Q: How many NASCAR drivers are there? How many have never won a race?
—Allen Becker, Roswell
A: There are thousands of drivers who race in NASCAR sanctioned events, which range from the top level of Sprint Cup to races at local tracks. At the top levels, there are 119 starting spots — 43 in every Sprint Cup race, 40 in every Nationwide race and 36 in every Camping World Truck Series race – each week. There are some drivers every week who aren't fast enough to qualify, so "it's difficult to narrow to a firm number, but a decent ballpark might be around 125 for the national level altogether, with maybe 45 or 46 of those competing (or attempting to compete) at the (Sprint) Cup level," David Caraviello, a writer at NASCAR.com, told Q&A on the News in an email. At last year's Sprint Cup Series finale, 28 of the 43 drivers had won a Sprint Cup race at "some point in their careers," Caraviello wrote. "Most of those who hadn't were either very young, or were competing for teams that weren't very good." Of those, nine others had won at least one race on either the Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series level to boost the total to 37 out of those 43. "Most drivers racing at NASCAR's top level have won a national-level race at some point in their careers — which is one reason they're at the top," Caraviello wrote. "But at the highest level, where the events are longer and the pool of competition much deeper, the races are considerably more difficult to win."
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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