Whatever the reason, NASCAR doesn’t seem to get much respect from road-racing or Formula One fans. That certainly hasn’t impacted its popularity among the stock car faithful, as NASCAR is the second most popular professional sport in the United States, behind only NFL football.
It’s broadcast in over 150 countries, too, meaning that it isn’t just Americans and transplanted Americans cheering for drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
As for the drivers, some come from open-wheel racing backgrounds (like Tony Stewart and Sam Hornish, Jr.) and some have even raced in F1 (like Montoya and Scott Speed). Unlike the old days, however, we’d bet that no current driver got his start by running moonshine on the back roads of Georgia.
If you’re new to the sport of racing and want a basic overview of NASCAR, the infographic below may help. There isn’t much meat there (aside from the flag and track listings), but it may inspire you to seek out more information. You’ll find all you need to know on the official NASCAR website.