ESPN.com: NASCAR 101

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We're giving you the green flag to better understand racing.

Tune up on terminology

Don't know your drafting from your wedge? Just check out our glossary of racing terms so you can follow along in any conversation about NASCAR. Story

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Safety today for Car of Tomorrow
Say what you want about the Car of Tomorrow, but there's no denying that the safety features are a vast improvement.

Understanding physics key to better racing
Take note of the laws of physics while you're watching the graceful ballet of cars racing side-by-side at excessive speeds on the verge of disaster.

Owners reach out for road course ringers
Upcoming right turns and hills at Infineon and Watkins Glen mean some regular drivers will get bumped for road course specialists.

Answer Guy: Brought to you by the No. 43
ESPN The Magazine's Answer Guy digs around to find out why the field for NASCAR Nextel Cup races is 43 cars.

Things that go bump in the race
Bump drafting adds another tactic and an element of danger to racing at superspeedways such as Daytona and Talladega.

Eagle-eyed spotters watch out for drivers
The spotter's No. 1 responsibility of looking out for the safety of his driver sounds pretty simple, but as one long-time spotter puts it, "There's a right way and a wrong way to do it."

How NASCAR's points system and the Chase work
Tweaks to the points system by NASCAR puts more importance on winning in 2007 as drivers scramble to become eligible for the Chase for the Nextel Cup in the final 10 races.

You can race but you can't hide
From first to 43rd, NASCAR officials always know the order, timing and scoring for Nextel Cup races thanks to transponders mounted on the fuel cell of each race car.

Pull in for a look at pit stops
Fast and talented drivers also need quick and skilled pit crews to help them win races.

NASCAR's team concept starts in the shop
There's no I in NASCAR. But there is an amazing amount of money being pumped into the sport, so sharing resources and knowledge with teammates is increasingly crucial.

Coming to grips with the suspension system
An intricate network of mechanisms in the suspension system undergo a wide range of adjustments to keep a race car's grip on the road.

Testing, testing, one, two, three
As one owner puts it, "you can't afford not to" run cars through testing to learn more about a car and help drivers get the most out of their equipment.

Tire management holds results in the balance
Even the fastest cars can be made useless if tire performance is poor or the pit crews don't manage the tires properly.

Inspectors aim to keep competition even, safe
As the racecars have become more complex, so have NASCAR's inspectors. Long ago they were not much more than backyard mechanics, but today many are engineers.

Aerodynamics ins, outs -- and overs, arounds
Aerodynamics is a prime example of how the expertise of engineers has become increasingly valuable and an area where science and art are joined together to improve the outcome of racing.

High-tech "War Wagons" made to order
Multifaceted pit boxes provide a nice view for the team owner and a privileged few, but they also hold a giant information center of evolving technology to monitor a race.

What it takes to go over the wall
Seconds lost by pit stop blunders can cost a race, or worse a chance to get into the Chase for the Nextel Cup, so practice and conditioning has become more important than ever for the pit crew.

LOOK INSIDE AND UNDER THE HOOD OF A RACE CAR

How about these options?

They may be Chevys, Fords, Dodges and Toyotas, but there's a lot of differences between NASCAR race cars and the one in your garage. Check out a cutaway view of a stock car, a peek inside the cockpit and a comparison of race tires and street tires.

THE RACETRACKS OF SPRINT CUP
TRACK	RACE DATES
Atlanta Motor Speedway	March 9, Oct. 26
Bristol Motor Speedway	March 16, Aug. 23
California Speedway	Feb. 24, Aug. 31
Chicagoland Speedway	July 12
Darlington Raceway	May 10
Daytona International Speedway	Feb. 17, July 5
Dover International Speedway	June 1, Sept. 21
Homestead-Miami Speedway	Nov. 16
Indianapolis Motor Speedway	July 27
Infineon Raceway	June 22
Kansas Speedway	Sept. 28
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	March 2
Lowe's Motor Speedway	May 17, May 25, Oct. 11
Martinsville Speedway	March 30, Oct. 19
Michigan International Raceway	June 15, Aug. 17
New Hampshire International Speedway	June 29, Sept. 14
Phoenix International Raceway	April 12, Nov. 9
Pocono Raceway	June 8, Aug. 3
Richmond International Raceway	May 3, Sept. 6
Talladega Superspeedway	April 27, Oct. 5
Texas Motor Speedway	April 6, Nov. 2
Watkins Glen International	Aug. 10
Complete 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule and results

REFERENCE LINKS
Drafting	Impound races
Tight and loose	Spotters
Restrictor plates	Race flags