NEXTEL Cup

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NEXTEL Cup
2007 in NASCAR Nextel Cup
Sport	Auto racing
Founded	1948
No. of teams	22
Country	United States
Defending champions	Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCAR's top racing series.

Formerly known as the Strictly Stock Series (1949), Grand National Series (1950-1970) and then the Winston Cup Series (1970-2003), the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is anticipated to change its name in the future to reflect the 2005 merger of NEXTEL Communications with Sprint Corporation.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Strictly Stock 1.2 Grand National 1.3 Winston Cup 1.4 NEXTEL Cup 2 Chase for the Championship 3 NEXTEL Cup Owner's Championship 4 Manufacturer's Championship 5 The Cars 5.1 History 5.2 Car of Tomorrow 5.3 Setup 5.4 Specifications 6 NEXTEL Cup tracks 6.1 List of Nextel Cup Series Tracks 7 Manufacturer Representation 7.1 Grand National Era (1949-1971) 7.1.1 General Motors 7.1.2 Ford 7.1.3 Chrysler 7.1.4 Others 7.2 Winston Cup (1972-2003) 7.2.1 GM 7.2.2 Chrysler 7.2.3 Ford 7.2.4 American Motors 7.3 NEXTEL Cup (2004-present) 7.3.1 Chrysler 7.3.2 Ford 7.3.3 GM 7.3.4 Toyota 8 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup statistics 9 References 10 See also 11 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Strictly Stock

In 1949, NASCAR introduced the Strictly Stock division, after sanctioning only Modified division races in 1948. Eight races were run, on seven different dirt ovals and the Daytona Beach sand/street road course.^[1] The division was renamed to "Grand National" for the 1950 season, reflecting NASCAR's intent to make its part of the sport more professional and more prestigious.

[edit] Grand National

From 1950 through 1971, the top tier NASCAR series was called the Grand National, not to be confused with the later Busch Grand National Series (now simply the Busch Series), the second tier division of NASCAR. (The 1949 Strictly Stock season is treated in NASCAR's record books as the first season of GN/Cup history.) Rather than a fixed schedule of one race per weekend with most entrants appearing at every event, the Grand National schedule included over sixty events in some years, often with two or three on the same weekend, and occasionally with two races on the same day in different states.

In the early years, most GN races were held on dirt-surfaced short ovals (from under a quarter-mile to over a half-mile lap length) or dirt fairgrounds ovals (usually a half-mile to a mile lap length). 198 of the first 221 Grand National races were on dirt tracks. In 1959, when Daytona International Speedway was opened, the schedule still had more races on dirt racetracks than paved ones. Through the 1960s, as superspeedways were built and old dirt tracks were paved, the number of dirt races was reduced.^[2]

[edit] Winston Cup

From 1972 through 2003, NASCAR's premier series was called the Winston Cup Series. It was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. In its later years, RJR's sponsorship became more controversial in the wake of U.S. legislation that sharply restricted avenues for tobacco advertising.

The changes in NASCAR that resulted from RJR's involvement cause many fans to refer to 1972 as the beginning of the "Modern Era". The season was made shorter, and the point system was modified several times in the next four years. Races on dirt tracks were removed from the schedule, as were oval races shorter than 250 miles. NASCAR's founder, Bill France, Sr., turned over control of NASCAR to his son, Bill France Jr.. In August 1974, Bob Latford designed a point system where equal points were awarded for all races regardless of length or prize money.^[3] This system was used without changes from the 1975 season until the Chase for the Championship was instituted for the 2004 season.

Starting in 1981, an awards banquet has been held in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, initially in the Starlight Room. In 1985, the ceremony was moved the Grand Ballroom, where it would be held until 2001. In 2001, the banquet portion was dropped in favor of a simpler awards ceremony. In 2002, the awards ceremony was moved to the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center. In 2003, the banquet format returned, as the ceremony moved back to the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom.

[edit] NEXTEL Cup

In 2003, RJR dropped its sponsorship of the top series, and NASCAR obtained a sponsorship from NEXTEL, a telecommunications company. The contract was not renewed because, although a vast majority of NASCAR fans are heavy smokers, they prefer non-premium brands like Tourney, Highway, and Sonoma. In 2004, the series became known as the NEXTEL Cup Series. The first NEXTEL Cup champion was Kurt Busch.

The NEXTEL Cup trophy is designed by Tiffany & Co., and is silver with a pair of checkered flags in flight, it is heavily guarded by the U.S. Army until the final race and in 2005 was delivered by United Parcel Service to Homestead, Fla. (Both organizations sponsor NEXTEL Cup teams.)

The merger between Sprint and NEXTEL will potentially result in the series being renamed Sprint Cup.^[4]

[edit] Chase for the Championship

Main article: Chase for the NEXTEL Cup

Short track racing, the grassroots of NASCAR, began experimenting with ideas to help the entry-level racer. In 2001, the United Speed Alliance Racing organization, sanctioning body of the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, a short-track stock car touring series, devised a five-race playoff system where the top teams in their Hooters ProCup North and Hooters ProCup South divisions would participate in a five-race playoff, the Four Champions, named for the four Hooters Racing staff members (including 1992 NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki) and pilot killed in an April 1, 1993 plane crash in Blountville, Tennessee. The system organized the teams with starting points based on the team's performance in their division (division champions earn a bonus), and the teams would participate in a five-race playoff. The five races, added to the team's seeding points, would determine the winner. The 2001 version was four races, as one was canceled because of the September 11th terrorist attacks; however, NASCAR watched as the ProCup's Four Champions became a success and drivers from the series began looking at NASCAR rides.

When Nextel took over NASCAR's premier sponsorship for the 2004 season, they looked to USAR and the Hooters ProCup for two major changes in scoring. First, five additional points were added for a race win. Second, a new formula for declaring a series champion based on the ProCup system was devised. A cut was made after 26 races, with the high twelve drivers and teams plus ties placed in the Chase for the Championship (or simply "The Chase"). (Originally, the top ten teams plus any team within 400 points of the leader qualified; NASCAR changed this beginning with the 2007 season.) The Chase participants have their points increased to a level mathematically unattainable by anyone outside this field (roughly 1800 points ahead of the first driver outside of the Chase). From 2004 to 2006, the leader's total was set at 5,050 points, with other positions dropping by five points per position, with a limit of 5,000 points after ties and the 400 point cut. Starting in 2007, each driver who makes the Chase will receive 5,000 points, plus 10 additional points for each race he won during the first 26 races. Race layouts remain the same and points are scored the same way in the final 10 races. Whoever leads in points after the 36th race is declared the NEXTEL Cup champion.

To encourage continued competition among all drivers, a number of awards are given to drivers finishing outside the Chase. The highest finishing non-Chase driver (in 2007, 13th place at the end of the season) is awarded a bonus (approximately $1 million) and a position on stage at the postseason awards banquet. Awards are also given to the top 20 and 25 drivers and teams. Finally, finishing in the top 35 is important, as those 35 teams are guaranteed entry into the first 5 races of the next season without needing to qualify on speed.

This playoff system was implemented primarily to make the points race more competitive late in the season, and indirectly, to increase television ratings during the NFL season, which starts around the same time as the Chase begins. Furthermore, the Chase also forces teams to perform at their best during all three stages of the season -- the first half of the regular season, the second half of the regular season, and the Chase.

Previously, the Cup champion may have been decided before the last race (or even several races before the end of the season) because it was mathematically impossible for any other driver to gain enough points to overtake the leader.

From 2004-2006 the Chase was shown on NBC Sports and TNT. Beginning in 2007, ESPN on ABC has acquired the license to air the Chase, until 2014.

(NOTE: Effective September 2006, Disney's sports properties will have the ESPN label, and all sports programming on ABC will be labeled as ESPN on ABC.)

[edit] NEXTEL Cup Owner's Championship

The NEXTEL Cup Owner's Championship operates in the same manner as the Driver's Championship, but with one addition. In the event of more than 43 cars attempting to qualify for a race, owner's points are awarded to each car in the following manner: the fastest non-qualifier (in essence, 44th position) receives 31 points, three less than the 43rd position car. If there is more than one non-qualifying car, owners' points continue to be assigned in the manner described, decreasing by three for each position.

There is a separate "chase for the championship" for the owners' points.

A 2005 rule change in NASCAR's three national series affects how the owner's points are used. The top 35 (Nextel Cup), or top 30 (other series) full-time teams in owner points are awarded exemptions for the next race, guaranteeing them a position in the next race. These points can decide who is in and out the next race, and have become crucial since the exemption rule was changed to its current format. At the end of each season, the top 35 in owner's points are also locked into the first five races of the next season.

In some circumstances, a team's owners' points will differ from the corresponding driver's points. In 2005, after owner Jack Roush fired Kurt Busch during the next-to-last race weekend of the season, the #97 team finished in eighth place in owner's points, while Busch ended up tenth in driver's points. In 2002, when Sterling Marlin was injured, the #40 team finished eighth in owner's points, while Marlin was 19th in driver's points, because of the substitute drivers who kept earning owner points for the #40.

[edit] Manufacturer's Championship

NASCAR does have a Manufacturer's Championship in their national series, although the Driver's Championship is considered more prestigious. In the past, manufacturer's championships were very prestigious because of the number of manufacturers involved, and the manufacturer's championship was a major marketing tool. In the Busch Series, the championship is known as the Bill France Performance Cup.

Points are scored in a 1960-1990 Formula One system, with the winner's manufacturer scoring nine points, six for the next manufacturer, four for the manufacturer third among makes, three for the fourth, two for the fifth, and one point for the sixth positioned manufacturer. This means that if Chevrolets place first through tenth in a given race and a Ford is 11th and a Dodge 12th, Chevrolet earns 9 points, Ford 6 and Dodge 4.

[edit] The Cars

[edit] History

Before the early 1960s, cars were based on full sized cars such as the Chevrolet Impala or Ford Galaxie. As intermediate cars were introduced such as the Fairlane, they were adopted after the mid 1960s.

Stock cars were once nearly that, modified versions of the same cars one could walk into a dealership and buy. In fact, NASCAR once mandated that: it had a homologation rule that at various times stated as few as 500 cars had to be produced, or as many as one car for every make's dealership in the nation had to be sold to the general public. Sometimes cars were made expressly for NASCAR, such as the Ford Torino Talladega, which had a rounded nose. The most famous aero-warrior was the Dodge Daytona and later Plymouth Superbird which had goalpost style rear spoilers and a shark shaped nose-cap which enabled speeds of over 220 mph, quickly outpacing most other cars. NASCAR soon rewrote the rules to effectively outlaw such outlandish aerodynamic trickery. Perhaps the least aerodynamic was the Penske-prepared factory backed 1972 AMC Matador piloted by Mark Donahue, dubbed the "flying brick".

In the 1980s, cars downsized into Fairmonts and Thunderbirds along with the now smaller Monte Carlos. The Monte Carlo adopted bubble back windows, while the Buick Regal would do well both on the track and as a street muscle car. The aero-Thunderbirds, driven by drivers like Mark Martin, did well.

By the 1990s, GM had switched to front wheel drive Luminas and Grand Prix, but the NASCAR racers only kept the body shape, with V8 rear wheel drive running gear. When the Ford Thunderbird was retired, with no 2-door intermediate bodies, the Ford Taurus was used for a body even though NASCAR racers actually have no opening doors.

While the manufacturers and models of automobiles for NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series racing are named for production cars (2007 Dodge Charger (current body style), Dodge Avenger (COT); Chevrolet Monte Carlo (current body style), Chevrolet Impala (COT); Toyota Camry (both); and the Ford Fusion (both)), the similarities between NEXTEL Cup cars and actual production cars are limited to a small amount of shaping and painting of the nose, painted "headlight" and grill areas. Until 2003, the hood, roof, and decklid were idential to their stock counterparts; however, NASCAR ended this practise to put more emphasis on parity.

[edit] Car of Tomorrow

Main article: Car of Tomorrow

The "Car of Tomorrow" (COT) began racing during the 2007 season, with its debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. This car has focused mainly on safety, with the driver's seat being moved closer to the center of the car. The car's width has been increased by 4 inches, the front bumper has been re-designed to virtually eliminate bump-drafting, and the height of the car has increased to accommodate taller drivers. The most noticeable change to fans will be the addition of a rear wing. The spoiler currently used will be removed, and NASCAR will distribute the new wings like they do restrictor plates [2]. In addition, drivers will use the COT in 2007 events at all tracks shorter than 1.5 miles, at all road courses, and at the October Talladega race. While initially Nascar planned to wait until the start of the 2009 season to use the C.O.T in every race, they have since changed that date to the start of the 2008 season. Many drivers still have complaints about the C.O.T., but this new timeline will help teams save money by giving them only one car to work on. ^[5]

[edit] Setup

The cars are rear-wheel-drive, high-powered, hot rods with a roll cage chassis and thin sheet metal covering. They are powered by 4-barrel carbureted V8 engines, with cast iron blocks, one camshaft and a pushrod valvetrain actuating two-valves per cylinder, and limited to 5.8L/358 cu.in. displacement. However, modern technology has allowed power outputs over 800 hp in unrestricted form while retaining the conventional basic engine design.

The automobiles' suspension, brakes, and aerodynamic components are also selected to tailor the cars to different racetracks. The adjustment of front and rear aerodynamic downforce, spring rates, rear track bar geometry, and brake proportioning are critical to the cornering characteristics of the cars. A car that understeers is said to be "tight", or "pushing," causing the car to keep going up the track with the wheel turned all the way left, while one that oversteers is said to be "loose," or "free," causing the back end of the car to slide around which can result in the car spinning out if the driver is not careful. Loose and tight can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the wedge and adding or removing camber, and air pressure adjustments, all of which change the distribution of forces among the tires during cornering. These characteristics are also affected by tire stagger (tires of different circumference at different positions on the car, the right rear being largest to help effect left turns) and tire pressure (softer being "grippier").

NASCAR will mandate changes during the season if one particular car model becomes overly dominant. In fact almost all advantages of using one car over another have been nullified. NASCAR used to mandate stock or stock replacement hoods and decklids. However, in recent years, NASCAR has begun to require cars to conform to common body templates, regardless of make/model. This is more in-line with recent NASCAR tradition, because none of these stock cars have anything mechanically "stock" about them.

[edit] Specifications

• Engine Displacement: 358in³ (5.9L) Pushrod V8
• Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
• Weight: 3200lbs. (1455kg) Minimum with out driver; 3400lbs. (1545kg) Minimum with driver
• Power Output: ~750 hp (560kw) unrestricted; ~425 hp (317kw) with restrictor plate [3]
• Fuel: 98 octane unleaded gasoline
• Fuel Capacity: 17.75 U.S. Gallons (67.2 Liters)(most tracks)
• Fuel Delivery: Carburetion
• Compression Ratio: 12.5:1
• Aspiration: Naturally aspirated
• Carburetor size: 750-830 cubic feet per minute (354-392 liters per second) 4 barrel
• Wheelbase: 110in (2.8m)
• Steering: Power, recirculating ball

[edit] NEXTEL Cup tracks

NASCAR races are not conducted on identical tracks. Oval tracks vary in length from 0.526 miles (847 m) (Martinsville Speedway) to 2.66 miles (4.28 km) (Talladega Superspeedway). While some tracks are ovals (Bristol Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway), many are tri-ovals (Kansas Speedway, Daytona International Speedway). Other configurations are quad-oval (Lowe's Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway), D-oval(California Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Richmond International Raceway), oval with unequal ends (Darlington Raceway), triangular (Pocono Raceway), and almost-rectangular (Indianapolis Motor Speedway). Courses also differ in degree of banking on the curves, with differences in degree of banking and course length contributing to different top speeds on various courses. New Hampshire International Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway are considered "flat" tracks as they have only 7 and 11 (respectively) degrees of banking in the turns. Two courses (Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International) are complex shaped road courses and the only two tracks where NASCAR has developed rain tires. These tires have never been used in a competition setting, although they have been used during practices at Watkins Glen and during a qualifying session at Suzuka, Japan for an exhibition race.

Race speeds vary widely based on the track. The fastest track is Talladega Superspeedway where the record race average speed is 188 mph (303 km/h) with the record qualifying lap of 212.809 mph (342.483 km/h) set by Bill Elliott in 1987. The slowest tracks are Infineon Raceway, a road course, with a record race average speed of only 81 mph (130 km/h) and qualifying lap of 99 mph (159 km/h); and Martinsville Speedway, a very short, nearly flat "paper clip" shaped oval, with a record race average speed of 82 mph (132 km/h) and a qualifying lap of only 98 mph (156 km/h). The average speed is figured out based upon the winner's race time throughout the entire race, from the waving of the green flag to the waving of the checkered flag, including laps spent under caution, divided by the number of laps. Time during red flag periods do not get added into the calculation of the average speed.

Generally, tracks with a length of less than one mile (1.6 km) are referred to as "short tracks". Initially tracks of over one mile were referred to as "superspeedways", but many Nextel Cup venues now are 1.5 miles or 2 miles (2.4 or 3 km) in length. Tracks on today's standards are now considered superspeedways if they are over 2 miles (3 km) in length. Tracks between 1 and 2 miles in length are called "intermediate" tracks.

[edit] List of Nextel Cup Series Tracks

List of current Nextel Cup series tracks
Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, GA	Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, TN	California Speedway Fontana, CA	Chicagoland Speedway Joliet, IL	Darlington Raceway Darlington, SC	Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
Dover International Speedway Dover, DE	Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead, FL	Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, IN	Infineon Raceway Sonoma, CA	Kansas Speedway Kansas City, KS	Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, NV
Lowe's Motor Speedway Concord, NC	Martinsville Speedway Martinsville, VA	Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, MI	New Hampshire International Speedway Loudon, NH	Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, AZ	Pocono Raceway Long Pond, PA
Richmond International Raceway Richmond, VA	Talladega Superspeedway Lincoln, AL	Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, TX	Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, NY

[edit] Manufacturer Representation

[edit] Grand National Era (1949-1971)

^[6]

[edit] General Motors

• Chevrolet Chevelle: 1964-1971
• Oldsmobile Rocket 88: 1957-1958

• Pontiac Chieftain: 1958-1963
• Chevrolet Bel Air: 50s
• Chevrolet Impala: 50s to mid 60s

• Pontiac Catalina: early 60s
• Pontiac GTO: 60s to early 70s
• Pontiac Grand Prix 1970s-2004
• Buick Gran Sport: 60s and 70s
• Buick Regal 1980s-90s
• Buick: 1954-55
• Cadillac: 1949

[edit] Ford

• Ford Fairlane: 1960-1967
• Mercury Monterey: 1950s
• Mercury Comet / Cyclone: 1963-1971
• Ford Torino / Talladega: 1968-1971
• Ford Thunderbird: 1959-1963 (see note below)
• Lincoln: 1949-50
• Mercury: 1950-59

The Thunderbird raced as a distinct brand against other Ford models in the manufacturer's championship.

[edit] Chrysler

• Dodge Coronet: 1953-1957
• Chrysler 300 letter series: 1954-1956
• Plymouth Belvedere: 1964-1967
• Plymouth Roadrunner/Superbird: 1968-1971
• Dodge Charger / Daytona: 1969-1971
• DeSoto: 1959

[edit] Others

• Hudson Hornet: 1951-1954
• Studebaker: 1951 & 1957-58
• Nash: 1951
• Jaguar: 1954

[edit] Winston Cup (1972-2003)

[edit] GM

• Buick Regal: 1981-1985, 1988-1991
• Buick LeSabre: 1986-1987
• Chevrolet Chevelle : 1972-1977
• Chevrolet Caprice/Impala early 80s, alongside the Monte Carlo
• Chevrolet Lumina: 1989-1994
• Chevrolet Monte Carlo: 1979-1989, 1995-2007
• Oldsmobile Cutlass: 1977-1992
• Oldsmobile Delta 88: 1986-1987
• Pontiac Grand Prix: 1977-2003

[edit] Chrysler

• Dodge Charger: 1972-1978
• Dodge Intrepid: 2001-2003
• Dodge Magnum: 1975-77
• Plymouth Road Runner: 1972-1978

[edit] Ford

• Ford Torino: 1975-1980
• Ford Thunderbird: 1981-1997
• Ford Taurus: 1998-2003
• Mercury Cyclone / Montego 1972-1980

[edit] American Motors

• AMC Matador: 1972-1980

[edit] NEXTEL Cup (2004-present)

[edit] Chrysler

• Dodge Intrepid: 2004
• Dodge Charger: 2005-present
• Dodge Avenger: 2007-present (Car of Tomorrow)

[edit] Ford

• Ford Taurus: 2004-2005
• Ford Fusion: 2006-present

[edit] GM

• Chevrolet Monte Carlo: 2004-2005
• Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS: 2006-present
• Chevrolet Impala SS: 2007-present (Car of Tomorrow)
• Pontiac Grand Prix: 2004 (Not offical, but some teams not under any support still used them)

[edit] Toyota

• Toyota Camry: 2007-present

[edit] NASCAR NEXTEL Cup statistics

• The last GN/Cup race on a dirt track was won by Richard Petty on September 30, 1970 at the half-mile State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was won by Richard Petty in a Plymouth that had been sold by Petty Enterprises to Don Robertson and rented back for the race.^[2]
• The youngest modern era (1972-present) champion was Jeff Gordon in 1995 at age 24, the oldest was Bobby Allison in 1983, at 45. (Allison turned 46 during the awards banquet.) Bill Rexford won the 1950 Championship at the age of 21, making him the youngest champion all time.
• Benny Parsons, Bill Rexford, Ned Jarrett, and Matt Kenseth are the only series champions to have one single series victory and still win the title. No drivers have gone an entire season without winning a race, and still winning the championship. For Bill Rexford, that was his only career win.
• Alan Kulwicki was the last owner/driver to win the series title; Dale Earnhardt was the last to win it for a single car team, as RCR did not become a regular two-car team until 1997. It is considered difficult to accomplish either feat today.
• Tony Stewart and Cale Yarborough are the only drivers to finish last in the Daytona 500 and go on to win the NEXTEL Cup series title in the same season.
• Cale Yarborough is the only driver ever to win three consecutive championships (1976, 1977, 1978).
• The only teammates to win Nextel Cup Series titles are:

1. Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
2. Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth (Roush Racing)
3. Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
4. Bill Rexford and Herb Thomas

• Richard Petty is the single-season winningest driver with an unprecedented 27 wins in 1967; additionally, that season he was also the first to break the $100,000 barrier in earnings. The 27 wins took place in a 48-race season (although there were 49 races, the 100-mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500 were championship races until the 1971 minimum distance requirement, and actually took 51 weeks, from November 13, 1966 (Augusta, GA) until November 5, 1967 (Weaverville, NC). Richard Petty holds the modern era record with 13 wins (in 30 races) in a season. Jeff Gordon also has 13 wins (1998), but his 13 wins took place in a 33-race season, with his thirteenth win being in the 33rd (and final) race. (Petty's 1975 season had his thirteenth win in the 30th race.)
• Two champions are sons of previous champions: Dale Jarrett is Ned Jarrett's son and Richard Petty is Lee Petty's son. Terry and Bobby Labonte are the only brother combination to have won championships.
• The Daytona 500 was not always the first points race of the year. NASCAR used to run at Riverside before going to Daytona in 1965 and 1970-1981. Until 1972, the qualifying races were points races. Beginning in 1982, NASCAR decided to begin each season with the Daytona 500.

[edit] References

1. ^ "Strictly Stock Standings and Statistics for 1949" page of Racing-Reference website [1], retrieved 9 May 2007.
2. ^ ^{a b} Fielden, Greg, "NASCAR Cleans Up", Speedway Illustrated, September 2004.
3. ^ Mitchell, Jason, "How Do They Do That?: Winston Cup Point System", Stock Car Racing (ISSN 0734-7340), Volume 36, Number 10, October 2001.
4. ^ http://www.jayski.com/teams/nextel.htm
5. ^ Moving up the timeline; NASCAR wants Car of Tomorrow full-time next year. Associated Press (February 28, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
6. ^ "Forty Years of Stock Car Racing -- Volume Three" by Greg Fielden

[edit] See also

• 2007 in NASCAR Nextel Cup
• List of NEXTEL Cup champions
• List of NASCAR all-time cup winners
• List of NASCAR teams
• List of NASCAR drivers
• List of NASCAR race tracks
• Stock car racing
• Busch Series
• Craftsman Truck Series
• NEXTEL Cup (trophy)

[edit] External links

• Official Nextel Cup website