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Joplin, Missouri

Joplin, Missouri

:Alternate uses: see Joplin (disambiguation). Joplin (disambiguation) Joplin is a city located in parts of southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of Missouri. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 45,504. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County (though it is not the county seat). It is the home of NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray. It has also been home to Jackass' Preston Lacy.

History

Lead was discovered in the Joplin Creek Valley before the Civil War, but it was only after the war that any real development occurred. By 1873 numerous mining camps had sprung up in the valley and resident John C. Cox filed a plan for a city on the east side of the valley. Cox named his village Joplin City after the spring and creek nearby. The namesake comes from the Reverend Harris G. Joplin who founded the first Methodist congregation in the area in mid-century. Carthage resident Patrick Murphy filed a plan for a city on the opposite side of the valley and named it Murphysburg. The cities eventually merged into Union City, but this merger was found illegal and the two cities split. They merged again, this time permanently, a short time later as the City of Joplin. By the turn of the century Joplin was quick becoming a regional metropolis. Construction centered around Main Street, with many bars, hotels, and fine homes scattered about. Trolley and rail lines made Joplin the hub of Southwest Missouri and it soon became the lead and zinc capital of the world. Notable places in Joplin included the House of Lords, the Connor Hotel, the Keystone Hotel, the Newman Mercantile Store, the Frisco Depot, the Union Depot, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the Liberty Building, the Fox Theatre, and the Crystal Cave. Notable people in Joplin's history include Mickey Mantle who played with the Joplin Miners minor league baseball team, and Thomas Hart Benton, who began his art career with a local newspaper. St. Louis Cardinals manager Gabby Street and actors Lonny Chapman, Bob Cummings, J. Eddie Peck, and Dennis Weaver also are natives to Joplin. After World War II, most of the mines were closed, population growth leveled off, and in the sixties and seventies nearly 40 acres (160,000 m²) of the city's beautiful and historic downtown were razed in the name of "urban renewal." Joplin has always been a center of learning. The college of "Physicians and Doctors" opened in an early day, and today Joplin is home to three major colleges including Ozark Christian College, and Missouri Southern State University. As the area's population center it is the home to the area's major hospitals including Freeman West, Freeman East, and St. John's. The city also has a fine park system that includes a golf course, three swimming pools, walking trails, the world's largest Chert Glades, and Missouri's largest natural waterfall, Grand Falls, on Shoal Creek just south of town. Included in Schifferdecker Park is the Everett J. Ritchie Tri-State Mineral Museum and Dorothea B. Hoover Historical Museum. The mineral museum features a collection that rivals the Smithsonian with its contents. Numerous buildings still exist in Joplin that are on the National Register of Historic Places. Joplin remains a regional economic powerhouse, with numerous trucking lines headquartered in town, as it is situated strategically near the geographic and population centers of the nation. Eagle-Picher Industries and F.A.G. Bearings are headquartered in Joplin, and Leggett & Platt (Fortune 500) is located in nearby Carthage. The city is served by the Joplin Regional Airport located north of town near Webb City. In the nineties the city continued to expand eastward towards U.S. 71 (future I-49) and largescale development occurred along Rangeline Road, particularly around Northpark Mall. Growth has also occurred in many of the "bedroom communities" surrounding Joplin. Webb City, Neosho, Pittsburg, and Carthage all have populations of at least 10,000. There are numerous other suburbs that touch the city itself including Carl Junction, Duquesne, Airport Drive, Oronogo, Carterville, Reddings Mill, Shoal Creek Drive, Sunnyvale, Leawood, and Saginaw. The Joplin Metropoplitan Area is now well over 100,000 and during business hours the population of the city itself swells to near that number. Joplin, Missouri is the birthplace of:
- Langston Hughes (1902-1967), poet and writer
- Mrs. Miller (1907 - 1997), singer

Geography

Joplin is located at 37°4'40" North, 94°30'40" West (37.077760, -94.511024). Joplin is located just to the north of Highway I-44, near its passage to the west into Oklahoma. In recent years the settlements of Joplin have spread north to about Webb City. Route 66 passes through Joplin and town's name is mentioned in the lyrics to the song, "Route 66". According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 81.6 km² (31.5 mi²). 81.4 km² (31.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.25% water.

Education

Joplin is home to Missouri Southern State University

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 45,504 people, 19,101 households, and 11,517 families residing in the city. The population density is 559.2/km² (1,448.4/mi²). There are 21,328 housing units at an average density of 262.1/km² (678.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 91.44% White, 2.67% African American, 1.53% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. 2.51% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 19,101 households out of which 27.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% are married couples living together, 12.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% are non-families. 32.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.28 and the average family size is 2.89. In the city the population is spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 13.5% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.0 males. The median income for a household in the city is $30,555, and the median income for a family is $38,888. Males have a median income of $28,569 versus $20,665 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,738. 14.8% of the population and 10.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line..

External links

Category:Cities in Missouri Category:Jasper County, Missouri Category:Communities on U.S. Highway 66

Joplin (disambiguation)

Joplin is the name of two places in the United States:
- Joplin, Missouri
- Joplin, Montana Joplin is the name of a few notable musicians:
- Scott Joplin
- Janis Joplin
- Josh Joplin

Jasper County, Missouri

Jasper County is a county located in the state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population is 104,686. Its county seat is Carthage6. Jasper County is notable as one of the few counties whose largest city, Joplin, is not the county seat. The county was organized in 1841 and named for Sgt. William Jasper, hero of the American Revolutionary War.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,661 km² (641 mi²). 1,657 km² (640 mi²) of it is land and 4 km² (2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.25% water.

Adjacent counties


- Barton County (north)
- Dade County (northeast)
- Lawrence County (east)
- Newton County (south)
- Cherokee County, Kansas (west)
- Crawford County, Kansas (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there are 104,686 people, 41,412 households, and 27,953 families residing in the county. The population density is 63/km² (164/mi²). There are 45,571 housing units at an average density of 28/km² (71/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 92.58% White, 1.48% Black or African American, 1.33% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.62% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. 3.45% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 41,412 households out of which 32.00% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.50% are married couples living together, 11.10% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% are non-families. 27.20% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.30% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 2.98. In the county the population is spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.20 males. The median income for a household in the county is $31,323, and the median income for a family is $37,611. Males have a median income of $28,573 versus $20,386 for females. The per capita income for the county is $16,227. 14.50% of the population and 10.40% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.20% of those under the age of 18 and 10.30% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Cities and towns


- Airport Drive
- Alba
- Asbury
- Avilla
- Brooklyn Heights
- Carl Junction
- Carterville
- Carthage
- Carytown
- Duenweg
- Duquesne
- Fidelity
- Jasper
- Joplin
- La Russell
- Maxville
- Neck City
- Oronogo
- Purcell
- Reeds
- Sarcoxie
- Waco
- Webb City
---- Category:Missouri counties

Newton County, Missouri

Newton County is a county located in the state of Missouri. The county was organized in 1838 and named for Sgt. John Newton, Revolutionary War hero. As of 2000, the population is 52,636. Its county seat is Neosho6.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,623 km² (627 mi²). 1,622 km² (626 mi²) of it is land and 1 km² (0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.04% water.

Adjacent counties


- Jasper County (north)
- Lawrence County (northeast)
- Barry County (southeast)
- McDonald County (south)
- Ottawa County, Oklahoma (west)
- Cherokee County, Kansas (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there are 52,636 people, 20,140 households, and 14,742 families residing in the county. The population density is 32/km² (84/mi²). There are 21,897 housing units at an average density of 14/km² (35/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 93.26% White, 0.59% Black or African American, 2.23% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.28% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. 2.18% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 20,140 households out of which 33.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% are married couples living together, 8.80% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% are non-families. 22.70% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.70% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.00. In the county the population is spread out with 26.30% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.30 males. The median income for a household in the county is $35,041, and the median income for a family is $40,616. Males have a median income of $30,057 versus $21,380 for females. The per capita income for the county is $17,502. 11.60% of the population and 8.10% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.20% of those under the age of 18 and 9.50% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Cities and towns


- Cliff Village
- Dennis Acres
- Diamond
- Fairview
- Granby
- Grand Falls Plaza
- Joplin
- Leawood
- Loma Linda
- Neosho
- Newtonia
- Racine
- Redings Mill
- Ritchey
- Saginaw
- Seneca
- Shoal Creek Drive
- Shoal Creek Estates
- Silver Creek
- Stark City
- Stella
- Tipton Ford
- Wentworth

External links


- [http://www.rootsweb.com/~monewton/newton.html Rootsweb, Newton County, Missouri] ---- Category:Missouri counties

2000

This article is about the year 2000. For other uses of 2000, see 2000 (number) or 2000 (breakdancing move). 2000 (MM) is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. Popular culture also holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium. By strict interpretation of the Gregorian Calendar, however, this distinction falls to the year 2001. This is due to the fact that the first century began with the year 1, and there does not exist a year zero. The first century (or first 100 years AD) was from January 1, in the year one (1 AD) through December 31, in the year one-hundred (100 AD). The second century began on January 1, in the year one-hundred and one (101 AD). The year 2000 is also marked as:
- The International Year for a Culture of Peace.
- The World Mathematical Year. See also Wikipedia's almanac of events for this year.

Events

January


- January 1 - Millennium celebrations take place throughout the world. Y2K passes without the serious, widespread computer failures and malfunctions that had been predicted.
- January 5-January 8 - The 2000 al-Qaida Summit
- January 6 - The last remaining Pyrenean Ibex is found dead.
- January 10 - America On-line announces an agreement to buy Time Warner for $162 billion. This is the largest-ever corporate merger.
- January 11 - the armed wing of Islamic Salvation Front concludes its negotiations with the government for an amnesty and disbands in Algeria.
- January 11 - The trawler Solway Harvester sinks off the Isle of Man.
- January 14 - A United Nations tribunal sentences five Bosnian Croats up to 25 years for the 1993 killing of over 100 Bosnian Muslims in a Bosnian village.
- January 16 - In Sacramento, California a commercial truck carrying evaporated milk is driven into the state capitol building killing the driver.
- January 24 - God's Army, Karen militia group led by twins Johnny and Luther Htoo, take 700 hostages at a Thai hospital near the Burmese border.
- January 30 - St. Louis Rams 23 defeat the Tennessee Titans 16 to win the Super_Bowl_XXXIV
- January 30 - Off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing 169. Within a day, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashes off the California coast into the Pacific Ocean, killing 88.
- January 31 - Dr. Harold Shipman in sentenced to life in prison for murder of at least 15 of his patients out of 365 suspected victims.

February


- February 4 - German extortionist Klaus-Peter Sabotta is jailed for life for attempted murder and extortion in connection with sabotage of German railway lines.
- February 6 - Tarja Halonen is elected the first Finnish female president.
- February 13 - Final original Peanuts comic strip is published.
- February 14 - The spacecraft NEAR Shoemaker entered orbit around asteroid 433 Eros, the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid.

March


- March 1 - The Constitution of Finland is rewritten.
- March 2 - Hans Blix assumes the position of Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC.
- March 8 - Tokyo train disaster.
- March 9 - FBI arrests suspected purveyor of art forgeries, Ely Sakhai, in New York City.
- March 10 - The NASDAQ Composite Index reaches an all-time high of 5048. ([http://dynamic.nasdaq.com/dynamic/IndexChart.asp?symbol=IXIC&desc=NASDAQ+Composite&sec=nasdaq&site=nasdaq&months=84])
- March 18 - 2000 Taiwanese presidential election: Chen Shui-bian is elected President of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
- March 20 - Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a former Black Panther, is captured after gun battle that left a sheriff's deputy dead.
- March 21 - Pope John Paul II began the first office visit by a Roman Catholic pontiff to Israel.
- March 21 - US Supreme Court ruled the goverment lacked authority to regulate tobacco as an addictive drug, throwing out the Clinton administration's main anti-smoking initiative.
- March 26 - Presidential elections in Russia: Vladimir Putin elected President.
- March 30 - America's Cup 2000 retained by Team New Zealand near Auckland. Prada Challenge 2000 lost 0-5 in a "best-of-9".

April

April.]]
- April 1 - Japanese prime minister Keizo Obuchi suffers a stroke and falls into a coma.
- April 3 - United States v. Microsoft: Microsoft is ruled to have violated United States antitrust laws by keeping "an oppressive thumb" on its competitors.
- April 5 - Yoshiro Mori replaces Obuchi as prime minister of Japan.
- April 7 - Attack submarine ex-Trepang completes being recycled.
- April 16 - Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, Raja of Perlis dies after a reign of 55 years. He was the longest reigning monarch in the world since the death of Prince Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein.
- April 17 - Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin becomes Raja of Perlis.
- April 22 - In a predawn raid, federal agents seize six-year old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami, Florida and fly him to his Cuban father in Washington, DC ending one of the most publicized custody battles in US history.
- April 25 - The State of Vermont passes HB847, legalizing Civil Unions for same-sex couples.

May


- May 3 - A rare conjunction occurs on the New Moon including all seven of the traditional celestial bodies known from ancient times up until 1781 with the discovery of Uranus. The May 2000 conjunction consisted of: the Sun and Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
- May 3 - Computer pioneer Datapoint Corporation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- May 12 - The Tate Modern opens in London.
- May 13 - In Enschede a heavy fireworks explosion kills 20 and leaves an entire neighborhood in ruins.
- May 18 - Boo.com collapses due to lack of funds after six months.
- May 25 - Israel withdraws IDF troops from southern Lebanon after 22 years.
- May 28 - The volcano Mount Cameroon erupts.

June


- June 1 - Mark Mendlan, professional wrestler known by his ring name "Kid Gorgeous," is killed while wrestling at a show in New Hampshire.
- June 7 - U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson of the 4th circuit ordered the breakup of Microsoft Corp.
- June 10 - The New Jersey Devils defeat the Dallas Stars 4 games to 2 to win the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals.
- June 10 - The 2000 European Football Championship begins, hosted jointly by Belgium and the Netherlands.
- June 21 - Section 28, a law preventing the promotion of homosexuality is repealed by the Scottish Parliament.
- June 23 - Palace Backpackers Hostel fire in Childers, Queensland, Australia, kills 15 people.
- June 30 - During a set of the band Pearl Jam at the Roskilde Festival near Copenhagen, 9 die and 26 are injured in the crowd.

July

July
- July 2 - France beat Italy 2-1 to win the 2000 European Football Championship with a golden goal.
- July 2 - Presidential election of Mexico. Vicente Fox wins the Presidency as candidate of the rightist PAN (National Action Party).
- July 10 - In southern Nigeria, a leaking petroleum pipeline explodes killing about 250 villagers who were scavenging gasoline
- July 10 - Death of Denis O Conor Donn, died 10th July 2000, aged 88; succeded by his son, Desmond as The O Connor Donn
- July 18 - Alex Salmond resigns as the leader of the Scottish National Party
- July 25 - A Concorde carrying Air France Flight 4590 crashes just after takeoff from Paris killing all 109 aboard and 5 on the ground.

August


- August 1 - The Santa Cruz Operation announced that it will sell its Server Software and Services Divisions, as well as UnixWare and OpenServer technologies, to Caldera Systems,Inc.
- August 8 - Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley is raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor.
- August 12 - The Russian submarine Kursk sinks in the Barents Sea, resulting in the deaths of all 118 men on board.
- August 14 - The first comic of Megatokyo goes online. This webcomic will later become one of the most popular comics on the web (in terms of page views) and spawn numerous imitators.
- August 25 - the Emulex hoax - wire services publish fraudulent bad news about Emulex
- August 27 - The Ostankino Tower in Moscow catches fire, three people are killed.

September


- September 5 - Tuvalu joins the United Nations.
- September 6 - In New York City, the United Nations Millennium Summit begins with more than 180 world leaders present.
- September 6 - The last wholly Swedish-owned arms manufacturer, Bofors, is sold to American arms manufacturer United Defense
- September 7–14 - The UK fuel protests take place, with refineries blockaded, and supply to the country's network of petrol stations halted.
- September 8 - Albania officially joins the World Trade Organization.
- September 15 - The 2000 Summer Olympics are opened in Sydney, Australia.
- September 16 - Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze is last seen alive; this day is taken as the commemoration date of his death.
- September 24 - The American Family Association begins lobbying the U.S. Congress to eradicate the National Endowment for the Arts for funding the controversial book One of the Guys by Robert Clark Young
- September 26 - Anti-globalization protests in Prague (some 15,000 protesters) turned violent during the IMF and World Bank summits.
- September 28 - Ariel Sharon leads several hundred armed Israelis in a visit to the Temple Mount. Palestinian civil disorder increases into the Al-Aqsa Intifada.
- September 29 - The Long Kesh prison in Northern Ireland is closed.

October


- October 2 NBC Today Show expanded it to three hours (7:00–10:00 A.M. Eastern Time/Pacific Time; 6:00–9:00 A.M. Central Time/Mountain Time)
- October 5 - President Slobodan Milošević leaves office after widespread demonstrations throughout Serbia and the withdrawal of Russian support.
- October 11 - 250 million gallons of coal sludge spill in Martin County, Kentucky. Considered a greater environmental disaster than the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
- October 12 - In Aden, Yemen, the USS Cole is badly damaged by two suicide bombers who placed a small boat laden with explosives along-side the United States Navy destroyer, killing 17 crew members and wounding at least 39.
- October 21 15 Arab leaders convened in Cairo, Egypt, for their first summit in four years; the Libyan delegation walked out, angry over signs the summit would stop short of calling for breaking ties with Israel.
- October 22 – Mainichi Shinbun exposes Japanese archeologist Shinichi Fujimura as a fraud; Japanese archaeologists had based their treatises of his findings.
- October 26 - Pakistani authorities announce that their police have found an apparently ancient mummy of a persian princess in the province of Baluchistan. Iran, Pakistan and the Taliban all claim the mummy until Pakistan announces it is a forgery in April 17 2001
- October 31 - Singapore Airlines Flight 006 collides with construction equipment in the Chiang Kai Shek International Airport - 83 dead.
- October 31 - The last Jeremy clone has shut down.

November

November
- November - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq rejects new U.N. Security Council weapons inspections proposals
- November 1 - Yugoslavia's new democratic government joined the United Nations after eight years of U.N. ostracism under former strongman Slobodan Milosevic.
- November 3 - Widespread flooding throughout England and Wales after days of heavy rain
- November 4 - President Clinton vetoed a bill that would have criminalized the leaking of government secrets.
- November 7 - U.S. presidential election, 2000: Republican challenger George W. Bush defeats Democrat Vice President Al Gore, but the final outcome is not known for over a month because of disputed votes in Florida.
- November 7 - Criminal gang raids the Millennium Dome to steal The Millennium Star diamond but police surveillance catches them in the act
- November 7 - Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected to the United States Senate, becoming the first First Lady of the United States to win public office
- November 11 - Kaprun disaster, Austria, where 155 skiers and snowboarders die when a cable car catches fire in an alpine tunnel.
- November 13 - Richard C. Duncan presents his paper, "The Peak Of World Oil Production And The Road To The Olduvai Gorge", on the Olduvai theory (about the collapse of the industrial civilization), at the Summit 2000 Pardee Keynote Symposia of the Geological Society of America)
- November 14 - Netscape version 6.0 is launched following two years of open source development creating a stable Mozilla web browser upon which it is based
- November 16 - Bill Clinton becomes the first sitting US President to visit Vietnam
- November 17 - Catastrophical landslide in Log pod Mangartom,Slovenia, kills 7, and causes millions of SIT of damage. It is one of the worst catastrophies in Slovenia in the past 100 years.
- November 17 - Alberto Fujimori is removed from office as president of Peru
- November 27 - Canada - Parliamentary elections - Jean Chrétien re-elected as Prime Minister as Liberal Party increases majority in House of Commons
- November 28 - Ukrainian politician Oleksander Moroz touches off the Cassette Scandal by publicly accusing President Leonid Kuchma of involvement in the murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze.

December


- December 1 - Mexico - Vicente Fox becomes the first opposition President to take office since Francisco I. Madero in 1911. He wins the Presidency as candidate of the rightist PAN (National Action Party).
- December 28 - U.S. retail giant Montgomery Ward announces it is going out of business after 128 years.
- December 30 - Rizal Day Bombings: A series of bombs explode in various places in Metro Manila, Philippines, within a span of a few hours killing 22 and injuring about a hundred.

Unknown Date


- Limited reintroduction of routinely armed police in the UK for the first time since 1936.
- Scientists at University of Szeged's laboratory were first in the world to produce artificial heredity material.
- Millie I. Webb elected president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Births


- February 23 - Max & Sam Christy, American actors
- March 15- Amy and Emily Walton, English actresses
- April 25 - Jacob & Joshua Rips, American actors
- October 6 - Amanda Pace, American actress
- October 20 - Cooper and Oliver Guynes, American actors
- November 8 - Madison and Marissa Poer, actresses

Deaths

January


- January 2 - Patrick O'Brian, English writer (b. 1914)
- January 15 - Fran Ryan, American actress (b. 1916)
- January 19 - Bettino Craxi, Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1934)
- January 19 - Hedy Lamarr, Austrian actress (b. 1913)

February


- February 9 - Beau Jack, American boxer (b. 1921)
- February 11 - Roger Vadim, French film director (b. 1928)
- February 12 - Jalacy "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins, American musician (b. 1929)
- February 12 - Tom Landry, American football coach (b. 1924)
- February 12 - Charles M. Schulz, American comic strip artist (b. 1921)
- February 23 - Sir Stanley Matthews, English footballer (b. 1915)

April


- April 6 - Habib Bourguiba, President of Tunisia (b. 1903)
- April 16 - Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, King of Malaysia (b. 1920)
- April 25 - David Merrick, American stage producer (b. 1911)
- April 29 - Phạm Văn Ðồng, Prime Minister of Vietnam (b. 1906)

May


- May 11 - Paula Wessely, Austrian actress (b. 1907)
- May 12 - Adam Petty, American race car driver (b. 1980)
- May 14 - Keizo Obuchi, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1937)
- May 17 - Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1909)
- May 19 - Yevgeny Khrunov, cosmonaut

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.

See also


- 2005 in NASCAR (NEXTEL Cup)
  - 2005 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup
- 2005 in NASCAR Busch Series
- 2005 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
- List of NASCAR drivers
- List of NASCAR race tracks
- List of current NASCAR races
- List of NASCAR teams
- NASCAR Championship
- Stock car racing
- NASCAR Realignment
- NASCAR Hall of Fame
- NASCAR Rookie of the Year
- NASCAR Gold
- NASCAR Racers

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

Jackass (TV series)

Jackass is a half-hour television series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002 in which a group of men do various dangerous and/or ridiculous stunts, simply for fun/comedy. The show developed from Big Brother Magazine, a skateboarding/humor magazine that Jeff Tremaine, Dave Carnie, Rick Kosick and Chris Pontius all worked for, and featured regular contributions from Johnny Knoxville and Dave England, amongst others. The genesis of Jackass dates back to 1999 when struggling-actor-turned-writer Johnny Knoxville pitched the idea to test different self defense devices on himself as the basis for an article for "Big Brother Magazine". It was "Big Brother Magazine" staff member Jeff Tremaine's suggestion that they film the testing, with the plan to include the footage in one of the company's skating videos. The footage, which involved Knoxville being tazered, maced, and ultimately shot while wearing a bulletproof vest, appeared in the second Big Brother skateboarding video, Number Two and quickly became popular with the underground skating community. Knoxville would film several additional skits for several new volumes, as his popularity grew in the underground skateboarding community. Meanwhile, skateboarder Bam Margera began to release his own skateboarding video called "Landspeed: CKY" (named after Bam's brother Jess Margera's band "Camp Kill Yourself" or CKY). The video contained footage of Bam and his friends pulling assorted pranks, tormenting his parents, and engaging in assorted skateboarding tricks with the members of what would later be known as "The West Chester Clique" (Ryan Dunn, Brandon DiCamillo, Raab Himself, and Bam's parents Phil and April Margera). The video was successful enough to spawn three sequels and gain the attention of Big Brother Magazine. Tremaine, Carnie, Cliver and Knoxville had decided to create a television series based upon Knoxville's skits from the Big Brother Magazine video line and worked out a deal with Margera to get his camp to work with the Big Brother camp on the new series. Soon a television show pilot was put together by the two sides, featuring footage of Knoxville's stunts from the Big Brother Magazine video line (including a heavily edited version of the "self-defense test" skit that omitted the entire ending wherein Knoxville is shot) and footage from the first two CKY videos. The pilot was shopped to various networks by Tremaine's longtime friend and music video legend, Spike Jonze. MTV picked up the show, and "Jackass" was born. The show ran for three seasons; the first episode aired on April 12, 2000, and the 25th and final episode aired on February 17, 2002. Included in the series' original run was a special "promotional video countdown" special that showed Knoxville tormenting a young intern that worked on the show and an hour long special taped in April 2001, which featured Johnny Knoxville, Chris Pontius, and Steve-O participated in the Gumball 3000, a rally from Britain to Russia and back. The special aired during the third season. The series ultimately ended with the 2003 feature film, Jackass: The Movie, which was essentially an extended, uncensored episode of the TV show designed to give the show a totally uncensored send-off.

Cast

Though the cast members were often classified as a troupe, in reality most filming was done separately by different groups. The CKY (videos) footage was performed, filmed, and compiled by Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, and Brandon DiCamillo in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The two other filming units were Johnny Knoxville, Chris Pontius, and others in California, and Dave England and Ehren McGhehey in Oregon. Main cast
- Johnny Knoxville
- Bam Margera, Pro Skater and Parental Harassment Enthusiast.
- Ryan Dunn
- Brandon DiCamillo
- Steve-O, Arguably the most extreme and craziest member of the cast.
- Chris Pontius a.k.a. Party Boy, Bunny The Lifeguard, Chief Roberts, Garbageman, Hans Mcgillicutty, Crybaby Insane, Mr. Afternoon or Ol' Mr.P.
- Preston Lacy - more often than not playing the Portly "Ying" to Wee-Man's miniature "Yang".
- Jason "Wee Man" Acuña - see above.
- Dave England
- Ehren McGhehey a.k.a Danger Ehren
- Raab Himself Other recurring cast members
- Jeff Tremaine, the show's director
- Rick Kosick, the show's main cameraman
- Rake Yohn
- Dimitry Elyashkevich
- Greg Iguchi, a.k.a. "guch"
- Sean Cliver
- Mike Kassak
- Dave Carnie, former Big Brother Magazine Editor and Ice Barrel Jumper.
- Chris Neiratko former Big Brother Magazine Writer and eater of 50 Eggs, and EggNog shots.
- Jason Raumus a.k.a. "j2"
- Stephanie Hodge
- Phil and April Margera - Bam's parents and, more often than not, stunt victims.
- Jess Margera - Bam's older brother
- Manny Puig - Helped Steve-O and Chris not get eaten by animals
- Tony Hawk - renowned skateboarder.
- Mat Hoffman - famous BMX Rider

Some of the feature sketches


- Plunger Wake Up (Bam Margera, Phil Margera) - Bam silently goes into the room where his father, Phil, is sleeping, carefully places a stereo on Phil's bed, and turns it on at full blast. When Phil wakes up, startled, Bam bangs on a pot and uses a toilet plunger on Phil's face.
- Beard of Leeches (Johnny Knoxville) - Johnny wore an Abraham Lincoln-style suit and top hat and had Leeches attached to his face to make the 'beard' that Lincoln had, while giving the Gettysburg address.
- The Human Tricycle (Dave England) - England rides down hills, cement ramps, and concrete staircases with rollerskates attached to his knees and a wheel held in his hands.
- The Vomelette (Dave England) - Dave swallows eggs, onions, sausages and cheese, and then regurgitates it onto a frying pan to make an omelette.
- Party Boy (Chris Pontius) - A running gag in which Pontius, to the tunes of the same techno beat, tears off his jogging suit and dances around a la Chippendale in a thong and bowtie to the embarrassment of those around him.
- The Meter Fairy (Ehren McGhehey) - McGhehey dresses in a pink fairy outfit and skips around town putting change in other people's overdue parking meters. This seeming act of generosity was played for gags both by McGhehey's costume and by ribbing the Traffic Enforcement Police, who informed him several times that putting change in other people's meters is illegal.
- The Human Wrecking Ball (Preston Lacey) - Preston dresses up in a padded black suit, attaches himself to a crane and ends up being swung into random objects.
- Butt Piercing (Steve-O) - Steve-O visits a piercing parlor and has his buttcheeks pierced together.
- Shopping Carts (Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Brandon DiCamillo) - Bam, Ryan and Brandon ride shopping carts in a parking lot, crashing into curbs and getting tossed out of the carts at high speed.
- Hockey Fight (Bam Margera, Brandon DiCamillo) - Bam and Bran interfere a local hockey game and begin fighting each other and talk trash. The fight ends for a brief moment only for it to restart on the streets of suburban Philadelphia.
- Dry Throat (Ehren McGhehey, Dave England) - Dave bets $20 that Ehren wouldn't swallow a whole spoonful of flour. Ehren wins the bet, but at the price of almost killing himself considering that the flour had badly dried his throat. Note: This sketch was not allowed anywhere on television. It was originally planned to be included on a special compilation called "Jackass: Too Hot for MTV", which was never released due to the controversy surrounding the show over its content.
- Cock Shot (Steve-O, Chris Pontius) - Chris sticks his penis out and waves it in Steve-O's face. Steve-O is less than amused when he wakes up. Note: This sketch was not allowed anywhere on television. It was originally planned to be included on a sp