The National Association for Stock Car Racing or NASCAR is the largest motor sports authority in the US. The 3 largest racing series approved by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup, the Nationwide Series and the Craftsman Truck Series and they run NASCAR Local Racing, the Whelen Modified Tour and the Whelen All-American Series. It runs over 1,500 races at more than 100 tracks in 39 states, Canada and Mexico. In 1988, it held an exhibition race in Australia and exhibition races in Japan from 1996 to 1998. Seen as regional entertainment in the Southeastern US, it has become the 2nd-most popular professional sport in terms of TV ratings in the US and only ranks behind the NFL.

Their headquarters are in Daytona Beach, FL, but they also have offices in 4 North Carolina cities: Charlotte, Mooresville, Concord and Conover. They also have regional offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Arkansas and international offices in Mexico City and Toronto, Ontario. “The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup” was renamed “Sprint for the Cup” in 2008 as a result of Nextel and Sprint merging. The Nationwide Series was sponsored by Anheuser Busch until 2007; now, it’s sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, who will replace Allstate as the official insurance agency of NASCAR. Currently, this series is the only one of the top 3 to race outside the US. Modified pickup trucks are featured in the Craftsman Truck Series. Ron Hornaday won this series in 2007; he also won the 1996 and 1998 championships. NASCAR started the SuperTruck Series presented by Craftsman in 1994, which was renamed the Craftsman Truck Series in 1996 to highlight Craftsman’s involvement. There are 4 regional series in the Local Racing category: the Midwest Series, the Northwest Series, the Southeast Series and the Southwest Series. The Whelen Modified Tour is a racing series in NASCAR’s oldest division, the Modified division. In 2007, the race was held in Mansfield, OH. The Whelen Southern Modified Tour was started in 2005 and races in the Southeastern US. The Whelen All-American Series is a semi-professional and amateur racing series that is seen as the entry point for numerous aspiring drivers because it is considered the lowest level of competitive racing.