint National Championship in 2017 for local tracks running Lightning Sprint cars. The points format counts the 12 best races at USAC sanctioned tracks. Pirelli World Challenge ,
360-580: A new division called the Grand National East Division . Grand American and retired (as old as 1969) Grand National/Winston Cup cars were allowed to race in the new division. That series lasted from 1972 until 1973. The Grand American series held four events in 1972, its final season. The series featured Ford Mustangs , Chevrolet Camaros , AMC Javelins , Mercury Cougars and Pontiac Trans Ams . Several Grand American cars were former SCCA Trans-Am cars, extensively modified to meet
432-557: A race at the Trenton Speedway in New Jersey , eight USAC officials, plus the pilot, were killed when their 10-seat Piper Navajo Chieftain crashed during a thunderstorm 25 miles southeast of Indianapolis . Killed were: The incident closely followed the death of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman. The plane crash came at a time when Indy car owners and drivers were demanding changes from USAC. Aside from
504-455: A set-up closer to the current Cup car and some Cup drivers who have tested the car say it has similar handling characteristics. The new car has gone full-time since the 2011 season. In 2007, six out of the top ten drivers in the final point standings were Cup regulars, with Jason Leffler being the only non-Cup driver in that group to win a race in 2007. This number decreased from 2006 when 8 out of 10 drivers were Cup regulars. The decreased number
576-596: A seven-race Chase system similar to the one used in the NASCAR Cup Series. Xfinity race fields have varied in the number of drivers. Prior to 2013 , the grid size resembled its Cup counterpart with 43 cars per race; that year, it shrank to 40 maximum cars. The field was further reduced in 2019 and 2020 to 38 and 36, respectively. During the 2020 season, fields were temporarily increased to 40 cars again to accommodate part-time teams that were otherwise unable to qualify due to such sessions being canceled in
648-512: A three-race test of unleaded gasoline in this series that began on July 29, 2006, with a race at Gateway International Raceway . The fuel, Sunoco GT 260 Unleaded, became mandatory in all series starting with the second weekend of the 2007 series, with Daytona being the last race weekend using leaded gasoline. Another distinction between the cars started in 2008: Goodyear had developed a rain tire for NASCAR road course racing in both series but NASCAR had yet to use them under race conditions by
720-446: A variety of ways. The inaugural championship, 2005, was decided by a two-race series (one dirt, one pavement). Subsequent national champions were determined by a single "national championship race" held at various locations. This format was used until 2010. In 2011, a points system was instituted to determine the national champion. Counting only a drivers twelve best finishes, the system allowed drivers from multiple regions to compete under
792-478: Is attributed to Cup regulars running only partial schedules, allowing for more NXS regulars to reach the top ten in points. However, the champions from 2006 to 2010 were all Cup regulars driving the full series schedule ( Kevin Harvick , Carl Edwards , Clint Bowyer , Kyle Busch , and Brad Keselowski ). As a result, beginning with the 2011 season, NASCAR implemented a rule stating that drivers could only compete for
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#1732781146621864-677: 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. The series was previously called the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series in 1982 and 1983, the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series from 1984 through 2002, the NASCAR Busch Series from 2003 through 2007, and
936-463: Is to gain more "seat time", or to familiarize themselves with the track. Examples of this would be Dale Earnhardt , who won the very first NXS race, and Kyle Busch , who has won the most races in NXS history. In recent years, this practice had been dubbed "Buschwhacking" by its detractors. The colloquialism originated when Anheuser-Busch was the main sponsor of the series by combining the name "Busch" with
1008-556: The Busch East and Winston West series as part of a nationwide standardization of rules for NASCAR's regional racing; both series are now run under ARCA Menards Series banner after NASCAR purchased the organization in 2018). Anheuser-Busch dropped the sponsorship after the 2007 season ; Nationwide Insurance took over the sponsorship for the 2008 season, renaming it the Nationwide Series . The Nationwide sponsorship
1080-890: The Camaro SS , after initially running the Impala and then the Zeta-based Camaro (which coincided with GM's Cup car being its four-door Zeta counterpart, the Holden VF Commodore based Chevrolet SS , being used in Cup at the time). Ford uses the Mustang GT . Toyota runs the Camry , reconfigured in 2015 to resemble the current production model. Toyota announced they would be running the Supra starting in 2019, replacing
1152-682: The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec , another road course. It was won by Kevin Harvick , while Quebec native Patrick Carpentier finished second. In July 2008 , NASCAR announced that the Nationwide Series would not return to Mexico City in 2009 , and in 2012 they announced that it would not be returning to Montreal in 2013 . While the Xfinity Series races at nearly all the same tracks as
1224-528: The Late Model Sportsman Series in 1968, and soon featured races on larger tracks such as Daytona International Speedway . Drivers used obsolete Grand National cars on larger tracks but by the inception of the touring format in 1982 , the series used older compact cars. Short track cars with relatively small 300 cubic inch V-8 motors were used. Drivers used smaller current year models featuring V6 motors. The modern-day Xfinity Series
1296-656: The NASCAR Nationwide Series from 2008 through 2014. Since 2015, it is sponsored by Comcast via its consumer cable and wireless brand Xfinity . The series emerged from NASCAR's Sportsman division, which had been formed in 1950 as NASCAR's short track race division. It was NASCAR's fourth series (after the Modified and Roadster series in 1948 and Strictly Stock Series in 1949). The sportsman cars were not current model cars and could be modified more, but not as much as Modified series cars . It became
1368-535: The SCCA and NASCAR were mentioned as its potential successor. Ultimately, USAC was formed by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman . It became the arbiter of rules, car design, and other matters for what it termed championship auto racing , the highest level of USAC racing. For a while there was a separate series of specifications for championship cars designed to be run on dirt, rather than paved, tracks. Today, USAC sanction open-wheel racing series such as
1440-545: The United Kingdom , the Xfinity races—in full and highlights—are available on Premier Sports 2 . All races are live on Sports Illustrated Television channels using FOX's or NBC's coverage with highlights on Fox Sports Asia . Since the early days of the Xfinity Series, many NASCAR Cup Series drivers have used their days off to drive in the NXS. This can be for any number of reasons, most prominent or often claimed
1512-753: The Western States Midgets in 1982 utilizing the same cars & engines that race in the USAC National Midgets. The series solely races on dirt ovals across California and Arizona but in past raced on pavement ovals as well. The series does run co-sanctioned races with USAC's National Midget Series (including the historic Turkey Night Grand Prix race) and the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets. Champions Source: USAC sanctions several regional 360 c.i.d. non-wing sprint car series across
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#17327811466211584-620: The CRL if they wanted to keep officiating the Indy 500. After USAC's attempt at a 500-mile race at Pocono Raceway – which was boycotted by the CART teams, forcing USAC to fill the field with silver crown cars – USAC and CART eventually settled into a relatively peaceful co-existence, with USAC continuing to sanction the Indianapolis 500 and no other Championship car races, and CART including
1656-640: The Camry, which had been run in the series since Toyota joined the Xfinity Series in 2007. Dodge teams used the Challenger R/T model, despite the manufacturer pulling all factory support after 2012 (though it continued in Canada as FCA Canada still supports the Pinty's Series). Following Dodge's exit, smaller underfunded teams continued to run second-hand Challenger chassis without factory support (thus earning
1728-604: The Cup Series, there are some stand-alone weekends in the Xfinity Series, with the only one being Portland in 2024 . In 2016, the NXS and Truck Series adopted a playoff format similar to the NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the Championship. Unlike the Cup Series, whose Chase consists of four rounds, the Xfinity Series and Truck Series both use a three-round format. After each of the first two rounds,
1800-637: The Grand American Series include: Jim Paschal, Buck Baker and Richard Childress. Dan Gurney , Parnelli Jones , Mark Donohue and Jim Hall are sometimes credited as "NASCAR Grand American" drivers. The reality is that these road race stars competed in the SCCA Trans-Am series, which had at least one annual event co-sanctioned with NASCAR, the Florida Citrus 250 at Daytona. 1968 championship results: The Grand American name
1872-894: The IRL itself, which was renamed the IndyCar Series in 2003. Since 2022, the United States Auto Club has sanctioned the USF Juniors , USF2000 Championship , and USF Pro 2000 Championship series, which serve as a ladder series to Indy NXT, along with the Radical Sportscars North American Championships, Skip Barber Racing School , as well as continued sanctioning of the GT World Challenge America and Porsche Sprint Challenge North America under
1944-417: The Indianapolis 500, USAC events were not well attended, and the owners felt that USAC poorly negotiated television rights. The owners also wanted increases in payouts, especially at Indy. Though some think the plane crash was used as an opportunistic way to force change in the sport, it was merely an unfortunate coincidence. The seed of dissent had been growing for several years before the accident, and claims
2016-563: The Indy 500. After 1983, however, the Gold Crown schedule would consist of only one event per season (Indy 500), and the Gold Crown title would be regarded largely as ceremonial. The winner of the Indianapolis 500 would be the de facto Gold Crown champion, as it was the lone points-paying event. The title and the "series" were retired after the 1994–1995 season with the advent of the Indy Racing League . USAC featured
2088-670: The Midwest and the East. * As of the end of the 2020 season The USAC/CRA AMSOIL Sprint Car Series debuted in 2004 utilizing the same cars and 410ci engines that race in USAC's AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship at dirt oval tracks across California and Arizona. The series also features combination races with the AMSOIL USAC Sprint Car National Championship. Champions Source: USAC started
2160-691: The Mustang GT the following year. United States Automobile Club The United States Auto Club ( USAC ) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship , and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500 . USAC serves as the sanctioning body for a number of racing series, including
2232-490: The NASCAR Cup Series began racing with the Car of Tomorrow , a radically new specification different from the NXS. NASCAR Cup Series drivers have admitted that driving the Xfinity car the day before the race does little to help with the NASCAR Cup Series race, as the cars differ greatly. This loosely resulted in the new Nationwide Series car making its debut in the 2010 Subway Jalapeño 250 at Daytona International Speedway. This car has
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2304-671: The NASCAR safety rules and weight limits. Some drivers also used foreign cars such as Porsche 911 in the series' early years. The motors were initially restricted to a 305 cubic inch (5.0 liter) engine displacement. The 305 cubic inch limit eventually was increased to 366 cubic inch to help with performance and reliability of the Grand American cars. In 1971, the money invested in NASCAR teams by American auto makers began to lessen as marketing and perceived consumer demand caused funds to shift away from NASCAR. The car entries for some of
2376-447: The NXS take away opportunities from the NXS regulars, usually younger and less experienced drivers. On the other hand, many fans claim that without the NASCAR Cup Series stars and the large amount of fan interest they attract on their own races, the NXS would be inadequate as a high-tier division. In addition, many NXS drivers have welcomed the Cup drivers because it gives them the opportunity to drive with more seasoned veterans. In 2007,
2448-661: The Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Car Series , National Midget Series , and Quarter Midgets . The "triple crown" is earned in USAC racing when a driver claims all three national championships (silver crown, sprint car, and midget car). Only two drivers, Tony Stewart (1995) and J. J. Yeley (2003), have achieved the triple crown in a single season. Six other drivers, Pancho Carter (1972–78), Dave Darland (1997–2001), Jerry Coons Jr. (2006–08), Tracy Hines (2000, 2002, 2015), Chris Windom (2016, 2017, 2020), and Logan Seavey (2023-2024) have claimed each of
2520-581: The Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Cars, National Midgets, Speed2 Midget Series, .25 Midget Series, Stadium Super Trucks , and Pirelli World Challenge . Seven-time USAC champion Levi Jones is USAC's Competition Director. When the American Automobile Association (AAA) withdrew from auto racing after the 1955 season, citing the Le Mans disaster and the death of Bill Vukovich at Indianapolis as contributing factors, both
2592-570: The United States on both dirt & pavement oval tracks. With exception to the engine, the cars used are the same as National & Western States Midget cars. The powerplants currently used are 4-cylinder production-based engines with stock internal dimensions to save costs for competitors. The series started out as a spec engine class, originally with Ford supplying their Zetec engine from 2002 to 2012, and then HPD supplying their K24 engine starting in 2013. National Championship The Speed2 Midget Series National Champion has been determined in
2664-481: The cars still used V6 engines. The cars gradually became similar to Cup cars. In 1995, changes were made. The series switched to V-8s with a compression ratio of 9:1 (as opposed to 14:1 for Cup at the time). The vehicle weight with driver was set at 3,300 pounds (as opposed to 3,400 for Cup). The body style changes, as well as the introduction of V-8s, made the two series' cars increasingly similar. The suspensions , brake systems, transmissions, were identical between
2736-489: The championship and the 2010 winner received $ 40,000. Points are accumulated in the three national series: sprints, midgets, and silver crown. Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Indiana claimed the inaugural championship, topping runner-up Levi Jones by 14 points. As of 2013 it has been known as the Mike Curb "Super License" National Championship Award. USAC national drivers champions On April 23, 1978, returning from
2808-850: The country. USAC's West Coast Sprint Car Series was launched in 2009 by Santa Maria Speedway promoter Chris Kearns, and joined forces with USAC in 2010. The West Coast series primarily races at tracks across California while also having special event races in Nevada. USAC's Southwest Sprint Car Series was launched in 1991 as the Arizona Sprint Car Racing Association. The series joined forces with USAC in 2012. The Southwest series primarily races at tracks in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico while also having special event races in Arkansas, Kansas & Oklahoma. The Southwest series
2880-460: The crash was an immediate cause for the 1979 CART/USAC "split" are considered for the most part unfounded. Also unpopular were the attempts of USAC to keep the aging Offenhauser engine competitive with the newer, and much more expensive, Cosworth DFX engine using boost-limiting "pop off valves" and limiting the amount of fuel that could be used. Finally, most car owners banded together to form Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1978, with
2952-414: The drivers' championship in one of three national series (Cup, Xfinity, and Truck) of the drivers' choosing. On October 26, 2016, NASCAR announced plans to limit Cup participation in the lower series starting in 2017. Cup drivers who were competing for points in the Cup Series with at least five years of experience in the series would be allowed to compete in up to 10 NXS races, but are banned from racing in
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3024-569: The embarrassment of only 14 cars entering Grand National's 1971 Space City 300 ). In 1972, the structure of NASCAR was completely changed. Winston took title sponsorship for the Grand National Series, which was renamed the Winston Cup Series. The extensive Grand National 48-race schedule of previous seasons was reduced to 31 by having all races at tracks under a 1/2 mile in length or 250 miles in event length moved to
3096-591: The first half of the season. Like the previous time Fox held rights to the series, most of the coverage aired on cable, though this time on FS1 . Four races aired on Fox itself until 2019, when all races moved to FS1. The second half of the NXS season is televised by NBC Sports . Four to five races air on NBC itself, while the others air on NBCSN (until 2020) or, during the Olympics, CNBC or USA Network (prior to 2020). Since 2021, USA Network had carried all races not aired on NBC or Fox Sports. On July 28, 2023, it
3168-605: The first race to be run in 1979 . USAC tried unsuccessfully to ban all CART owners from the 1979 Indianapolis 500 , finally losing in court before the race began. Both the USAC and CART ran multi-race schedules in 1979. Indianapolis Motor Speedway president John Cooper was instrumental in forming a joint body of CART and USAC with the creation of the Championship Racing League in March 1980. However, in mid-1980, Cooper forced USAC to renounce their agreement with
3240-472: The four Chase grid drivers with the fewest season points are eliminated from the grid and Chase contention. In the 1980s, races were sparsely shown, mainly by ESPN if they were covering the cup race at the same track. Starting in 1990, more races began to be shown. By the mid-1990s, all races were shown. Most standalone races were aired on TNN , which helped grow coverage of the series, while races that were companion races with Winston Cup dates mostly aired on
3312-602: The front wheel on the Next Gen. The then Nationwide Series unveiled its "Car of Tomorrow" (CoT) at the July 2010 race at Daytona International Speedway . Before being fully integrated in the 2011 season, it was also used in 2010 races at Michigan International Speedway , Richmond International Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway . The Xfinity CoT has important differences from the NASCAR Cup Series CoT , and
3384-485: The network airing the Cup race. TNN aired some of these races, which also aired on CBS , NBC , ESPN , ABC and TBS . From 2001 until 2006, Fox Sports covered the entire first half of the Busch Grand National season, while NBC and TNT both aired races during the second half, with Turner Sports producing all the coverage for both networks. However, in even numbered years, coverage was changed, with
3456-469: The network's schedule. Televisa Deportes also broadcast a 30-minute recap every Sunday morning on national television in Mexico . In Brazil , BandSports carries all three series. Network Ten 's additional high-definition service, ONE , began broadcasting races from the NXS live or near live during the 2008 season. ONE continued to air highlights packages of each race until the end of 2014. Broadcasts of
3528-488: The newly formed Road Racing Division under the direction of Randy Hembrey . Beginning in 1971, all dirt races were split from the National Championship. From 1971 to 1980, the series was named "National Dirt Car Championship", then renamed "Silver Crown Series" in 1981. * As of the end of the 2022 season From 1956 to 1960, USAC's National Sprint Car Championship was divided into two regional divisions in
3600-401: The nickname "Zombie Dodges"). As a result of a rules change after the 2018 season, all Challenger chassis were rendered ineligible for competition, as the series made the switch to composite body panels. Since FCA had pulled factory support years earlier, no new body was submitted for competition, ending the possibility of running a Challenger chassis in the series. All figures correct as of
3672-607: The now-retired Generation 4 style car. The body and aerodynamic package differs from the NASCAR Cup Series cars, marketing American pony cars from the 1960s such as the Ford Mustang , Dodge Challenger , and Chevrolet Camaro . The change to share the same CoT chassis as the Cup series resulted in the wheelbase being lengthened from 105 to 110 inches Each manufacturer uses a distinct body design (similar to 1960s muscle cars), built within strict aerodynamic guidelines provided by NASCAR. The Chevrolet car body currently resembles
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#17327811466213744-471: The opening race at Daytona airing on NBC in 2004, on TNT in 2002 and 2006 (due to NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics ) and the track's July race airing on FX. Large portions of Fox's coverage aired on sister network FX , with a few marquee events on the network itself. From 2007 until 2014, ESPN was the home of the renamed Nationwide Series. Generally four races per season aired on ABC, with
3816-444: The race in its schedule between other CART-sanctioned races. USAC continued to sanction the Indy 500 until 1997, when the Indy Racing League (itself product of the second American open-wheel split in 1996) terminated the sanctioning agreement following two consecutive officiating controversies that year; subsequent Indy 500s (and IRL races, as USAC was also involved in IRL's racing-related matters up to that point) were sanctioned by
3888-468: The remainder on ESPN, ESPN2 , and ESPNews . Early in ESPN's run, ESPN Classic was used for NNS overflow, however with less carriage of that network, this practice ended. Fox Sports made a return to the series, airing the 2011 Bubba Burger 250 at Richmond on Speed Channel , as ESPN gave up its exclusive rights to the race because of programming conflicts. In 2015, the NXS returned to Fox Sports during
3960-549: The series are now exclusively shown on the Fox Sports pay TV channels. All races are live on TSN channels using FOX's or NBC's coverage. Also, races are broadcast on RDS or RDS2 in French using the world feed produced by NASCAR. In 2012, Motors TV broadcasts all Xfinity races live, delayed and highlights, until 2018 when the channel ceased operations. In Portugal , SPORT TV broadcasts every Xfinity races live. In
4032-540: The series' regular season finale, Chase, and Dash 4 Cash races. In the early 1980s, teams were switching from the General Motors 1971–77 X-Body compact cars with 311-cubic inch engines. Later, teams were using General Motors 1982–87 G-body cars. Ford teams have used the Thunderbird cars consistently. In 1989, NASCAR changed rules requiring cars to use current body styles, similar to the Cup cars. However,
4104-657: The series. The USAC also sanctions the American Rally Association , Nitro Rallycross , King of the Hammers and Great American Shortcourse . Starting in 1981, USAC scaled back their participation in Indy car racing outside of the Indianapolis 500. The preeminent national championship season was instead being sanctioned by CART . USAC developed a split-calendar season, beginning in June, and ending in May with
4176-416: The term " bushwhacker ," but it has gradually fallen out of use since Anheuser-Busch's sponsorship ended. Other nicknames, such as Claim Jumper (for when Nationwide was the series sponsor), and Signal Pirate (for the current sponsor Xfinity) have never really caught on, although the generic term "Cup leech" is often used after the end of Busch sponsorship. Critics claim that NASCAR Cup Series drivers racing in
4248-431: The three championships at least once in their careers. In 2012 Mike Curb and Cary Agajanian became the only car owners to win the triple crown by winning all three championships in the same year. USAC had awarded a national championship until A. J. Foyt won his seventh title in 1979. It has announced that it will begin awarding a national championship starting in 2010. A driver's best 25 finishes are counted toward
4320-478: The time NASCAR abandoned the program for the Cup Series in 2005 (the Cup Series eventually used rain tires at the 2020 Bank of America Roval 400 and 2021 Texas Grand Prix ), but the Busch Series continued to use rain tires in races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve , since the races could not be planned with rain dates. When rain started to fall at the 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200 ,
4392-499: The tires were used in the rain for the first time. Another distinction was added in 2012, when NASCAR changed the fuel delivery system in the Cup cars from carburetion to fuel injection . NXS cars continue to use carburetors. Furthermore, with the Cup Series' switch to Next Gen car in 2022, Xfinity cars (as well as Truck Series vehicles) continue to use traditional five-lug steel wheels and centered door numbers, as opposed to an aluminum center lock wheel and numbers being placed behind
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#17327811466214464-580: The top division Grand National events with smaller payouts shrank (only 14 cars entered the 1971 Space City 300 ) to the point that NASCAR allowed the Grand American cars to compete in certain Grand National races. Three of these Grand National races were won by drivers in Grand American cars; Tiny Lund (driving a Camaro in the Buddy Shuman 276 and the Wilkes 400 ) and Bobby Allison (driving
4536-438: The two series, but The Car of Tomorrow eliminates some of these commonalities. The Car of Tomorrow is taller and wider than the Generation 4 -based vehicles in the then-Nationwide Series, and until 2010, it utilizes a front "splitter", opposed to a front valance. The Car of Tomorrow also set pole speeds slower than the NXS cars at companion races. Previously, Busch Series cars used fuel that contained lead . NASCAR conducted
4608-415: The wake of the COVID-19 pandemic . On March 6, 2005 , the series held its first race outside the United States, the Telcel-Motorola 200 . The race was held in Mexico City , Mexico at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez , a track that has held Formula One and Champ Car races in the past. It was won by Martin Truex Jr. On August 4, 2007 , the series held its second race outside the United States, at
4680-529: The wins were counted in the constructor's standings and as a start for Lund. In October 2024, NASCAR announced Allison's win would be credited, giving him sole position of fourth place in the Cup series at 85. The series was dominated by Tiny Lund . Lund won 41 races in the 109 races in the series' history. Lund won three of the four full-season championships, with the other one won by Ken Rush of High Point, N.C. Pete Hamilton won 12 of 26 events in 1969. Other notable drivers who were regular competitors in
4752-440: Was a seven-year contract, and did not include the banking and mortgage departments of Nationwide. The sponsorship reportedly carried a $ 10 million commitment for 2008, with 6% annual escalations thereafter. On September 3, 2014, it was announced that Comcast would become the new title sponsor of the series via its cable television and internet brand Xfinity , renaming it the Xfinity Series . In 2016 , NASCAR implemented
4824-534: Was announced the Xfinity Series will move exclusively to The CW in 2025 as part of a seven-year deal. It was then announced on April 11, 2024, that the move would begin a year early to broadcast the final eight races of the 2024 season. The NXS is available in most Latin American countries on cable and satellite TV. Since 2006, Fox Sports 3 (formerly called SPEED until 2013) carries live coverage of all events. The races are also shown on Fox Sports Latin America , some of them live and some tape-delayed depending on
4896-490: Was brought back in 1978 when the NASCAR Grand American Stock Car division was defined, as the successor to the series which was previously called "Late Model Sportsman" . By 2011 (when that series was named NASCAR Nationwide Series), Chevrolet and Ford had switched to using pony cars in that series (Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang); the Cup Series followed suit in 2018 when Chevrolet replaced their Chevrolet SS with Camaro ZL1 1LE, followed by Ford switching from Ford Fusion to
4968-400: Was formed in 1982, when Anheuser-Busch sponsored a newly reformed late-model sportsman series with its Budweiser brand. In 1984, the series switched sponsorship to Anheuser-Busch's Busch Beer brand and was renamed the Busch Grand National Series . "Grand National" was dropped from the series' title in 2003 as part of NASCAR's brand identity (the "Grand National" name was later used for
5040-444: Was managed the race operations and officiated the events. USAC took over complete management of the series in 2010. The complete management ended in August 2013 season when it was sold to The Armory. USAC returned to officiation/race control and the series was renamed "TORC: The Off Road Championship" for 2014. NASCAR Xfinity Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series ( NXS ) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR . It
5112-465: Was put on hold after the 2019 season and has not made its way back into the sport since then. USAC and URC Sprint Car Series promoter Curt Michael joined forces to create the USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series, with the first season beginning in 2018. Champions USAC formed the Speed2 Midget Series (formerly known as the Ford Focus Midget Series, Ignite Midget Series and HPD Midget Series) in 2002 with several regional divisions running across
5184-489: Was started in 1990 and switched to USAC sanctioning in 2017. The championship currently races on road and street courses across the United States and Canada with seven different classes for GT cars & Touring cars. Founded by WC Vision, the series is presently owned by SRO Group . The Stadium Super Trucks series was founded in 2013 by former NASCAR driver Robby Gordon . It is sanctioned by USAC, though Gordon and sponsorship marketing company The Elevation Group co-own
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