Latest NASCAR Cup Series News

Latest NASCAR Cup Series News

More NASCAR Cup Series News

Joey Logano Poised to Make History at Dover as He Joins One of NASCAR’s Most Elite Clubs

Reigning Cup Series champ Joey Logano is all set to achieve a major milestone in his illustrious career at Dover Motor Speedway.
NASCAR: Cup Practice

Veteran Track Owner Admits to Father’s Grand NASCAR Dream That Slipped Away Without a Fight

Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith opens up about his father’s dream of building a NASCAR track in Myrtle Beach.
Marcus Smith

Kyle Larson Drops 5-Word Verdict on Sprint Car’s Prime Time Debut With NASCAR’s $23 Billion Partner

After bagging his latest dirt racing victory, Kyle Larson focuses on another victory, which is for the entire dirt racing world.
Kyle Larson dirt racing USAC 2021

Why Dover Has Become the True Litmus Test for NASCAR’s Most Talented Drivers

NASCAR's Dover International Speedway isn’t flashy, but it’s fierce. Find out why the track has become the real test of elite driver skill.
NASCAR: DuraMAX Drydene 400

Ty Dillon Breaks Silence on RCR Takeover Plans as Family Dynasty Moves Into Next Phase

After spending over a decade outside his grandfather's team, Ty Dillon is ready to go back to his roots with new plans.

NASCAR Dover Throwback: When Kyle Busch’s Ruthless Move Left Chase Elliott Inconsolable at Monster Mile

Kyle Busch’s thrilling 2017 win over Chase Elliott feels like a lifetime ago, and with time running out, Daytona may be his only playoff shot.
busch and elliott

NASCAR Insider Claims SVG ‘Isn’t Even Trying’ On Road Courses After Back-to-Back Dominant Wins

A NASCAR Insider was full of praise for Shane van Gisbergen and highlighted his dominance at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
NASCAR: Daytona 500 – Media Day

Dale Jr. Trolls Million-Dollar Rich Joey Logano’s ‘NASCAR Ambassador’ Role

After Joey Logano hit jackpots in NASCAR's new incentive program, Dale Earnhardt Jr. rolled out a wild jab at his competitive attitude.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano

Rick Hendrick’s NASCAR Driver Fires Back at Critics Over “No Personality” Accusations With Blunt Self-Confession

Rick Hendrick's team is no short of championships in NASCAR, but off track, his driver is getting flak for having a bland personality.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Championship Qualifying Nov 4, 2023; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series team o

“Old & Scared”: Shane Van Gisbergen Takes a Dig at Kyle Busch in Hilarious Rival Banter

When Shane van Gisbergen hit Charlotte for the Legends showdown, no one expected a cheeky jab at Kyle Busch to steal the spotlight.
Kyle Busch and SVG

Marcus Smith Breaks Silence on Buried Hatchet With Denny Hamlin

Over a year after the iconic feud on social media, Marcus Smith admits to mending things with Denny Hamlin.
Denny Hamlin

NASCAR Lawsuit: Michael Jordan and Co. Face Yet Another Setback After Losing Their Charters

23XI and Front Row will be forced to race as open entries at Dover after being denied a restraining order in the ongoing NASCAR lawsuit.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 Oct 22, 2023; Homestead, Florida, USA; 23XI Team co-owner Michael

NASCAR Track Owner Reveals Insane Story of Atlanta’s Unforeseen Revival That Beat Daytona

Atlanta's storied NASCAR track has evolved from classic rivalries to a high-octane superspeedway, redefining drama and unpredictability.
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 19: The field takes the green flag during the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Ambe

Kyle Busch’s Partner Makes Bold Admission as Do-or-Die Situation Arises

Kyle Busch’s crew chief reveals what it means to have an all-around driver like Kyle Busch for the team and to function as a team.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Practice & Qualifying Apr 27, 2024; Dover, Delaware, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busc

“Holy Sh*t, It’s Not Funny”: HMS Star Spills Girlfriend Going Berserk in Scary Incident

Alex Bowman battles snakes at home and stiff competition on track, inside his wild July 4th story and 2025 NASCAR grind.
alex bowman

Toni Breidinger’s Stunning Dress Takes Internet By Storm as She Joins Joey Logano in Prestigious Event

Toni Breidinger’s stunning red dress at the ESPYs 2025 sparks fan reactions, showcasing her style alongside Joey Logano’s nomination.
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-17 at 22.02.22

NASCAR Lawsuit: Bold Accusations Hurled on Michael Jordan & Co as NASCAR Shows ‘No Mercy’

NASCAR lawsuit between 23XI, Front Row, and the league itself threatens the future of charters and team stability.
Michael Jordan and Jim France

Dale Jr’s 18 YO Phenom Looks Back at Sonoma as SVG Rivalry Gets Heated

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s young driver shares his thoughts on the newest rivalry he has formed with SVG in NASCAR.
Dale Jr and SVG

Fans Split Over Shocking NASCAR Schedule Rumors for 2026

NASCAR’s 2026 schedule may drop Mexico City and Chicago street races—fans react as Chicagoland and Coronado might be the potential replacements.
chicagoland speedway

NASCAR Weather Update Dover: Is Mother Nature Turning It’s Back on Us at Dover?

NASCAR faces a weather challenge at Dover with a rainy forecast that could threaten the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 weekend.
Dover Speedway

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Defends Josh Berry After Wild Chicago Clash That Left Many Fuming

Dale Earnhardt Jr., a mentor and longtime supporter of Josh Berry, was quick to address the situation on his “Dale Jr. Download” podcast.
Josh Berry, Dale Earnhardt Jr

Dale Jr. Urges Daniel Suárez to Abandon the Nice Guy Act Before NASCAR Forgets He Exists

In a recent podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stepped into the discussion about Daniel Suárez’s racing motives to stay relevant in the sport.
Daniel Suarez, Dale Earnhardt Jr, NASCAR

NASCAR Dismisses SVG’s Restart Concern as Joe Gibbs’ Driver Dodges Late-Race Penalty at Sonoma

SVG accused Chase Briscoe of jumping the restart at Sonoma, but NASCAR officials dismissed his claims, citing their reasons.
svg and joe gibbs

NASCAR Dover: Throwback to Kyle Larson’s 75-Race Drought Breaker That Sent the Playoffs Spiraling

Ahead of the 2025 Dover race, Kyle Larson's iconic 2019 redemption win is worth looking back at and cherishing.
Kyle Larson

Joey Logano Falls Short as Max Verstappen Claims 4th Straight Best Driver Award at ESPYS 2025

Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive Best Driver Award, seeing off strong challenges from Oscar Piastri, Álex Palou, and Joey Logano.
Joey Logano, Max Verstappen

NASCAR Dover: Relive Joey Logano’s Terrifying Barrel-Roll After Tony Stewart’s Infamous Bump

Joey Logano’s terrifying 2009 crash at Dover saw his No. 20 car get turned, launch into the air, flip multiple times, and slam back to earth.
Screenshot 2025-07-17 091102

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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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". 

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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.

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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?

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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