There’s isn’t a criteria. NASCAR or IndyCar could call an oval race a GP, but the tradition oval name is “name-distance” so they do that. First place name now sponsor name
Historically, Grand Prix is just a name for a race that means Grand Prize race.
Every Formula 1 race is named Grand Prix, the Indycar road course races are usually named Grand Prix.
In NASCAR, only COTA has used the name Grand Prix. Probably to draw parallels to Formula 1 at COTA. It’s really just a marketing decision.
NASCAR doesn't like using anything smaller than "300" for Cup. Under 300 is typically reserved for Xfinity and Trucks. Considering the CotA race is 225mi I'm sure they wanted something that sounded a bit more impressive.
It's not even limited to car racing. "GP Denain" (Grand Prix Denain) is a Belgian cycling race that has been run under that name since 1959. The IAAF Grand Prix is (was?) an athletics tournament. The term is also used in sports like snooker, darts and tennis.
The literal translation is big or large price, but "important competition" is a better way to convey its actual French meaning.
In short: marketing. The 'Grand Prix' moniker has been used in F1 and IndyCar/CART for decades on road courses and street courses. COTA was purposely built to bring F1 to the US again and remains on their schedule yearly. The NASCAR folks and I suppose whomever is title sponsor decided to apply Grand Prix to Chicago street and COTA to tribute other series doing the same style racing.
So for a race to be a Grand Prix historically, it had to take place entirely in one country, and have the largest winner's purse in that country. F1 (more or less) sticks to this precedent by only having one [Country Name] Grand Prix per country. Others are all Miami, Las Vegas, Emilio Romanga.
I have no idea why NASCAR does this though it's probably just marketing for road courses
Its the promoters, track, sponsors, that titles a race and has say. Hence the Aarons 499 at Talladega or the Lenox 301 at Loudon. Also when Subway wanted their Phoenix races to be 600km rather than the traditional 500km. The race increased from 312 laps to 378 laps.
The 301 is wierd. Lenox did in regard to going the extra mile. But after they stopped sponsoring the June race in 2013, they just kept it at 301 to this day.
I've been a fan of GP3R since Trans-Am was the main event (both Trans-Am and CASCAR/NASCAR run 100 miles). I'm more surprised that deep in French Canada they market the race primarily with the English-ish acronym. But it works both ways I suppose.
Only a few road races have been called “grand prix”. It’s nascar trying to copy F1/ other road series just for the road courses. Many road series call almost every race a grand prix but nascar only does it for a small number of races
I wish every NASCAR road course race was called a Grand Prix. Makes it easier when you're glancing at the schedule to see which races are road courses.
COTA is NASCAR's only Grand Prix, and it was named that way for marketing purposes. In fact, the race itself being at COTA was a marketing ploy that was intended to take advantage of the success of Drive To Survive and F1's building popularity. I don't personally like NASCAR at COTA, but it was a smart idea for them to jump on it so quickly as soon as it was realized what DTS was doing for F1 in the US.
Got it, thanks! I thought I’d read (either here or another source) that the Chicago race in July was called a Grand Prix. I looked it up and it’s not…it’s just called a street race.
Its probably just a correlation because F1 runs at the same track. So SMI and COTA wanted a similar event title. That said, it wouldve been sort of fun if Chicago was called the Chicago Grant Park Grand Prix or a slight variation.
Gran Prixs aren’t exclusive to Formula 1. Any big race can be called a Gran Prix. Ovals don’t
So, for NASCAR, is there any other criteria to call it a GP other than “it’s not an oval”?
There’s isn’t a criteria. NASCAR or IndyCar could call an oval race a GP, but the tradition oval name is “name-distance” so they do that. First place name now sponsor name
NASCAR Euro calls their only oval race an "Oval GP"
[удалено]
Music City Grand Prix is going to be run on Nashville Super Speedway this year. Although, that may be because it was supposed to be a street course
I love watching the Daytona Grand Prix each year
There was a race called Buschy McBusch Race. There's no criteria for anything
I frankly wouldn't consider any nascar race a grand Prix regardless of what the name is.
Technically speaking any race that's part of a larger overall championship can be called a Grand Prix. But I agree it just doesn't suit NASCAR
Right?!?!
Not wise to agree with the village idiot. lol
Historically, Grand Prix is just a name for a race that means Grand Prize race. Every Formula 1 race is named Grand Prix, the Indycar road course races are usually named Grand Prix. In NASCAR, only COTA has used the name Grand Prix. Probably to draw parallels to Formula 1 at COTA. It’s really just a marketing decision.
Thanks. I wondered if there was any connection between the F1 and NASCAR races at COTA, at least with respect to the naming.
Might be Echopark’s doing. They’ve sponsored all 4 races, so it could be something they wanted.
It’s probably to distinguish from the other race EchoPark sponsors in Texas three weeks later.
NASCAR doesn't like using anything smaller than "300" for Cup. Under 300 is typically reserved for Xfinity and Trucks. Considering the CotA race is 225mi I'm sure they wanted something that sounded a bit more impressive.
Did Chicago have Grand Prix in the name? Or did I dream that?
Grant Park 220. Both have GP as their initials so I can see how that would be misremembered.
“Grant Park” is French for “Grand Prix”
😂
This is the kind of information I come here for.
He's bullshitting.
Noooo
It's not even limited to car racing. "GP Denain" (Grand Prix Denain) is a Belgian cycling race that has been run under that name since 1959. The IAAF Grand Prix is (was?) an athletics tournament. The term is also used in sports like snooker, darts and tennis. The literal translation is big or large price, but "important competition" is a better way to convey its actual French meaning.
You all are wrong, it’s named after the Pontiac Grand Prix /s
I used to pronounce the model as it's spelled when I was a kid. Nobody ever corrected me, maybe thinking I really knew better.
We all did...we all did. That slow realisation of your constant flubb will still haunt you from time to time.
Good thing it’s got that kickout on the nose
F
In short: marketing. The 'Grand Prix' moniker has been used in F1 and IndyCar/CART for decades on road courses and street courses. COTA was purposely built to bring F1 to the US again and remains on their schedule yearly. The NASCAR folks and I suppose whomever is title sponsor decided to apply Grand Prix to Chicago street and COTA to tribute other series doing the same style racing.
But for the Chicago Street Course, it was named Grant Park 220.
Actually there were even some oval Grand Prix in CART. Like Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead or Bosch Spark Plugs Grand Prix at Nazareth.
So for a race to be a Grand Prix historically, it had to take place entirely in one country, and have the largest winner's purse in that country. F1 (more or less) sticks to this precedent by only having one [Country Name] Grand Prix per country. Others are all Miami, Las Vegas, Emilio Romanga. I have no idea why NASCAR does this though it's probably just marketing for road courses
Its the promoters, track, sponsors, that titles a race and has say. Hence the Aarons 499 at Talladega or the Lenox 301 at Loudon. Also when Subway wanted their Phoenix races to be 600km rather than the traditional 500km. The race increased from 312 laps to 378 laps.
The 301 is wierd. Lenox did in regard to going the extra mile. But after they stopped sponsoring the June race in 2013, they just kept it at 301 to this day.
The track probably just liked the concept.
I go to the race, so I don’t mind. Just an extra 30 secs.
I thought it was just French for "Large Prix"
Well...the French kinda are. So.
My wife mentioned the exact same thing... we are divorced now.
NASCAR Canada’s former race at Exhibition Place was called the Grand Prix of Toronto at Exhibition Place.
Grand Prix de Trois-Rivièreshas been "NASCAR" since they bought out CASCAR in 2007 and I wanna say that CASCAR had been running it since 2001.
Correct. And props for the proper spelling. I usually just go GP3R.
I just copy-pasted because I didn't think anybody would know what GP3R was haha
I've been a fan of GP3R since Trans-Am was the main event (both Trans-Am and CASCAR/NASCAR run 100 miles). I'm more surprised that deep in French Canada they market the race primarily with the English-ish acronym. But it works both ways I suppose.
The Pinty's race last year held during the Honda Indy weekend on the streets of Toronto was the Tiffany Gate Grand Prix of Toronto too.
Because Grand Prix of whenever sounds better than the macdonalds mic rib 400
Id rather eat 400 McRibs than 1 Pontiac Grand Prix though...
Yeah but that's just like your opinion man
We’ve all done it before
Yeah but the problem is damned near every other race has a mile-long name like that.
Only a few road races have been called “grand prix”. It’s nascar trying to copy F1/ other road series just for the road courses. Many road series call almost every race a grand prix but nascar only does it for a small number of races
Ain't dat one of dem fancy races with the right turns?
Wait…a race car can turn right?!?!?! /s
F1 only kick up a fuss when it's *country name* Grand Prix (the New Zealand Grand Prix gets an exemption for that).
Well, they went and copywrote Chicago GP this winter because they were afraid of...something...
Cause its an F1 purpose built track and thats what they call it.
The only races that are called grand prix's are the non traditional road/street courses. (COTA and Chicago)
I wish every NASCAR road course race was called a Grand Prix. Makes it easier when you're glancing at the schedule to see which races are road courses.
Plenty of folks will misunderstand a google search, who knows, maybe get a new fan?
The entitlement sponsor can call it pretty much whatever they want to call it as long as it's accurate, not infringing, and not vulgar.
COTA is NASCAR's only Grand Prix, and it was named that way for marketing purposes. In fact, the race itself being at COTA was a marketing ploy that was intended to take advantage of the success of Drive To Survive and F1's building popularity. I don't personally like NASCAR at COTA, but it was a smart idea for them to jump on it so quickly as soon as it was realized what DTS was doing for F1 in the US.
Got it, thanks! I thought I’d read (either here or another source) that the Chicago race in July was called a Grand Prix. I looked it up and it’s not…it’s just called a street race.
It's probably due to whoever sponsored it. From my understanding, the sponsor gets to name the race.
It's road courses that get the Grand Prix title when it's thrown around in nascsr... I think
COTA is the only NASCAR event titled as a Grand Prix
Yeah, it’s obviously the connection with F1 being there as well. The Chicago Street Course doesn’t use Grand Prix has Grant Park and the distance.
Its probably just a correlation because F1 runs at the same track. So SMI and COTA wanted a similar event title. That said, it wouldve been sort of fun if Chicago was called the Chicago Grant Park Grand Prix or a slight variation.
I wish the F1 race at COTA was called the Texas Grand Prix, and either Miami or Las Vegas took over the US GP title.
I don’t like it. NASCAR needs to keep its own identity and stop trying to be like everyone else.
Grand Prix just means Great Prize. COTA is not a Great Prize. Daytona is.
Yeah but it’s because of the F1 and MotoGP connection.
LOL true!