NASCAR: FULL SPEED now streaming on Netflix
• Fueled by passion and NASCAR Cup Series glory, 16 drivers battle for a championship and the chance to make history in this sports docuseries. •
NASCAR 101
• NASCAR 101 is your place to get up to speed on the ins and outs of stock car racing, drivers, teams, tracks, rules and more! •
Key NASCAR terms, definitions
Keep this handy guide by your side when watching your next NASCAR race to stay in the know with stock-car racing terminology.
What the flags mean in NASCAR
Flags are among the most crucial elements of all NASCAR races. Here‘s a quick guide to what each NASCAR flag you‘re likely to see means.
How the regular season works
Each of NASCAR‘s three national series has a separate regular-season schedule. Read up on how it works, where they race, and what’s on the line.
How the NASCAR Playoffs work
Playoffs? Yes — the NASCAR Playoffs are where the contenders set themselves apart. Brush up on how the postseason works and how points come into play.
How to watch a NASCAR race
All three NASCAR national series can be viewed on the FOX Sports or the NBC Sports family of networks — but also in person. Get the full breakdown.
How NASCAR started, grew to today
Learn all about early stock car racing, the North Carolina moonshinin’ origins behind the birth of NASCAR and how it became so popular worldwide.
DRIVER SNAPSHOTS
• Meet the 16 drivers who competed for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship •
Ryan Blaney
No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Ryan Blaney has racing in his blood. The son of a former Cup Series driver, Blaney grew up slinging dirt in Ohio with his family, ultimately paving a path into the NASCAR circuit. With a personality to be a podcast host and an on-track pedigree to match it, Blaney went into the 2023 playoffs with one major question — could he deliver on the biggest NASCAR stage when it mattered most? | Blaney through the years, career highlights
Denny Hamlin
No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Denny Hamlin is one of NASCAR‘s most fiery competitors. The Virginia native rose to prominence from local short-track racing to driving for Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs since 2005, and now co-owns 23XI Racing with Basketball Hall of Famer and icon Michael Jordan. Hamlin is still seeking his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. Whether through opinions on his podcast, one-liners in Victory Lane or bulletin-board material issued directly to fans, Hamlin has established himself as one of NASCAR‘s most quotable drivers. | Hamlin through the years, milestones
Ross Chastain
No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
A fresh contender in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ross Chastain has quickly proven he belongs among the best. An eighth-generation watermelon farmer, Chastain‘s hard-nosed, on-track aggression has won him numerous races and led to a few thrown fists along the way. Upstart team Trackhouse Racing gave Chastain his best big-league shot yet in 2022 and No. 1 immediately produced, charging all the way to a runner-up finish that season. How far will his potential take him? | Chastain through the years
William Byron
No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
From simulator racing online to rubbing fenders on the track against the biggest stars in the sport, William Byron had one of the most unique paths to the NASCAR Cup Series. Now, the pressure is on as he carries the famed No. 24 Chevrolet previously piloted by four-time champ and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. Can Byron carve his own path and help the iconic number reclaim its spot atop the sport’s peak again? | Byron through the years, career highlights
Bubba Wallace
No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Bubba Wallace entered the national spotlight after becoming the first Black driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race since 1963 with a memorable victory in October 2021 at Talladega Superspeedway. As Wallace seasoned himself into a veteran amid notable improvement on the track, the Alabama native kept rolling with his second career win in 2022. The popular driver pilots a ride for 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan — and is also known for his willingness to speak openly on societal injustices and about mental health, navigating those challenges all while chasing a Cup Series championship. | Wallace’s career highlights
Tyler Reddick
No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
From NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. to legendary team owner Richard Childress to NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, Tyler Reddick has piloted a race car for them all. With that comes significant pressure to deliver when it matters most — the playoffs. Will the fun-loving Reddick live up to his famed team owner’s success at the highest level and make the jump to stardom to win his first championship? | Reddick through the years
Christopher Bell
No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Dirt to Daytona — literally. Blistering his way through local dirt tracks to the Cup Series, Christopher Bell‘s first triumph at NASCAR‘s highest level came in the unlikeliest of venues for him — the Daytona road course. His ability to adapt quickly has made him one of the Cup Series’ most clutch drivers. And while plenty of other drivers may take more spotlights or headlines, Bell’s performances on the biggest stage speak for themselves. Can he muster up another dream run to Phoenix? | Bell through the years
Kyle Larson
No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Larson is the modern-day Swiss Army knife across American motorsports. The California native drives anything and everything he possibly can, whether on dirt in a USAC midget-type car, on asphalt in an IndyCar vehicle or on both in the NASCAR Cup Series. Racing legend Mario Andretti noted he sees “a lot of myself” in Larson, the 2021 Cup champion who‘s won 23 races while continuing to dominate the dirt sprint car scene as both a driver and series co-owner. One word defines the spirit of Larson: Racer. | Larson through the years, career highlights
Joey Logano
No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Nothing says dedication quite like spending half your life in the Cup Series. From the time he was a teenager, Joey Logano was destined to be a superstar in the sport, and he‘s already done so as a two-time Cup champion at only 33 years old. Logano is attempting to join rarified air and become the first three-time Cup champ since Tony Stewart in 2011. | Logano through the years
Other 2023 NASCAR Playoffs drivers
• Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford: A champion driver for RFK Racing in the Xfinity Series, Chris Buescher wants to cement his name at NASCAR‘s highest level. Buescher was the breakout driver of the summer, winning three times in a five-race stretch. A driver known for his humble grit and determination, Buescher began the 2023 playoffs as a sleeper championship contender. | Buescher through the years
• Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford: The 2012 series champion, Brad Keselowski has had a storied career in the Cup Series by being a strategic and aggressive driver. Keselowski does things “his way,” leading to him becoming co-owner of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing before the 2022 season. | Keselowski through the years
• Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota: Since the beginning of his full-time Cup Series foray in 2006, Martin Truex Jr. has become a steady face in the NASCAR circuit. Already in the eternal echelon of being a Cup Series champion, Truex Jr. seeks a second title — all while deciding if he’ll return next season or hang up the racing shoes. | Truex through the years
• Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford: A longtime Cup Series staple since his surge into the circuit more than two decades ago, the 60-time Cup Series winner — and 2014 champion — looks to close out his storied racing career on a high note before transitioning to TV analyst. How will Harvick conclude his final racing chapter? He’s hoping with a title run. | Harvick through the years
• Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet: Love him or hate him, cheer him or boo him, everyone has an opinion on this NASCAR Bad Boy. As a two-time Cup Series champion with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle “Rowdy” Busch takes his talents to Richard Childress Racing, where the Las Vegas native looks to pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet to yet another title triumph. | Busch through the years
• Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford: A journeyman driver laying the foundation for success at Front Row Motorsports, Michael McDowell is known for showing up in the mix in crucial moments — just like his win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier in 2023 and a Daytona 500 triumph a few seasons back. He’ll try to use the lessons he learned from a lengthy career to show up in a big way in the playoffs. | McDowell through the years
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet: Stenhouse Jr. made his mark on the NASCAR Cup Series when he became 2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, following consecutive championships at the NASCAR Xfinity Series level. He’s scored big wins at Daytona and Talladega throughout his career — including the 2023 Daytona 500 — and aims to shake up the playoffs and find the right magic to make a deep run. | Stenhouse through the years
TRACK-BY-TRACK
• Learn about the 10 tracks featured in NASCAR: FULL SPEED •
Round of 16
Darlington Raceway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
One of NASCAR’s most historic and grueling races — the Southern 500 — will test playoff drivers right out of the gate. Who will ride the wall at “The Lady in Black,” to Victory Lane … and into the Round of 12?
Kansas Speedway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
A high-wire, Midwest speedfest at one of the sport’s most volatile and unpredictable tracks in recent years. Denny Hamlin and his Toyota cohorts have been the ones to beat here recently.
Bristol Motor Speedway* | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
An elimination race under the bright lights surrounded by a screaming sea of fans piled high into the Tennessee moonlight at the “Last Great Colosseum” — what more could you ask for?
Round of 12
Texas Motor Speedway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
The heat is on as a new round begins, with four fewer drivers in the hunt. Everything is bigger in Texas — including the postseason stakes, a spot in the Round of 8.
Talladega Superspeedway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
With elimination looming, the 12 drivers left in title contention face the biggest unknowns on NASCAR‘s wildest track — the 2.66-mile 200-mph mercurial chess match that is Talladega Superspeedway.
Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL * | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
Left, right and everything in between, NASCAR’s only road course in the playoffs in 2023 comes with a twist. Charlotte’s Roval is exactly what it sounds like — part oval, part road course, fully intense. And at the end of the day, we’re down to eight.
Round of 8
Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
It’s time for drivers to roll the dice. Make the right gamble, and you could find yourself locked into the Championship 4 before anyone else. Make a costly error? Well, that might mark the end of your title hopes.
Homestead-Miami Speedway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
The sport’s top drivers take their talents to South Beach, where the vibes outside the race track are laid back but inside the teal walls of Homestead — until drivers start ripping the fence, at least — the pressure cooker is on.
Martinsville Speedway* | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
One last shot to race for the championship, at the oldest track on the circuit — and for NASCAR’s most cherished trophy, the vaunted grandfather clock. For four of the remaining eight drivers vying for the title? Time’s up.
NASCAR Championship Race
Phoenix Raceway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
It’s now all on the line in this give-it-everything-you’ve got duel in the desert. The goal? Simple — beat the other three Championship 4 drivers to the finish line and you’re the champ. Easier said than done, but legends never came easy, did they?
* Denotes elimination race, where the four lowest-ranked NASCAR Playoffs drivers are dropped from championship contention following the checkered flag.
MORE: See the rest of the NASCAR tracks | Full 2024 NASCAR schedule
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Notable 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season races
Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum (Feb. 4)| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 18)| Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (April 14) | Circuit of The Americas| Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
Goodyear 400 Throwback Weekend race (May 12) | Darlington Raceway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
NASCAR All-Star Race (May 19) | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
Coca-Cola 600 (May 26) | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
Grant Park 165 Chicago Street Race (July 7) | Chicago Street Course | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets
Brickyard 400 (July 21) | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Race recap | Best photos | 2024 tickets