NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES

Introduction:

NASCAR’s top racing series is NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Previously it was referred as Grand National Series (1950-1971), Winston Cup Series (1972-2003), and the Strictly Stock Series (1949). The name will be altered once again in 2008, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series so that it can reflect the combination of Sprint Corporation with NEXTEL Communications of 2005.

Chase for the Championship:

Five extra points were incorporated for a race to win, when the NEXTEL carry over NASCAR’s premier sponsorship for the season of 2004.  Derived from the ProCup system a new fundamental was declared.  Each driver will be allotted 5,000 points, plus 10 additional points for every race he wins in between the first 26 races.  The points are scored in the same manner and the race designs also, remain same in the final 10 races.  The point leader after the 36th race is declared as the NEXTEL Cup Champion.  The chase acts as the crucial factors, to encourage the teams to perform at their level best in all the three stages of season, namely, the chase, the first and the second half of the regular season.

NEXTEL Cup Owner's Championship:

It is mathematically quite impossible for any other driver to acquire adequate points to overcome the leader, therefore previously the NEXTEL Cup champion may have been determined before certain races or before the end of season.  The NEXTEL Cup Owner’s Championship is quite same as compared with the Driver’s Championship.  For the owner points there is a different “chase for the championship”.