:: wikimiki.org ::

Milwaukee Mile

Milwaukee Mile

The Milwaukee Mile is a race track in West Allis, Wisconsin. It is a mile long (1.032 mi, 1.66 km) oval track that seats about 45,000. The Milwaukee Mile’s premier distinction is as the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, hosting at least one auto race every year since 1903.

Current races

- NASCAR Busch Series - SBC 250
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200
- Champ Car - Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225 Presented by U.S. Bank
- Indy Racing League - Milwaukee Indy 225

Records

- NASCAR Busch Qualifying: Johnny Sauter, 122.595 mph (29.365 s,; 197.297 km/h), June 25, 2005.
- NASCAR Busch Race: Ron Hornaday, 105.052 mph (2 h, 26 min, 59 s; 169.065 km/h), June 26, 2004.
- Champ Car Qualifying: Patrick Carpentier, 185.500 mph (20.028 s; 298.5 km/h), 1998.

External links

- [http://www.milwaukeemile.com/ Milwaukee Mile Official Site]
- [http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/mil/index.html Milwaukee Mile Page] on [http://www.nascar.com NASCAR.com] Category:NASCAR tracks Category:Indy Racing League tracks Category:Milwaukee sports Category:Motor racing venues in the United States

Race track

A race track (or 'racetrack'), is a purpose-built facility for the conducting of races. This racing can be of animals (eg. horseracing or greyhound racing), human-operated machines (eg. automobiles or motorcycles), or athletes. A race track may also feature spectating facilities such as grandstands or concourses. Throughout the English-speaking world the term racecourse is also used for horse-racing facilities. Race tracks built for bicycles are known as velodromes. Horse and dog racing facilities tend to use circular or oval tracks, whereas most automotive and motorcycle racing is performed on irregular and meandering courses, which are sometimes called 'road circuits' (this originates in the fact that the earliest road racing circuits were simply closed-off public roads). A notable exception is most forms of automotive racing in the USA (such as NASCAR) that primarily use oval tracks (known as "speedways"). About the paper and pencil game, see Racetrack.

History

There is some evidence of racetracks being developed in the several ancient civilisations, but the most impressive ancient racetracks were certainly the hippodrome of the Ancient Greeks and the circus of the Roman Empire. Both of these structures were designed for horse and chariot racing. The stadium of the Circus Maximus is a well-known example that could hold 200,000 spectators. Racing facilities existed during the Middle Ages and there are records of a public racecourse being opened at Newmarket in London in 1174. In 1780 the Earl of Derby created a horse-racing course on his estate at Epsom; the English Derby continues to be held there today. In the United States major horse racetracks were built in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., track in 1863 and at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky., opened in 1875.

Modern Racetracks

With the advent of the automobile in the early 20th century, new styles of racetrack came into existence, one designed to suit the nature of powered machines. The earliest dedicated tracks were simply modified horse racing courses, and racing autombiles in these facilities commenced at least as early as 1905. The original Indianapolis Motor Speedway was opened in August of 1909. After WWI purpose-built tracks built outside the USA tended to be complicated road circuits, specifically designed to test the limits of both driver and machine. During the 1920s, most of the races on the AAA Championship occured on high banked wooden race tracks. List of Auto Racing tracks Category:Racing venues Category:Horse racing

West Allis, Wisconsin

West Allis is a city located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 61,254. The Wisconsin State Fair Park (which includes the Milwaukee Mile, and is the site of the annual Wisconsin State Fair) is located in West Allis. The Milwaukee Mile is one circuit in the annual Champ Car World Series.

Geography

Champ Car World SeriesWest Allis is located at 43°0'29" North, 88°1'6" West (43.008114, -88.018353). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.4 km² (11.4 mi²). 29.4 km² (11.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.18% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 61,254 people, 27,604 households, and 15,375 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,083.7/km² (5,397.6/mi²). There are 28,708 housing units at an average density of 976.6/km² (2,529.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 94.03% White, 1.34% African American, 0.70% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. 3.52% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 27,604 households out of which 25.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% are married couples living together, 10.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% are non-families. 37.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.19 and the average family size is 2.92. In the city the population is spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.0 males. The median income for a household in the city is $39,394, and the median income for a family is $50,732. Males have a median income of $36,926 versus $26,190 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,914. 6.5% of the population and 4.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.0% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Notable natives

- Dan Jansen, Olympic speedskater
- Harvey Kuenn, baseball player/coach/manager
- Liberace, pianist/entertainer

External links

- [http://www.ci.west-allis.wi.us/ City of West Allis] Category:Cities in Wisconsin Category:Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

1903

1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). It also had the latest occurring solstices and equinoxes for 400 years, because the Gregorian calendar hasn't had a leap year for seven years or a century leap year since 1600. See 1696.

Events

1696
- January 1 - Edward VII of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Emperor of India
- January 6 - Mileva Maric married Albert Einstein.
- February 11 - The Oxnard Strike of 1903 represents the first time in U.S. history that a labor union was formed from members of different races.
- February 15 - Morris Michtom and his wife Rose introduce the first teddy bear in America.
- February 23 - Cuba leases Guantanamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity"
- March 2 - In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women.
- March 3 – British admiralty announces plans to build naval base at Rosyth
- March 5 – Turkey and Germany signs an agreement to build the Constantinople-Baghdad Railway
- March 14 - The Hay-Herran Treaty, granting the United States the right to build the Panama Canal, is ratified by the United States Senate. The Colombian Senate would later reject the treaty.
- March 22 - the US side of the Niagara Falls runs short of water
- March 31 - Possible first powered heavier-than-air flight, Richard Pearse, New Zealand (some date it to 1902)
- May 18 - Opening of Port of Burgas, Bulgaria.
- June 10-11 – Assassination of Serbian King Alexander Obrenović and Queen Draga
- July 1-19 - First Tour de France – Maurice Garin wins
- July 7 - British take over the Fulani empire
- July 23 - Dr. Ernst Pfenning of Chicago, Illinois becomes the first owner of a Ford Model A.
- April 29 - 30,000,000 cubic metre landslide kills 70 in Frank, Alberta
- August 2 - The Ilinden Uprising of the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire breaks out
- August 4 - Pope Pius X elected.
- August 10 - The Paris Metro train fire takes place.
- September 8 - Massacre of Bulgarians by Turkish troops at Monastir is reported.
- September 14 - Joseph Chamberlain resigns as Colonial Secretary.
- September 15 - Grêmio, a brazilian football team is founded.
- September 24 - Edmund Barton steps down as Prime Minister of Australia and is succeded by Alfred Deakin.
- October - Frank Nelson Cole proved that 2^67-1 is composite by factoring it as 193,707,727
- 761,838,257,287 after trying every Sunday for 3 years.
- October 6 - The High Court of Australia sits for the first time.
- October 10 - Foundation of the Women's Social and Political Union
- November 3 - With the encouragement of the United States, Panama proclaims itself independent from Colombia.
- November 6 - USA recognizes independence of Panama
- November 17 - The Russian Social Democratic Labor Party splits into two groups; the Bolsheviks (Russian for "majority") and Mensheviks (Russian for "minority"). (NOTE: Later the Bolsheviks became the majority party). Mensheviks]
- November 18 - The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed by the United States and Panama, giving the Americans exclusive rights over the Panama Canal Zone.
- November 23 - Colorado Governor James Hamilton Peabody sends the state militia into the town of Cripple Creek to break up a miners' strike.
- December 17 - Orville Wright flies aircraft with a petrol engine at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in first documented successful controlled powered heavier-than-air flight.
- December 30 - A fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois kills 600.

Unknown dates

- Lincoln-Lee Legion established to promote temperance movement and signing of alcohol abstinence pledgeds by children.

Births

January

- January 6 - Maurice Abravanel, Greek-born conductor (d. 1993)
- January 7 - Warren Hull, American actor (d. 1974)
- January 11 - Hans Redlich, Austrian composer (d. 1968)
- January 16 - William Grover-Williams, French race car driver and war hero (d. 1945)
- January 22 - Fritz Houtermans, physicist (d. 1966)
- January 27 - John Carew Eccles, Australian neuropsychologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1997)

February

- February 2 - Bartel Leendert van der Waerden, Dutch mathematician (d. 1996)
- February 6 - Claudio Arrau, Chilean-born pianist (d. 1991)
- February 8 - Greta Keller, Vienna-born cabaret singer and actress (d. 1977)
- February 10 - Matthias Sindelar, Austrian footballer (d. 1939)
- February 11 - Rex Lease, American actor (d. 1966)
- February 11 - Alan Paton, South-African writer (d. 1988)
- February 13 - Georges Simenon, French writer (d. 1989)
- February 16 - Edgar Bergen, American ventriloquist (d. 1978)
- February 21 - Anaïs Nin, French writer (d. 1977)
- February 21 - Raymond Queneau, French poet and novelist (d. 1976)
- February 22 - Morley Callaghan, Canadian writer and media personality (d. 1990)
- February 22 - Frank P. Ramsey, English mathematician (d. 1930)
- February 26 - Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
- February 27 - Grethe Weiser, actress (d. 1970)
- February 28 - Vincente Minnelli, American director (d. 1986)

March

- March 6 - Empress Kojun, Empress consort of Japan (d. 2000)
- March 11 - Ronald Syme, New Zealand-born classicist and historian (d. 1989)
- March 11 - Lawrence Welk, American television musician (d. 1992)
- March 14 - Mustafa Barzani, Kurdish politician (d. 1979)
- March 20 - Edgar Buchanan, American actor (d. 1979)
- March 24 - Adolf Butenandt, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
- March 28 - Rudolf Serkin, Austrian pianist (d. 1991)

April

- April 6 - Mickey Cochrane, baseball player (d. 1962)
- April 6 - Doc Edgerton, American electrical engineering (d. 1990)
- April 10 - Clare Boothe Luce, American publisher and writer (d. 1987)
- April 12 - Jan Tinbergen, Dutch economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
- April 15 - John Williams, English-born actor (d. 1983)
- April 17 - Gregor Piatigorsky, Russian cellist (d. 1976)
- April 17 - Morgan Taylor, American athlete (d. 1975)
- April 19 - Eliot Ness, American treasury agent (d. 1957)
- April 24 - José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Spanish politician (d. 1936)
- April 25 - Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician (d. 1987)
- April 28 - Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (d. 1979)

May

- May 2 - Benjamin Spock, American pediatrician (d. 1998)
- May 3 - Bing Crosby, American singer and actor (d. 1977)
- May 4 - Luther Adler, American actor (d. 1984)
- May 8 - Fernandel, French actor (d. 1971)
- May 11 - Charlie Gehringer, baseball player (d. 1993)
- May 20 - Barbara Hepworth, English sculptor (d. 1975)
- May 21 - Frank Sargeson, New Zealand writer (d. 1982)
- May 29 - Bob Hope, English-born comedian (d. 2003)

June

- June 6 - Aram Khachaturian, Armenian composer (d. 1978)
- June 8 - Marguerite Yourcenar, Belgian-French author (d. 1987)
- June 12 - Emmett Hardy, American musician (d. 1925)
- June 16 - Helen Traubel, American soprano (d. 1972)
- June 18 - Jeanette MacDonald, American singer, actress (d. 1965)
- June 18 - Raymond Radiguet, French author (d. 1923)
- June 19 - Lou Gehrig, baseball player (d. 1941)
- June 19 - Wally Hammond, English cricketer (d. 1965)
- June 21 - Al Hirschfeld, American caricaturist (d. 2003)
- June 22 - John Dillinger, American bank robber (d. 1934)
- June 25 - Pierre Brossolette, French journalist and resistance fighter (d. 1944)
- June 25 - George Orwell, English author (d. 1950)
- June 29 - Alan Blumlein, British electronics engineer (d. 1942)

July

- July 1 - Amy Johnson, English aviator (d. 1941)
- July 2 - Alec Douglas-Home, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1995)
- July 2 - King Olav V of Norway (d. 1991)
- July 4 - Corrado Cardinal Bafile, Italian Catholic cardinal (d. 2005)
- July 6 - Hugo Theorell, Swedish scientist, recpient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1982)
- July 10 - John Wyndham, British author (d. 1969)
- July 13 - Kenneth Clark, English art historian (d. 1983)
- July 21 - Roy Neuberger, American financier and art collector

August

- August 3 - Habib Bourguiba, President of Tunisia (d. 2000)
- August 7 - Louis Leakey, British archaeologist (d. 1972)
- August 18 - Lucienne Boyer, French singer (d. 1983)
- August 23 - William Primrose, Scottish violist

NASCAR

right The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the NEXTEL Cup Series, the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. It also oversees seven regional series and one local grassroots series. NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 38 states, Canada, and Mexico. Beginning as regional entertainment in the Southeastern U.S., NASCAR has grown to become the second most popular professional spectator sport in terms of television ratings inside the U.S., ranking behind only the National Football League. Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. It holds 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S.¹, and has 75 million fans who purchase over $2 billion in annual licensed product sales. These fans are considered the most brand-loyal in all of sports, and as a result, Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other sport. NASCAR's headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, although it also maintains offices in four North Carolina cities: Charlotte, Mooresville, Concord and Conover as well as New York City, Los Angeles, Arkansas, and international offices in Mexico City, Mexico, and Toronto, Canada. Toronto, Canada

History

Early History

Many early racing drivers were involved in bootlegging. The runners would modify their cars in order to create a faster, more maneuverable car. The next logical step for the owners of these cars was to race them. These races were popular entertainment in the rural South, and they are most closely associated with the Wilkes County region of North Carolina. Most races in those days were of "modified" cars, street vehicles which were lightened and reinforced. NASCAR was co-founded by William France Sr. and Ed Otto on February 21, 1948. William France, Sr. had the notion that people would enjoy watching unmodified, "stock" cars racing and promoted a few races before World War II. In 1947, he decided that this racing would not grow without a formal sanctioning organization, standardized rules, a regular schedule, and an organized championship. This led to the formation of NASCAR in 1948. The first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race ever was held at the old Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina on June 19, 1949 (this is not the same speedway as Lowe's Motor Speedway that is near Charlotte). Initially the cars were known as the "Strictly Stock" Division and raced with virtually no modifications from the factory models. This division was renamed "Grand National" in 1950. However, over a period of about a dozen years, modifications for both safety and performance were allowed, and by the mid-1960s the vehicles were purpose-built racecars with a stock-appearing body. Most races were on half-mile to one mile (800 to 1600 m) oval tracks. However, the first "superspeedway" was built in Darlington, South Carolina in 1950. This track, at 1.38 miles (2220 m), was wider, faster, and higher-banked than the racers had seen. The famous Daytona, Florida race used a two mile (3 km) stretch of the beach as one straightaway and the beachfront highway as the other, prior to the construction in 1959 of the Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5 mile (4 km) high-banked track that became the icon of the sport.

Growth of the sport

The sport began to attract more attention through the 1950s as manufacturers realized the opportunity to promote sales through racing. At various times Ford Motor Company (Ford and Mercury), General Motors (Chevrolet and Pontiac), and Chrysler (Dodge, Chrysler, and Plymouth), all supported factory teams, openly and sometimes covertly when they pretended "not to be involved in racing." The teams became full-time jobs for the top drivers and owners. Although stock racing did not have much following outside the Southeast, people like Lee Petty, Curtis Turner, Fireball Roberts, Smokey Yunick, and Junior Johnson became well known within the racing world. Almost all the races were held in the southeastern U.S., because the economics of traveling with racecars, parts and mechanics demanded it. Many of the venues were county fairgrounds or local tracks that hosted local racing on Saturday night when the touring stars were not in town. An exception was Riverside Raceway, in Riverside, California; because of the travel distances involved, it traditionally either started the Grand National season or ended it. This was the only time NASCAR came out west, until the opening of Ontario Motor Speedway in 1970, and the only road course NASCAR ran on until the track closed in 1988.

Beginning of the modern era

NASCAR made major changes in its structure in the early 1970s. The top series found sponsorship from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) (tobacco companies had been banned from television advertising and were looking for a promotional outlet). The "Winston Cup" became the top competitive series, with a new points system and some significant cash benefits to competing for championship points. The next division down, called Late Model Sportsman, gained the "Grand National" title passed down from the top division and soon found a sponsor in Busch Beer. In the mid-1970s some races began to get partial television coverage, frequently on the ABC sports variety show, Wide World of Sports. Finally, in 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first stock car race that was nationally televised from flag to flag on CBS. The leaders going into the last lap, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison, wrecked on the backstretch while dicing for the lead, and Richard Petty passed to win. Immediately, Yarborough, Allison, and Allison's brother Bobby were engaged in a fistfight on national television. This underlined the drama and emotion of the sport and increased its broadcast marketability. Luckily for NASCAR, the race coincided with a major snowstorm along the United States' eastern seaboard, successfully introducing much of the captive audience to the sport. The beginning of the modern era, which NASCAR defines as 1972, also brought a change in the competitive structure. The purse awarded for championship points accumulated over the course of the season began to be significant. Previously, drivers were mostly concerned about winning individual races. Now, their standing in championship points became an important factor. The first NASCAR competition held outside of the U.S. was in Canada, where on July 1, 1952, Buddy Shuman won a 200-lap race on a half-mile (800 m) dirt track in Stamford Park, Ontario, near Niagara Falls. On July 18, 1958, Richard Petty made his premiership debut in a race at Toronto at the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds. He completed 55 laps before crashing, while father Lee won the 100-lap feature. An exhbition race was held in 1988 in Australia, with Neil Bonnett winning. In 1996, NASCAR went to Japan for Suzuka NASCAR Thunder 100 at Suzuka Circuitland in Suzuka City on November 24, 1996. This exhibition (non-points) race was won by Rusty Wallace. Two more exhibition races were held in Japan in 1997 and 1998. On March 6, 2005 the first NASCAR points-paying race outside of the United States since 1958 was held for the NASCAR Busch Series at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack in Mexico City. The winner of this twisty road course event was defending series champion Martin Truex, Jr.

NEXTEL Cup

Martin Truex, Jr. Main Article: NEXTEL Cup The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series is the most popular and most profitable series operated by NASCAR. People often use the name NASCAR interchangeably with NEXTEL Cup, incorrectly. This series is the most documented, has the most famous drivers, and is the most watched and followed by fans and the media. In 2004, NEXTEL took over sponsorship of the premier series from Winston, renaming it the NEXTEL Cup Series.

Chase for the Cup

In 2004, NASCAR implemented a ten-race playoff system it called the "Chase for the Cup". After 26 races, the top 10 drivers in points (plus any driver within 400 points of the leader who may be outside the top 10) are placed in the "Chase". Eligible drivers' points are elevated to a level mathematically unattainable by anyone outside this field. Points are also bunched together in 5-point increments so the leader is 45 points ahead of 10th place. 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. This playoff system was implemented primarily to increase television ratings during the college and National Football League seasons, plus the Major League Baseball pennant race and post-season as well as the outset of the NHL and NBA and to make the points race more competitive. Previously, the 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. Drivers that are not in the "Chase" (not statistically able to win the championship) still race in the final ten races. Many long-time fans and several veteran drivers have decried the new format.

Historic moments

NASCAR racing has its share of great finishes. The closest finish in NASCAR history was at Darlington Raceway between Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch on March 16, 2003. Craven came in ahead by .002 seconds after the drivers raced the last stretch with their cars touching each other. See the picture [http://www.nascar.com/2003/news/headlines/wc/03/16/carolina_400/finish.jpg here.]

Races and racetracks

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, Michigan International Speedway). Other configurations are quad-oval (Lowe's Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway), oval with unequal ends (Darlington Raceway), and triangular (Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania). 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). Two courses (Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International) are complex shaped road courses. 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. 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" 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 lap speeds throughout the entire races including laps spent under caution. 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 NASCAR 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. As a safety measure to reduce speeds at the two high-banked superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega), a restrictor plate must be placed between the carburetor and intake manifold to restrict air and fuel flow and, therefore, power and horsepower. This has reduced speeds at these tracks to the point that higher speeds are now seen at some tracks where restrictor plates are not mandated, specifically Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. While Atlanta is generally considered the fastest track where restrictor plates are not mandated, in 2004 and 2005 higher qualifying speeds were posted at Texas, earning it the title of the circuit's fastest track. Unrestricted, NASCAR cars run at over 800 horsepower (600 kW).

Present racecars

While the manufacturers and models of automobiles for Nextel Cup and Busch Series racing are named for production cars (Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and the Ford Fusion), the similarities between Nextel Cup cars and actual production cars are limited to some shaping of the nose and grill areas. There have been reports that Toyota, led by Bill Davis Racing will enter the Cup Series in 2007. In the Craftsman Truck Series, the Chevrolet Silverado, the Dodge Ram and the Ford F150, as well as the only non-American brand in NASCAR, the Toyota Tundra, are used. NASCAR rules state the cars or trucks must be manufactured in the US if they are to be used in races. Tundra qualifies since it has always been manufactured in the US. The cars are high-powered, low-tech hot rods with a roll cage chassis and thin sheet metal covering, and are powered by carbureted engines with 4 speed manual transmissions. The engines are limited to 355 cubic inches (5.8 L), with cast iron blocks, one camshaft and a pushrod valvetrain. However, significant engine development has allowed these engines to reach exceedingly high levels of power with essentially 1950s technology. 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 is difficult to turn in a corner is said to be "tight", causing the car to want to keep going up the track with the wheel turned all the way left, while one that has a tendency to slide the rear end out is said to be "loose", causing the back end of the car to slide around which can result in the car spinning out if the driver is not careful. 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.

Safety

Safety in racing has come a long way since the first green flag dropped. Up until the last few years, NASCAR was heavily critizied for its lack of focus of safety. Many safety precautions were not mandatory, like they are in other racing series, but were only optional or recommended. NASCAR changed its stance on this after the sport's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt was killed in a racing accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Using new technology, NASCAR has tried to make racing as safe, and still as thrilling as ever to protect the drivers, fans, and keep racing exciting. The seats that the drivers sit in have evolved over the past few years. Most of the seats found in the race cars wrap around the driver's rib cage which provides some support during a crash, spreading the load out over the entire rib cage instead of letting it concentrate in a smaller area. Some of the newer seats wrap around the driver's shoulders as well, which provides better support because the shoulders are more durable than the rib cage. The seat belts in stock cars are very important. They are built to be stronger than a normal seat belt. The seat belts used are the five-point harness, which is two straps coming down over the driver's shoulders, two straps wrap around the waist and one comes up between the legs. Since a string of accidents in 2000 and 2001 that killed Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, Tony Roper and Dale Earnhardt under similar circumstances, NASCAR has made it mandatory for the drivers to wear the HANS Device (Head And Neck Support) to restrict head movement and subsequent neck injury during a crash. Though NASCAR allowed another system (Hutchens) in the past, as of 2005, HANS is the only head and neck restraint device allowed for use. It is a semi-hard collar made of carbon fiber and Kevlar, and it is held onto the upper body by a harness worn by the driver. Two flexible tethers on the collar are attached to the helmet to prevent the head from snapping forward or to the side during a wreck. In 1994, NASCAR introduced roof flaps to the car, which designed to keep cars from getting airborne and possibly rolling down the track. If the speed of the car is high enough, it will generate enough lift to pick up the car if it spins backwards. To prevent this, NASCAR officials developed a set of flaps that are recessed into pockets on the roof of the car. When a car is turned around, and is going fast enough, the flaps come up and disrupt the airflow over the roof, eliminating most of the lift. The roof flaps generally keep the cars on the ground as they spin, although it is not guaranteed. Beginning in the early 2000s, most tracks have installed softer walls and barriers along the track, called SAFER (Steal And Foam Energy Reduction) Barriers. Soft walls are typically built of aluminum and styrofoam; materials that can absorb the impact of a car at high speeds, as opposed to a concrete wall which absorbs little-to-none of the impact. There are four types of softer walls and barriers:
- Cellofoam — This is an encapsulated polystyrene barrier -- a block of plastic foam encased in polyethylene.
- Polyethylene Energy Dissipation System (PEDS) — This system uses small polyethylene cylinders inserted inside larger ones. Designers of PEDS believe the system increases the wall's ability to withstand crashes of heavy race cars.
- Impact Protection System (IPS) — This inner piece of the wall is then wrapped in a rubber casing. Holes are drilled in the concrete wall and cables are used to tie the segments to it.
- Compression barriers — This idea is to place cushioning materials, such as tires, against the concrete wall, and then cover those cushions with a smooth surface that would give when impacted, and then pop back out to its previous shape once the impact is over. Pit road safety has become the latest focus of NASCAR officials in recent years. At each track there are different speeds the cars are required to travel at (the speed depends on the size of the track and the size of pit road, generally 35 mph (60 km/h) on short tracks and road courses, 45 mph (70 km/h) on intermediate tracks and 55 mph (90 km/h) on superspeedways). NASCAR has placed a new electronic scoring system in use as of 2005 to monitor the speeds of cars on pit road by measuring the time it takes to get from checkpoint to checkpoint. As none of the cars are equipped with speedometers, the cars in prerace warm up laps are driven around the track at the pit road speed following the pace car so the drivers can mark on the tachometer the telemetry (term referring to the Revolutions Per Minute it takes to travel at the "speed limit") for the day. The tachometer then "guides" the speed of the car down pit road. Over the wall pit members are now required to wear helmets after a string of members were hit and in the open wheel series many members were ran over. In addition to the helmets, all members are required to wear full fire suits and gloves while the refueller must wear a fire apron as well as the suit. Tire changers must also wear safety glasses to prevent eye injures from lug nuts thrown off the car. As with changes to car models, NASCAR will institute new rules during a season if it deems it necessary to enhance safety.

North Carolina race shops

North Carolina has been deemed "NASCAR Valley" as 73% of all American motorsports employees work in North Carolina (this includes other motorsports series such as CART and ARCA). The majority of NASCAR teams are located in or near the Charlotte-metro area. Cities in North Carolina that are home to NASCAR teams include: Charlotte, Wilkesboro, Mooresville, Concord, Statesville, Huntersville, Welcome, Kernersville, Randleman, Greensboro, High Point, Harrisburg, and Kannapolis. Specifically, 82% of Nextel Cup teams, 72% of Busch Series teams, and 55% of Craftsman Truck Series teams are based in North Carolina. The majority of NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series drivers maintain their primary residences near Charlotte.

Other NASCAR racing series

In addition to the three main series, NASCAR operates several other racing circuits. Many local racetracks across the United States and Canada run under the Dodge Weekly Series banner, where local drivers are compared against each other in a formula where the best local track champion of the nation, as based on a formula, wins the Dodge Weekly Series National Championship. NASCAR also sanctions three regional racing divisions: The Whelen Modified Tour, which races open wheel "modified" cars in Northern and Southern divisions; the AutoZone Elite Division, which races late-model cars which are lighter and less powerful than Nextel Cup cars, split into four divisions, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, and Midwest; and the Grand National Division, which races in the Busch North and the West Series. Grand National cars are similar to Busch Series cars, although they are less powerful. In 2003, NASCAR standardized rules for its AutoZone Elite and Grand National divisions regional touring series as to permit cars in one series to race against cars in another series in the same division. The top 15 (Grand National) or 10 (AutoZone Elite) in each series will race in a one-race playoff, called the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, to determine the annual AutoZone Elite and Grand National champions. This event has been hosted at Irwindale Speedway in California since its inception. Many drivers move up through the series before reaching the NEXTEL Cup series. In 2002, over 9,000 drivers had licenses from NASCAR to race at all levels. The winners of the Dodge Weekly Series National Championship, the four AutoZone Elite Divisions, the two Whelen Modified and Grand National Divisions, and the three national series are invited to New York City in December to participate in Champions Week ceremonies which conclude with the annual awards banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

NASCAR and popular culture

Broadcast coverage

In the United States, television broadcast rights are split between FOX/FX and NBC/TNT, with FOX/FX airing the first half of the season (from the second race of the season, currently at California Speedway, to the last race before the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, currently at Infineon Raceway) and NBC/TNT airing the second half. The networks alternate coverage of the first and most famous race of the season, the Daytona 500, with Fox getting the odd years and NBC the even ones. For balance, the opposite network will air Daytona's July race, the Pepsi 400. The current television contract was signed for eight years for FOX/FX and six years for NBC/TNT and is valued at $2.4 billion (US) [http://www.forbes.com/2003/10/07/cx_pp_1007nascar.html]. FOX-owned Speed Channel carries the entire Craftsman Truck Series schedule. On December 7, 2005, NASCAR signed a new eight-year deal with FOX and Fox-owned SPEED Channel, Disney-owned ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, along with TNT that will begin in 2007. The rights were split up as such:
- FOX will carry the first 13 points races of the Nextel Cup Series, as well as the Budweiser Shootout and two Craftsman Truck Series races (including Daytona, and one TBD).
- TNT will carry the next 6 Nextel Cup races.
- ABC and ESPN will carry the final 17 Nextel Cup races, with ABC carrying the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard and the entire Chase for the Cup, and the entire Busch Series will be split between ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 (which will carry the majority of the races).
- SPEED Channel will carry the Gatorade Duel races and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the entire Craftsman Truck Series season, save for the two races carried by FOX.

Audio coverage

Audio coverage of all Nextel Cup, Busch Series, and the Craftsman Truck Series races is available in the United States on both satellite radio and regular over-the-air broadcast radio on both the AM and FM bands. XM Radio currently holds the exclusive satellite radio broadcast rights for all NASCAR coverage through the end of the 2006 season. On February 23 2005, NASCAR awarded the satellite radio contract to XM Radio's primary competitor Sirius Satellite Radio for exclusive satellite radio rights to the 2007 through 2011 racing seasons in exchange for $107 million dollars.[http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/23/technology/sirius_nascar/]. Motor Racing Network (MRN), a subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation (ISC), holds the over-the-air broadcast radio rights of 25 Nextel Cup races, all truck races, and 26 Busch Series races, as well as the Budweiser Shootout, the Gatorade Duel and Nextel All-Star Challenge. Performance Racing Network, a subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports, airs ten Cup races and nine Busch races. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway's network carries the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard. All broadcasts are also available (for a fee) via the web at NASCAR.com [http://www.NASCAR.com].

International coverage

NASCAR races in Canada are available on Rogers Sportsnet or TSN, in addition to FOX, NBC, or Speed Channel which are available in Canada and Mexico. In the United Kingdom, television coverage is available on North American Sports Network (NASN), a subscription channel on satellite. In New Zealand, Nextel Cup races are shown on Sky Sport.

Video games

Main article:NASCAR Video Games NASCAR has collaborated with Electronic Arts to develop several best-selling video games that simulate NASCAR racing. The current game is titled NASCAR 2006: Total Team Control. NASCAR has also licensed a pinball machine. [http://www.sternpinball.com/N.shtml] It is also rumored that NASCAR is releasing a video game for XBOX 360 but it is rumored that a biology teacher stated that idea.

Related television shows

- NASCAR Drivers: 360: A reality show on FX Networks that follows the life of several Nextel Cup drivers while off-the-track.
- NASCAR Gold: A report on CNBC that first aired on July 11, 2005, presented by Dylan Ratigan; the show focused on the business of NASCAR, especially the advertising by large companies
- NASCAR Nation: A weekly show on SPEED Channel that documents drivers' lives off the track, for example a community service event a driver participated in.
- Inside Nextel Cup: A weekly show on SPEED Channel that recaps the previous race, with commentary from drivers.
- NASCAR This Morning and Trackside: Weekly shows on the SPEED Channel that previews the upcoming race
- NASCAR Victory Lane: Weekly show that recaps each race on SPEED Channel
- NBS 24/7: Weekly show on SPEED Channel that focuses on drivers of the Busch Series

Perceptions of NASCAR

While the sport has grown tremendously, NASCAR still faces bias from many people who do not enjoy the sport.

Fan Demographics

Some bias comes from the belief that most NASCAR fans are rednecks because of the sport's Southern heritage; this stereotype is largely inaccurate. This constant opinion about Nascar comes from the humble southern roots thanks to Bill France. According to NASCAR, about 10% of NASCAR fans are African-American, which is a slightly smaller percentage of African-Americans than in the general population. This compares to the NFL, where African-American NFL fans represent about 11.7 percent of the total NFL base. The percentage of African-American NASCAR fans has grown by 86% since 1999. There have also been some attempts by NASCAR to bring in more African American fans into the seats, and drivers into the races. About 40% of fans are female and their numbers are rising. About 75% have attended college and more than 25% own their own homes. About 36% of NASCAR fans make more than $50,000 a year. Finally, NASCAR fans are evenly distributed across the country. For example, 20% of NASCAR fans live in the Northeast U.S.; this is in line with the general population--20% of the U.S. population lives in the Northeast. While the largest base of NASCAR tracks are in the Southern U.S., only 38% of the NASCAR fans live in the South.

Other criticisms

In addition, many detractors of the sport do not enjoy what they perceive as repetitive driving around an oval, the shape of most NASCAR tracks. There are also NASCAR critics claiming that the old technologies used in the 'stock cars', such as the use of carburetors, cast-iron pushrod engine block, and leaded racing fuel bears little resemblance to modern day street vehicles. It may also be noted that NASCAR vehicles may share very few attributes of the commercial models they are associated with; for example, the production Chevy MONTE CARLO weighs nearly the same as the NASCAR Chevy MONTE CARLO, but the NASCAR vehicle has an eight-cylinder V-type engine, whereas the production car has a six or small V8.

External links

- [http://www.nascar.com NASCAR.com] Official NASCAR Site
- [http://www.passion-nascar.com NASCAR in French]
- [http://www.racingone.com/mrn/stationaffiliates.asp Motor Racing Network Affiliates]
- [http://www.raceshops.com Locations of Major Race Shops]

News External links

- [http://www.thatsracin.com That's Racin': NASCAR News by Knight Ridder and The Charlotte Observer]
- [http://www.jayski.com Jayski's Silly Season Site: NASCAR News and Rumors]
- [http://www.gnextinc.com/nascar/ GNEXTINC.com: NASCAR Coverage]
- [http://speedtv.com/articles/auto/nascar/ SPEED TV News from SPEED Channel]
- [http://www.racinnation.com RacinNation.com: Current NASCAR News and Information]

References

- [http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/motor_sports/1336277.html NASCAR Technology]
- [http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=476206 Demographics of NASCAR fans]
- [http://www.racing-reference.com/index.jsp Racing-Reference.com Results of every race in NASCAR history]
- [http://sports-facts.com/nascar.htm Nascar Facts and News]

Notes

Note 1: The largest NASCAR tracks can accommodate upwards of 170,000 people in the stands and infield, dwarfing even the largest venues of other North American sports. Category:Stock car racing Category:Auto racing competitions Category:Auto racing organizations Category:Auto racing Category:Companies based in Florida Category:North Carolina ja:NASCAR

SBC 250

The SBC 250 is a NASCAR Busch Series race held at the Milwaukee Mile. From 1984-1985, the race was 200 laps, 200 miles long. From 1986-1992, no race was held. In 1993, the race returned, and was increased to 250 laps, 250 miles, a distance it has remained at since. The race has traditionally been Sunday afternoon race, while the Nextel Cup Series was at a different track, but in 2004, and again in 2005, it was held on Saturday night, under lights rented and run by Musco Lighting. See also: List of current NASCAR races

Past Winners

- 2005: Johnny Sauter (Race shortened to 200 laps by rain.)
- 2004: Ron Hornaday
- 2003: Jason Keller
- 2002: Greg Biffle
- 2001: Greg Biffle
- 2000: Jeff Green
- 1999: Casey Atwood
- 1998: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
- 1997: Randy LaJoie
- 1996: Buckshot Jones
- 1995: Dale Jarrett
- 1994: Mike Wallace
- 1993: Steve Grissom
- 1985: Jack Ingram
- 1984: Sam Ard Category:NASCAR Busch Series races

Craftsman Truck Series

The Craftsman Truck Series is a popular NASCAR racing series that features modified pickup trucks.

History

The idea for the Truck Series dates back to 1993, when a group of off road racers made a prototype for a NASCAR-style pickup truck. These were first shown off during the 1994 Daytona 500, and a number of demonstration races were held during the season. These trucks proved to be extremely popular, and it led to NASCAR creating the series, originally known as the "SuperTruck Series", in 1995. While a new series, it managed to garner a lot of support from prominent Winston Cup people immediately. Prominent Cup owners Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, and Jack Roush owned truck teams, and top drivers such as Dale Earnhardt and Ernie Irvan also fielded SuperTrucks for others. The series became known as the Craftsman Truck Series in 1996. Initially, the series used a number of rules that differed from both Nextel Cup and Busch Series racing. To save teams money by not requiring teams to hire pit specialists and buy extra tires, and because some tracks -- Saugus, CA, Flemington, NJ, Tucson, AZ, and Dacono, CO most notably -- did not have a pit road safe enough for pit stops, or had pits outside the track, starting with the second race of the series in Tucson, AZ, NASCAR adopted a ten-minute "halftime" break, in place of pit stops, where teams could make any changes they'd want to the truck. The only time tire changes were possible were for the interest of safety, such as a tire failure, or a danger to the tire. The rule was popular with television and fans, and was spread for the entire schedule afterwards as pit reporters could interview drivers and crew chiefs for the break in a time without stress. For a short time in 1995, NASCAR adopted traditional short-track rules by inverting a number of cars at the front of the grid after complaints about some races where drivers led the entire event. That was dropped quickly. In 1996, some races went to two intermissions for full tire and fuel stops, while longer races were stopped at three times -- a limited break near the one-quarter and three-quarter marks for fuel stops, and at the halfway point for fuel and tire stops. If tire wear was a concern, NASCAR also permitted two tire changes if necessary in the first and third period breaks. These rules were influential in driver development. Drivers had to learn to conserve tire wear for up to a half race, which allowed them to learn conserving the truck. Some drivers used the rules to learn tire conservation for other series. In 1997, NASCAR started phasing pit stops. During the 1997 season, trucks could only legally take fuel and make adjustments during pit stops during the race. Tire changes were still illegal except for emergency causes and at break times. In mid-1998, at Fountain, CO, NASCAR switched to limited pit stops resembling other series where only two tires could be changed during caution periods. The rule was later removed and teams could change four tires, although there is a limit of how many sets a team could have during the entire race weekend, usually four sets per weekend. A more popular rule that was effective until the middle of the 2004 season was the "overtime" rule. Unless interrupted by weather, Craftsman Truck Series races had to end under green flag conditions, and the rule mandated that all races must end with at least two laps in green flag condition, often referred to as a "green-white-checkered" finish. Now with the adoption of "green-white-checkered" among NASCAR's 3 touring series, one "green-white-checkered" finish must be attempted but if a caution flag is thrown during that attempt, the race will end under yellow. Previously, attempts had to be made until the race finished under green, which led to up to 4 or 5 attempts. The last such race, in Madison, IL, in 2004, lasted 14 additional laps (16.25 miles). In the first year of the series, the trucks ran on circuits of a mile in length or less as well as two road courses. Most of the first races were no longer than 125 miles in length, with many being 150 lap races on short tracks, and were nationally televised on ESPN, TNN, WTBS, ABC, and CBS. A number of races were held at tracks that hosted only NASCAR regional events. By 1998, most of the short tracks were phased out in favor of speedways of 1 to 2 miles in length, and more of the races were held at tracks that hosted Cup and Busch events concurrently, but some races were held with Champ Car and Indy Racing League events. Road courses were phased out by 2001. Most races nowadays will last around 250 miles at larger tracks, 150 to 200 miles at most others, and 200-250 laps around the shortest tracks. In 2001, NASCAR moved the series exclusively to cable, first with ESPN, and in 2003, switched to Speed Channel. Starting in 2007, FOX will carry two NCTS races - the opener at Daytona and one other race TBA. Most of the first drivers in the series were veteran short trackers who hadn't made it into the other NASCAR series. It is worth noting that most of the early champions have used their title to become Nextel Cup regulars at one point in their careers. As the years went on, a number of younger drivers debuted in the series, using the series as a springboard for their racing careers. Current NASCAR stars Scott Riggs, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, and Kyle Busch each started in the series. Kyle Busch was 16 when thrown out of a 2001 Craftsman Truck Series race in Fontana, CA by CART (which sanctioned the Marlboro 500 that weekend) because tobacco sponsorship regulations prohibited competitors under 18 in any race during the meet, and resulted in a 2002 NASCAR minimum age requirement of 18. In later years, though, the Truck series has also become a place for Cup veterans without a ride to make their living (which currently includes Ricky Craven, Ted Musgrave, Jimmy Spencer, Dennis Setzer, Brendan Gaughan, Rich Bickle, Andy Houston, Todd Bodine, Bobby Hamilton and previous champions Mike Skinner, Ron Hornaday and Jack Sprague). In 2001, the first website to exclusively cover the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was launched entitled TruckSeries.com (http://www.truckseries.com). The website features include downloadable audio interviews, photos, podcasting, Live! Bud Pole Qualifying, race results, TrackSideLive! raceday coverage for free and does not require registration. see also 2005 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

List of Champions

Category:NASCAR series [http://www.nascar.com/series/ct/ NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Website]
[http://www.racinnation.com RacinNation.com: Current NASCAR News and Information]

Champ Car World Series

Champ Car, a shortened form of "Championship Car", has been the name for a class of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades. It is is also the common name for the Champ Car World Series, a North American open-wheel racing series that was formerly known as CART, or Championship Auto Racing Teams. The series was formerly known as the CART PPG IndyCar World Series and the CART FedEx Championship Series.

The Champ Car World Series (CCWS)

As of 2005, Champ Car is the official name of the racing series that has been promoted as Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford since early 2003. Champ Car, as a corporate entity, replaced CART in 2004 after Championship Auto Racing Teams Inc., a company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, filed for bankruptcy. CART was founded in November 1978 by Roger Penske, Pat Patrick, Dan Gurney, and several other team owners who had been participating in USAC events involving cars known as Champ Cars and IndyCars. They oversaw the day-to-day business and sanctioning of Champ Car racing at locations that today include the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia. The Champ Car organization runs the Champ Car World Series and the Toyota Atlantic Championship. Champ Car also operates the Trans-Am Series in a cooperative agreement with SCCA Pro Racing.

Comparison with Formula One car

A Champ Car is a single seater (commonly called open wheel) racing car. For much of their history Champ Cars have been similar to Formula One cars, although there have traditionally been several key differences between the two.
- Over the years, Champ Cars raced mainly on high speed oval tracks. The increased stress and speed of these tracks mean that the cars tended to be heavier and more sluggish than F1 cars, which race exclusively on road and street courses.
- Since the late 1960s Champ Cars have used turbocharged engines. Turbos were banned in Formula One on safety grounds in 1989. For some periods of their history, notably in the early 1970s and late 1990s, turbocharging gave Champ Cars up to 300 horsepower (220 kW) more than F1 cars - in qualifying trim, the Champ Cars could at one time approach 1000 horsepower (750 kW) before regulations on turbo boost were tightened. The current generation of cars are now less powerful than F1 cars, and the turbo is used mainly to improve the spectacle rather than lap-times with the so-called 'push-to-pass' system giving drivers an increased amount of power for a limited duration during the race. Another reason for retaining the turbocharger is with many city street races on the calendar, the muffling effect it has on the exhaust note helps keep the cars inside noise-limits.
- Champ Cars use methanol for fuel rather than gasoline, and refuelling has always been permitted during the race. This is a legacy of a crash at the 1964 Indianapolis 500 in which a crash involving cars filled with more than 75 US gallons (285 L) of gasoline killed two drivers in an immense fireball. Until 1994, when refuelling was re-introduced to F1, the prominent coupling for the refuelling hose was a notable difference between Champ Cars and European Formula cars.
- Champ Cars continue to have sculpted undersides to create ground effect. This innovation was originally created in Formula One by Lotus in 1978, and was immediately used on the Chaparral Champ Car in 1979. F1 banned ground effects for safety reasons in 1982.
- While F1 and GP2 use grooved tires to limit performance, Champ Cars remain using tread-less 'slick' racing tires. To make races more unpredictable, drivers are permitted to use one set of higher performance softer compound tires. Informally called 'alternates', these tires are made visible to the spectators by their red sidewalls.
- Unlike in F1, Champ Car teams are not obliged to construct their own chassis, and in recent times have tended to buy chassis constructed by independent suppliers such as Lola, Reynard and March. The most notable exception was Penske Racing, although they also bought other cars when their own chassis was uncompetitive. For many years Champ Cars were also called "Indy Cars" after the Indianapolis 500. However, since 1996 they have not run at the Indianapolis 500 as that race became part of the separate Indy Racing League which uses different specifications for its cars. The term IndyCar is now trademarked to the IRL in the United States, but Champ Car races in Australia and Canada continue to bear the Indy name.

History

Canada In 1909 the American Automobile Association (AAA) established the national driving championship and became the first sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States. In 1956, the United States Automobile Club (USAC) was founded to take over sanctioning from the AAA which ceased sanctioning auto racing in the general outrage over motor racing safety that followed the Pierre Levegh disaster at Le Mans Sarthe. USAC controlled the championship until 1979. In that year, CART began operating its own competing series, which quickly became dominant. The split away from USAC in 1979 was spurred by a group of activist car owners who had grown disenchanted with what they saw as an inept sanctioning body. Complaining of poor promotion and small purses, this group coalesced around Dan Gurney, who, in early 1978, wrote what came to be known as the "Gurney White Paper", the blueprint for an organization called Championship Auto Racing Teams. Gurney took his inspiration from the improvements Bernie Ecclestone had forced on Formula 1 with his creation of the Formula One Constructors Association. The white paper called for the owners to form CART as an advocacy group to promote USAC's national championship, doing the job where the sanctioning body wouldn't. The group would also work to negotiate television rights and race purses, and ideally hold seats on USAC's governing body. Gurney, joined by other leading team owners including Roger Penske and Pat Patrick, took their demands to USAC's board and were turned down flat. This rejection turned disenchantment into defiance. In 1979, the rebel team owners laid plans to run CART, their own racing series, competing with the established USAC National Championship. The new series quickly gained the support of the vast majority of USAC Champ Car team and track owners, with the only notable holdout being A.J. Foyt. As the morning of March 11, 1979 dawned, the open-wheel landscape had been transformed. The formerly all-powerful USAC was left with a slim, hodge-podge schedule of seven races, while CART could lay claim to the sport's notable drivers and tracks—except Foyt and Indianapolis. On that day, CART—sanctioned then by the Sports Car Club of America—dropped the green flag on its very first race, the Arizona Republic/Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix International Raceway. Gordon Johncock would claim the checkered flag, but it was Rick Mears who would go on to capture the inaugural CART championship. USAC's competing championship was dominated by Foyt, but it would be the last National Championship for both the driver and the sanctioning body, as USAC relented at the end of the season and folded its National Championship Trail. Champ Car, like its predecessor USAC, was dominated by North American drivers the 1990s. Many road-racing stars, including Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal, and Danny Sullivan found success in the then-PPG IndyCar World Series. After former F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi won the series title in 1989, the floodgates of talented South American and European drivers began to open. These pilots discovered that competing in Champ Car could often be more lucrative than an average career in F1 and consequently there was an increased presence of non US drivers (from mainly F1 and the European Formula 3000). The easy victory of world champion Nigel Mansell in 1993 highlighted the competitiveness of non-US drivers which some interpreted as superiority. This, combined with CART's move to include more road racing on the schedule, led to a split of the series after the 1995 season due to a dispute between egos at CART and Tony George, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. George went on to form a new racing series, the Indy Racing League (IRL), which initially included an- all oval schedule, all races on US soil and mostly American drivers. In the early years of the split, CART seemed to be dominant. It controlled most of the races and most of the "name" drivers, while George's primary asset was Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its 500. The first IRL schedule consisted of only four races, including the 500, and most of the drivers, even in the Indy 500, were virtual unknowns. The only major mistake that CART made early on seemed to be its attempt to create a rival showcase event, the U.S. 500, at Michigan International Speedway on the same day as the Indy 500. This event proved a failure with regard to both live gate and television ratings and was soon moved and then discontinued. In 2000\, CART designated the Vanderbilt Cup as its series championship trophy. During the 2003 offseason, CART went bankrupt, and shares of the stock were worth only 25 cents. The assets of CART were liquidated and put up for sale. Tony George made a bid for the company in an attempt to bury the series once and for all, while a trio of CART owners (Gerald Forsythe, Paul Gentilozzi, and Kevin Kalkhoven), who had formed the OWRS (Open Wheel Racing Series), also made bids. In the end, a judge ruled that the OWRS group should be the purchaser of CART, which ensured a 25th anniversary season in 2004, running as Champ Car. Today, there are still many questions about the future of the series, particularly whether or not it will continue the series' long-running tradition of American road races. In the past two seasons, several traditional circuit venues have been dropped in favor of street courses, which some fans view as counterproductive and damaging to the health of the sport. A dearth of noteworthy, name drivers has also hurt the series in its quest to recapture the popularity it held in the early 1990s. However, new owners Forsythe, Gentilozzi, and Kalkhoven have so far demonstrated a commitment to the series, notably expressed in their November 2004 purchase from Ford of the sole engine supplier, Cosworth Racing. While the owners may have no qualms about spending the money it will take to build Champ Car back up, whether their efforts will be successful or not is a question that can only be answered by time.

Specifications

Cosworth A Champ Car has a Ford (Cosworth) turbocharged, 2.65 litre (162 in³) displacement V8 engine, fuelled by methanol to produce about 650 kW (850 horsepower). It has a top speed of about 390 km/h (240 mph). The car is 4.8 to 5.1 m (190 to 199 inches) long, weighs 700 kg (1,550 pounds), and sits on a 3.0 to 3.2 m (120 to 126 inch) wheelbase.

2005 race locations

- Long Beach, California (Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach), April 8–10
- Monterrey, Mexico (Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey), May 20–22
- West Allis, Wisconsin (Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225), June 2–4
- Portland, Oregon (Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland), June 17–19
- Cleveland, Ohio (Grand Prix of Cleveland), June 24–26
- Toronto, Canada (Molson Indy Toronto), July 8–10
- Edmonton, Canada (West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix of Edmonton), July 15–17
- San Jose, California (Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San José), July 29–31
- Denver, Colorado (Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver), August 12–14
- Montreal, Canada (Molson Indy Montreal), August 26–28
- Las Vegas, Nevada (Las Vegas Motor Speedway), September 22–24
- Surfer's Paradise, QLD, Australia (Lexmark Indy 300), October 21–23
- Mexico City, Mexico (Grand Premio de México), November 4–6

2006 race locations

- Long Beach, California (Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach), April 7–9
- Houston, Texas (Race Name to named later), May 12–13
- Monterrey, Mexico (Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey), May 19–21
- West Allis, Wisconsin (Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225), June 2–4
- Portland, Oregon (Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland), June 16–18
- Cleveland, Ohio (Grand Prix of Cleveland), June 23–25
- Toronto, Canada (Molson Indy Toronto), July 7–9
- Edmonton, Canada (West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix of Edmonton), July 21–23
- San Jose, California (Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San Jose), July 28–30
- Denver, Colorado (Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver), August 11–13
- Montreal, Canada (Molson Indy Montreal), August 25–27
- Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, (Road America) September 21–23
- Ansan, South Korea (Champ Car World Grand Prix of Ansan), October 13–15
- Surfer's Paradise, Australia (Lexmark Indy 300), October 20–22
- Mexico City, Mexico (Grand Premio de México), November 3–5

Notes

- Molson Indy Montreal race may be off schedule in 2006, depending on the outcome of a lawsuit between Champ Car and Montreal promoter Normand Legault.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Beijing, China could each host street races in 2006, depending on both sides meeting to terms.

2007 Season

Champ Car officials have confirmed that Panoz will be the sole supplier of Champ Cars for three years from 2007. The Panoz DP01 will be built by sister company Elan Motorsports Technologies and will be powered by a turbo-charged Cosworth engine. They will sell badging to various automotive manufacterers.

Champions

CART Season Champions: (1979 to 2003)

Champ Car World Series Season Champions: (2004—)

- 2004 - Sebastien Bourdais, France
- 2005 - Sebastien Bourdais, France

Rookies of the Year

CART Rookies of the Year: (1979 to 2003)

- 1979 - Bill Alsup, United States
- 1980 - Dennis Firestone, United States
- 1981 - Bob Lazier, United States
- 1982 - Bobby Rahal, United States
- 1983 - Teo Fabi, Italy
- 1984 - Roberto Guerrero, Colombia
- 1985 - Arie Luyendyk, Dutch
- 1986 - Dominic Dobson, United States
- 1987 - Fabrizio Barbazza, Italy
- 1988 - John Jones, Canada
- 1989 - Bernard Jourdain, Mexico
- 1990 - Eddie Cheever, United States
- 1991 - Jeff Andretti, United States
- 1992 - Stefan Johansson, Sweden
- 1993 - Nigel Mansell, England
- 1994 - Jacques Villeneuve, Canada
- 1995 - Gil de Ferran, Brazil
- 1996 - Alex Zanardi, Italy
- 1997 - Patr