What is the Nationwide Series?

The Nationwide Series from the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ran from 2007 to 2015. It was named after the event’s sponsor, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Originally sponsored by Budweiser, the series launched in 1982 and was called the NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series.

It was branded the NASCAR Busch Series two years later and remained so until Nationwide took over sponsorship. In 2015, the series was renamed the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Since the first sanctioned NASCAR race was held in 1948, NASCAR has launched several series, including the Sprint Cup Series and a truck series, originally sponsored by Craftsman.