Rural Dictionary

NASCAR

Not a sport, but a league that sanctions stock car racing in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Stands for "National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing".

The league has its roots in the Prohibtion era when moonshiners would soup up their cars to outrun the police in the Southeastern United States. After prohibiton was repealed, these former moonshiners began racing each other in their souped up cars. In 1948, they founded the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) because they were tired of scrupulous promoters who kept ropping off fans and drivers. After a period of growth from the league's founding to the 1980s, the league began to grow outside the Southeastern United States thanks in part to TV ratings and a driver by the name of Jeff Gordon as well as legend Dale Earnhardt. However, the league took a huge blow when Earnhardt was killed in stock car racing's premeir event, the Daytona 500 in 2001. Today, the lauge is one of the more popular sports leagues in the United States and is beginning to grow fanbases in other countries.

The league has three major series and several regional series. The main three are the Camping World Truck Series (Formerly Craftsman Truck) which, as the name says, races pick-up trucks. The second is the Nationwide Series, which is the secondary series in NASCAR. The third is the Sprint Cup, which is the league's premeir divison, and where you'll see some of the best auto racers in the world. As stated prviously, the league also has two Canadian and Mexican series, which are the Canadian Tire Series and the Corona Series, respectively.

The league sanctions stock car racing. "Stock" cars are a type of race car that resembles a street car, hence the term "stock", compared to Indy and Formula 1 cars, which are open-wheeled racers. The four body types are: Chevrolet Impala, Ford Fusion, Dodge Charger and Toyota Camry.

One of the main (and stupid) criticisms of NASCAR is that it is not a sport. In a sense, this is correct. It is a league, a sanctioning body, like FIA. Stock car racing is the sport it sanctions. Saying that NASCAR is not a sport is silly. If you say that, then you will have to say that auto racing is not a sport, either. NASCAR racing involves strategy, including when to make a pit stop, which groove to take on the track and how to manage fuel and tires. Also, as some people have said on UD, going 3 g's in these cars takes a major toll on a person's body. The drivers are some of the most athletic people around.

Another dumb criticism is that it is "boring". It is almost a guarantee that anyone who says this has most likely never been to a race live and has only seen it on TV. Being at a NASCAR-sanctioned event is one of the most thrilling moments in anyone's life. You have not lived until you see a train of 43 cars roar past you either when the green flag waves or when they're simply passing by. TV just does not capture the excitement of being at a live race.

A legitimate criticism, however, is that there are too many oval races, which is somewhat valid. NASCAR does need to add more road course races to the Sprint Cup schedule. While the oval tracks range from 1/2-mile short tracks to 2 1/2-mile "superspeedways", road courses will liven the series up.

Another silly criticism of NASCAR is that it is only for rednecks. In reality, NASCAR has expanded outside its birthplace, the American Southeast, to areas around the United States, while at the same time remaining true to its roots. At the same time, the sport's fanbase has grown, as well. The fanbase is now diverse and includes people in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Canada, Mexico and even among whites, blacks, Latinos and Asians. There are also NASCAR fans in Europe. They're just not as known. Many people who do not identify as rednecks will tell you that they are proud NASCAR fans. In fact, the are driver in NASCAr who were born outside the United States, Juan Pablo Montoya being one example.

While this definition is a good defense of NASCAR, it is not perfect and one should simply look at the league's strengths before making a swift and foolish judgement. Anyone who wants to know more should go http://www.nascar.com or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR

Only idiots who have never been to a race hate NASCAR. They really need to look into it more to rally see how good stock car racing is. It's better than formula 1, that's for sure!

by BigD87 April 1, 2009

45👍 46👎

NASCAR

Unlike most on here think, NASCAR isn't just driving around in circles. These drivers have to be conditioned so that they can last 4 hours in a car that gets very, very hot.

Also, NASCAR is a sport where kids can actually look up to the athletes involved. These guys don't need to take steriods to be the best in what they do. It takes real skill and hard work.

It may just look like driving around in circles, but it's more than that. That car wouldn't be out there without the guys behind the scenes. All kinds of guys work their asses of to build great cars.

The pit crew is also an important part of the team. You need someone to help fix your car... don't you? NASCAR is probably the best team sport out there. Everyone works together, to make sure that they have the best car going out on Sunday. In baseball, someone guy on steriods with a special bat goes up and hits a homerun. Wow... sounds like a great sport to me.

NASCAR is such a great showing of real teamwork.

Bob: "I'm gonna go watch baseball because I wanna take steriods and be like them when I grow up!"

by DEI13815 February 25, 2005

144👍 173👎

Nascar

Despite what Americans will tell you, it pales in comparison to Formula 1.

They will try to say that Nascar is better because it has more races, but if they bothered to think first they'd realise that F1 is a World Championship, meaning lots of travel that takes up time. Nascar is confined to America and they don't have to travel far to get to the next race.

Nascar is also very unpopular outside America, someone here said it's getting popular all over the world including Australia which is a complete lie. It's not shown on any TV channels in Australia, it gets absolutely no media coverage and it's widely regarded as the laughing stock of world motorsport.

They'll also say things like "I'd like to see you drive one at 300kph!". Well F1 cars can go over 370kph on road courses despite over 10 tonnes of total aerodynamic and mechanical downforce, and if you've seen the Monaco GP you'd know how skilled the drivers are to race at over 300kph with metal barriers right next to the track.

If they put F1 cars on an oval they'd be around the 400kph mark. In testing at airstrips they have been over 500kph before, the sorts of speeds top-fuel dragsters do and yet F1 cars have normally aspirated engines, no super or turbochargers, no ABS, no launch control, massive restrictions on aerodynamics and tyres and so on.

F1 is also the richest and most watched sport in the world, the teams spend a combined total of over $2.5 billion per year developing the cars and still make a profit from the sport. It's also watched on TV by an average of 2.5 billion people per race.

They'll also say that races are won at the start and there's no passing, which is total BS. People who say this are just proving how little they know about F1 because there's passing at every race, including the Monaco GP.

So all these idiots who think Nascar is the best are in denial, F1 is ahead in every area.

Rough costs of F1 teams combined (in American dollars):

Wind Tunnel Operation (wind tunnels run 24 hours a day, they never stop developing the aero of the cars): $70,210,000
Car Manufacturing costs: $20,110,000
Research & Development: $175,680,000
Operating cars at tests: $359,680,000
Team Salaries: $313,640,000
Engine budgets: $1,087,500,000
Driver Salaries: $141,100,000
Travel and Accomodation: $82,880,000
Corporate entertaining: $54,150,000
Operating cars at races: $232,060,000
Final cost: $2,537,010,000

Remember, they still make a profit, that's how popular F1 is around the world.

by Rammstein Rule! May 27, 2005

54👍 59👎