What does NASCAR stand for? The name is short for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, the organization that runs the best known stock car racing series in the United States. It sets the rules, approves the tracks and crowns the champions.
The group was formed in 1948 at a meeting in Daytona Beach, Florida, led by a race promoter named Bill France Sr. Racing on the sand there had been popular for years, but each event had its own rules. A single national body gave drivers, owners and fans one schedule and one set of standards.
Quick facts
Stands for
National Association for Stock Car Auto RacingType
Acronym, said as a wordHow to say it
"NAS-car"Started
1948, Daytona Beach, FloridaTop series
The Cup SeriesRelated terms
Stock car, pit stop, oval track
What does NASCAR stand for, word by word?
| Letters | Word | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| N | National | Covers races across the country |
| A | Association | A member body with rules |
| S | Stock | Cars based on regular production models |
| C | Car | The kind of vehicle raced |
| A R | Auto Racing | The sport itself |
The small word "for" is skipped, which is normal. The two words of "auto racing" each give a letter, so the acronym ends in AR.
What is a stock car?
"Stock" means standard, the way it does in "in stock" at a store. Early stock cars were ordinary sedans that buyers could get at a dealer, with some changes for safety and speed. The idea was that fans could watch the same kinds of cars they drove at home.
Modern race cars look like street models from the outside, but under the body they are purpose built machines with a steel frame, a roll cage and a racing engine. The name stuck even as the cars changed.
How the acronym is used today
In speech and in print, NASCAR now means the sport as much as the organization. People say "I watch NASCAR" the way they might say "I watch baseball."
- The Cup Series: the top level of competition, with its season ending in a championship.
- Lower national series: steps on the ladder for drivers and teams moving up.
- Big events: the Daytona 500 is one of the best known races in the country.
On a TV schedule: "NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m." This means a top level race sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing starts at three in the afternoon.
Saying and writing NASCAR
Unlike many sports initials, this one is said as a single word, "NAS-car," so it belongs with words like radar and scuba. Nobody spells it out letter by letter. In print the six capitals run together without dots. The phrase "NASCAR fan" or "NASCAR driver" is standard, so the name often describes another word, as in NASCAR weekend.
If you want a refresher on the difference between a word acronym and a letter by letter initialism, see what is an acronym.
Racing words you will hear
- Pit stop: a quick stop for tires, fuel and repairs.
- Pole position: the first starting spot, earned in qualifying.
- Caution: a slowdown after a crash or debris, shown with a yellow flag.
- Checkered flag: the black and white flag that ends the race.
- Superspeedway: a very large oval track.
Engines are often described in RPM, revolutions per minute, which you will hear on broadcasts.
Other sports acronyms to compare
Many American sports bodies go by short forms. A few for comparison:
- NBA: National Basketball Association, said letter by letter.
- NCAA: National Collegiate Athletic Association.
- PGA: Professional Golfers' Association.
Notice that these are said as letters, while NASCAR is said as a word. For more short forms in everyday life, see the famous acronyms page.
Questions people ask
What does NASCAR stand for in racing?
In racing the six letters mean the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. This body sets the rules and runs the main stock car racing series in the United States.
Is NASCAR an acronym?
It is. Fans pronounce it "NAS-car," one smooth word, which puts it in the true acronym group.
When was NASCAR founded?
It was founded in 1948 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Bill France Sr. led the meetings that set it up.
Why is it called stock car racing?
Stock means standard. The first races used cars based on regular models sold to the public, and the name stayed even after the cars became purpose built racers.
Where is NASCAR based?
Its headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, the city where the organization began.