| NASCAR is a competition and has its own set of | | | | Craftsman Truck Series is another one of the |
| championship series just as the World Series in | | | | NASCAR championships with racing trucks |
| Major League Baseball or the Stanley Cup | | | | designed from modified pickup trucks. The season |
| Playoffs in the National Hockey League. Probably | | | | runs from February through November. The |
| the most famous NASCAR championship series is | | | | beginning race is the Chevy Silverado HD 250 run |
| the NEXTEL Cup Series. Note that the Cup Series | | | | at the Daytona International Speedway. The |
| will become the Sprint Cup Series because of the | | | | trucks run without restrictor plates to limit max |
| merger of the Sprint Corporation and NEXTEL | | | | speed like the NASCAR NEXTEL and Busch Series |
| Communications. | | | | however because trucks are not as aerodynamic, |
| The history of the NEXTEL Cup Series began as | | | | they cannot reach the speeds the cars do. |
| the Strictly Stock Series in 1949, the Grand | | | | The Busch Series is another of the championships |
| National Series between 1950 and 1971, and the | | | | and it is equivalent to the minor leagues of |
| Winston Cup Series between 1972 and 2003. | | | | NASCAR racing. However, unless you are an |
| Innovators of the NEXTEL Cup Series have made | | | | expert, you cannot easily spot the differences |
| it so that drivers can score more points and even | | | | between Busch Series competition and NEXTEL |
| get 5 bonus points any time they take the lead | | | | competition. The difference is in the cars. The |
| for even one lap. And the lowest spot in the race | | | | cars of the Busch Series have a shorter wheel |
| result gets at least 34 points. | | | | base (105 inches as opposed to 100 inches) and |
| This model results in much more competition to | | | | the spoiler is larger too. At the end of the 2007 |
| the very end plus makes NASCAR more | | | | season, Busch has announced that it will no longer |
| competitive with the National Football League in | | | | sponsor the Busch Series and now other |
| numbers of television viewers watching the racing | | | | sponsors like Wal-Mart and Subway Sandwiches |
| sport. The series has also consists of a | | | | are trying to win a spot as the event's primary |
| competitive series in the last 10 races known as | | | | promoter. |
| "The Chase." This is where the top drivers are | | | | And then there is the championship among the |
| selected based on accumulated points (those tied | | | | auto makers known as the NASCAR |
| for a position too) after 26 races. There are | | | | Manufacturer's Championship. This championship |
| many winners in this series. The champion gets $5 | | | | has been held ever since 1949 and it works by |
| million and the others finishing in the top 10 | | | | points being awarded to the different automobile |
| positions each get $1 million. There is even | | | | manufacturers represented in each race. The auto |
| something for the 11th place driver: a $250,000 | | | | manufacturer at the end of the season with the |
| bonus. All this is designed to keep competition and | | | | most points wins. Chevrolet won this NASCAR |
| excitement at a high level throughout the season. | | | | championship in 2006. |