NASCAR Cup: 2000-2009 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cale Yarborough

California native Jimmie Johnson had a spectacular record of achievement in NASCAR Cup racing between 2002 and 2009. The driver of the number 48 Chevrolet won 47 Cup races and captured four consecutive Cup championships starting in 2006. In 2009, Johnson eclipsed the former mark of three straight titles set by Cale Yarborough from 1976 to 1978. Yarborough, a native of South Carolina, drove the number 11 car during those years.

Answer: Michael Waltrip

Michael Waltrip captured two Daytona 500 races, the most for any driver in the decade. Waltrip, the younger brother of NASCAR great Darrell Waltrip, won in 2001 and again in 2003. Ryan Newman won the 2008 Daytona 500 race, and Kevin Harvick won the great American race in 2007. Jamie McMurray did not win the Daytona 500 during the first decade of the 21st Century.

Answer: Kurt Busch

Starting in 2004, the NASCAR season was broken up into two segments, a 26-race "regular season" and a 10-race "chase" segment. After 26 races, the top 10 points leaders in the 2004 regular season were placed into a separate group in order to compete for the Cup championship. Kurt Busch won the 2004 title by accumulating the most points in the "playoff" portion of the season, including a victory at the New Hampshire 300 race. Busch, whose hometown was Las Vegas, drove the number 97 Ford to the title.

Answer: Toyota

Toyota began racing at the NASCAR Cup level during the 2007 season. Kyle Busch became the first driver to win a Cup race driving a Toyota when he captured the Atlanta 500 race in March 2008. Overall, drivers in Toyota cars won 21 races between 2008 and 2009. Busch was the leading Toyota winner with 12 victories.

Answer: Chicagoland Speedway

The Chicagoland Speedway held its first NASCAR Cup race in July 2001, with Kevin Harvick winning the inaugural event. The track, officially located in Joliet, Illinois, is a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval. Both Harvick and Tony Stewart won two races in the decade. Homestead opened in 1999, New Hampshire held its inaugural Cup race in 1993, and Infineon opened in 1989.

Answer: 5

Mark Martin had a great season driving a Hendrick Chevrolet in 2009. The veteran driver from Arkansas took a total of five checkered flags in the number 5 machine. Martin had recorded his previous 35 wins while driving the number 6 Ford car. Martin and crew chief Alan Gustafson had an impressive first season together for the number 5.

Answer: Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart won 34 NASCAR Cup races. The Indiana native captured two NASCAR Cup championships in 2002 and 2005. In 2009, Stewart formed his own racing team and switched from the number 20 car to the number 14. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won 18 Cup races in the decade, Greg Biffle won 14 times, and Kasey Kahne had 11 Cup wins.

Answer: A backflip

Carl Edwards achieved considerable success in NASCAR Cup competition in the latter part of the decade. Edwards, driving for the Roush Ford team, won four races in 2005, three more in 2007, and nine races in 2008. Edwards became famous for his gymnastics backflip off the car after winning a race. Edwards supposedly copied the acrobatic winning move from sprint car driver Tyler Walker.

Answer: Talladega

Jeff Gordon solidified his position among NASCAR Cup's all-time greatest drivers by winning 33 races and capturing the 2001 Cup championship. Gordon won five times at Talladega Speedway. The gigantic track in Alabama always features "white knuckle" races with drivers only inches away from possible disaster on every lap. Gordon tamed Talladega in 2000, 2004, 2005, and twice in 2007.

Answer: Dale Earnhardt

The NASCAR Hall of Fame, located in Charlotte, opened its doors in 2010. The inaugural class of this museum included five men: Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Bill France, and Bill France Jr. For Earnhardt, this selection was a fitting end to a truly legendary career.

The Intimidator won 76 NASCAR Cup races and seven series championships. Earnhardt lost his life while competing at the 2001 Daytona 500. Many NASCAR fans were shocked when it was announced that David Pearson, winner of 105 Cup races, did not receive Hall of Fame honors in the inaugural election.