The NASCAR Cup Series is the top level stock car racing series in NASCAR, and the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States.
The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Series, running 8 races. Red Byron was the first Cup champion. From 1950 through 1970, it was known as the Grand National Series. In 1971, the Series leased its naming rights to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, becoming the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (1971-2003). A similar agreement was made with Nextel in 2003, and the series 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, Monster Energy was announced as the new title sponsor, and the series was renamed the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (2017-2019). In 2019 NASCAR rejected Monster Energy's extension on the naming rights deal, setting up a new tiered sponsorship model beginning in the 2020 season, similar to other U.S. based professional sports leagues. As a result, the series became known simply as the NASCAR Cup Series, with the sponsors of the series being called Premier Partners. There are 3 Premier Partners: Busch Beer, Coca-Cola, and Xfinity. GEICO was a Premier Partner from 2020 through 2024.
The championship is determined by a points system, with points being awarded according to finish placement in each race, as well as running in the top ten at the conclusion of stages in the early parts of each race. The season is divided into two segments. After the first 26 races, the top 16 drivers, selected primarily on the basis of wins during the first 26 races, are seeded based on their total number of playoff points, which are earned by stage or race wins. They compete in the last ten races, during the NASCAR Playoffs. After the third, sixth, and ninth race, the field of 16 drivers is reduced to 12, 8, and finally 4, and in the final race of the season, the top 4 drivers compete with each other in a winner-take-all championship race. The highest finishing eligible driver, on the basis of earning the most points in that final race, wins the championship.
The series holds strong roots in the southeastern United States, with about half of the races being held in that region. Exhibition races have been previously held in Japan and Australia, and one race has been held in Canada. In 2025, The Cup Series will hold its first race in Mexico. The Daytona 500, the most prestigious race, had a television audience of about 9.17 million U.S. viewers in 2019.
History[]
Strictly Stock and Grand National[]
In 1949, NASCAR introduced the Strictly Stock division, after sanctioning Modified and Roadster division races in 1948. The division was unique in mandating that cars must be 'stock', in other words, not modified for racing at all. Eight races were run on seven dirt ovals and on the Daytona Beach beach/street course. The first race was held at Charlotte Speedway on June 19, 1949. Jim Roper was declared the winner of that race after Glenn Dunnaway 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. Martinsville Speedway is the only track on the 1949 schedule that remains on the current schedule.
The Grand National schedule grew over the 1950s, and did not have a fixed schedule of one race per weekend with most entrants appearing at every event. Often, there were two or three races through the week, and occasionally two races on the same day in different states. Championship points were awarded based on the amount of prize money paid to the drivers, and most races were held on dirt short oval tracks that ranged from a quarter mile to over a half mile in length, or on dirt fairgrounds ovals ranging from a half mile to a mile in length. Darlington Raceway, opened in 1950, was the first completely paved track in the Series over 1 mile long. In 1959, when Daytona International Speedway opened, the schedule still had more races on dirt tracks than paved ovals. Through the 1960s, the number of dirt races were reduced, as old dirt tracks were paved and new superspeedways opened across the country. The last Grand National race held on a dirt track (until 2021) was held on September 30, 1970, at State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina, which was won by Richard Petty.
Winston Cup[]
Between 1971 and 2003, NASCAR's top series was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds (RJR) Tobacco Company's Winston cigarettes, dubbing it the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. It was originally called the Winston Cup Grand National Series, but the 'Grand National' name was dropped in 1986. The sponsorship was spurred due to the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1971, which banned television advertising of cigarettes. As a result, advertising dollars were shifted to sporting events to get around the ban.
RJR's involvement with the series changed the series in many ways. The schedule was reduced from 48 to 31 races in 1972, establishing the 'modern era' of NASCAR. The points system was modified several times before settling on the "Latford" system, which paid points based on finishing position and laps led, regardless of race length or prize money, and the championship was based on a season long accumulation of points, ensuring the top drivers would have to compete in every race to become the series champion. Races on dirt tracks and races shorter than 250 miles were removed from the schedule, and the remaining races had a minimum prize money of $30,000.
The stability granted by RJR's involvement allowed the sport to grow, as races began being televised. In 1979, CBS broadcast the Daytona 500 from 'flag to flag', in its entirety. The race coincided with a major snowstorm taking place on the eastern seaboard of the US, successfully introducing the sport to a captive audience, who watched Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for the lead and crash on the final lap, allowing Richard Petty to win. Following the race, Donnie Allison's brother Bobby joined Donnie and Cale in a fistfight on national television.
In 1985, Winston introduced a new awards program called the Winston Million. From 1985 through 1997, any driver who won three of the four most prestigious races in the series in the same year won one million dollars. The prize was only won twice, as Bill Elliott won it in 1985, and Jeff Gordon won it in 1997. The Winston Million was replaced by a similar program, the Winston No Bull Five, in 1998. The new 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, coinciding with a decline in popularity in American Open Wheel Championship Car Racing. In 1994, the first Brickyard 400 was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and between 1997 and 1998, the winner's prize money for the Daytona 500 tripled. Every Winston Cup race was televised live in its entirety during the 1990s, though on a variety of television channels as the tracks retained the rights to broadcast their races.
In 1999, NASCAR signed a new agreement with Fox Broadcasting, Turner Broadcasting, and NBC. The contract, signed for eight years for Fox and six for NBC and Turner, was valued at 2.4 billion, and began in 2001. In 2001, Pixar visited NASCAR tracks as research for the 2006 animated film Cars, which included the voices of Cup Series stars Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Nextel and Sprint[]
During the 2002 season, R.J. Reynolds notified NASCAR that they would terminate their title sponsorship at the conclusion of the 2003 season. NASCAR then negotiated a contract with Nextel to replace Winston, and the series became known as the Nextel Cup Series in 2004. A new championship trophy was designed by Tiffany & Co., featuring two silver checkered flags in flight.
The season's format was changed in 2004, splitting the season into two parts- a 26 race 'regular season' and a ten race 'Chase for the Nextel Cup'. At the end of the first 26 races, the top 10 drivers would have their points reset, and they would compete with each other for the championship over the final 10 races. The Chase changed several times over Nextel's and Sprint's time as the title sponsor, with the number of drivers increasing, the points system changing, seeding and eligibility rules changing, before finally changing to the current 'NASCAR Playoffs' elimination model beginning in 2014.
The 2006 merger between Sprint and Nextel resulted in the Cup Series being renamed the Sprint Cup Series, beginning in 2008. By 2009, the popularity boom of the 1990s had ended, and TV ratings over the previous ten years had become more or less stagnant. Some long-time fans criticized the series for losing its traditional appeal because of abandoning venues in the southeastern U.S. in favor of newer markets. Others criticized the presence of Toyota in the series, as well as an increasing emphasis on 'marketable' drivers, who lacked the colorful personalities of previous drivers. The decisions of NASCAR CEO Brian France was also a prime target for criticism among fans from 2003 through 2018.
With the economic downturn of 2008 effecting the sport, Team owners began working together to create a financial model which would reduce risk and provide stability for the sport. In 2016, NASCAR, in collaboration with the owners' Race Team Alliance, announced the creation of a charter system, which would guarantee 36 teams' entry to all 36 races. Charters could be bought and sold, ensuring that the quality of competition would remain high. In conjunction with this rule, NASCAR reduced the size of the field for each race to 40 cars.
Monster Energy[]
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 the new sponsor of the Cup Series.
In 2017, stage racing was introduced. Most races were broken up into three stages, with the Coca-Cola 600 having four stages. A stage would consist of normal green flag racing, ending on a designated lap with a green and white checkered flag. Once the top 10 drivers crossed the line under the green and white checkered flag, the caution flag would fly. The top 10 finishers of the first stages of the race would earn bonus championship points, with 10 points for the 'winner' of the stage, all the way to 1 point for the driver who finished the stage in 10th place. The stage winner also received a 'playoff point' which would be used for seeding, in the event they qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs. The stage lengths vary by track, but the first two stages usually combine to equal the first half of the race. The final stage usually equals the other half, and awards points to all drivers.
A regular season championship was created and awarded to the driver who scored the most points in the first 26 races of the season. The regular season champion does not earn any additional regular points for winning the title, but they and the first ten drivers in points earn Playoff points for seeding during the playoffs.
The championship trophy was changed again in 2017, with the new trophy taking the form of a large three feet tall chalice, weighing 68 lbs. and made of machined aluminum. The trophy's exterior is decorated with the outlines of all the year's NASCAR Cup Series tracks.
NASCAR Cup Series[]
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 Premier Partners of the series, with Coca-Cola also assuming the naming rights of the regular season trophy.
The Monster Energy Cup Series trophy designed was retained for the new series name, but the trophy itself was renamed the Bill France Cup.
Chase for the Championship[]
Short-track racing, the grassroots of NASCAR, began experimenting with ideas to help the entry-level racer. In 2001, the United Speed Alliance Racing organization, the sanctioning body of the Hooters ProCup, a late-model series, devised a five-race playoff system where the top teams in their Hooters ProCup North and Hooters ProCup South divisions would participate in a five-race playoff, the Four Champions, named for the four Hooters Racing staff members (including 1992 NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki) and pilot killed in an April 1, 1993 plane crash in Blountville, Tennessee. The system organized the teams with starting points based on the team's performance in their division (division champions earn a bonus), and the teams would participate in a five-race playoff. The five races, added to the team's seeding points, would determine the winner. The 2001 version was four races, as one was canceled because of the September 11th terrorist attacks; however, NASCAR watched as the ProCup's Four Champions became a success, and drivers from the series began looking at NASCAR rides.
When Nextel took over NASCAR's premier sponsorship for the 2004 season, they looked to USAR and the Hooters ProCup for two major changes in scoring. First, five additional points were added for a race win. Second, a new formula for declaring a series champion based on the ProCup system was devised. A cut was made after 26 teams, with the high ten drivers and teams plus ties, and anyone within 400 points of the leader placed in the Chase for the Championship (or simply "The Chase"). The Chase participants have their points increased to a level mathematically unattainable by anyone outside this field (roughly 1800 points ahead of the first driver outside of the Chase), which usually is 5,050 points for the leader, with other positions dropping by five points per position, with a limit of 5,000 points after ties and the 400 point cut. Race layouts remain the same and points are scored the same way in the final 10 races. Whoever leads in points after the 36th race is declared the Sprint Cup champion. A special award is also given to the highest finishing non-Chase driver to encourage continued competition among all drivers -- which usually includes the final position on the stage for the awards 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. Furthermore, the Chase also forces teams to perform at their best during all three stages of the season -- the first half of the regular season, the second half of the regular season, and the Chase.
Previously, the Cup champion may have been decided 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.
From 2004-2006 the Chase was shown on NBC and TNT. Beginning in 2007, ABC has acquired the license to air the Chase, until 2014.
From the beginning of championship series until 1967 championship points were based on prize money purses. Races with lesser purses paid fewer points than races with bigger purses.
First NASCAR point system used for the championship from 1949 till 1951 awarded points on basis 10 points for the 1st place, 9 pts for 2nd, 8 pts for 3rd and so on, multiplied by 0.05*race purse (Race worth $4000 paid 200 points to the winner, 180 for 2nd place...). No info about how many points were given to drivers finishing below 10th place.
From 1952 till 1967 NASCAR point system was based on a linear scale for first 25 positions: 25-24-23-... Coefficients changed, but they were always depending on prize money. From 25th place down there were awarded the same number of points.
In 1968 NASCAR started to award points depending on race distance, not prize money. The point system was 50-49-48-... multiplied by 1 for events to 249 miles, 2 for events 250-399 miles and 3 for events 400 miles and more. The system stopped from 50th place. This system was in use until the end of 1971 season.
In 1972, together with shortening the schedule, the point system was also modified. Basic points of 100-98-96-... were awarded for each race. Additionally, lap points were awarded for the number of laps completed. Tracks under 1 mile, 0.25 points a lap; 1-mile tracks, 0.50; 1.3-mile track (Darlington), 0.70; 1.5-mile tracks, 0.75; 2-mile tracks (Michigan), 1.00; tracks 2.5 miles and over, 1.25. This system was also used in 1973.
In 1974 points system was simple: Total money winnings from all track purses (qualifying and contingency awards did not count), in dollars, multiplied by the number of races started, and the resulting figure divided by 1,000 determined the number of points earned. By the end of the season Richard Petty had such a big lead in points, that he increased it even by finishing 30th while his main rival Cale Yarborough made a top-5 (Remember - the money was multiplied by the number of races started. Even if Cale made more money in one particular race when the total money was multiplied by e. g. 27, the difference between the two leaders could also increase in comparison with the situation after race 26).
Current NASCAR's points system was developed in 1975 following years of trouble in trying to develop a points system -- from 1949 until 1971, six different systems were used, and in 1972, NASCAR used a different system each year for the next three years.
That type of inconsistency, which included a system which rewarded most mileage for the entire season, and then another year where mileage and finishing positions were counted, favored larger circuits, and some fans complained about a champion who only won one race. That resulted in a 1974 ill-fated attempt at basing the points system on money and starts. Even though one driver won consecutive races, his opponent who had won the big money races had scored more points.
Bob Latford, a former public relations official at Lowe's Motor Speedway, devised NASCAR's most popular points system, which was adopted in 1975, which NASCAR used two different versions for their series from 1982 until 1998. In the system, the winner received 175 points, second 170 points, and other positions exactly the same as the current points system.
Until 1998, the Busch Series points system offered 180 points for the winner, but no bonuses for leading laps. The same was true for the Craftsman Truck Series until the end of that season, when NASCAR decided to standardize the points system for their series.
One complaint about the points system was how a driver could finish second and receive an equal number of points as a race winner, which was possible if the driver who led the most laps finished second. NASCAR fixed the problem in 2004 by adding five points to the winner.
Cup Driver's Championship[]
After the 26th race with ten races to go, the Driver's Championship points are changed in accordance with the "Chase for the Cup", with the leader in championship points having their total altered to 5050 points, second place altered to 5045, and so on for all eligible drivers.
One important note is that the points system does not change after the 26th race. (during the "Chase for the Cup") While the only drivers eligible for the championship are those in the chase, all points are awarded in the same manner. Another important note is that only the Sprint Cup standings points are altered, not for any other series in NASCAR -- Nationwide, Craftsman Truck, or the regional series -- AutoZone Elite Division series (four, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, Midwest), Grand National Division series (two, North and West), or Whelen Modified Tours (two, North and South).
Champions[]
see list of Cup Series champions
Drivers' Championship[]
The NASCAR Cup Series Driver's Championship is the most prestigious championship, and 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 the Championship. The first driver to win multiple Championships was Herb Thomas in 1951 and 1953, while the record for most Championships, seven, is shared by Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson. Johnson holds the record for most consecutive Championships, he won five from 2006 through 2010. Every champion has originated from the United States.
Owners' Championship[]
The Cup Series Owner's Championship operates in 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 Driver's list, with one minor exception: Drivers who are not eligible to earn points towards the Drivers' title can still earn points toward the Owner's Championship.
Before 2011, an additional rule stated that if more than 43 cars attempted to qualify for a race, owner's points were awarded to each car who failed to qualify, starting with 3 points less than 43rd position's points, and dropping by 3 points for each additional car that failed to qualify. Post-2011, only cars that actually start a race earn owner's points.
There is a separate 'NASCAR Playoffs' for owner's points, and in some circumstances, teams can advance in the Owner's playoffs, while the driver's of those cars fail to advance, or perhaps even qualify for the driver's Playoffs. A recent example of this situation is Chase Elliott and his No. 9 team in 2023- The team qualified for the Owner's Playoffs and finished 10th in points, while Chase Elliott himself failed to qualify for the Driver's playoffs and finished 17th in driver's points.
Manufacturers' Championship[]
A manufacturer's championship is awarded each year, although it is less prestigious than the drivers' championship. In the past, the manufacturer's championship was more prestigious due to the number of manufacturer's involved in the sport, and the championship was a major marketing tool for automobile manufacturers to advertise and sell their products.
Until the 2013 season, points were scored in a 1960-1990 Formula One system, with the winning manufacturer scoring nine points, six points for second, four for third, three for fourth, two for fifth, and one point for sixth. Only the manufacturer's best finishing position was counted for points, for example: If Chevrolets placed first through tenth in a race, they would earn 9 points, while if a Ford finished 11th in the race, they would score 6 points for being the 'second best' manufacturer. In the 2014 season, the points system was changed to mimic the owner's championship, meaning that each manufacturer's best finishing representative earned them the same number of points as that team earned, including any bonus points from leading a lap or winning the event.
Cup tracks[]
See also: List of NASCAR race tracks
| Current NASCAR Cup Series tracks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, GA |
Auto Club Speedway Fontana, CA |
Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, TN |
Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord, NC |
Chicago Street Course Chicago, IL |
| Circuit of the Americas Austin, TX |
Darlington Raceway Darlington, SC |
Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL |
Dover Motor Speedway Dover, DE |
Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead, FL |
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, IN |
Kansas Speedway Kansas Cty, KS |
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, NV |
Martinsville Speedway Martinsville, VA |
Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, MI |
| Nashville Superspeedway Lebanon, TN |
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon, NH |
North Wilkesboro Speedway North Wilkesboro, NC |
Phoenix Raceway Avondale, AZ |
Pocono Raceway Long Pond, PA |
| Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, CA |
Richmond Raceway Richmond, VA |
Talladega Superspeedway Talladega, AL |
Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, TX |
Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, NY |
| World Wide Technology Raceway Madison, Il |
||||
Manufacturer history[]
| Manufacturer | Model | Years active |
|---|---|---|
 American Motors
|
Hudson Hornet | Early 1950's |
| AMC Matador | 1971-1978 | |
| Buick
| ||
| Buick Gran Sport | 1970's | |
| Buick Century | 1976-1980 | |
| Buick Regal | 1981-1985 | |
| Buick LaSabre | 1986-1987 | |
| Buick Regal | 1988-1991 | |
| Chevrolet
| ||
| Chevrolet Bel Air | 1952-1958 | |
| Chevrolet Chevelle | 1964-1980 | |
| Chevrolet Impala | 1979-1980 | |
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 1971-1988 | |
| Chevrolet Lumina | 1989-1994 | |
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 1995-2006 | |
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo (COT) | 2007 | |
| Chevrolet Impala (COT) | 2008-2010 | |
| Chevrolet Impala | 2011-2012 | |
| Chevrolet SS | 2013-2017 | |
| Chevrolet Camaro ZL1/ZL1 1LE | 2018-present | |
| Dodge
| ||
| DeSoto | 1952 | |
| Dodge Coronet | 1953-1957 | |
| DeSoto | 1959 | |
| Dodge 440 | 1964 | |
| Dodge Coronet | 1965-1968 | |
| Dodge Charger/Dodge Daytona | 1966-1977 | |
| Dodge Magnum | 1978-1980 | |
| Dodge Mirada | 1981-1985 | |
| Dodge Intrepid | 2001-2004 | |
| Dodge Charger R/T | 2005-2006 | |
| Dodge Avenger (COT version used in 2007) | 2007 | |
| Dodger Charger R/T (COT) | 2008-2010 | |
| Dodge Charger R/T | 2011-2012 | |
| Ford
| ||
| Ford Fairlane | 1955-1959, 1966-1967 | |
| Ford Galaxie | 1960-1966 | |
| Ford Torino | 1968-1977 | |
| Ford Thunderbird | 1959-1960, 1977-1997 | |
| Ford Taurus | 1998-2005 | |
| Ford Fusion (COT) | 2006-2010 | |
| Ford Fusion | 2011-2018 | |
| Ford Mustang | 2019-present | |
 Toyota
| ||
| Toyota Camry (COT) | 2007-2010 | |
| Toyota Camry | 2011-present |
Most championships won[]
| Titles | Driver | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Richard Petty | 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979 |
| Dale Earnhardt | 1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994 | |
| Jimmie Johnson | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016 | |
| 4 | Jeff Gordon | 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 |
| 3 | Lee Petty | 1954, 1958, 1959 |
| David Pearson | 1966, 1968, 1969 | |
| Cale Yarborough | 1976, 1977, 1978 | |
| Darrell Waltrip | 1981, 1982, 1985 | |
| Tony Stewart | 2002, 2005, 2011 | |
| Joey Logano | 2018, 2022, 2024 | |
| 2 | Herb Thomas | 1951, 1953 |
| Tim Flock | 1952, 1955 | |
| Buck Baker | 1956, 1957 | |
| Ned Jarrett | 1961, 1965 | |
| Joe Weatherly | 1962, 1963 | |
| Terry Labonte | 1984, 1996 | |
| Kyle Busch | 2015, 2019 |
NASCAR Cup Series trivia[]
- The youngest Cup champion was Bill Rexford in 1950, the oldest was Richard Petty in 1979.
- In the modern era Jeff Gordon is the youngest champion.
- Benny Parsons, Bill Rexford, and Matt Kenseth are the only series champions to have one single series victory and still win the title.
- Alan Kulwicki was the last single car owner to win the series title.
- The Bill France Cup trophy is made out of machined aluminum and is adorned by the outlines of all 23 NASCAR Cup Series tracks. It is 37 inches tall and weighs 68 pounds and can hold nearly 600 ounces of liquid.
- The Cup Series awards banquet is held at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- Tony Stewart and Cale Yarborough are the only drivers to finish last in the Daytona 500 and still win the Cup Series title later in the season.
- The Pettys (Lee Petty and Richard Petty), the Jarretts (Ned Jarrett and Dale Jarrett), and the Elliotts (Bill Elliott and Chase Elliott) are the only father-son duos to win Cup Series titles.
- The Labonte brothers (Bobby Labonte and Terry Labonte), and the Busch brothers (Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch) are the only two set of brothers to win the series championship.
- Richard Petty is the single season winning-est driver with an unprecedented 27 wins in 1967; additionally, this season he was also the first to break the $100,000 barrier in earnings.
Gallery[]
