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