The NASCAR Cup Series is the pinnacle of stock car racing in the United States, organized by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). It represents the highest level of competition within NASCAR's racing series. The series features intense races, skilled drivers, and iconic tracks, making it a prominent and popular sport in the U.S.
In 1949, R. Byron won.
In 1949, Red Byron was awarded the first Cup Series Championship.
From 1950 to 1970, the series was known as the Grand National Division.
In 1950, B. Rexford won.
In 1950, Darlington Raceway, the first completely paved track over one mile long, opened.
In 1951 and 1953, Herb Thomas won the Championship.
In 1951, H. Thomas won.
In 1952, T. Flock won.
In 1951 and 1953, Herb Thomas won the Championship.
In 1953, H. Thomas won.
In 1954, L. Petty won.
The series' first road course event was held in 1954, at Linden Airport in New Jersey.
In 1955, T. Flock won.
A 1956 race at Road America was held in the rain; Tim Flock won the race.
In 1956, B. Baker won.
In 1957, B. Baker won.
In 1957, NASCAR outlawed the 1957 fuel injected 150 model Chevrolet, known as "the black widow". The 1957 Chevrolet won the most races, with 59 wins, more than any car to ever race in the cup series.
In 1958, L. Petty won.
In 1959, L. Petty won.
In 1959, when Daytona International Speedway opened, the schedule still had more races on dirt racetracks than on paved ones.
In 1960, R. White won.
Up to the 2013 season, points were 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.
In 1961, N. Jarrett won.
In 1962, J. Weatherly won.
In 1963, J. Weatherly won.
Since 1963, the NASCAR Cup Series has raced on at least one road course every year.
In 1964, R. Petty won.
In 1965, N. Jarrett won.
In 1965, modified chassis came to NASCAR. Mid-size cars, including the Ford Fairlane and Plymouth Belvedere, were adopted, becoming the norm.
In 1966, D. Pearson won.
In 1967, R. Petty won.
In 1968, D. Pearson won.
In 1969, D. Pearson won.
Beginning in August 1970, NASCAR handicapped engines over 366 cubic inches (6.0 liters) with a restrictor plate.
On September 30, 1970, the last NASCAR Grand National race on a dirt track (until 2021) was held at the State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina, and was won by Richard Petty.
In 1970, ABC Sports aired partial or full live telecasts of Grand National races, but later switched to delayed and edited broadcasts on Wide World of Sports due to perceived lack of excitement.
In 1970, B. Isaac won.
In 1970, the Grand National Division era came to an end, marking the conclusion of its run since 1950.
The NASCAR Cup Series ceased racing on dirt tracks for more than 50 years after the 1970 season.
Between 1971 and 2003, NASCAR's premier series was sponsored by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and was called the Winston Cup Series. In 1971, the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act banned television advertising of cigarettes.
In 1971, NASCAR rewrote the rules to effectively force the Ford and Chrysler specialty cars (nicknamed the Aero Warriors) out of competition by limiting them to 305ci (5.0L). The cars affected by this rule include the Ford Talladega, Mercury Spoiler II, Dodge Charger 500, Dodge Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird.
In 1971, R. Petty won.
In 1971, the Grand National name was retired.
In 1971, the series began leasing its naming rights to the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and was referred to as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
Plymouth never won a Manufacturers Championship until Ford pulled out of racing in the early 1970s.
In 1972, R. Petty won.
In 1972, changes from RJR's involvement and a schedule reduction established the beginning of NASCAR's "modern era".
In 1973, B. Parsons won.
In 1973, the oil crisis contributed to American manufacturers ending factory support of racing.
In August 1974, Bob Latford designed a points system with equal points being awarded for all races regardless of length or prize money.
In 1974, R. Petty won.
In 1974, maximum engine displacement was increased from 430 cubic inches to 433 cubic inches.
In 1975, NASCAR reduced the maximum small block engine displacement from 366 cubic inches (6.0 liters) to its present 358 cubic inches (5.9 liters).
In 1975, R. Petty won.
In 1975, the new points system remained unchanged.
In 1976, C. Yarborough won.
In 1977, C. Yarborough won.
In 1977, the older models for the GM makes were retained through 1980 due to downsizing of American cars.
In 1977, the transition to the reduced engine displacement was complete, coinciding with American manufacturers ending factory support of racing and the 1973 oil crisis.
In 1978, C. Yarborough won.
In 1979, R. Petty won.
In 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first stock car race nationally televised live from flag to flag on CBS. The race ended with a wreck and a fistfight, increasing the sport's marketability. The race coincided with a snowstorm, successfully introducing the sport to a captive audience.
In 1979, the older models for Ford and Dodge were retained through 1980 due to downsizing of American cars.
In 1980, D. Earnhardt won.
In 1980, older models of GM, Ford and Dodge makes were retained due to downsizing of American cars.
In 1981, D. Waltrip won.
In 1981, an awards banquet began to be held in New York City on the first Friday evening in December.
In 1981, the wheelbase requirement was reduced to 110 inches (2,800 mm) to accommodate newer model cars.
In 1982, D. Waltrip won.
Since 1982, the Daytona 500 has been the first non-exhibition race of the year.
In 1983, B. Allison won.
In 1983, the rounded, aerodynamic 1983 Ford Thunderbird gained prominence. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix adopted bubble back windows to stay competitive.
In 1984, T. Labonte won.
At the end of the 1985 season, Chrysler Corporation left NASCAR entirely after dropping its poor performing (both on the race track and for consumer sales) Dodge Mirada and Chrysler Cordoba in 1983.
In 1985, D. Waltrip won.
In 1985, Winston introduced a new awards program called the Winston Million, offering one million dollars to any driver who won three of the four most prestigious races in the series.
In 1985, the awards banquet was moved to the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria.
In 1986, "Grand National" was dropped from the Winston Cup Grand National Series, shortening the name to Winston Cup Series.
In 1986, D. Earnhardt won.
In 1987, Bill Elliott set a world stock-car record at 212.809 mph during Winston 500 qualifying. During the race, Bobby Allison's crash injured several spectators, leading to the mandate of restrictor plates at Talladega and Daytona.
In 1987, Bill Elliott set the record qualifying lap at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 212.809 mph (342.483 km/h).
In 1987, D. Earnhardt won.
In 1988, B. Elliott won.
In 1988, restrictor plates were made mandatory at superspeedways to reduce speeds.
By 1989, GM had switched its mid-sized models to V6 engines and front-wheel-drive, but the NASCAR racers only kept the body shape, with the old V8 rear-wheel-drive running gear, rendering obsolete the "stock" nature of the cars.
In 1989, Darrell Waltrip nearly won the Winston Million
In 1989, R. Wallace won.
In 1990, D. Earnhardt won.
Up to the 2013 season, points were 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.
GM was still using four different brands in NASCAR in 1991, but within three years, Buick and Oldsmobile were gone. Pontiac survived until 2004, leaving only Chevrolet.
In 1991, D. Earnhardt won.
In 1992, A. Kulwicki won.
In 1992, Davey Allison nearly won the Winston Million
In 1992, the Generation 4 car was introduced, removing stock body panels and replacing steel bumpers with fiberglass.
In 1993, D. Earnhardt won.
In 1993, Rusty Wallace had two airborne crashes, which led to the addition of roof flaps to all cars in 1994.
In 1994, D. Earnhardt won.
In 1994, NASCAR held the first Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In 1994, roof flaps were added to all cars after Rusty Wallace's two airborne crashes in 1993.
In 1995, J. Gordon won.
In 1995, the newly designed Chevrolet Monte Carlo returned to the sport, which started the trend of rounder body shapes.
In 1996, Dale Jarrett nearly won the Winston Million
In 1996, T. Labonte won.
Between 1997 and 1998, the winner's prize money for the Daytona 500 tripled, coinciding with a decline in popularity of American Championship Car Racing.
In 1997, J. Gordon won.
In 1997, the Ford Thunderbird was retired, and the four-door Ford Taurus body was used (although NASCAR racers actually have no opening doors).
In 1997, the Winston Million ended.
Between 1997 and 1998, the winner's prize money for the Daytona 500 tripled, coinciding with a decline in popularity of American Championship Car Racing.
In 1998, J. Gordon won.
In 1998, the Tobacco Industry Settlement sharply restricted avenues for tobacco advertising, impacting RJR's sponsorship of NASCAR.
In 1998, the Winston Million was replaced with a similar program, the Winston No Bull Five.
Since the 1998 Taurus launch, asymmetrical bodies on cars had become common. The new rules eliminated the asymmetrical bodies on cars that had run rampant since then. NASCAR requires all CoTs to conform to common body templates, regardless of make and model.
Until 1998, the hood, roof, and decklid were still required to be identical to their stock counterparts. This was eliminated when NASCAR allowed significant modifications of the Ford Taurus decklid so the car would fit the required templates.
In 1999, D. Jarrett won.
In 2000, B. Labonte won.
Chrysler's Dodge brand returned after a 15-year hiatus in 2001.
For 2001, the banquet portion of the awards ceremony was dropped in favor of a simpler ceremony.
In 2001, J. Gordon won.
During the 2002 season, R.J. Reynolds notified NASCAR leadership that they would terminate their title sponsorship prematurely at the conclusion of the 2003 season.
In 2002, T. Stewart won.
In 2003, M. Kenseth won.
In 2003, NASCAR introduced "Approved Body Configuration" (also known as "common template") design to put more emphasis on parity and based new body rules, similar to short track racing, where offset cars had become a burden for race officials.
In 2003, a similar deal to the one with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was made with Nextel.
In 2003, the Winston Cup Series came to an end.
In 2003, the awards festivities returned to the Waldorf's Grand Ballroom, and the banquet format was reinstated.
Along with the change in title sponsorship for the series, the 2004 season also introduced a new system for determining the series champion, influenced by the system used in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series.
From 2004 to 2007, after a deal with Nextel in 2003, the series became the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.
From the inaugural Chase in 2004 to the 2006 Chase, the drivers were seeded based on points position at the end of the regular season.
GM was still using four different brands in NASCAR in 1991, but within three years, Buick and Oldsmobile were gone. Pontiac survived until 2004, leaving only Chevrolet.
In 2004, Ku. Busch won.
In 2004, the Chase for the Championship was instituted, changing the points system that had been in place since 1975.
Beginning in 2013, the rules reverted to a system more similar to the pre-2005 rules. In the NASCAR Cup Series, the first 36 places in the field are determined strictly by qualifying speed.
In 2005, Sprint acquired Nextel, leading to a renaming of the NASCAR series.
In 2005, T. Stewart won.
In 2005, after owner Jack Roush fired Kurt Busch during the next-to-last race weekend of the season, the No. 97 team finished in eighth place in owner's points, while Busch ended up tenth in driver's points.
In 2005, owner's points were used to award exemptions for the next race, guaranteeing a position for the top teams.
From 2006 to 2010, Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive Championships.
From the inaugural Chase in 2004 to the 2006 Chase, the drivers were seeded based on points position at the end of the regular season.
In 2006, J. Johnson won.
In 2006, the animated film Cars was released, which included the voices of Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. To avoid advertising tobacco in a Disney film, "Piston Cup" served as Pixar's allusion to the Winston Cup.
The 2006 merger between Sprint and Nextel resulted in the Cup Series being renamed the Sprint Cup.
In March 2007, NASCAR introduced the "Car of Tomorrow" (CoT) at Bristol Motor Speedway; it was initially used at 16 selected events.
In October 2007, Russ Wicks drove a modified Dodge Charger stock car to 244.9 mph during a speed record attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
From 2007 to 2013, the highest finishing non-Chase driver (13th place at the end of the season) was awarded a bonus of approximately one million dollars.
In 2007, J. Johnson won.
In 2007, the number of teams eligible to win the championship by competing in a playoff held within the final ten races was increased to 12.
In 2008, J. Johnson won.
In 2008, following Sprint's acquisition of Nextel in 2005, the series was renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
In 2008, the Cup Series was renamed the Sprint Cup, following the 2006 merger between Sprint and Nextel.
By 2009, the popularity boom of the 1990s had ended, and television ratings over the previous ten years had become stagnant.
In 2009, Carl Edwards experienced a high-speed spin during the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, leading to criticisms of the rear wing.
In 2009, J. Johnson won.
NASCAR had originally planned to wait until the start of the 2009 season to use the CoT in every race.
From 2006 to 2010, Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive Championships.
From 2007 to 2010, the points totals of each driver who made the Chase were reset to 5,000 points, plus ten additional points for each race victory during the first 26 races.
In 2010, J. Johnson won.
In 2010, NASCAR replaced the rear wing with the original spoiler, starting with the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Under the post-2010 point system, only cars that actually start in a given race earn owner's points.
On November 20, 2011, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards concluded the season with an unprecedented tie in points. Tony Stewart was awarded the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series Championship due to his five season wins over Carl Edwards' one win.
Before a major change to the points system was implemented in 2011, there was a slightly different addition to the system of allocating owner's points.
In 2011, NASCAR altered the nose of the car with a reduced splitter size and replacement of braces with a solid front valence.
In 2011, T. Stewart won.
In 2011, a new rule was implemented where drivers are only allowed to earn drivers' points in one of NASCAR's three national series.
In 2012, B. Keselowski won.
In 2012, NASCAR Cup Series cars switched to EFI V8 engines after 62 years of using carburetion.
In 2012, NASCAR introduced fuel injection technology. Initially NASCAR indicated that it would transition to fuel injection midway through the 2011 season but decided before that season to put off the change until 2012.
Through the 2012 season, the top 35 (NASCAR Cup Series) or top 30 (other series) full-time teams in owner points are awarded exemptions for the next race, guaranteeing them a position in that race.
In July 2013, Japanese telecommunications corporation SoftBank acquired Sprint.
A 2005 rule change in NASCAR's three national series, revoked from 2013 onward, affects how the owner's points are used.
Beginning in 2013, the rules reverted to a system more similar to the pre-2005 rules.
From 2007 to 2013, the highest finishing non-Chase driver (13th place at the end of the season) was awarded a bonus of approximately one million dollars.
In 2013, J. Johnson won.
In 2013, manufacturers were given increased leeway for branding their NASCAR Cup Series cars, creating the Generation 6 race car. These changes were made so the cars would resemble their street counterparts more closely, as was done in the Xfinity Series in 2011.
Up to the 2013 season, points were 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.
In 2014, K. Harvick won.
In 2014, NASCAR announced significant changes to the Chase format.
In 2014, the Race Team Alliance was formed, leading to the creation of a charter system in 2016.
In 2014, the highest finishing non-Chase driver could potentially finish anywhere from fifth to 17th place, and would be awarded a bonus.
Starting in 2014, NASCAR changed the system to mimic the Owner's Championship. Under this system, each manufacturer's best finishing representative effectively earned them the same number of points as that team earned.
In 2015, Ky. Busch won.
On December 1, 2016, NASCAR announced it had reached an agreement with Monster Energy to become the new sponsor of NASCAR's premier series.
On December 19, 2016, NASCAR announced the new name for the series, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, as well as the new series logo and new NASCAR logo.
In 2016, J. Johnson won.
In 2016, NASCAR announced the creation of a charter system (in association with the Race Team Alliance, formed in 2014), guaranteeing 36 teams' entry to all 36 races and reduced the field size to 40 cars.
In 2016, all NASCAR Cup Series cars began utilizing a digital dash sold by McLaren, which included sixteen customizable preset screens.
In December 2016, it was announced that Monster Energy would become the new title sponsor of the series.
From 2017 to 2019, the series was renamed the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
In 2017, M. Truex Jr. won.
In 2017, NASCAR introduced stage racing, breaking races into three or four stages with bonus points awarded to the top-10 finishers in the first two stages.
On April 11, 2018, Monster Energy announced an extension of their sponsorship of NASCAR's premier series through the end of the 2019 season.
In 2018, Chevrolet switched to the Chevrolet Camaro in the Cup Series, resulting in return of pony cars (and thus, coupe-based models) to the Cup Series.
In 2018, J. Logano won.
In 2019, Ky. Busch won.
In 2019, Monster Energy's sponsorship of NASCAR's premier series came to an end.
In 2019, NASCAR rejected Monster's offer to extend the naming rights deal beyond the end of the season.
In 2019, restrictor plates at superspeedways were replaced by tapered spacers to reduce horsepower and limit speeds.
In 2019, the Daytona 500 had a television audience of about 9.17 million U.S. viewers.
As of 2020, the NASCAR schedule includes tracks from around the United States, with races also having been held outside the country.
In 2020, C. Elliott won.
The first in-race use of rain tires in the Cup Series were at the 2020 Bank of America Roval 400.
In 2021, Cup cars were required to have at least one working windshield wiper installed for road courses, including Daytona, as part of the road racing rules package.
In 2021, K. Larson won.
In 2021, dirt racing returned to the schedule with a March event at Bristol Motor Speedway.
In 2021, rain tires were used at the Texas Grand Prix in the Cup Series.
In 2022, J. Logano won.
In 2022, NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car, a seventh-generation car featuring improved aero and downforce packages and new technologies to lower costs and attract new OEMs.
As of 2023, Chevrolet has the most race wins and manufacturer championships with 851 wins and 42 championships, followed by Ford and Dodge.
In 2023, R. Blaney won.
In 2023, a heavily modified Next Gen Camaro fielded by Hendrick Motorsports entered the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it finished 39th out of the 62 cars entered in the event.
In 2023, after Chase Elliott was injured, his No. 9 car continued to earn owner points during his absence, which ultimately culminated in a playoff berth in owners points.
In 2024, J. Logano won.
The 2024 NASCAR season includes 31 races at oval tracks and 5 at road courses.
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