The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division.
It was known as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (1971–2003). A deal was made with Nextel in 2003, and it became the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (2004–2007).[1] Sprint acquired Nextel in 2005, and in 2008 the series was renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (2008–2016).
In December 2016, it was announced that Monster Energy would become the new title sponsor. In 2019, NASCAR rejected Monster's offer to extend the current naming rights deal beyond the end of the season.
Winners are determined by a points system, with points being awarded by where a racer's finishing place. After the first 26 races, 16 drivers, selected primarily on the basis of wins during the first 26 races, are seeded based on their total number of wins.[3]
