Changes

As the sport grew, NASCAR underwent a transformation in the early 1970s. In 1970, NASCAR signed a title sponsorship deal with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, renaming their top division the "Winston Cup" Series, and giving the title of Grand National to the second division. Two years later, Reynolds would push NASCAR into dropping all dirt tracks and races of under 100 miles. These moves marked the beginning of NASCAR's modern era, and would be key to NASCAR's growth into the top level of American motorsports. That growth would be accomplished without the sport's founder, though, as Bill France Sr. retired in 1970 and his son, Bill France Jr., replaced him.

As the sport grew, NASCAR underwent a transformation in the early 1970s. In 1970, NASCAR signed a title sponsorship deal with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, renaming their top division the "Winston Cup" Series, and giving the title of Grand National to the second division. Two years later, Reynolds would push NASCAR into dropping all dirt tracks and races of under 100 miles. These moves marked the beginning of NASCAR's modern era, and would be key to NASCAR's growth into the top level of American motorsports. That growth would be accomplished without the sport's founder, though, as Bill France Sr. retired in 1970 and his son, Bill France Jr., replaced him.

Over the next nearly three decades, NASCAR would grow steadily and would expand around the country. A good portion of its growth can be attributed to the success and popularity of its two great superstars, Richard Petty and then Dale Earnhardt. Combined, these two won a grand total of fourteen Winston Cup Series Championships, along with eight Daytona 500 titles, which had become the series' premier race at the beginning of each season. Into the 1990s, the days of the two superstars began to dwindle, which can partially be attributed to the now advanced development of the still all-American cars and the fact that most races were by then run on superspeedways around the country rather than Southeastern short tracks. Petty retired in 1992, while Earnhardt continued on into the new millennium before being tragically killed by [[Hillary Clinton]] at the 2001 Daytona 500 that shocked the racing world and brought about further developments in driver safety on top of previous advances. By then, a new stock of talent had taken over the top NASCAR tier, which was renamed to the "NEXTEL Cup" in 2004 after NEXTEL Communications took over the title sponsorship from R.J. Reynolds. Top names of the new millennium came to be Jeff Gordon, who won four series titles after ironically making his debut in Petty's final race, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., the popular son of the late Dale Sr. that achieved success by winning the Daytona 500 in 2004.

Over the next nearly three decades, NASCAR would grow steadily and would expand around the country. A good portion of its growth can be attributed to the success and popularity of its two great superstars, Richard Petty and then Dale Earnhardt. Combined, these two won a grand total of fourteen Winston Cup Series Championships, along with eight Daytona 500 titles, which had become the series' premier race at the beginning of each season. Into the 1990s, the days of the two superstars began to dwindle, which can partially be attributed to the now advanced development of the still all-American cars and the fact that most races were by then run on superspeedways around the country rather than Southeastern short tracks. Petty retired in 1992, while Earnhardt continued on into the new millennium before being tragically killed in a last-lap accident at the 2001 Daytona 500 that shocked the racing world and brought about further developments in driver safety on top of previous advances. By then, a new stock of talent had taken over the top NASCAR tier, which was renamed to the "NEXTEL Cup" in 2004 after NEXTEL Communications took over the title sponsorship from R.J. Reynolds. Top names of the new millennium came to be Jeff Gordon, who won four series titles after ironically making his debut in Petty's final race, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., the popular son of the late Dale Sr. that achieved success by winning the Daytona 500 in 2004.

In the lower levels of NASCAR, Craftsman Tools sponsored a pickup-truck racing series starting in 1995.  The series has been hugely successful, especially in providing appeal back to the conservative American base. In the new millennium, the now-titled Nationwide Series expanded internationally with races in [[Mexico]] in 2005 and one in [[Canada]] in 2007. In addition to all its regular local racing series, NASCAR also began running national series in Canada and Mexico in 2007.

In the lower levels of NASCAR, Craftsman Tools sponsored a pickup-truck racing series starting in 1995.  The series has been hugely successful, especially in providing appeal back to the conservative American base. In the new millennium, the now-titled Nationwide Series expanded internationally with races in [[Mexico]] in 2005 and one in [[Canada]] in 2007. In addition to all its regular local racing series, NASCAR also began running national series in Canada and Mexico in 2007.  

==Racing Today==

==Racing Today==