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91-657: The event was previously only for the NASCAR Cup Series , with NASCAR's other series having separate awards banquets. However, champions from NASCAR's other series were recognized at the Cup Series awards banquet starting in 2021 instead of having a separate awards banquet. The awards banquet had initially been held in Daytona Beach, Florida at the Plaza Hotel in the hotel's basement and had only been

182-470: A front engine rear-wheel-drive design. A roll cage serves as a space frame chassis and is covered by a 24-gauge sheet metal body. They have a closed cockpit, fenders, a rear spoiler, and an aerodynamic splitter. Fielding a car for one season usually costs $ 10–20 million. Each team may build its own cars and engines (per NASCAR's specifications) or purchase cars and engines from other teams. Dover Motorsports Speedway Motorsports, LLC

273-570: A 0.75-mile tri-oval asphalt short track in Millington, Tennessee , but closed the track in October 2009 to competition. It was later sold to Palm Beach International Raceway after sitting unused for over a year. Dover also owned Gateway International Raceway , a 1.25-mile egg-shaped asphalt oval track in Madison, Illinois , which was sold in 2011. After attempts to sell Nashville Superspeedway,

364-737: A 15-year hiatus in 2001, but departed after 2012, leaving just Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota. Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer as of 2023, with 851 race wins and 42 manufacturers championships. Ford ranks second with 728 victories and 17 manufacturers championships. Dodge is third in wins with 217 and two manufacturers championships (albeit no longer in NASCAR), Plymouth fourth with 191 with one manufacturer championship (albeit no longer in NASCAR), Toyota fifth with 180 wins and three manufacturers championships, and Pontiac sixth with 154 and one manufacturer championship (albeit no longer in NASCAR). Cup Series cars (often called "Cup cars") adhere to

455-615: A first for a sports facility. In 1990, Smith began to acquire additional speedway properties beginning with Atlanta Motor Speedway . As he did with Charlotte, Smith began expanding seating and facilities at Atlanta. In 1992, lights were added to CMS, making it one of the first speedways to offer night racing, and the company developed the Legends car racing circuit, now called U.S. Legend Cars International. Smith incorporated Speedway Motorsports in December 1994, and on February 24, 1995 took

546-534: A fistfight on national television. This underlined the drama and emotion of the sport and increased its broadcast marketability. The race coincided with a major snowstorm along the United States' eastern seaboard, successfully introducing the sport to a captive audience. In 1981, an awards banquet began to be held in New York City on the first Friday evening in December. The first banquets were held in

637-767: A history of purchasing tracks to obtain NASCAR race dates. The company's purchases and closures of the tracks in order to obtain a second NASCAR date for Texas Motor Speedway led to the Ferko lawsuit . In 1996, the company purchased half interest in North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina along with Bob Bahre of New Hampshire International Speedway (now New Hampshire Motor Speedway ). SMI moved one of North Wilkesboro Speedway 's dates to Texas Motor Speedway and Bob Bahre moved

728-475: A new awards program called the Winston Million . From 1985 to 1997, any driver who won three of the four most prestigious races in the series was given one million dollars. The prize was only won twice; Bill Elliott won in 1985, Darrell Waltrip nearly won in 1989, Davey Allison nearly won in 1992, Dale Jarrett nearly won in 1996, and Jeff Gordon won in 1997. The Winston Million was replaced with

819-459: A number of awards are given to drivers finishing outside the Chase. The highest finishing non-Chase driver (13th place at the end of the season from 2007 to 2013 and potentially anywhere from fifth to 17th place starting in 2014) is awarded a bonus of approximately one million dollars and was originally given a position on stage at the post-season awards banquet. The awards banquet now focuses solely on

910-488: A one off race held in Canada . The Daytona 500 , the most prestigious race, had a television audience of about 9.17 million U.S. viewers in 2019. Cup Series cars are unique in automobile racing. While the engines are powerful enough to reach speeds of over 200 mph (320 km/h), their weight coupled with a relatively simple aerodynamic package (based on the body styles of cars currently available for retail sale in

1001-413: A pair of checkered flags in flight. By 2009, the popularity boom of the 1990s had ended, and television ratings over the previous ten years had become more or less stagnant. Some long-time fans have criticized the series for losing its traditional appeal because of abandoning venues in the southeastern United States in favor of newer markets. They have also voiced discontent over Toyota 's presence in

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1092-562: A playoff held within the final ten races. This number was increased to 12 teams in 2007. The Chase participants had their points increased to a level mathematically unattainable by anyone outside this field (roughly 1,800 points ahead of the first driver outside the Chase). From the inaugural Chase in 2004 to the 2006 Chase, the drivers were seeded based on points position at the end of the regular season, with first place starting with 5,050 points and tenth place starting with 5,005. From 2007 to 2010,

1183-851: A points system with equal points being awarded for all races regardless of length or prize money. This system ensured that the top drivers would have to compete in all the races in order to become the series champion. This system remained unchanged from 1975 until the Chase for the Championship was instituted in 2004. Since 1982, the Daytona 500 has been the first non-exhibition race of the year. ABC Sports aired partial or full live telecasts of Grand National races from Talladega , North Wilkesboro, Darlington, Charlotte, and Nashville in 1970. Because these events were perceived as less exciting than many Grand National races, ABC abandoned its live coverage. Races were instead broadcast, delayed and edited, on

1274-540: A private event for Cup Series drivers and teams that finished in the top 10 in the final standings along with NASCAR executives with no media members allowed to attend. NASCAR President Bill France Jr. had the idea of making the event bigger as the sport was growing across the United States. In 1981, it was moved to New York City at the Waldorf Astoria , and the ceremony was held in the Starlight Roof and

1365-477: A similar program, the Winston No Bull Five, in 1998. This program awarded one million dollars to any driver who won a prestigious race after finishing in the top five of the most previous prestigious race. The series underwent a large boom in popularity in the 1990s. In 1994, NASCAR held the first Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway . Between 1997 and 1998, the winner's prize money for

1456-453: A total $ 215 million purchase. That same year, SMI sold the naming rights of its flagship Charlotte Motor Speedway to Lowe's , a $ 35 million deal that would last until 2009. Until 1999, Speedway Motorsports was the top track owner in the motorsports industry. That year, International Speedway Corporation, then the second largest track owner, acquired Penske Motorsports , then the third largest track owner. The $ 623 million deal propelled ISC to

1547-677: Is an American company that owns and manages auto racing facilities that host races sanctioned by NASCAR , NHRA , World of Outlaws and other racing series. The company was founded by Bruton Smith and has its headquarters at Charlotte Motor Speedway , in Concord, North Carolina , just north of Charlotte. Speedway Motorsports owns nine racing facilities with a combined seating capacity of approximately 885,000. In addition to operating racetracks, Speedway Motorsports owns Performance Racing Network (PRN), U.S. Legend Cars International, and co-owns Motorsports Authentics. After trading for 25 years on

1638-454: Is not one of them." Despite this, he was invited back in 2014 to host again. The Price Is Right host Drew Carey hosted the 2015 ceremony. Mohr returned to host in 2016, the most recent year he has been the host. In a number of the following years, NASCAR has had its NBC commentators, which broadcast the event on TV, handle the main hosting responsibilities instead of a celebrity, primarily Rutledge Wood , who notably would wear plaid suits to

1729-507: Is regarded in NASCAR's record books as the first season of GN/Cup history. Martinsville Speedway is the only track on the 1949 schedule that remains on the current schedule. Rather than having a fixed schedule of one race per weekend with most entrants appearing at every event, the Grand National schedule has included over sixty events in some years. Often there were two or three races on the same weekend and occasionally two races on

1820-407: The 1998 Tobacco Industry Settlement that sharply restricted avenues for tobacco advertising, including sports sponsorships. The changes that resulted from RJR's involvement in the series as well as from the reduction in schedule from 48 to 31 races per year established 1972 as the beginning of NASCAR's "modern era". The season was made shorter, and the points system was modified several times during

1911-811: The Charlotte Convention Center across the street from the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the Grand Ballroom. Media interviews on the red carpet and an autograph session for fans was held before the ceremony inside the Hall of Fame. NASCAR held a separate awards banquet for the Xfinity and Truck Series, its other two national series, for several years in Miami , the same city as the season-ending races at Homestead-Miami Speedway . The banquet for

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2002-672: The Great Recession , and prices were cheaper in Las Vegas, which also had more space for fans to attend the other events of Champion's Week. The awards banquet would be held at the Wynn Las Vegas for the next ten years. The Burnouts on the Boulevard event featured the playoff drivers driving their cars down Las Vegas Boulevard and doing burnouts on the street on one day of Champion's Week. Actor and comedian Jay Mohr

2093-553: The New York Stock Exchange , where it was known as Speedway Motorsports, Inc. ( SMI ), the company was taken private in September 2019, and today is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonic Financial Corporation, itself owned by members of Bruton Smith's family. The "SMI" initialism is still sometimes used colloquially. Speedway Motorsports didn't officially incorporate until 1994. Bruton Smith began building SMI in

2184-675: The Waldorf-Astoria 's Starlight Room and in 1985 were moved to the much larger Grand Ballroom. For 2001, the banquet portion was dropped in favor of a simpler awards ceremony, which was also moved to the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center the following year. However, in 2003, the festivities returned to the Waldorf's Grand Ballroom, and the banquet format was reinstated. In 1985, Winston introduced

2275-442: The 10th place car. The points earned are added to a driver/owner's regular season points total, while the winner of the stage receives an additional point that is added to their point total, after the reset, if they get into the NASCAR playoffs. The stage lengths vary by track, but the first two stages usually combine to equal about half of the race. The final stage (which still pays out championship points to all drivers) usually equals

2366-492: The 1950s when he worked as a race promoter and eventually built Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1959. Smith left the racing business in the early 1960s to pursue other business ventures. He became very successful and by 1975 had owned majority shares in CMS and took over as CEO. A year later he appointed H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler as general manager. Smith began to expand CMS, adding additional grandstands and facilities including condominiums,

2457-456: The 1960s with the Hemi, never won a Manufacturers Championship until Ford pulled out of racing in the early 1970s. GM was still using four different brands in NASCAR in 1991, but within three years, Buick and Oldsmobile were gone. Pontiac survived until 2004, leaving only Chevrolet. 2007 saw the first new brand since 1971, when Japanese manufacturer Toyota joined. Chrysler's Dodge brand returned after

2548-494: The ABC sports variety show Wide World of Sports . In 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first stock car race that was nationally televised live from flag to flag on CBS . The leaders going into the last lap, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison , wrecked on the backstretch while dicing for the lead, allowing Richard Petty to pass them both for the win. Immediately, Yarborough, Allison, and Allison's brother Bobby were engaged in

2639-740: The Americas in Austin, Texas, would host the national series beginning in 2021, SMI assumed management responsibilities for the NASCAR at COTA race weekend. In addition to speedway properties, SMI also owns the Performance Racing Network , a radio network that broadcasts all NASCAR races at SMI owned tracks. SMI also equally owns Motorsports Authentics, a joint venture formed with International Speedway Corporation, to produce, market and sell licensed motorsports merchandise. SMI has

2730-443: The Championship. The first driver to win multiple Championships was Herb Thomas in 1951 and 1953, while the record for the most Championships, seven, is shared by Richard Petty , Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson . Johnson has the record for most consecutive Championships; he won five Championships from 2006 to 2010 . So far every Champion has originated from the United States. The Cup Series Owner's Championship operates in

2821-491: The Chase, with all of the series' sponsored and contingency awards moved to a luncheon at Cipriani the day before the banquet. This playoff system was implemented primarily to make the points race more competitive late in the season, and indirectly, to increase television ratings during the NFL season, which starts around the same time as the Chase begins. The Chase also forces teams to perform at their best during all three stages of

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2912-744: The Cup Series awards banquet in Nashville. NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States . The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, when

3003-567: The Daytona 500 tripled. This coincided with a decline of popularity in American Championship Car Racing . In 1999, NASCAR made a new agreement with Fox Broadcasting , Turner Broadcasting , and NBC . The contract, signed for eight years for Fox and six years for NBC and Turner, was valued at $ 2.4 billion. In 2001, Pixar visited NASCAR tracks as research for the 2006 animated film Cars , which included

3094-663: The Las Vegas Boulevard and in Times Square. In 2020, the ceremony and Champion's Week were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NASCAR on NBC would instead air a primetime special with their pit reporters Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast interviewing Cup Series champion Chase Elliott , Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric and Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed in their studio. Burnouts on Broadway

3185-560: The United States) make for poor handling. The bodies and chassis of the cars are strictly regulated to ensure parity, and electronics are traditionally spartan in nature. In 1949, NASCAR introduced the Strictly Stock division, after sanctioning Modified and Roadster division races in 1948. Eight races were run on seven dirt ovals and on the Daytona Beach beach/street course. The first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race

3276-704: The United States. The company was based in Dover, Delaware , the home of its flagship track Dover International Speedway , a 1-mile (1.6 km) concrete oval with a seating capacity of 95,500 that opened in 1969. The company formerly owned the Dover Downs harness racing track adjacent to the Dover speedway. Dover Motorsports also operated Nashville Superspeedway , a 1.333-mile concrete oval track in Lebanon, Tennessee . Dover Motorsports owned Memphis Motorsports Park ,

3367-523: The awards banquet for NASCAR's regional series in Charlotte, North Carolina , with the banquet in Charlotte now honoring all NASCAR champions except for the Cup Series, which continued to have their banquet and Champion's Week in Las Vegas. After it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Charlotte banquet would be discontinued in 2021, with champions from all NASCAR series being honored at

3458-658: The awards banquet from Las Vegas to Nashville, and this marked the return of NASCAR to the city (excluding the ARCA Menards Series race at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway ) for the first time since the closure of the Nashville Superspeedway in 2012. The return of NASCAR to the growing Nashville market would ultimately lead to Nashville Superspeedway being reopened and getting a Cup Series date ( Dover Motorsports ,

3549-538: The awards banquet moved from New York City to Las Vegas to seek a change of pace from the busy holiday shopping season in the city, which arguably became a distraction from the outdoor events such as the ones in Times Square as well as to get away from the cold weather in that part of the country in December. Las Vegas had a more relaxing and slower-paced environment and warmer weather for that time of year for Champion's Week. Additionally, New York City hotel room prices for attendees were very high, particularly that year during

3640-441: The car in the 43rd position. If more than one car did not qualify, owners' points continued to be assigned in the manner described, decreasing by three for each position. Under the post-2010 point system, only cars that actually start in a given race earn owner's points. There is a separate "Chase for the Championship" for the owners' points. A 2005 rule change in NASCAR's three national series, revoked from 2013 onward, affects how

3731-530: The case of the NASCAR Cup Series' longest race, the Coca-Cola 600. A stage consists of normal green flag racing followed by a stoppage on a designated lap signified by the waving of a green and white checkered flag, then a yellow flag. The top-10 finishers in each of the first two stages are awarded bonus championship points, 10 points to the winner, 9 points for the 2nd place car, down to 1 point for

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3822-406: The ceremony. In 2015, actor Tom Cruise was a surprise celebrity guest at the banquet to give a speech for the retiring Jeff Gordon , and musician Eddie Vedder was a surprise celebrity guest at the 2016 banquet to give a speech for the retiring Tony Stewart . The NASCAR industry surprised Stewart and Vedder with a $ 1.8 million donation to Vedder's EB Research Partnership. In 2019, NASCAR moved

3913-410: The circuit over one mile (1.6 km) long. In 1959, when Daytona International Speedway was opened, the schedule still had more races on dirt racetracks than on paved ones. In the 1960s as superspeedways were built and old dirt tracks were paved, the number of races run on dirt tracks was reduced. The last NASCAR Grand National race on a dirt track (until 2021 ) was held on September 30, 1970, at

4004-535: The combined total permanent seating capacity was approximately 885,000. SMI owned tracks host 13 of the 36 NASCAR Cup Series races, including four races in the NASCAR playoffs , plus the NASCAR All-Star Race . In December 2018, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway operator Tony Formosa Jr. reached an agreement with Speedway Motorsports and its main Tennessee track Bristol Motor Speedway to co-operate

4095-550: The company public by offering shares of stock, debuting at $ 18 per share. In 1996, SMI began to quickly expand, acquiring two additional facilities; Bristol Motor Speedway and Sonoma Raceway . A year later, the company finished construction of the $ 250 million, 150,000 seat Texas Motor Speedway . Between 1993 and 1998, SMI had increased its total seating capacity from 176,000 to 551,000. In 1999 SMI outbid rival International Speedway Corporation (ISC) to purchase Las Vegas Motor Speedway . Smith had outbid ISC by $ 15 million to make

4186-532: The conclusion of the 2003 season. NASCAR negotiated a contract with Nextel , a telecommunications company to replace Winston, and in 2004 the series became known as the Nextel Cup Series. The 2006 merger between Sprint and Nextel resulted in the Cup Series being renamed the Sprint Cup, beginning with the 2008 season. The Sprint Cup trophy was designed by Tiffany & Co. and is silver, with

4277-530: The creation of a charter system (in association with the Race Team Alliance , formed in 2014), which would guarantee 36 teams' entry to all 36 races. Eligibility for a charter would depend on a team's attempts to qualify for every race within the previous three seasons. In conjunction with this rule, NASCAR also reduced the size of the Cup field to 40 cars. Along with the change in title sponsorship for

4368-810: The event was opened up to the media for the first time. After 1983, the event outgrew the Starlight Roof, and it was held in the Waldorf Astoria's Grand Ballroom starting in 1984 and would remain there each year through 2008. When the awards banquet was moved to New York City, additional events around the city held in the days before it was added to the festivities, such as the cars taking a drive down Broadway and doing burnouts in Times Square . The championship-winning driver (starting with Darrell Waltrip in 1981 ) would also appear on daytime television shows filmed in New York City during Champion's Week, giving NASCAR even more exposure to Americans. In 2009,

4459-425: The expense of SMI-owned Atlanta Motor Speedway , which dropped from two races to one on the 2011 Sprint Cup schedule. It was announced in September 2020 that Kentucky Speedway would not return for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and its date would be given back to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Dover Motorsports, Inc. (formerly Dover Downs Entertainment ) was a company that owned several auto racing circuits in

4550-534: The facility and make the necessary upgrades for the track to host NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races again and continue to host weekly racing events. Efforts were renewed in late 2020 as SMI and Bristol launched negotiations with the City of Nashville with the goal of hosting NASCAR races as early as 2022. The track ultimately did not hold races in 2022, although talks between both parties continued. When NASCAR announced that Circuit of

4641-615: The fall race away from the first weekend in November, which is also the opening weekend of deer hunting season in Texas). In 2018, the fall race weekend was moved to Las Vegas. On May 22, 2008, SMI announced it had purchased Kentucky Speedway from Kentucky Speedway, LLC. The track had been trying to secure a NASCAR Sprint Cup race for several years. SMI was finally victorious in their pursuit, with Kentucky Speedway receiving its inaugural Sprint Cup race on July 9, 2011. It appears this came at

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4732-541: The final exemption is not used because all past Champions are already in the field, it will pass to another car based on the number of owner points. In some circumstances, a team's owners' points will differ from the corresponding driver's points. In 2005, after owner Jack Roush fired Kurt Busch during the next-to-last race weekend of the season, the No. 97 team finished in eighth place in owner's points, while Busch ended up tenth in driver's points. In 2023, after Chase Elliott

4823-410: The first driver outside the Chase. (Under the new point system, a race winner can earn a maximum of 48 points, as opposed to 195 in the pre-2011 system.) The ten automatic qualifiers received a bonus of three points for each win during the regular season, while the two wild card qualifiers received no such bonus. As in the past, the race layouts for the remaining ten races were the same, with no changes to

4914-524: The first race under the current points system, the 2011 Daytona 500 . Under another rule newly implemented for the 2011 season, drivers are only allowed to earn drivers' points in one of NASCAR's three national series. Trevor Bayne , who won the race, did not earn any drivers' points because he chose to run for the Nationwide Series championship. However, he earned 47 owner's points for Wood Brothers Racing (43 base points, three bonus points for

5005-465: The fourth, two for the fifth, and one point for the sixth positioned manufacturer. This meant that if Chevrolets placed first through tenth in a given race and a Ford was 11th and a Dodge 12th, Chevrolet earned 9 points, Ford 6 and Dodge 4. Starting in 2014, NASCAR changed the system to mimic the Owner's Championship. Under this system, each manufacturer's best finishing representative effectively earned them

5096-524: The half-mile State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina . Richard Petty won that race in a Plymouth that had been sold by Petty Enterprises to Don Robertson and rented back by Petty Enterprises for the race. Between 1971 and 2003, NASCAR's premier series was sponsored by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company cigarette brand Winston , dubbing it the Winston Cup Series. The series

5187-584: The last ten races, where the difference in points is greatly minimized. This is called the NASCAR playoffs . The series holds strong roots in the Southeastern United States , with about half of the races in the 36-race season being held in that region. As of 2020 , the schedule includes tracks from around the United States. There have been races held outside the United States with exhibition races previously held in Japan and Australia , and

5278-415: The new sponsor of NASCAR's premier series. On December 19, 2016, NASCAR announced the new name for the series, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series as well as the new series logo and new NASCAR logo. On April 11, 2018, Monster Energy announced an extension of their sponsorship of the series through the end of the 2019 season. In 2017, stage racing was introduced. Races were broken up into three stages, four in

5369-509: The new title sponsor, and the series was renamed the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (2017–2019). In 2019, NASCAR rejected Monster's offer to extend the naming rights deal beyond the end of the season. NASCAR subsequently announced its move to a new tiered sponsorship model beginning with the 2020 season similar to other U.S. based professional sports leagues, where it was simply known as the NASCAR Cup Series, with

5460-443: The next four years. Races on dirt tracks and on oval tracks shorter than 250 miles (400 kilometres) were removed from the schedule and transferred to the short-lived NASCAR Grand National East Series , and the remaining races had a minimum prize money of $ 30,000. NASCAR's founder, Bill France Sr. , turned over control of NASCAR to his oldest son, Bill France Jr. In August 1974, France Jr. asked series publicist Bob Latford to design

5551-550: The number of manufacturers involved, and the manufacturer's championship was a major marketing tool. In the Xfinity Series , the championship is known as the Bill France Performance Cup. Up to the 2013 season, points were scored in a 1960–1990 Formula One system, with the winner's manufacturer scoring nine points, six for the next manufacturer, four for the manufacturer third among makes, three for

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5642-463: The other half. Also, a regular season points championship is awarded to the driver who scored the most points in the first 26 races (regular season). This championship does not award any bonus points to the winning driver. Otherwise, the points system and playoff format remained the same. The MENCS trophy was in the form of a chalice that stood at three feet tall and weighed 68 lbs. Made of machined aluminum and taking over 300 hours of craftsmanship,

5733-409: The owner of the track, moved one of the two Cup Series races at their Dover track to Nashville) in 2021 as well as the track getting Xfinity and Truck Series race dates back again. In addition, country music singer Cassadee Pope was the event's celebrity host in 2019. The cars would drive through and do burnouts on Nashville's Broadway during a day of champion's week the same way they had done it on

5824-402: The owner's points are used. Through the 2012 season, the top 35 (NASCAR Cup Series) or top 30 (other series) full-time teams in owner points are awarded exemptions for the next race, guaranteeing them a position in that race. These points determine who is in and who is out of the next race and have become crucial since the exemption rule was changed to its current format. At the end of each season,

5915-401: The points reset were changed as well. From 2011 to 2013, the ten drivers with the most points automatically qualified for the Chase. They were joined by two "wild card" qualifiers, specifically, the two drivers with the most race wins who were ranked between 11th and 20th in drivers' points. Their base point totals were then reset to 2,000 points, a level more than 1,000 points higher than that of

6006-405: The points totals of each driver who made the Chase were reset to 5,000 points, plus ten additional points for each race victory during the first 26 races. Points would still be awarded as usual during the affected races. The driver leading in points after the 36th race would be declared the champion. As part of a major change in the points system that took effect in 2011, the qualifying criteria and

6097-434: The same day in different states. In the early years, most Grand National races were held on dirt-surfaced short oval tracks that ranged in lap length from under a quarter-mile to over a half-mile, or on dirt fairgrounds ovals usually ranging from a half-mile to a mile in lap length. Of the first 221 Grand National races, 198 were run on dirt tracks. Darlington Raceway , opened in 1950, was the first completely paved track on

6188-677: The same manner as the Driver's Championship, except that points are awarded to each individual car. If an owner enters more than one car, each car is viewed and scored as a separate entity. The points in the Owners Championship is identical to the Drivers' list, with one minor exception: Drivers who are not eligible to earn points toward the Drivers' title can still earn points toward the Owners' Championship. An example of this occurred in

6279-483: The same number of points as that team earned, including any bonus points from leading a lap or winning the event. In NASCAR's earliest years, there was a diverse array of machinery, with little support from the car companies themselves, but by the mid-1960s, participation was exclusively American manufacturers with factory support. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors were the primary, if not only, competitors for much of NASCAR's history. Plymouth, while somewhat successful in

6370-455: The scoring system. On November 20, 2011, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards ended the season in a first-ever points tie. Stewart's five season wins (all in the Chase) over Edwards' one win (in the third race of the season) gave Stewart the tie-breaker. Hence he was named the winner of the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. For 2014, NASCAR announced wide-ranging changes to the Chase format: To encourage continued competition among all drivers,

6461-503: The season, the first half of the regular season, the second half of the regular season, and the Chase. Previously, the champion could have been determined before the last race, or even several races before the end of the season, because it was mathematically impossible for any other driver to gain enough points to overtake the leader. The title sponsorship with Sprint ended after the 2016 season. On December 1, 2016, NASCAR announced it had reached an agreement with Monster Energy to become

6552-710: The second date to his facility. On November 2, 2007, SMI purchased NHIS and part of the purchase resulted in SMI gaining full ownership of North Wilkesboro Speedway. In 2004, as a result of the Ferko lawsuit, SMI gained ownership of the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina . SMI closed North Carolina Speedway and moved the track's final race date to Texas Motor Speedway . On October 2, 2007, SMI sold North Carolina Speedway at auction. The track

6643-668: The series began leasing its naming rights to the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , it was referred to as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (1971–2003). A similar deal was made with Nextel in 2003, and it became the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (2004–2007). Sprint acquired Nextel in 2005, and in 2008 the series was renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (2008–2016). In December 2016, it was announced that Monster Energy would become

6734-616: The series, the 2004 season also introduced a new system for determining the series champion, influenced by the system used in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series . Originally known as the Chase for the Nextel Cup (or simply "The Chase" , and later changed to Sprint branding), the ten highest-scoring drivers and teams (plus ties) in the first 26 races of the season became eligible to win the championship by competing in

6825-596: The series, with Coca-Cola also assuming naming rights of the regular season trophy. The MENCS trophy design was retained under the new series name, though it was renamed the Bill France Cup. The NASCAR Cup Series Drivers' Championship is awarded by the Chairman of NASCAR to the most successful Cup Series driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on race results and victories. First awarded in 1949 to Red Byron , 32 different drivers have won

6916-463: The series. Japanese telecommunications corporation SoftBank acquired Sprint in July 2013. While NASCAR was suspicious of diversity promotion and aware of the negative implications of the redneck image, it also recognized the opportunities to expand the sport. NASCAR's CEO Brian France has become a prime target for criticism among fans during his tenure from 2003 to 2018. In 2016, NASCAR announced

7007-484: The sponsors of the series being called Premier Partners. The four Premier Partners are Busch Beer , Coca-Cola , GEICO , and Xfinity . The championship is determined by a points system, with points being awarded according to finish placement and number of laps led. The season is divided into two segments. After the first 26 races, 16 drivers, selected primarily on the basis of wins during the first 26 races, are seeded based on their total number of wins. They compete in

7098-403: The top 35 contenders in owner's points are also locked into the first five races of the next season. Beginning in 2013, the rules reverted to a system more similar to the pre-2005 rules. In the NASCAR Cup Series, the first 36 places in the field are determined strictly by qualifying speed. The next six places are awarded on owner points, with the final place reserved for a past Series Champion. If

7189-483: The top track owner, and SMI fell to second. Smith then turned his attention towards securing two NASCAR dates at each of his facilities. As of 2011, only four SMI owned tracks hold two NASCAR dates. SMI purchased North Wilkesboro Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2007, and in 2008 purchased Kentucky Speedway . Today SMI owns nine racing facilities, eight of which are used to host major racing series including NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA. As of December 31, 2009,

7280-486: The trophy's exterior was decorated with the outlines of all 23 NASCAR Cup Series tracks. The cup portion was said to hold approximately 600 ounces of liquids, or 37 cans of Monster Energy. Beginning with the 2020 season NASCAR's top level of competition became known as the NASCAR Cup Series . As part of a tiered sponsorship model, Busch Beer , Coca-Cola , GEICO , and Xfinity became the Premier Partners of

7371-481: The two series had been held in various hotels across Miami over the years, including one year at the Trump National Doral in 2014. When Donald Trump became a candidate for president in the 2016 United States presidential election (which he would end up winning), Truck Series title sponsor Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis announced that he and his company would not support the awards banquet if it

7462-465: The venue reopened in 2021 and hosted a NASCAR race weekend, replacing one of the race weekends at Dover International Speedway. On November 8, 2021, Speedway Motorsports announced that it had agreed to purchase Dover Motorsports , owner of Dover International Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway at the time, for $ 3.61 per share in cash for an approximate total equity value of $ 131.5 million. The deal closed in December, with SMI gaining full control of

7553-468: The voices of NASCAR drivers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. To avoid advertising tobacco in a Disney film, "Piston Cup" served as Pixar's allusion to the Winston Cup (however, by the time the film came out, Nextel had replaced Winston as the series title sponsor). During the 2002 season, R.J. Reynolds notified NASCAR leadership that they would terminate their title sponsorship prematurely at

7644-419: The win, and one bonus point for leading a lap). Before a major change to the points system was implemented in 2011, there was a slightly different addition to the system of allocating owner's points. If more than 43 cars attempted to qualify for a race, owner's points were awarded to each car in the following manner: the fastest non-qualifier (in essence, 44th position) received 31 points, three points fewer than

7735-437: Was held at Charlotte Speedway on June 19, 1949. Jim Roper was declared the winner of that race after Glenn Dunaway was disqualified for having altered the rear springs on his car; the first series champion was Red Byron . The division was renamed "Grand National" for the 1950 season, reflecting NASCAR's intent to make the sport more professional and prestigious. It retained this name until 1971. The 1949 Strictly Stock season

7826-553: Was held there again and urged NASCAR to move it to another venue in light of Trump's numerous controversial statements about immigrants on the campaign trail. NASCAR would move the Xfinity and Truck Series banquet back to the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, the previous location of the banquet before it was held at the Trump National Doral. Starting in 2017, this banquet would be canceled and combined into

7917-444: Was injured, his No. 9 car continued to earn owner points during his absence, which ultimately culminated in a playoff berth in owners points, though Elliott himself didn’t make the playoffs as a driver. The team finished 10th and Elliott finished 17th. A Manufacturer's Championship is awarded each year, although the Driver's Championship is considered more prestigious. In the past, manufacturer's championships were prestigious because of

8008-513: Was not held during Champion's Week in 2022, to the dismay of many fans. NASCAR did not state why it was not done that year. On August 30, 2024, NASCAR announced that the Awards Banquet would be moved from Nashville to Charlotte for 2024. The Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series banquet was held on Friday, November 22 and the banquet for NASCAR's regional series would be held the day prior on Thursday, November 21. The banquet itself would be held in

8099-582: Was originally called the Winston Cup Grand National Series before "Grand National" was dropped in 1986. In 1971, the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act banned television advertising of cigarettes. As a result, tobacco companies began to sponsor sporting events as a way to spend their excess advertising dollars and to circumvent the ban. RJR's sponsorship became more controversial in the wake of

8190-468: Was purchased by "Indiana" Andy Hillenburg for $ 4.4 million, and renamed Rockingham Speedway. On November 2, 2007, SMI announced the purchase of New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob Bahre , and renamed the facility New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This has led to speculation that SMI would move one of New Hampshire's dates to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and/or swap the date with the fall race at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS has expressed an interest in moving

8281-478: Was the celebrity host of the ceremony several times in the 2010s. His 2013 monologue controversially included numerous digs and jokes at Danica Patrick , who had just finished her first full-time season in the Cup Series. She was visibly unhappy during his remarks, and when taking the stage to receive an award later in the evening, Patrick used her speaking time to criticize Mohr, saying, "I have amazing fans, I'm so fortunate, and I think it's pretty safe to say Jay Mohr

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