NASCAR is one of the most viewed professional sports in terms of television ratings in the United States. In fact, professional football is the only sport in the United States to hold more viewers than NASCAR. Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. NASCAR holds 17 of the top 20 attended single-day sporting events in the world, and claims 75 million fans that purchase over $3 billion in annual licensed product sales. Many marketers consider NASCAR fans the most brand-loyal in all of sports and as a result, Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other Motor Sport.

The “NASCAR Sprint Cup Series” is the sport’s highest level of professional competition. It is consequently the most popular and most profitable NASCAR series. The 2006 Sprint Cup season consisted of 36 races over 10 months, with over $4 million in total prize money at stake at each race. Writers and fans often use “Cup” to refer to the Sprint Cup series and the ambiguous use of “NASCAR” as a synonym for the Sprint Cup series is common.

The winner of the most recent season was Jimmie Johnson in 2008; Johnson was also the 2007 and 2006 champion. He is the first winner of three in a row since Cale Yarborough The “NASCAR Nationwide Series” is the second-highest level of professional competition in NASCAR.

The most recent series champion was Clint Bowyer in 2008. The modern incarnation of this series began in 1982, with sponsorship by Anheuser-Busch Brewing, the Budweiser brand. In 1984 it was renamed to the Busch Grand National Series. The Anheuser-Busch sponsorship expired at the end of 2007, and the series is now sponsored by Nationwide Insurance; Nationwide will also become NASCAR’s official insurance agency replacing Allstate.

The ‘”NASCAR Camping World Truck Series” features modified pickup trucks and is one of the three national divisions of NASCAR, together with the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup. The most recent series champion was Johnny Benson in 2008; it was Benson’s first championship in the series. In 1994, NASCAR announced the formation of the NASCAR “Super Truck” Series presented by Craftsman. The first series race followed in 1995. In 1996, the series was renamed the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to emphasize Craftsman’s involvement. The series was first considered something of an oddity or a “senior tour” for NASCAR drivers, but eventually grew in popularity and has produced Sprint Cup series drivers who had never raced in the Nationwide Series. Beginning in 2009 the series became the Camping World Truck Series.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is a NASCAR racing series in Canada that is based from the old CASCAR Super Series founded in 1981 and was bought out in 2006. The new series has races through 6 of Canada’s provinces for a total of 13 events with TV coverage is on TSN. Many drivers are content running In Canada while others move up to bigger NASCAR series. The cars are a bit different from the Car Of Yesterday with more a street look with steel tube-framed silhouette bodies powered by carbureted spec V8 engines.