The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the Xfinity Series are both racing leagues. NASCAR is the most popular form of motor racing in the United States.
The Xfinity Series, which has its races on the same tracks as Cup races, is a feeder system for NASCAR. It’s an entry point for drivers who want to work their way up to the top level of racing.
NASCAR Inc owns the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the Xfinity Series.
Key Takeaways
- NASCAR is a governing body for various stock car racing series, while Xfinity is a specific racing series sponsored by Comcast’s Xfinity brand.
- NASCAR Cup Series races feature more experienced drivers and higher-profile teams than Xfinity Series.
- Xfinity Series cars have slightly lower horsepower and are smaller in size than NASCAR Cup Series cars.
NASCAR vs Xfinity
NASCAR is a professional stock car racing in the US that organizes races in several different series, including the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Truck Series. The Xfinity Series is a stock car racing series that is considered to be one of the lower-tier NASCAR series, below the Cup Series.
The NASCAR national series runs as the top tier of competition for NASCAR INC. They are the highest split in which NASCAR sanctions any auto racing, and they represent the most popular and most watched form of motorsports in the United States.
The three most extensive racing series that make up NASCAR is the Sprint Cup, Xfinity, and Camping World Truck.
The Xfinity Series, or the Xfinity Series presented by Comcast Business as of the 2012 season, is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR.
It is promoted as NASCAR’s “minor league” circuit. It is considered a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization’s top-level course, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | NASCAR | Xfinity |
|---|---|---|
| Founded on | On February 21, 1948, NASCAR was established. | Xfinity was established in 1982. |
| Headquarters | NASCAR’s headquarters are at Daytona Beach, Florida, in the United States. | Xfinity’s headquarters are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. |
| CEO | Jim France is the CEO of NASCAR. | Brian France is the CEO of Xfinity. |
| Weight disparity | NASCAR vehicles are larger and more challenging to control than Xfinity cars. | Cars from Xfinity are lighter and easier to manage than those from NASCAR. |
| Old name | The NASCAR Cup Series was rebranded from the previous “Winston Cup” series. | The former ” Busch Series” has been renamed the Xfinity Series Cup Series. |
| Sponsor | Busch Beer and Coca-Cola are the current sponsors of NASCAR. | Comcast is the current sponsor of Xfinity. |
| Maximum horsepower | In the NASCAR series, vehicles may have up to 750 horsepower. | In the Xfinity series, vehicles can have up to 850 horsepower. |
What is NASCAR?
The NASCAR organization sanctions and governs multiple auto-racing sports events. The three most prominent of these are the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series.
Regional series include the K&N Pro Series East and West, the Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Pinty’s Series, Whelen All-American Series, NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and NASCAR Euro Series.
NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 states, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
It is considered the premier series of stock car racing in the country. The Cup Series races are among the longest distance on paved tracks and can be run on both ovals and non-oval tracks.
NASCAR has presented exhibition races at the Suzuka and Motegi circuits in Japan and Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
Regional divisions of NASCAR exist throughout North America.
The sanctioning body was formerly known as National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) before the current “NASCAR” acronym was adopted in February 1972.
The name change resulted from a merger with another sanctioning body known as the National Championship Stock Car Racing Association (NCSCRA).
What is Xfinity?
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is the second-highest level of professional competition in NASCAR. It’s known as “NASCAR’s little league,” and it serves as a proving ground for drivers competing in the organization’s top-tier series, the NASCAR Cup Series.
The Xfinity Series was founded in 1982. The series is now sanctioned by the NASCAR subsidiary NASCAR Xfinity Series, Inc. and owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which owns eight of its tracks.
Like the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series competes on various race tracks throughout the United States.
The series emerged from NASCAR’s Sportsman division, founded in 1950 as Nationwide Series, later known as Grand National Division.
The series then became the ” Busch Grand National Series” in 1982, and then the “Busch Series” in 2003, after Anheuser-Busch dropped its sponsorship.
In 2008, a new sponsor took over the series sponsorship.
The series races predominantly on Saturday afternoons, with some events held at night. Most events are spaced out over three days, while others are held over a long weekend.
The most famous event types include daytime road course competitions and nighttime oval track races.
While still new to the sport, most drivers in the series have competed in other racing disciplines or made their names on other forms of motorsports competition before entering stock car racing.
Main Differences Between NASCAR and Xfinity
- NASCAR was founded in 1948, while Xfinity was founded in 1982.
- NASCAR’s headquarters are in Daytona Beach, Florida, while Xfinity’s headquarters are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, both in the United States.
- Currently, NASCAR is sponsored by Busch Beer and Coca-Cola, while Comcast hosts Xfinity.
- Vehicles in the NASCAR series can have up to 750 horsepower. Cars in the Xfinity series, on the other hand, can have up to 850 horsepower.
- NASCAR cars are bigger and more challenging to manage than those in the Xfinity series. On the other hand, cars from Xfinity are lighter and easier to handle than those from NASCAR.
- The old “Winston Cup” series has been renamed the NASCAR Cup Series, while the former “Busch Series” has been renamed the Xfinity Series Cup Series.
- NASCAR’s CEO is Jim France, while Xfinity’s CEO is Brian France.
- https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/pdf/10.2514/6.2018-0558
- https://ninercommons.uncc.edu/islandora/object/etd%3A2021/datastream/PDF/download/citation.pdf
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
