NASCAR Panasonic Cup Series (Johnsonverse)

The NASCAR Panasonic 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. In 1971, when the series began leasing its naming rights to the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, it was referred to as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (1971–2003). A similar deal was made with Nextel in 2003, and it became the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (2004–2007). 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 Panasonic would become the new title sponsor and the series was renamed the NASCAR Panasonic Cup Series. NASCAR subsequently announced its addition of a new tiered sponsorship model beginning with the 2020 season similar to other US based professional sports leagues, with the additional sponsors of the series being called Premier Partners. The four Premier Partners are Busch Beer, Coca-Cola, GEICO, and PrimeStar.

The championship is determined by a points system, with points being awarded according to finish placement and number of laps led.

The series holds strong roots in the Southeastern United States, with about half of the races in the 36-race season being held in that region. As of 2020 the schedule includes tracks from around the United States. Regular season races were previously held in Canada and the United Kingdom, and exhibition races were held in Australia. The Daytona 500, the most prestigious race, had a television audience of about 9.17 million U.S. viewers in 2019.

Cup Series cars are unique in automobile racing. The engines are powerful enough to reach speeds of over 200 mph (320 km/h), but their weight coupled with a relatively simple aerodynamic package (based on the body styles of cars currently available for retail sale in the United States) make for poor handling. The bodies and chassis of the cars are strictly regulated to ensure parity, and electronics are traditionally spartan in nature.