Latest NASCAR Cup Series News

Latest NASCAR Cup Series News

More NASCAR Cup Series News

Denny Hamlin Left “Destroyed” as NASCAR’s Huge Blunder Robs His Daytona 500 Dream

Denny Hamlin shares his thoughts on how NASCAR's decision to not yellow flag the race cost him a probable fourth Daytona 500 win.
NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500

William Byron Goes Back to Back at Daytona After Roger Penske’s Men Sabotage Themselves

After a crash-filled event at the Daytona 500 that engulfed the Penske drivers, William Byron defended his 2024 title.
NASCAR: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

Overwhelmed Dale Earnhardt Jr. Could Potentially Pull the Trigger on JRM’s Cup Dream

Dale Earnhardt Jr. may invest in JR Motorsports' Cup Series dream after their Daytona success, fueled by a post on X hinting at bigger plans.
Dale Earnhardt Jr

Unfortunate Martin Truex Jr. Becomes Collateral Damage as Trackhouse Racing Implode at Daytona

Martin Truex Jr.'s final Daytona 500 ends in heartbreak as he becomes collateral damage in a chaotic crash.
NASCAR: Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona

Samantha Busch’s Hilarious Update as Kyle Busch Deals With Rain-Delayed Daytona 500

After rain took over the Daytona 500, Kyle Busch's wife took to Instagram and shared updates about her husband.
Kyle Busch, Samantha Busch

Christopher Bell Reopens Ryan Preece’s Daytona Wounds With Haunting Flip Repeat

RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece suffered yet another horrific crash at Daytona International Speedway after colliding with Christopher Bell.
Ryan Preece

“There’s a Responsibility”- Kelley Earnhardt Comes Clean on Going All-In to Protect Dale Sr.’s NASCAR Legacy

Kelley Earnhardt speaks out about honoring Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s legacy and passing the torch forward to her children one day.
Kelley Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Sr

“Wreck ’Em Ricky Strikes Again”- Livid Fans Corner Notorious Cup Star Triggering Penske Duo’s Daytona Misery

After the Penske drivers dominated the Daytona 500, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. appeared to steal their sparkle - earning criticism from fans.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Roger Penske

$40 Million Worth Pop Icon Silently Steals Daytona 500 Spotlight Amid NASCAR’s ‘Private’ Festivities

The prestigious Daytona 500 saw many celebrities including famous actor/singer Demi Lovato who accompanied a Truck star.
DAYTONA, FL – FEBRUARY 19: Ricky Stenhouse Jr ( 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Kroger/Cottonelle Chevrolet) and Kyle Larson ( 5

Mark Martin Loses Hope For NASCAR’s Future as He Drops a 5-Word Verdict on New Rule Overhaul

Mark Martin expresses his disillusionment with NASCAR’s rule changes, stating there is no simple solution while reflecting on the future.
Kobalt Tools 500 – Qualifying

Big One Strikes Daytona: Kyle Busch’s Dale Sr. Prophecy Under Threat as Accordion Effect Consumes 12 Victims

A multi-car wreck at the start of Stage 2 ended Kyle Busch's hopes of following Dale Earnhardt's footsteps at the Daytona 500.
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Daytona 500: SVG’s NASCAR Dark Horses Boast Uncanny Driver Diversity Ahead of the Great American Race

Shane van Gisbergen and team is ready is ready to kickstart their Daytona 500 dream. But beyond that this year is important for Trackhouse Ra
AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 24: Daniel Suarez ( 99 Trackhouse Racing Freeway Insurance Chevrolet) flies through turn 15 during pr

Kyle Busch Breaks Silence on Richard Childress’ Profit From Tony Stewart’s Exit With Major Shakeup

Two-time Cup series champion Kyle Busch opens up about his team, RCR’s major shakeup—and why this could be his year at Daytona.
Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch

Dale Earnhardt Jr Reveals Real Reason to Choose Justin Allgaier For JRM’s Daytona 500 Dream

Dale Jr explains why his man Justin Allgaier is the perfect driver to lead JRM’s historic Daytona 500 debut.
Justin Allgaier, Dale Earnhardt Jr

Daytona 500: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Takes Upon New Garage Responsibility Amidst High Stakes

The 2025 Daytona 500 is almost here, and Dale Earnhardt Jr has been looking forward to this year's edition for one particular reason.
Dale Earnhardt Jr

“I Love Beating Him”: Christopher Bell Flaunts Bragging Rights on “Enemy” Kyle Larson

Christopher Bell opens up about the kind of relationship he shares with Kyle Larson despite major rumors in the air.
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“I Struggled”: Shane Van Gisbergen Lets Slip a Debt to Kevin Harvick After Facing a Reality Check in America

Shane van Gisbergen takes a trip down memory lane, recalling the challenges he faced upon arriving in the United States.
Shane van Gisbergen and Kevin Harvick

Kyle Busch States 4-Worded Reason Behind Thin Daytona 500 Chances Despite the Dale Earnhardt Prophecy

Kyle Busch's 2025 is drawing eerie parallels to Dale Earnhardt in 1998. Will the RCR No.8 be able to emulate The Intimidator?
Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Sr

Richard Childress Continues His Daytona Dominance With Jesse Love Taking the Checkered Flag

Jesse Love takes victory on Valentine's weekend at the United Rentals 300 to start the season off with a bang for Richard Childress Racing.
Jesse-Love-Atlanta-scaled

Chase Elliot Names His Bromance Partner as Larson Dreams for Double Kyle Team Up With Busch

The various possibilities of NASCAR fan's favorite drivers collaborating instead of competing would be a treat
Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch

Kyle Larson’s Young Racing Prodigy Gives Harsh Daytona Advice To Father

Kyle Larson’s son Owen is his biggest fan but even he has some brutally honest advice for his dad when it comes to stepping up his game.
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Alarm Signs Are Ringing for Daniel Suarez After Trackhouse Shockingly Dropped by Pitbull

Daniel Suarez finds himself in a tough spot with an indomitable need to prove himself after Pitbull leaves Trackhouse Racing.
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Alex Bowman Discloses His Dynamics With Teammate William Byron

NASCAR driver Alex Bowman recently revealed that he gets along very well with his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, particularly William Byron.
William Byron, Alex Bowman

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Drives Up NASCAR’s Daytona 500 Stock With Record Numbers

Daytona 500 numbers shoot an all-time high and the reason might be the first-time appearance of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Cup Series.
DARLINGTON SC AUGUST 30 Dale Earnhardt Jr JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Hellmann s 8 add

Daytona 500: Donald Trump’s Attendance Prompts Fan Trouble Amidst Mother Nature’s Threat

The Daytona 500 is expected to feature plenty of stars, with the likes of Donald Trump, Anthony Mackie and Alan Ritchson expected to attend.
Donald Trump

Despite Public Backlash, NASCAR Executive Keeps His Silence on the Playoffs

Steve O'Donnell discusses NASCAR's playoff format and the decision-making process in response to Chase Elliott's concerns.
NASCAR: Cook Out Southern 500

About NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series: Origin, Teams and More

What is the NASCAR Cup Series?

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) is the authorizing body for stock-vehicle racing in North America. It was established in 1948 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Currently, the organization fields four types of tracks: Intermediate tracks, Superspeedways, Short Tracks and Road Courses.

USA Today via Reuters

NASCAR Cup Series Origin

The first-ever NASCAR race was held at Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway on June 19, 1949 and Christian David "Jim" Roper was the victor after racer Glen Dunaway was disqualified for making illegal adjustments to his car.

Why is it named Cup Series? 


The NASCAR Cup Series is the pinnacle of the racing arrangement in the NASCAR classification. The arrangement started in 1949 and was called the Strictly Stock Division. The series was subsequently known as the Grand National Division from 1950 to 1970.

Then, in 1971, it started renting its naming rights to the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and was alluded to as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series till 2003. From the next year onwards, the series came to be known as the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series till 2007 after a partnership with Nextel.

Sprint obtained Nextel in 2005 and 2008 saw the arrangement being renamed as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Sprint remained the sponsor of the NASCAR Cup from 2008 to 2016. It was reported in December 2016 that Monster Energy would be the sponsor; therefore, the arrangement was renamed the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series from 2017 to 2019.

However, after decades of name changes, in 2017, the organization finally decided to shed off its old image and simply be named as the NASCAR Cup Series, with series sponsors being called 'Premier Partners'.

What is the format of the Cup Series?

The NASCAR points system has been a complicated affair to say the least. Over the years, the organization has tried several iterations, namely the Latford system, the Chase and the current elimination playoffs format among others, to discern one that would be fair to each driver.

While the earlier system saw drivers being awarded points on the basis of prize money in a particular race, in 1972 a new format was introduced. This time the points were awarded on the basis of laps completed. However, even that came with its own flaws and just two years later, in 1974, the organization introduced point calculation based on a mathematical formula. However, given the complexity of the equation, Bill France Jr, the former CEO of NASCAR decided to step in and call upon his close friend Bob Latford, to come up with an efficient way, which later came to be known as Boot Hill Format or the Latford Model.

With equal points awarded in all races, as New York Times aptly put it: "Mr. Latford set up his points scale to reward consistency rather than flashes of brilliance, and drivers seem to like it that way."

This system was perhaps the longest-running one during that time, being replaced in 2003, by The Chase format. Currently, the NASCAR Cup Series operates on the Playoff Format. The schedule consists of 31 oval races, 4 road course races, one street track race, and 4 non-championship races to be held on ovals. This also includes 16 playoff races, with four elimination rounds, namely, Round of 16, Round of 12, Round of 4 and Championship 4.

NASCAR Cup Series Teams

As of 2024, the NASCAR Cup Series has 16 full-time teams participating and three manufacturers, namely Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford. As for the team with the most number of victories and championship, Hendrick Motorsports has has an undebatable upper hand, with 305 Cup Series wins and 14 drivers championships.

NASCAR Cup Series Venue

The first championship race was reportedly held at Martinsville Speedway, a half-mile oval, on October 16, 1949. Currently, the final race of a Cup season is held at the Phoenix Raceway, which is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona, near Phoenix.

USA Today via Reuters

NASCAR Cup Series Championship

The NASCAR Cup Series hosts three different championship under one name: The Driver's Championship, the Owner's Championship and the Manufacturer's Championship. The driver's championship as the name suggests is the award given to the driver that has emerged as the winner at the end of a season. On the other hand, the Owner's Championship aims to reward the team at the top of the points standings. The driver with the most championship wins are Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson. Additionally, Rick Hendrick-owned Hendrick Motorsports has won a record-breaking 14 championships till date.

On a similar note, the Manufacturer's Championship sees Original Equipment Manufacturers(OEMs) being awarded a championship based on how races their cars managed to dominate and the points accumulated. In this regard, US-based manufacturer Chevrolet has racked up the most Cup Series wins at 42, followed by Ford at 17, and Toyota at 3.

NASCAR Cup Series Track Types

As mentioned earlier, the NASCAR Cup series organizes its races on four different types of tracks, namely, Intermediate tracks, Superspeedways, Short Tracks and Road Courses.

When it comes to Intermediate tracks, it simply means "any track greater than one mile in length, with the exception of both Daytona and Talladega" according to the official NASCAR website and currently the Cup Series drivers compete on the following Intermediate tracks/Speedways :

  • Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.540-mile, Quad-Oval)
  • Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.500-mile Quad-Oval, including a 2.280 miles Road Course)
  • Darlington Raceway (1.366-mile, Egg-Shaped Oval)
  • Dover Motor Speedway (1.000-mile, Concrete Oval)
  • Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.500-mile, Oval)
  • Kansas Speedway (1.500-mile, Tri-Oval)
  • Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.500-mile, Tri-Oval)
  • Michigan International Speedway (2.000-mile, D-Shaped Oval)
  • Nashville Superspeedway (1.333-mile, Tri-Oval)
  • New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058-mile, Paperclip Oval)
  • Phoenix Raceway (1.000-mile, Dogleg Oval)
  • Texas Motor Speedway (1.500-mile, Quad-Oval)
  • World Wide Technology Raceway (1.250-mile, Egg-Shaped Oval)

On the other hand, Superspeedways ae oval road courses of two miles or longer. Currently, the NASCAR Cup Series has the following Superspeedways:

  • Auto Club Speedway (2.000-mile, D-Shaped Oval; Currently not in use)
  • Chicagoland Speedway (1.500-mile, D-Shaped Oval; Currently not in use)
  • Daytona International Speedway (2.500-mile, Tri-Oval)
  • Kentucky Speedway (1.500-mile, D-Shaped Oval)
  • Pocono Raceway (2.500-mile, Triangular Oval)
  • Talladega Superspeedway (2.660-mile, Tri-Oval)

The short tracks (less than 1 mile in length) that are part of NASCAR are:

  • Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533-mile, Oval)
  • Eldora Speedway (0.500-mile, Oval; Currently not in use)
  • Iowa Speedway (0.875-mile, Oval)
  • Knoxville Raceway (0.500-mile, Oval
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum)
  • Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (0.686-mile, Oval)
  • Martinsville Speedway (0.526-mile, Paperclip Oval)
  • Milwaukee Mile Speedway (1.015-mile, Oval)
  • North Wilkesboro Speedway (0.625-mile, Oval)
  • Richmond Raceway (0.750-mile, D-shaped Oval)

As for Road Courses, NASCAR makes use of the following race tracks:

  • Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.459-mile, Currently not in use)
  • Chicago Street Race (2.14 miles)
  • Circuit of the Americas (3.426-mile)
  • DAYTONA Road Course (4.170-mile, Currently not in use)
  • Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (2.400-mile, Currently not in use)
  • Portland International Raceway (1.967-mile, Currently not in use)
  • Road America(4.048-mile, Currently not in use)
  • Sebring Raceway (3.741 mi, Currently not in use)
  • Sonoma Raceway (1.99-mile)
  • Watkins Glen International (2.45-mile)

NASCAR Cup Series Crown Jewel Races

While NASCAR has several racetracks that it competes on, there are a couple venues that are held in high regards. Currently there are four such venues/races, namely the Daytona 500 held at the Daytona International Speedway, the Coca-Cola 500 held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway , the Brickyard 400/Verizon 200 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway.

Till date, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman and retired NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon has the most number of Crown Jewel race wins (21), followed by Legacy Motor Club team owner Jimmie Johnson (14) and retired NASCAR driver Bobby Allison (13).

via Imago

NASCAR Cup Series Cars

NASCAR is an ever-evolving sport and till date, there have been several iterations of the cars used during races. If we go back to the very inception of the sport, the first kind of vehicle that was used used to be called Generation - 1 (1948-1966), followed by Generation - 2 (1967-1980) and Generation - 3 (1981-1991). Later the Generation - 4 (1992 to 2007) was introduced , and then Generation - 5 (2007 -2012) and Generation - 6 (2013-2021) came into play. And currently, NASCAR features the Generation - 7 car that is also known as the Next-Gen.

Anothe notable model was the Generation - 5. Dubbed as the "Car of Tomorrow", this model featured flaunted prominent front splitters under the bumpers and larger rear wings. Apart from that, according to NASCAR, the car also had "significant safety advancements and a return to symmetrical bodies". 

USA Today via Reuters

NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Street Course

The NASCAR Cup Series has come a long way since its initial days. The organization has always been open to developments and one of the most exciting ones came in 2023,when the tourney made its Street Course debut at Chicago.

In a bid to turn make the schedule even more exciting, NASCAR officials were reportedly in talks with Chicago authorities for a number of years, with one attempt of a Chicago street race even dating back to the 1980s. However, owing to political pressure, that plan failed to materialize. Now, fast forward to four decades later and authorities were finally geared up to host an exciting, first-of-its-kind race in downtown Chicago.

USA Today via Reuters

Designed by race simulation video game developer iRacing, the race aimed to showcase the city's major landmarks such as the Buckingham Fountain, the Grant Park and the Soldier Field Stadium, among others.

The first iteration of the race came in July of 2023, with New Zealand born driver Shane van Gisbergen clinching victory in his first-ever NASCAR race. If that's not iconic, what is?

Full NameNASCAR Cup Series
Place of OriginCharlotte Fairgrounds Speedway
Year of Origin1949
First RaceNASCAR "Strictly Stock" Race, Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway
Last RaceNASCAR Cup Series Spring Race at Martinsville Speedway, 2024
Crown Jewel RaceDaytona 500, Coca Cola 600, Brickyard 400/ Verizon 200, Southern 500
Drivers with the most ChampionshipsRichard Petty (7), Dale Earnhardt (7) and Jimmie Johnson(7)
Team with the most ChampionshipsHendrick Motorsports (14)
First ChampionRed Byron
Defending ChampionRyan Blaney (2023)
Defending TeamTeam Penske