NASCAR For Dummies

NASCAR stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and it’s the governing body for one of the most popular sports in the United States. The speed and power of NASCAR stock cars – and the people who drive those cars – have enticed millions of fans to the sport in recent years, making it one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.

If you’re a NASCAR novice, NASCAR For Dummies can help you with the basics of the sport – the differences between the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division – so you can build upon your NASCAR knowledge from there. If you’re more advanced, you'll discover the subtleties of the sport so you can sound like an old pro.

No matter what level of NASCAR knowledge you have, you can find something new in the pages of this book:

• Get to know the race team and what they do
• Peek at the rules and see how teams get around them
• Check out a stock car's body and components
• Find out how to attend a NASCAR race and get the most out of the experience
• Understand why tires are such a big deal during a race
• Figure out what happens during a pit stop
• Know why a regular Chevrolet Monte Carlo at a local dealership looks nothing like the one on a racetrack
• Discover the meanings behind all those colored flags
• Know why corporate sponsorship plays such a large role
• Examine the different NASCAR tracks

NASCAR racing is a total body experience. When you sit in the grandstands, you can hear the cars roar by. You can feel the tremendous power of the engines when the stands shake and your guts rumble. Then you can smell the distinct odor of burned rubber. With NASCAR For Dummies, you'll gain an insider’s view of the sport, and enrich your experience.

Author Mark Martin, known as one of the most focused and successful drivers in NASCAR racing, started racing cars when he was 15 years old.

Mark Martin has finished in the top ten of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series point standings every year since 1989.