How to Watch a NASCAR Winston Cup Race

The Cars

• 1

  General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler and Toyota are the competitors in NASCAR.

• 2

  Remember General Motors fields the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Pontiac Grand Prix.

• 3

  Check the nose of the two. The Grand Prix has a distinctive two-piece grille opening.

• 4

  Look for cars marked with the famous Blue Oval. That's the Ford Taurus, a four-door model competing in NASCAR.

• 5

  Watch for new competitors or changes in the automakers that compete. Dodge reentered the fray in 2001 with the Dodge Intrepid and Toyota started competing in 2006.

• 6

  Remember all the cars are "purpose built"--they're specialized race cars with tube frames, roll cages and other safety features covered with sheet metal similar to the "stock" models.

The Drivers

• 7

  Remember you'll see drivers young and old behind the wheel. Speeds may approach 200 mph and temperatures in the race cars may rise above 140 degrees, but training, conditioning and experience allow these athletes to succeed well into their 40s.

• 8

  Watch for Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, Ward Burton, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch--just a sample of the sport's biggest stars.

• 9

  Check out the young guys, who compete for the Rookie of the Year award.

The Race

• 10

  Note most NASCAR Winston Cup races start with 43 cars on the track.

• 11

  Understand that the 43 participants are set by qualifying sessions held before the race.

• 12

  Remember many fans follow a favorite driver rather than a car or team.

• 13

  Check out the colorful paint jobs. The distinctive markings are usually mandated by sponsors, companies that feel NASCAR offers an excellent method of advertising.

• 14

  Note car numbers are assigned by NASCAR and are kept by a car owner throughout his participation in the sport.

• 15

  Understand that NASCAR competitors race on oval tracks ranging from a 1/2 mile to 2 1/2 miles in length, and that strategy varies according to track size and race length.

• 16

  Watch for the NASCAR races each year on "road courses" at Sears Point, California, and Watkins Glen, New York, where the big stock cars take on the sports car venues.

• 17

  Remember most NASCAR races are 300 to 500 miles in length, but race speeds of up to 190 mph mean races last no longer than a football or baseball game.

• 18

  Watch how closely the cars run together on the longer tracks. Running two or more cars in a line close together is called "drafting," which uses aerodynamics to allow a group of cars to run faster than a single car.

• 19

  Understand that pit stops are both exciting and important. The cars come to a precise stop, and the crew will change all four tires and add 22 gallons of fuel in about 18 seconds.

• 20

  Note that strategy plays a central part in a winning race. Conserving fuel, saving wear on tires and avoiding wrecks on the track are as important as driving fast.

• 21

  Watch the flagman. A green flag means the race is under way. A yellow flag means there's debris or a wreck on the track and the cars must slow down. A black flag waved at a driver means his or her car is a hazard, and must be taken to the pit area. A checkered flag represents a winner.

• 22

  Remember season-long performance puts a team in the running for the Winston Cup, the trophy for earning the most points during the year.