NASCAR: Facts and trivia

NASCAR cars race at Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 07: Cars race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Photographer: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
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Posted: 09/18/2012

By: Ron English

TAMPA - Since the first Chase race is over, I thought we could go over interesting facts in the world of NASCAR.

NASCAR was founded in the 1947-1948 by Bill France Jr.

NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

The NASCAR headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida. NASCAR also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Mexico City, and Toronto.

Most of the NASCAR teams have their garages in Charlotte, N.C..

NASCAR sponsors 1500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 U.S. states and Canada.

The top three racing series are the Camping World Truck Series, The Nationwide Series, and The Sprint Cup Series.

Cars that are used in the Sprint Cup Series include the Ford Fusion and Mustang, Dodge Charger (this is the last year for Dodge), the Chevy Impala, and the Toyota Camry.

There are 26 regular season races and 10 Chase races. The Chase consists of the final ten races of the season. The top ten drivers, determined by points, and joined by 2 "wildcard drivers." The wildcard drivers are the 2 drivers that have the most wins and points.

The NASCAR season is opposite of all other sporting events. Its 'Super Bowl' is the Daytona 500 and it is the first race of the year. The last race of the year is at Homestead, Florida.