NASCAR Trivia: 20 Questions

by Tom Jensen September 16, 2022

Think you know your NASCAR trivia? Take this quiz and test your knowledge of the sport’s history.

1. Which NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner had at least one premier series start as a driver?

A. Joe Gibbs

B. Rick Hendrick

C. Roger Penske

D. Jack Roush

2. Which Hall of Famer won the second Daytona 500 in 1960?

A. Lee Petty

B. Joe Weatherly

C. Curtis Turner

D. Junior Johnson

3. Which NASCAR Hall of Famer never won a Modified Division championship?

A. David Pearson

B. Bobby Allison

C. Red Farmer

D. Red Byron

4. What two brands of cars did Tim Flock win premier series championships with?

A. Hudson and Oldsmobile

B. Oldsmobile and Ford

C. Chevrolet and Chrysler

D. Hudson and Chrysler

5. Of these Hall of Famers, who won the most premier series races?

A. Bobby Labonte

B. Terry Labonte

C. Benny Parsons

D. Davey Allison

6. When Joe Weatherly won the 1963 premier series title, how many different car owners did he drive for?

A. 1

B. 3

C. 6

D. 9

7. Which of these tracks is oldest?

A. Homestead-Miami Speedway

B. Las Vegas Motor Speedway

C. Texas Motor Speedway

D. Auto Club Speedway

8. Which Hall of Famer won the most NASCAR Xfinity Series races?

A. Dale Earnhardt

B. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

C. Mark Martin

D. Matt Kenseth

9. Since 2000, how many Hall of Famers won premier series championships?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4

10. When was the last time an automaker other than Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota won the Manufacturers’ Championship?

A. 2002

B. 1992

C. 1982

D. 1972

11. Who was the last premier series Rookie of the Year to become a Hall of Famer?

A. Matt Kenseth

B. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

C. Jeff Gordon

D. Tony Stewart

12. When did Bud Moore win his first NASCAR championship?

A. 1955

B. 1957

C. 1959

D. 1961

13. What was the first year NASCAR had more premier series races on paved tracks than on dirt tracks?

A. 1958

B. 1959

C. 1960

D. 1961

14. Lee Petty won three premier series championships and one title in this NASCAR division:

A. Late Model Sportsman Division

B. Short Track Division

C. Modified Division

D. Speedway Division

15. What make and model car did Richard Childress race in the inaugural Talladega 500 in 1969?

A. Dodge Daytona

B. Ford Torino Talladega

C. Mercury Cougar

D. Chevrolet Camaro

16. What was the first year the Daytona 500 purse exceeded $1 million?

A. 1980

B. 1985

C. 1990

D. 1995

17. Jack Roush was the winning car owner at which track’s inaugural premier series and Xfinity Series races?

A. Texas Motor Speedway

B. Chicagoland Speedway

C. Kansas Speedway

D. Auto Club Speedway

18. In the first premier series season of 1949, how many of NASCAR’s races were in North Carolina?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4

19. Who was the first Hall of Famer to win more than $5 million in a single season?

A. Dale Earnhardt

B. Jeff Gordon

C. Tony Stewart

D. Terry Labonte

20. Where did Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace win his first career premier series race?

A. Martinsville Speedway

B. North Wilkesboro Speedway

C. Richmond Raceway

D. Bristol Motor Speedway

ANSWER KEY:

1. Correct answer: B. Rick Hendrick finished 31^st in the 1987 Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway and 15^th in the 1988 Budweiser 400 at Riverside.

2. Correct answer: D. While Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959, Junior Johnson won the second one a year later. In that race, Johnson was credited with being the first driver to master the nuances of high-speed drafting.

3. Correct answer: A. Byron won the first Modified Division championship in 1948. Farmer was champion in 1956, and Allison took consecutive titles in 1965-66.

4. Correct answer: D. Flock won his first championship in 1952 driving a Hudson Hornet and his second three years later in a Chrysler 300.

5. Correct answer: B. Bobby Labonte and Parsons each won 21 premier series races, while Allison won 19. Terry Labonte led them all with 22 victories.

6. Correct answer: D. Believe it or not, Weatherly drove for nine car owners in winning his second consecutive championship in 1963: Bud Moore, 34 races; Cliff Stewart, 10; Floyd Powell and Wade Younts, two each; and Pete Stewart, Major Melton, Worth McMillion, Petty Enterprises and Possum Jones, one each.

7. Correct answer: A. Although it didn’t host its first premier series race until 1999 – after Texas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway had their events – Homestead opened with a 1995 NASCAR Busch Grand National (now Xfinity Series) race won by Dale Jarrett.

8. Correct answer: C. Martin won 49 races in what is now the Xfinity Series, compared to 29 for Kenseth, 24 for Earnhardt Jr. and 21 for Earnhardt.

9. Correct answer: D. Bobby Labonte in 2000, Jeff Gordon in 2001, Tony Stewart in 2002, ’05 and ’11, and Matt Kenseth in 2003.

10. Correct answer: C. Led by team owner Junior Johnson and driver Darrell Waltrip, Buick captured the 1982 Manufacturers’ Championship after winning 25 of 30 premier series races.

11. Correct answer: A. Kenseth took Rookie of the Year honors in 2000, one year after Stewart.

12. Correct answer: B. Moore was the championship crew chief for Buck Baker 1957. Moore went on to win consecutive titles as Joe Weatherly’s car owner in 1962 and ’63.

13. Correct answer: C. In 1960, NASCAR had 22 races on paved tracks, 21 on dirt and one on a road course. A year earlier, they raced 26 times on dirt and 18 on pavement.

14. Correct answer: C. In addition to his three premier series titles, in 1958, Lee Petty was NASCAR Short Track Division champion.

15. Correct answer: D. Due to a shortage of premier series regulars, NASCAR offered Childress and other drivers in the Grand American support series race bonus purse money to compete in the main event at what is now Talladega Superspeedway when the track opened in 1969.

16. Correct answer: B. The total purse for the 1985 Daytona 500 was $1,092,925. Race winner Bill Elliott earned $185,500 for his victory.

17. Correct answer: A. When Texas Motor Speedway opened in 1997, Mark Martin won the Busch Grand National (now Xfinity Series) race and Jeff Burton won the premier series race, both in Roush-owned Fords.

18. Correct answer C: Three of the eight NASCAR races in the first year of the premier series in 1949 were at North Carolina tracks: Charlotte Speedway, Occoneechee Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway each hosted a single race.

19. Correct answer: B. In 1997, Gordon earned a cool $6,375,658, including a $1 million bonus known as The Winston Million for winning three of NASCAR’s four biggest races.

20. Correct answer: D. On April 6, 1986, Wallace won his first premier series race, the Valleydale 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Wallace would go on to win nine races at the 0.533-mile Tennessee track.