In late October, Motorsport Games launched a new game called NASCAR 21: Ignition. This game reportedly simulates the 2021 Cup Series season and features all of the 2021 Cup drivers. However, a few NASCAR fans who played the game, have found the driver rating system a little strange. One particular user wondered why Kyle Busch was the most valuable driver in the game. According to the game, Busch is priced at $7.5 million and has a fan count of 928,000. Furthermore, his stats also seem a little strange, as he is rated 98 on intermediate tracks. On road courses, he has a rating of 84, while his short track rating is 60 and Superspeedway rating is 64. YouTuber RealRadman suggested [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP9VRo8e-6o] that $7.5 million is a lot for him. WHY IS THE KYLE BUSCH RATING SO CONTROVERSIAL? Admittedly, many of the driver ratings appeared skewed. Busch currently has one win each at the Daytona International Speedway, Michigan and at Talladega. Additionally, he has four wins at Pocono and at Autoclub, as well as two wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch [https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2021-09-27T025706Z_24894212_MT1USATODAY16837411_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-SOUTH-POINT-400.jpg]Sep 26, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (18) during the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports In the intermediate category, Busch has won twice at the Homestead-Miami Speedway and at the Kansas Speedway. Additionally, he has one win at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and two at Atlanta. At the Charlotte Motor Speedway and at Darlington, he only has one win each. On the bright side, he does boast of four wins at the Texas Motor Speedway and three at New Hampshire. Furthermore, he has three wins at the Phoenix Raceway and at the Dover International Speedway. On the short track scene, Kyle Busch has won twice at Martinsville. Additionally, Richmond seems to be a happy hunting ground, as he boasts of six wins in the Cup Series. He has even got a great record at the Bristol Motor Speedway with eight wins. Considering all these stats across an 18-year Cup career, it is really surprising to see such odd ratings. READ MORE: WATCH: Kyle Busch Watches his Son Racing on a Go Kart [https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-watch-kyle-busch-watches-his-son-racing-on-a-go-kart/] 

NASCAR 21: Ignition has been the subject of many controversies, from buggy
gameplay to odd driver ratings and Kyle Busch is involved as well

Dhruv George is a Senior NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports, with an impressive record of over 14K articles. From F1 driver Pierre Gasly to Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino, Dhruv has interviewed several racers, establishing himself as an authoritative voice in the world of motorsports. He not only writes engaging content but helps connect readers with some of the biggest racing names thanks to his ability to churn out exclusive interviews.

Dhruv's ambition extends beyond writing, as he aspires to host a successful motorsports podcast with some of the biggest stars in the industry, like Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. When he's not writing about Stock Car Racing, he can be found reading and writing fan fiction.

Dhruv George

Dhruv George is a Senior NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports, with an impressive record of over 14K articles. From F1 driver Pierre Gasly to Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino, Dhruv has interviewed several racers, establishing himself as an authoritative voice in the world of motorsports. Dhruv's ambition extends beyond writing, as he aspires to host a successful motorsports podcast with some of the biggest stars in the industry, like Kyle Busch.

Dhruv George | Senior NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports

EssentiallySports

https://www.staging.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/es_circle_black_logo.png

Dhruv George is a Senior NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports, with an impressive record of over 14K articles. From F1 driver Pierre Gasly to Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino, Dhruv has interviewed several racers, establishing himself as an authoritative voice in the world of motorsports. He not only writes engaging content but helps connect readers with some of the biggest racing names thanks to his ability to churn out exclusive interviews. Dhruv's ambition extends beyond writing, as he aspires to host a successful motorsports podcast with some of the biggest stars in the industry, like Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. When he's not writing about Stock Car Racing, he can be found reading and writing fan fiction.

https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Dhruv-George-1-96x96.png

Dhruv George is a senior Motorsports author for EssentiallySports, having
authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR,
Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the
Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1
driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino. He has been an ardent
follower of motorsports sport since 2001, holding Carlos Sainz Jr. and McLaren
in high regard.

https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Dhruv_George.png

WATCH: Kyle Busch Watches his Son Racing on a Go Kart

NASCAR: Ally 400

Jun 20, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (18) races alongside NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick (8) during the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR: Ally 400 - EssentiallySports

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<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>What is Joe Gibbs Racing?
</strong></h2>
There have been several instances of people switching from one sport to another, be it an athlete, a coach, or anyone else related to a particular sport. The switch is often challenging and more often than not, the person making the switch fails to make an impact in the second sport they had chosen.

But once in a while, there comes a person who earns their accolades no matter where they go and becomes immortalized in more than one discipline. That is the story of former football coach <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/joe-gibbs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Gibbs</a>, who made the switch to NASCAR and created one of the most successful Cup and Xfinity Series teams of all time, Joe Gibbs Racing.

[caption id="attachment_2651626" align="aligncenter" width="3300"]<img class="wp-image-2651626 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-16T231257Z_216673469_MT1USATODAY22539974_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-CUP-PRACTICE.jpg" alt="" width="3300" height="2200" /> Feb 16, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs watches practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>The history of Joe Gibbs Racing</strong></h2>
When the team was founded in 1992, there was a lot of skepticism around it. After all, Joe Gibbs had been a football man all his life. What would he know of auto racing to be successful? However, after 8 years of toiling away since its inception, JGR struck gold when it defied the odds to win the NASCAR Cup Series with Bobby Labonte in 2000. The team was always run by Gibbs and his son JD Gibbs.

After the latter's untimely passing in 2019, his father has been running things. The team began its journey with Chevrolet from 1992 to 1996 before moving on to Pontiac for 6 seasons. They then again moved back to Chevy in 2003 till 2007. However, since 2007, they have been operating as a Toyota team and have earned much success from the partnership.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Why did Joe Gibbs form a NASCAR team?</strong></h2>
The one question that has perplexed both motorsports and football fans is why Joe Gibbs decided to start a race team in the first place. He was a highly successful coach during his time with the Washington Commanders as he guided them to three Superbowl victories and was twice named coach of the year in the NFL. So why make such a risky jump? Well, it turns out that his son JD Gibbs had a big role to play in it.

Despite his dad being a football coach, JD was in awe of motorsports more than football. He wanted his father to do something in that discipline and eventually, the Washington coach caved in and formed Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992, something which he had earlier called <em>"a dream on a sheet of paper".</em>

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-1138516 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/joe-gibbs-racing-issues-statement-pocono.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="900" />

The team struggled in its early days as one would expect but Joe Gibbs never gave up. He kept at it for years and finally, after eight years of tireless work, JGR won their first Cup Series championship. The team then ushered in a golden era during which they won three championships in six years with Labonte and Tony Stewart, solidifying their place in the world of motor racing. Then came a decade-long title drought in the Cup after which Kyle Busch led the team to two more Cup Series championships (2015, 2019). The team has also won four Xfinity Series and one ARCA title.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Joe Gibbs Racing’s net worth 2024</strong></h2>
Being one of the most successful teams in NASCAR with five <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/nascar-cup-series/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cup</a> and four <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/nascar-xfinity-series/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xfinity Series</a> championships, it is no wonder that Joe Gibbs Racing is worth quite a lot. There are no official figures or reports about the team's net worth in 2024 but as per Forbes, in 2020, the legendary race team was worth $230 million. This is a number that has certainly risen in the past four years and the present value of the team must be a lot more than that.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Joe Gibbs Racing drivers</strong></h2>
The legendary NASCAR team currently operates with four full-time cars in the Cup Series - #11 (Denny Hamlin), #19 (Martin Triuex Jr), #20 (Christopher Bell), and #54 (Ty Gibbs). In the Xfinity Series, the team has two full-time cars, the #18 of Sheldon Creed and the #81 of Chandler Smith. When it comes to the Cup Series, the team has seen several great racers, all of who has made the current numbers that the teams are running legendary.

As far as the #11 is concerned, the man who made that number relevant in NASCAR's biggest competition in the modern era is <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/denny-hamlin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denny Hamlin</a>. The motorsports veteran might not have won the Cup so far in his career but there is certainly no taking away from the 50-plus race wins he has had, including three Daytona 500 wins. The 43-year-old is in the twilight years of his career and knows that he will have to win it pretty soon if he does not want to be called the best racer to never win the Cup Series in the sport's history.

[caption id="attachment_2651579" align="aligncenter" width="5045"]<img class="wp-image-2651579 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-04T053546Z_95028193_MT1USATODAY22441766_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BUSCH-LIGHT-CLASH-AT-THE-COLISEUM-1.jpg" alt="" width="5045" height="3363" /> Feb 3, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) celebrates his victory of the Busch Light Clash at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

The story of the #19 car is similar to that of the #11 in the sense that it is an incredibly strong outfit. They even have former Cup Series champion(2017) <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/martin-truex-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Martin Truex Jr</a> sitting behind its wheel. However, the veteran has not been able to replicate his 2017 success with the team yet, and much like Hamlin, he too is in the twilight stages of his career.

[caption id="attachment_2651611" align="aligncenter" width="4283"]<img class="wp-image-2651611 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-16T005204Z_1962618893_MT1USATODAY22531991_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BLUEGREEN-VACATIONS-DUEL-1-AT-DAYTONA.jpg" alt="" width="4283" height="2855" /> Feb 15, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) before the start of the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

Things get interesting with the #20 car as it is one with immense history. The #20 car has seen it all and won it all. During the team's most successful era during the early 2000s, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/tony-stewart/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Stewart</a> stepped up and won two Cup Series championships. Smoke's title wins put the team on the map and Joe Gibbs has never looked back since. Currently, the driver of the #20 is <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/christopher-bell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christopher Bell</a>. The team has also seen legends like <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/joey-logano/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joey Logano</a>, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/matt-kenseth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Kenseth</a>, and <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/erik-jones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Erik Jones</a> race in it.

[caption id="attachment_2651603" align="aligncenter" width="4143"]<img class="wp-image-2651603 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-16T030739Z_2096159732_MT1USATODAY22533217_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BLUEGREEN-VACATIONS-DUEL-2-AT-DAYTONA.jpg" alt="" width="4143" height="2762" /> Feb 15, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell (20) reacts in victory lane after winning the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

But perhaps the most iconic car number belongs to Ty Gibbs, or what it used to be numbered back in the day. The #54 was the #18 car back when <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/kyle-busch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Busch</a> was a racer in the team. It was the first car that Joe Gibbs fielded when he first started the team and it has produced world champions like Rowdy and the team's first-ever Cup winner, Bobby Labone. After Busch left the team for Richard Childress Racing at the end of 2022, Ty Gibbs took his place and his car was renumbered #54.

[caption id="attachment_2651572" align="aligncenter" width="4350"]<img class="wp-image-2651572 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-16T005220Z_595951626_MT1USATODAY22531998_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BLUEGREEN-VACATIONS-DUEL-1-AT-DAYTONA.jpg" alt="Ty Gibbs" width="4350" height="2900" /> Feb 15, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Gibbs (54) before the start of the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Joe Gibbs Racing partnerships and endorsements</strong></h2>
They might be a newer team compared to the likes of Hendricks Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing, but Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the biggest teams in NASCAR today. That means they have some of the biggest companies in the world backing them as sponsors to win championships like the Cup and the Xfinity Series. These sponsors include the likes of Coca-Cola, FedEx, Interstate Batteries, Monster Energy, Bass Pro Shops, Mavis Tires, and DeWalt to name a few.

FedEx has become synonymous with the #11 team of Denny Hamlin. The veteran NASCAR racer has been a partner of the brand for several years now and it doesn't seem like their time together will end anytime soon. The only thing that FedEx would want at this point more than anything is for Hamlim to win a Cup Series championship and become a true legend of the sport. Bass Pro Shops, the fishing equipment company has been in NASCAR for several years now and they also sponsor JGR's Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs' son, Ty, is sponsored by Monster Energy and DeWalt is a partner of the#20 team of Christopher Bell.

[caption id="attachment_1524667" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1524667 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-02-05T004615Z_1749632695_MT1USATODAY19924889_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BUSCH-LIGHT-CLASH-1.jpg" alt="Ty Gibbs" width="1920" height="1118" /> Feb 4, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Gibbs (54) during practice for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

Overall, it is safe to say that the sponsorship situation is well thought out and distributed among JGR's four full-time Cup racers. Despite all of that, team owner Gibbs sold a small part of his organization in 2023.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Joe Gibbs Racing sells team’s minority stake</strong></h2>
The news was broken in June of 2023 that Joe Gibbs had sold a minority stake in Joe Gibbs Racing to Harris Blitzer Sports &amp; Entertainment (HSBE) and Arctos Partners. As part of the new deal, the 83-year-old NASCAR team owner would become a limited partner in HSBE. <em>“Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and their entire team have a vision that has delivered winning franchises in basketball, hockey, soccer, and youth sports. Their teams are among the most successful in their leagues in growing audience and sponsorship, and their commitment to the communities they work in is unparalleled. I am excited to join the HBSE family and to have their support in growing Joe Gibbs Racing,” </em>the 83-year-old said after the sale as per RACER.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Joe Gibbs Racing's major achievements and awards</strong></h2>
JGR is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR today with five championship wins in the NASCAR Cup Series. Bobby Labonte won the first title in the year 2000, followed by Tony Stewart who won the title twice in 2002 and 2005. The team then had to wait for 10 years before they got their fourth championship win with Kyle Busch in 2015 and Rowdy doubled his tally only four years later. When it comes to the Xfinity Series, the team has been almost equally as successful as in the Cup Series. Joe Gibbs Racing has won four Xfinity Series titles in 2009, 2016, 2021, and 2022. They also have an ARCA title to their name which was accomplished in 2021.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-1447242 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/tony-stewart-joe-gibbs-e1573855590282.png" alt="Tony Stewart and Joe Gibbs" width="1200" height="627" />
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Joe Gibbs Racing controversy</strong></h2>
They may be a fan-favorite team in NASCAR today but Joe Gibbs Racing was at the center of one of the biggest controversies in the sport's recent history. In the year 2008, the organizers had mandated that teams, especially ones with Toyota, would run smaller restrictor plates to cut horsepower. To check if teams adhered to the mandate, NASCAR used a dynamometer to measure the HP of many cars at Michigan in the Nationwide Series. It was found that a couple of JGR cars had been utilizing magnets to manipulate the throttle pedals to stop the accelerator from opening fully. Two drivers and the teams saw 150 points deducted and after an internal investigation, seven crew members were indefinitely suspended.

But that's not all JGR has been criticized for. The five-time Cup Series champions were accused of playing a big role in the shutting down of smaller race teams like Furniture Row Racing in 2018 and Leavine Family Racing in 2020. Both of those teams had entered into a technical alliance with JGR and Toyota Racing Development.

The way Kyle Busch left the team in 2023 was also quite questionable. According to Rowdy, the team did not have any sponsorship in place after Mars and M&amp;Ms pulled out of their deals at the end of the 2022 season. The team essentially wanted the two-time Cup Series champion to run an unsponsored car and that just did not sit well with him. <em>“We got to call everybody else.’ … [Instead] they offered me a contract to race there and they weren’t going to have sponsorship on the car, but I didn’t feel like that was fair for the 15 years that I was there; I didn’t want Joe putting his own money into the program," </em>the NASCAR veteran had said later on.

[caption id="attachment_1242602" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1242602 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-1414787708-2.jpg" alt="Kyle Busch" width="1920" height="1280" /> RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - AUGUST 13: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&amp;M's Toyota, waits on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation at Richmond Raceway on August 13, 2022 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong> Joe Gibbs Racing loses its co-owner</strong></h2>
He may be one of the most successful team owners in NASCAR today but the struggles Joe Gibbs has had to go through, especially recently, have been unthinkable. Joe Gibbs Racing was founded thanks to his son JD Gibbs and both JD and his brother Coy helped run the team with their dad and were co-owners. Unfortunately, they both passed away in a span of a little over 3 years.

In 2019, JD Gibbs passed away after four years of battling <em>"conditions related to brain function". </em>As the years went by, it became more and more evident that his health was deteriorating yet he put up a valiant fight from 2015 to 2019. In 2022, the night Ty Gibbs won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, his father and Joe Gibbs' other son, Coy Gibbs, also passed away in his sleep and the cause of his death has not yet been announced. The following day was the Cup Series finale and the drivers involved with JGR at the time and in the past paid a heartfelt tribute to the late owner. One can only imagine what Ty must have been going through.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Joe Gibbs Social Media</strong></h2>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Website</span></td>
<td><a href="https://www.joegibbsracing.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.joegibbsracing.com/</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Instagram</span></td>
<td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/joegibbsracing/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/joegibbsracing/?hl=en</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Facebook</span></td>
<td><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joegibbsracing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://m.facebook.com/joegibbsracing/</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Twitter</span></td>
<td><a href="https://x.com/JoeGibbsRacing?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://x.com/JoeGibbsRacing?s=20</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Name</span></td>
<td>Joe Gibbs Racing</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Owners</span></td>
<td>Joe Gibbs, HSBE, Arctos Partners</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Base</span></td>
<td>Huntersville, North Carolina</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Series </span></td>
<td>NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, ARCA Menards Series</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Race Drivers</span></td>
<td>Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr, Ty Gibbs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Sponsors</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Fed Ex, Coca-Cola, Interstate batteries, Monster Energy, Bass Pro Shops, Mavis Tires, DeWalt
</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Manufacturer</span></td>
<td>Toyota</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Founded</span></td>
<td>1992</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Latest Race</span></td>
<td>2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race (Phoenix)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Championship</span></td>
<td>Cup Series - 5

Xfinity Series - 4

ARCA - 1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Race Victories</span></td>
<td>Cup Series - 207

Xfinity Series - 204

ARCA - 27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Net Worth</span></td>
<td>No official figure for 2024, $230 million in 2020</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Joe Gibbs Racing

Find out all the information about NASCAR Cup Series team Joe Gibbs Racing's Partnerships, Endorsements, Controversies and more!

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<h1 style="text-align: center"><b>NASCAR Cup Series: Origin, Teams and More</b></h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>What is the NASCAR Cup Series?</strong></h2>
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.

[caption id="attachment_2675743" align="alignnone" width="5162"]<img class="wp-image-2675743 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-20T005209Z_1919194866_MT1USATODAY22564783_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-DAYTONA-500.jpg" alt="NASCAR" width="5162" height="3322" /> Feb 19, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series drivers Corey LaJoie (7), Kyle Busch (8) and A.J. Allmendinger (16) race three wide for the lead during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>NASCAR Cup Series Origin</strong></h2>
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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On this day in 1949, NASCAR held its first-ever "Strictly Stock" race.</p>
Thirty-three drivers raced at Charlotte Speedway, six of which were future NASCAR Hall of Famers. Jim Roper was declared the winner following a disqualification to Glenn Dunaway. <a href="https://t.co/yBUDRcRxVo">pic.twitter.com/yBUDRcRxVo</a>

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/1670832065690972160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote>

<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Why is it named Cup Series? </strong></h2>
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'.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>What is the format of the Cup Series?</strong></h2>
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: <em>"Mr. Latford set up his points scale to reward consistency rather than flashes of brilliance, and drivers seem to like it that way."</em>

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.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>NASCAR Cup Series Teams</strong></h2>
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.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>NASCAR Cup Series Venue</strong></h2>
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.

[caption id="attachment_1351857" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1351857 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2022-11-07T003206Z_1075855806_MT1USATODAY19376372_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-CUP-CHAMPIONSHIP.jpg" alt="Joey Logano NASCAR" width="1920" height="1289" /> Nov 6, 2022; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) races in the final laps of the Cup championship at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>NASCAR Cup Series Championship</strong></h2>
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.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1195372 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/ezgif.com-gif-maker-3-78.jpg" alt="Richard Petty Dale Earnhardt NASCAR" width="1850" height="1253" />

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.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>NASCAR Cup Series Track Types</strong></h2>
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 <em>"any track greater than one mile in length, with the exception of both Daytona and Talladega" </em>according to the official NASCAR website and currently the Cup Series drivers compete on the following Intermediate tracks/Speedways :
<ul>
 	<li>Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.540-mile, Quad-Oval)</li>
 	<li>Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.500-mile Quad-Oval, including a 2.280 miles Road Course)</li>
 	<li>Darlington Raceway (1.366-mile, Egg-Shaped Oval)</li>
 	<li>Dover Motor Speedway (1.000-mile, Concrete Oval)</li>
 	<li>Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.500-mile, Oval)</li>
 	<li>Kansas Speedway (1.500-mile, Tri-Oval)</li>
 	<li>Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.500-mile, Tri-Oval)</li>
 	<li>Michigan International Speedway (2.000-mile, D-Shaped Oval)</li>
 	<li>Nashville Superspeedway (1.333-mile, Tri-Oval)</li>
 	<li>New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058-mile, Paperclip Oval)</li>
 	<li>Phoenix Raceway (1.000-mile, Dogleg Oval)</li>
 	<li>Texas Motor Speedway (1.500-mile, Quad-Oval)</li>
 	<li>World Wide Technology Raceway (1.250-mile, Egg-Shaped Oval)</li>
</ul>
On the other hand, Superspeedways ae oval road courses of two miles or longer. Currently, the NASCAR Cup Series has the following Superspeedways:
<ul>
 	<li>Auto Club Speedway (2.000-mile, D-Shaped Oval; Currently not in use)</li>
 	<li>Chicagoland Speedway (1.500-mile, D-Shaped Oval; Currently not in use)</li>
 	<li>Daytona International Speedway (2.500-mile, Tri-Oval)</li>
 	<li>Kentucky Speedway (1.500-mile, D-Shaped Oval)</li>
 	<li>Pocono Raceway (2.500-mile, Triangular Oval)</li>
 	<li>Talladega Superspeedway (2.660-mile, Tri-Oval)</li>
</ul>
The short tracks (less than 1 mile in length) that are part of NASCAR are:
<ul>
 	<li>Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533-mile, Oval)</li>
 	<li>Eldora Speedway (0.500-mile, Oval; Currently not in use)</li>
 	<li>Iowa Speedway (0.875-mile, Oval)</li>
 	<li>Knoxville Raceway (0.500-mile, Oval</li>
 	<li>Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum)</li>
 	<li>Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (0.686-mile, Oval)</li>
 	<li>Martinsville Speedway (0.526-mile, Paperclip Oval)</li>
 	<li>Milwaukee Mile Speedway (1.015-mile, Oval)</li>
 	<li>North Wilkesboro Speedway (0.625-mile, Oval)</li>
 	<li>Richmond Raceway (0.750-mile, D-shaped Oval)</li>
</ul>
As for Road Courses, NASCAR makes use of the following race tracks:
<ul>
 	<li>Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.459-mile, Currently not in use)</li>
 	<li>Chicago Street Race (2.14 miles)</li>
 	<li>Circuit of the Americas (3.426-mile)</li>
 	<li>DAYTONA Road Course (4.170-mile, Currently not in use)</li>
 	<li>Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (2.400-mile, Currently not in use)</li>
 	<li>Portland International Raceway (1.967-mile, Currently not in use)</li>
 	<li>Road America(4.048-mile, Currently not in use)</li>
 	<li>Sebring Raceway (3.741 mi, Currently not in use)</li>
 	<li>Sonoma Raceway (1.99-mile)</li>
 	<li>Watkins Glen International (2.45-mile)</li>
</ul>
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>NASCAR Cup Series Crown Jewel Races</strong></h2>
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).

[caption id="attachment_1691261" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1691261 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Jimmie-Johnson-Jeff-Gordon.jpg" alt="Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon" width="1920" height="1280" /> January 20, 2017 - Charlotte, North Carolina, USA - Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon introduce Rick Hendrick at the NASCAR Motorsport USA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, January 20, 2017, in Charlotte, N.C. Rick Hendrick was inducted into the Hall of Fame with Richard Childress, Mark Martin, Raymond Parks, and Benny Parsons. 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - ZUMAw123 20170120_zap_w123_024[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>NASCAR Cup Series Cars</strong></h2>
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<em> "Car of Tomorrow"</em>, this model featured flaunted prominent front splitters under the bumpers and larger rear wings. Apart from that, according to NASCAR, the car also had <em>"significant safety advancements and a return to symmetrical bodies". </em>

[caption id="attachment_2651610" align="alignnone" width="3461"]<img class="wp-image-2651610 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-16T030626Z_974940649_MT1USATODAY22533198_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BLUEGREEN-VACATIONS-DUEL-1-AT-DAYTONA.jpg" alt="" width="3461" height="2307" /> Feb 15, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) during the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Street Course</strong></h2>
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.

[caption id="attachment_1911252" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1911252 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-07-03T052154Z_1117738559_MT1USATODAY20983749_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-GRANT-PARK-220.jpg" alt="NASCAR" width="1920" height="1280" /> Jul 2, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; A general view as cars race along Grant Park during the Grant Park 220 of the Chicago Street Race viewed from the NEMA Chicago buliding. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

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?

<img class="alignnone wp-image-2804674 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/F0HhwcqXoAI3_zb.jpeg" alt="" width="2048" height="1365" />
<table style="width: 75.2357%;height: 264px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Full Name</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">NASCAR Cup Series</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Place of Origin</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Year of Origin</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">1949</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">First Race</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">NASCAR "Strictly Stock" Race, Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Last Race</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">NASCAR Cup Series Spring Race at Martinsville Speedway, 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Crown Jewel Race</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Daytona 500, Coca Cola 600, Brickyard 400/ Verizon 200, Southern 500</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Drivers with the most Championships</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">Richard Petty (7), Dale Earnhardt (7) and Jimmie Johnson(7)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Team with the most Championships</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">Hendrick Motorsports (14)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">First Champion</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">Red Byron</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Defending Champion</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">Ryan Blaney (2023)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 42.239%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Defending Team</span></td>
<td style="width: 237.884%;height: 24px">Team Penske</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

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