NASCAR (Johnsonverse)

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is an American business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto-racing sports events. Bill France Sr. founded the company in 1948 and his grandson Brian France was its CEO from 2003 to 2014 when Johnson Industries Tim Johnson took over. NASCAR is motorsport's preeminent stock-car racing organization. The three largest racing-series sanctioned by this company are the NASCAR Panasonic Cup Series, the PrimeStar Series, the Camping World Truck Series, the Arby's Convertible Division, the Howard Johnson's SUV Series, and the GM Goodwrench Service Racing Series. The company also oversees NASCAR Local Racing, the Whelen Modified Tour, the Whelen All-American Series, and the NASCAR iRacing.com Series. NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 of the 50 US states as well as in Canada. NASCAR has presented exhibition races at the Suzuka and Motegi circuits in Japan, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico, and the Calder Park Thunderdome in Australia. The company was bought by Johnson Industries in March 2009. Initially the company was allowed to remain autonomous, as, according to Sheldon Johnson, Jr., "Brian (France) and Mike (Helton) can improve. Give them another chance". However, poor decision making by France and Helton saw Johnson slowly take control, first in 2010 by developing a new car, before taking complete control in 2014 when France and Helton were fired (France defended his decisions and called Tim a "dictator" in a Q&A, but has since apologized). NASCAR, under Johnson, has experienced a major turnaround. One of the major changes was the replacement of the unpopular Car of Tomorrow (or Gen-5 car) with a brand-new car known as the Strictly Stock Car (also known as the SSC or Gen-7 car; a transitional car simply known as the Gen-6 car was used in the 2013 season).

NASCAR has its official headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida, and also maintains offices in the North Carolina cities of Charlotte, Concord, and Conover. Regional offices are located in New York City and Los Angeles, with international offices in Mexico City and Toronto. Owing to NASCAR's Southern roots, all but a handful of NASCAR teams are still based in North Carolina, especially near the city of Charlotte.

NASCAR is number one among professional sports franchises in terms of television viewers and fans in the United States. Internationally, its races are broadcast on television in over 150 countries. In 2004, NASCAR's Director of Security stated that the company holds 17 of the Top 20 regularly attended single-day sporting events in the world. Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other motor sport.