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Nationwide Series

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Nationwide Series
2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series

Sport	Auto racing
Founded	1981
No. of teams	25
Country(ies)	Canada United States Mexico
Most recent champion(s)	Carl Edwards

The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit (often compared to Triple-A baseball), and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big league" circuit, the Sprint Cup. Nationwide Series races are frequently held in the same venue as, and a day prior to, the Sprint Cup race scheduled for that weekend, encouraging fans to attend both events. In December 2006, NASCAR officials confirmed that Anheuser-Busch, parent company for Busch Beer, would not renew its sponsorship of NASCAR's No. 2 series after the end of the 2007 Season. On October 3, 2007, it was announced Nationwide Insurance would become the title sponsor beginning with the 2008 season.

1 History
2 International markets
3 U.S. television broadcasting
4 Latin America television broadcasting
5 Australia television broadcasting
6 Buschwhackers
7 The cars
8 Manufacturer representation
9 Past Champions
10 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year Award Winners
11 See also
12 References

History

The Busch Series field following the pace car at Texas in April 2007.

The series emerged from NASCAR's old Sportsman division, which was formed in 1950 as NASCAR's short track race division. It was NASCAR's fourth series (after the Modified and Roadster series in 1948 and Strictly Stock in 1949). The sportsman cars were not current model cars, and could be modified more (but not as much as Modified series cars). ^[1] It became the Late Model Sportsman series in 1968, and soon featured races on larger tracks, such as Daytona International Speedway. Drivers used obsolete Grand National (now Sprint Cup) cars on larger tracks, but by the inception of the touring format in 1982, the series used older compact cars. Short track cars with relatively small 300 cubic inch V-8 motors were used. Drivers used smaller current year models featuring V6 motors.

The modern-day Nationwide Series was formed in 1982, when Anheuser-Busch sponsored a newly reformed late-model sportsman series with its Budweiser brand. The series switched sponsorship to Busch in 1984. It was renamed in 1986 to the Busch Grand National Series. By that time, teams were switching from the General Motors 1971-77 X-Body compact cars, with a 311-cubic inch engines. Later, teams were using General Motors 1982-87 G-body cars. Ford teams used the Thunderbird cars consistently.

In 1989, NASCAR changed rules requiring cars to use current body styles, similar to the Winston Cup cars. However, the cars still used V6 engines, which were legal until 1995. The cars gradually changed to cars just like Cup cars. Grand National was dropped from the series' title in 2003 as part of NASCAR's brand identity (the Grand National name was now used for the Busch East and Winston West series as part of a nationwide standardization of rules for NASCAR's regional racing). Following the 2007 season, Anheuser-Busch, makers of the Busch brand of beer, said they would not renew their contract with NASCAR. Nationwide Insurance will be the Title Sponsor of the No. 2 Series becoming the "NASCAR Nationwide Series" beginning in 2008.^[2]

The Nationwide insurance company sponsorship is a seven-year contract, which coincides with NASCAR's current broadcast contract with ABC/ESPN. The Nationwide sponsorship does not include the banking and mortgage departments of Nationwide. The sponsorship reportedly carried a $10 million commitment for 2008, with 6% annual escalations thereafter^[3]. In addition to the direct cost of sponsorship, Nationwide has made an additional commitment of between $4 million and $5 million in advertisement buys on ESPN.

International markets

On March 6, 2005, the Nationwide Series held its first race outside the United States, the Telcel-Motorola 200. The race was held in Mexico City, Mexico at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, a track that has held Formula One and Champ Car races, and was won by Martin Truex Jr.. On August 4, 2007, the Busch Series held its second race outside of the United States, at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, another road course. It was won by Kevin Harvick, while Quebec native Patrick Carpentier finished second.

U.S. television broadcasting

Beginning in 2007, ESPN2 became the exclusive carrier of all Nationwide Series races, replacing FOX, FX, TNT and NBC. Some sponsors have cricitized the new television deal, noting only six races will appear on broadcast network television (through a branding deal on ABC), and none in prime-time; in recent years, as many as nine races in the Nationwide Series have aired on network television, with two 2005 races ending up in prime-time television. Most of the races on ABC were chosen so ESPN2 could air major sporting events.

Latin America television broadcasting

Since 2006, 'SPEED Latin America' has had live coverage of all events. The races are also shown in Colombia on Fox Sports, some of them live and some tape-delayed depending on the network's schedule. Televisa Deportes broadcasts a 30-minute recap every Sunday morning in Mexico.

Australia television broadcasting

Starting February 2008 Channel Tens New HIGH DEFINITION ' TEN-HD ' Will be broadcasting every single race every morning on sunday of the Nationwide Series after ESPN And Foxtel lose the rights, TEN-HD is a new Multichannel station, one of 3 being released free to air in Australia.

Buschwhackers

Main article: Buschwhacker

Since the early days of the Nationwide Series, many Cup drivers have used their days off to drive in the Nationwide Series. This can be for any number of reasons, most prominent or often claimed is to gain more "seat time", or to familiarize themselves with the track. Examples of this would be the first ever winner of a Nationwide Series race, Dale Earnhardt, and the winner of the most races in Nationwide Series history, Mark Martin. In recent years, this practice has been termed "Buschwhacking" by those that criticize the practice, claiming that Cup drivers racing in the Nationwide Series takes away opportunities from the Busch Series regulars, drivers that are usually younger and less experienced. Many fans claim that without the Cup "superstars" and the large amount of fan interest they attract, the series would not improve. Many Nationwide Series drivers, however, have welcomed the Cup drivers because it gives them the opportunity to drive with more seasoned veterans. In 2007, the Sprint Cup Series began racing with the Car of Tomorrow, a radically new specification different from the Nationwide Series. Thus far, this has not changed things much. In 2007, six out of the top ten drivers in the final point standings were Cup regulars, with Jason Leffler being the only non-Cup driver in that group to win a race in '07. This number decreased from 2006 when 8 out of 10 drivers were Cup regulars. The decreased number is attributed to Cup regulars running only partial schedules, allowing for more Nationwide regulars to reach the top ten in points. In 2009, NASCAR will introduce a COT for the Nationwide Series, with major differences being the style of the cars (a rumored return to pony cars such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and the Dodge Challenger) and a suspension package used in the old cars, according to NNS director Joe Balash.

The cars

Comparison with a Sprint Cup Car

The cars used today in the Nationwide Series are slightly different versions of their Sprint Cup Series counterparts, the main differences being a slightly shorter wheelbase (105" instead of 110") and a larger spoiler (57" wide x 5.75" high instead of 55" x 4.5"). In the past, Nationwide Series competitors could use makes of cars not used in the Cup series, as well as V-6 engines instead of Cup's V-8s, but the cars used in the series now are very similar. While the Nationwide Series car is lighter, less powerful, and has a shorter wheelbase; superficially, they can appear identical to the untrained eye. The suspensions, brake systems, transmissions, are identical between each series. The Car of Tomorrow does eliminate some of these similarities. The Car of Tomorrow is taller and wider than the current generation vehicles in the Nationwide Series and utilizes a rear wing and front splitter opposed to a rear spoiler and front valance. The Car of Tomorrow has also been setting pole speeds slower than the Nationwide Series cars at companion races. ^[4] Previously, Nationwide Series cars used fuel that contained lead. NASCAR conducted a three-race test of unleaded fuel in this series that began with the July 29, 2006 race at Gateway International Raceway. The fuel, Sunoco GT 260 Unleaded, became mandatory in all series starting with the second weekend of the 2007 series, as Daytona was the last race weekend with leaded fuel. Once the Car of Tomorrow is fully implemented in the Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR will begin work on changing the cars run in the Nationwide Series. NASCAR has been approached by manufacturers about using differently shaped and named car models as the basis for the cars in the Busch Series when this change is made. NASCAR has been receptive to the idea.

Specifications

NASCAR officials are using a template to inspect Casey Atwood's 2004 Nationwide Series car, courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Engine displacement: 358 in³ (5.8 L) Pushrod V8
Transmission: 4 speed Manual
Weight: 3,100 lb (1406 kg) Minimum (with out driver); 3,300 lb (1497 kg) Minimum (with driver)
Power output: 650-700 hp (485-522 kw) unrestricted, ~450 hp (335 kW) restricted
Fuel: 98 octane unleaded gasoline
Fuel capacity: 22 U.S. gallons (83.2 L)
Fuel delivery: Carburetion
Compression ratio: 9:1
Aspiration: Naturally aspirated
Carburetor size: 390 ft³/min (184 L/s) 4 Barrel
Wheelbase: 105 in (2.6 m)
Steering: Power, recirculating ball

Car of Tommorow

Though plans are tentative, NASCAR plans to debut a Nationwide Series "Car of Tomorrow" by 2009.. The body and aerodynamic package will be different than the Sprint Cup Series cars.^[5]

Manufacturer representation

Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series (1982-1983)

Chrysler

Dodge Challenger: 1982

Ford

Ford Fairmont: 1982-1983

Chevrolet Nova: 1982-1983
Oldsmobile Omega: 1982-1983
Pontiac Ventura: 1982-1983

Busch Grand National Series (1984-2003)

Chrysler

Dodge Intrepid: 2001-2003

Ford

Ford Fairmont: 1984-1986
Ford Thunderbird: 1987-1999
Ford Taurus: 1998-2003
Mercury Cougar: 1984

Buick Regal: 1985, 1988-1991
Buick LeSabre: 1986-1989
Chevrolet Monte Carlo: 1986-1988, 1995-2003
Chevrolet Nova: 1984-1988
Chevrolet Lumina: 1989-1995
Oldsmobile Omega: 1984-1987
Oldsmobile Delta 88: 1986-1993
Pontiac Ventura: 1984-1987
Pontiac Grand Prix: 1988-2003

Busch Series (2004-2007)

Chrysler

Dodge Intrepid: 2004
Dodge Charger: 2005-2007

Ford

Ford Taurus: 2004-2005
Ford Fusion: 2006-2007

Chevrolet Monte Carlo: 2004-2005
Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS: 2006-2007
Pontiac Grand Prix: 2004-2005 (No Factory Support)

Toyota

Toyota Camry: 2007