A Beginner's Guide to NASCAR

NASCAR (which stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) is one of the fastest growing spectator sports in the country, especially among women. Yet if you're flipping through your television stations and come upon a race for the first time, or if you have a significant other who is a fan, you may have taken in the rush of cars, the noise, and all the hoopla and wondered, "What's the big deal about a bunch of cars driving in circles for four and a half hours?"

The Big Deal

To appreciate NASCAR is, for one, to grasp the fact that the drivers can complete a race (not to mention finish in the top five) at all. Consider that the average driver is literally installed into the car's cockpit with a five-point harness, is wearing a heavy, fire-resistant Nomex suit, a helmet with earplugs and a radio feed to his crew and sometimes, to the television announcers. Temperatures can reach up to 130 degrees inside the cockpit, and the driver is trapped there for the length of the race. Cars zoom around a tightly curved track at speeds up to 200 miles per hour, often mere inches from their competitors. At times, they face exhausting gravitational forces equivalent to those pulled by a test pilot. They have that right foot crushed to the metal and hands locked to the wheel, and need to be consistently aware of flying debris and the condition of their vehicles, not to mention worrying about what the other 41 drivers are doing.

But there is more to NASCAR than sheer speed. Or waiting for the cars to crash.

The Basics

NASCAR oversees many different types of racing across the US. The one most commonly referred to as simply "NASCAR" is the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. (Sponsored by, you guessed it, NEXTEL.) These races are usually on Sundays.

The Cars...