The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of Bill France Sr. NASCAR is the largest sanctioning body of stock car racing in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. It also oversees NASCAR Local Racing, the Whelen Modified Tour, the Whelen All-American Series, and the NASCAR iRacing.com Series. NASCAR sanctions over 1500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 US states and Canada. NASCAR has presented exhibition races at the Suzuka and Motegi circuits in Japan, Mexico, and Calder Park Raceway in Australia.

NASCAR's headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, although it also maintains offices in four North Carolina cities: Charlotte, Mooresville, Concord, and Conover. Regional offices are also located in New York City, Los Angeles, Bentonville, Arkansas, and international offices in Mexico City and Toronto. Additionally, owing to its Southern roots, all but a handful of NASCAR teams are still based in North Carolina, especially near Charlotte.

Casey James Mears (born March 12, 1978) is the driver of the #13 GEICO Ford for Germain Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. He is a former winner of the Coca-Cola 600.

Mears is the nephew of four time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears and the son of IndyCar and off-road veteran Roger Mears.

After racing in go-karts for a season in 1991, Mears began competing in the SuperLites Off-Road Series in 1992 where he posted several top-three finishes. He moved to sprint cars in 1994 and finished third in the Jim Russell USAC Triple Crown Championship, with a win at Mesa Marin Raceway. The next season, he won the championship in the USAC series.

In 1996, Mears made his CART's Indy Lights championship series debut at the Cleveland Grand Prix and finished eighth. The following year, he competed full-time in the Indy Lights championship and in 1999 finished second, losing by 14 points. He was also just the fourth driver in Indy Lights series history to complete every lap in a single season. Mears continued to compete in the Indy Lights in 2000 and won his first race at the Grand Prix of Houston meeting in October.

Marcos Ambrose (born 1 September 1976 in Launceston, Tasmania) is a championship winning Australian racing car driver. He currently drives the #9 Stanley Black & Decker Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Ambrose is a dual Australian V8 Supercar champion in 2003 and 2004, having spearheaded Stone Brothers Racing's rise in the sport which saw the team dominate for three years after a five-year drought for Ford teams in the championship.

In 2006 Ambrose relocated to the USA to pursue racing in NASCAR, starting with the Camping World Truck Series; driving a Ford for JTG Daugherty Racing. He moved up to the Nationwide Series in 2007 with the same team; driving the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion for JTG Daugherty Racing, before racing in the Sprint Cup Series with Wood Brothers Racing, first with Fords then Toyotas. Ambrose joined Richard Petty Motorsports in 2011 where after four years in the Sprint cup he scored his first race win at Watkins Glen, becoming the first Australian driver to do so.

Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano (born May 24, 1990), nicknamed "sliced bread" (as in the greatest thing since) by Randy LaJoie, is an American stock car auto racing race car driver who currently drives the #20 Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the #20 GameStop/Sport Clips Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Logano's first major NASCAR win came during the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway in just his third start in the 2008 Nationwide Series. Logano made history becoming the youngest driver to win a Nationwide Series race at &1000000000000001800000018 years, &1000000000000002100000021 days old. The previous youngest was Casey Atwood in 1999 at &1000000000000001800000018 years, &10000000000000313000000313 days. Logano became the youngest winner in Sprint Cup Series history when he won the 2009 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway at &1000000000000001900000019 years, &1000000000000003500000035 days. The previous youngest was teammate Kyle Busch in 2005 at &1000000000000002000000020 years, &10000000000000125000000125 days. Logano is now the youngest winner in two of NASCAR'S three top divisions. Logano is also the first NASCAR driver to be born in the 1990s to compete in NASCAR's three major divisions.

Clint Bowyer (born May 30, 1979) is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #15 5 Hour Energy Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing. Early in his career, he drove for Richard Childress Racing. He won the 2008 Nationwide Series championship.

Bowyer began racing at the age of five in motocross. He went on to capture over 200 wins and numerous championships over the next eight years. In 1996, he began racing street stocks at Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kansas, and won the Modified championship there in 2000. Bowyer racked up 18 wins and 32 top-five finishes on his way to capturing the 2001 Modified championships at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas and Heartland Park Topeka. In 2002, he began racing in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, posting 9 poles, 12 wins and 32 top-five finishes en route to a second place finish in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national point standings. He was also crowned the 2002 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Midwest Champion after another Modified championship at Lakeside Speedway and a Late Model championship at the famed I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO, his first attempt at racing on asphalt.