NASCAR Racing
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America’s most popular auto racing organizations. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series in Canada and Mexico. Also part of NASCAR is Grand-Am Road Racing, known for its competition on road courses with multiple classes of cars. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico. Drivers race in teams with invested owners and corporate sponsors.
The Major Race Series
Sprint Cup Series The major motorsports series in North America, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is home to the world’s top racing talent in 36 races each season. Nationwide Series This series features an exciting combination of talented young drivers, seasoned veterans, and high-profile racing stars in a 35-race season that includes stops in Canada and Mexico. Camping World Truck Series This series features American-made trucks [...]
The Cars
The original NASCAR races were run on dirt tracks that got rutted and bumpy. The unmodified cars were not tough enough for this type of abuse, so NASCAR began allowing modifications to the cars to increase their durability. Over the years, more and more modifications were made, sometimes to increase safety and sometimes to improve competition. NASCAR strictly controls all of these modifications, which are [...]
The Drivers
Those who have dreams of driving for a living must have determination, persistence and some lucky breaks to become a NASCAR driver. Most successful drivers have a passion for race car driving. They start young, often before driving age, visit local race tracks, and talk often with pit drivers, pit crews, crew managers, and race officials. They also appreciate the value of a good education; [...]
The Crews
In auto racing, a crew chief is the head person on a pit crew. The crew chief’s primary duties include developing car setups, configuring pit strategies, and receiving feedback from his driver about the car’s handling. Pit stop work is carried out by anywhere from five to twenty mechanics (also called a pit crew), depending on the series, while the driver waits in the vehicle. [...]
Point System
The NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series racers (“drivers”) race every week towards the year-end championship. Every race on the schedule is worth the same amount of NASCAR points (except the Budweiser Shootout and the Sprint All-Star race in Charlotte, which are not worth any points at all). Winning the Daytona 500 scores exactly the same number of points as winning [...]
Major Race Tracks
Atlanta Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway (CA), Bristol Motor Speedway (TN), Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Montreal, CAN), Darlington (SC) Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Gateway International Raceway (WI), Homestead-Miami Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway (CA), Iowa Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway (VA), Memphis Motorsports Park (TN), Michigan International Speedway (MI), Nashville Superspeedway, [...]
IndyCar Racing
The Race
IndyCar racing is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it sanctions three racing series: the premier IZOD IndyCar Series (sometimes considered synonymous with the Indy Racing League) with its centerpiece Indianapolis 500; the developmental series Firestone Indy Lights; and, the U.S. F2000 National Championship. Drivers race in teams with invested owners and corporate sponsors.
The Cars
The cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series include a Dallara chassis, a Honda engine and Firestone Firehawk Indy tires. The Honda engine is a 3.5-liter V-8 that runs on 100 percent fuel grade ethanol. Future rules will include a turbocharger, which forces exhaust gases back into the engine to boost horsepower. The Dallara chassis is made from a composite that provides strength and durability from a light-weight material called Kevlar, a carbon-fiber material. The cars include the monocoque or tub (a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object’s exterior, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork), which the driver sits in. The engine is placed behind the driver and each car has front and rear wings along with side pods (radiators mounted on the sides of a car, placing them in padded cooling ducts alongside the driver, to increase cooling efficiency).
How Points are Scored
Points are given to each driver in the field based on their finish. First place is worth 50 points, 40 going to second, 35 to third, 32 to fourth, and 30 to fifth. Each position from that point down to tenth is based on two-point increments. Positions 11 to 18 are in one-point increments. Positions 18 to 23 pay 12 points for each position, and 25th through 33rd pay 10 points. One extra point is given to the driver who wins the pole position (where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole; this driver is referred to as the pole sitter and their race vehicle occupies the first space of the starting grid). 2 points are given to the driver who leads the most laps.
Starting Lineup
Usually the day before the race, the IndyCar Series holds a qualification session where each driver takes a four-lap qualification run. The driver who is able to complete the four laps in the least amount of time is the fastest driver and wins the “pole position.” The remainder of the starting lineup is based on the next fastest driver and continues right on down the line. If a driver crashes during their attempt or in practice, they may be added to the rear of the field based on their standing in the IZOD IndyCar Series points.
How Winners are Determined
The first driver to get the checkered flag (indicating the end of the race) of the scheduled race distance, or in case of rain, when the race is shortened from its scheduled distance, or called because of the weather, is the winner. For instance, if it’s the Indianapolis 500 race, it’s the first driver to make 500 miles.
Formula One Racing
Formula One is regarded as the fastest and highest class of car racing in the world. The cars routinely exceed 220 miles per hour. The series takes place at tracks all over the world. Drivers race in teams with invested owners and corporate sponsors.
The Races
Formula One (or Formula 1 or F1) is now officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship and is the highest class of single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The “formula” in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants’ cars must comply. The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held on purpose-built circuits and public roads. The results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for the drivers and one for the constructors, with racing drivers, constructor teams, track officials, organizers, and circuits required to be holders of valid Super Licenses — the highest class racing license issued by the FIA. The marshalls regulate the races. They use yellow flags to caution drivers of danger ahead – drivers are expected to slow down and not overtake under a yellow flag. A blue flag indicates to a driver that someone is ahead of him in the race, but behind him on the racetrack, is approaching, and he must let that car pass. A yellow flag with red stripes indicates a slippery surface. The green, red, and checkered flags mean race on, race stopped, and race over, respectively.
The Cars
Formula One cars race at high speeds, up to 220 mph, with engines revving up to a formula imposed limit of 18,000 rpm. The cars are capable of pulling in excess of 5 g on some corners. The performance of the cars is highly dependent on electronics (although traction control and driving aids have been banned since 2008), aerodynamics, suspension, and tires. The formula has seen many evolutions and changes through the history of the sport. Europe is Formula One’s traditional center, where all of the teams are based, and half of the races take place. However, the sport’s scope has expanded significantly in recent years and Grands Prix are held all over the world.
How Points are Scored
Drivers earn 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points for finishing first to eighth, as do the vehicle constructors. The driver and constructor with the maximum number of points from all the races in the season wins.
Starting Lineup
The races are held over a three-day period, with the final race on Sunday. Each driver gets one lap in each session to post his fastest time. The aggregate of the time from the first two sessions determines who starts from the front row. The order is called the grid.
NHRA Racing (Hot Rod)
Headquartered in Glendora, California is the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), the world’s largest and loudest auto racing organization. There are 80,000 members and more than 35,000 licensed competitors in NHRA racing. The NHRA was initially started as a means of moving hot rodders off the streets and onto legal drag strips, and has evolved into the largest promoter of professional drag racing in the world. NHRA offers drag racing opportunities for hot rod enthusiasts of all ages and levels, from kids in the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League all the way up to the top of the professional ranks with the organization’s NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. One hundred forty member tracks across North America host NHRA competitions in NHRA’s seven geographic regions. In addition to the marquee Full Throttle Series, which crisscrosses the United States, making 24 stops in 22 cities over the course of nine months, NHRA offers weekly grassroots programs at many of its member tracks. One of the most popular is the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by a AAA program, which offers the opportunity to compete in grudge-match-style drag racing. National champions are crowned each season. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the premier sportsman series in drag racing — and sometimes referred to as a stepping-stone to the NHRA Full Throttle Series — offers competition in eight categories. Drivers race in teams with invested owners and corporate sponsors.
The Cars
Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock are just three of the more than 200 classes of vehicles, based on vehicle type, horsepower, and wheel base, featured in NHRA competition. Those classes are grouped into 12 categories, or eliminators, each strictly governed by NHRA rule makers. Class eligibility is based on various requirements and specifications, including type of vehicle, engine size, vehicle weight, allowable modifications, and aerodynamics. The four Professional categories are Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. These, along with Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car and the three “Super” classes (Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street) feature a single class of vehicle in heads-up competition. The remaining categories – Comp, Super Stock, and Stock – are made up of a variety of classes and use a handicap starting system to equalize competition.
The Races
A drag race is an acceleration contest, on a track or dragstrip, that begins from a standing start between two vehicles over a measured distance, usually one-quarter mile. A drag racing event is a series of two-vehicle, tournament-style eliminations. The losing racer in each contest is eliminated, and the winning racers progress until one remains. The first vehicle across the finish line wins unless, in applicable categories, it runs quicker than its dial-in time (a term used to claim how fast a racer’s car is; dial-in times function to determine which cars race against each other. If one car’s dial-in time is significantly slower than another’s, the slower car is given a handicap) or index (the expected performance for vehicles in a class as assigned by NHRA; it allows various classes of cars in the same category to race together competitively). A racer also may be disqualified for: leaving the starting line too soon, leaving the lane boundary, either by crossing the centerline, touching the guardwall, or guardrail, or striking a track fixture such as the photocells; failing to stage; or, failing a post-run inspection. Professional drag races are started electronically, with a series of vertically-arranged lights known as a “Christmas tree” or just “tree”. A Christmas tree consists of a column of lights for each driver/lane. In each column, the top two lights are small amber lights connected to light beams on the track, which when broken by the vehicle’s front tire(s) indicate that the driver has pre-staged, and then staged (at the starting line).In NHRA class racing, vehicles usually are weighed and fuel checked after each run, and a complete engine teardown is done after an event victory.
How Winners are Determined
Two separate performances are monitored for each run: elapsed time and speed. Upon leaving the staging beams, each vehicle activates an elapsed-time clock, which is stopped when that vehicle reaches the finish line. The start-to-finish clocking is the vehicle’s elapsed time, which serves to measure performance. Speed is measured in a 66-foot “speed trap” that ends at the finish line. Each lane is timed independently.
The track is clear and cars may proceed at speed. This flag is used to signal the beginning of the race and any restarts.
