I figured that, despite the fact this story is not completely about NAFSCAR (National Association for Furs of Stock Car Auto Racing), it would be helpful to provide a brief explanation of the sport for those who are completely clueless.
There are three main divisions of NAFSCAR; the Cup Series, the Grand National Series, and the Truck Series. NAFSCAR does need income, so each series is given an official sponsor and typically referred to as the sponsor name; Cup = Swift Cup, Grand National = Countrywide, Truck = camping land Truck. Getting to be a part of this much-sought-after career depends on who, what, where, why, and how much.
Who The team owner that sees you drive
What What you did to catch his or her attention
Where What track it occurred at. NAFSCAR, lacking in right turns, usually looks for skilled oval-track drivers.
Why Why should the team hire you? What will you bring to the table?
How much How much money will you bring in? How much is also used for spoiled kids who want to race in the sense of how much money does starting a top-tier race team cost?
All drivers start at local tracks making peanuts to support a few-thousand-dollar race team, then typically move to regional, semi-national (East Series/West Series) or amateur national (Pro Cup Series; ASCA series) and then professional.
Most lucky drivers who are picked up to drive at a professional level typically start in the Countrywide Series. Many start in the Truck Series, but rarely does a driver get instantly moved from amateur divisions to Swift Cup, let alone deliver good results afterward. It's simple enough afterward for the driver; drive fast and do good or drive poorly and crash and be released (fired) from the team.
A rookie in the sport, which this story is largely focused around, is defined as a driver who has never had more than seven races in the Swift Cup series in any one season AND/OR a driver who has never driven at a specific track in any given series. The number of starts in a season is different in the Countrywide and Truck series, but that's not important. For instance, if Driver A drives exactly seven races in 2007, 2008, and 2009, he or she will still be considered a rookie in 2010, whereas if that driver drove eight races in 2007, he or she would not have been considered a rookie in 2008 and any succeeding season. Rookies are noted to competition by two yellow stripes on the rear bumper of the car; a caution, if you will. NAFSCAR also holds a Rookie of the Year contest which is determined mainly by 'top eighteen finishes throughout the year'. Whichever driver has the best average finish of those top eighteen is usually the winner, regardless of overall points position, which brings us to my next point.
There are thirty-six races in the season. Until 2011 (after this book was already written), each race race gave a driver an opportunity to win anywhere from 34 points for finishing dead last to 185 points for winning the race (tack on another 5 bonus points since the driver was in the lead at the start/finish line at least one time in the race, and you would tack on another 5 if they led more laps than any other driver.) A simplified system was introduced in 2011 and will not be showcased in this novel. With point earnings for doing well, you can also lose points for poor conduct at NAFSCAR's discretion. Point penalties are usually accompanied with a fine and a suspension of a team member.
In 2004, NAFSCAR introduced the Chase for the Cup points format. What this did was create a playoff of sorts so that the sport could more resemble other sports, as well as create a little more edge-of-your-seat drama at the end of the year. By the 2010 rules, after 26 races, the top twelve drivers in the points standings are locked into the top twelve points positions and their points are essentially reset to an equal amount. Every win a driver has on the season at that point receives a bonus ten points per win; If driver A wins six races, he gets sixty points. These drivers race as they usually would over the final ten races, just more aware of each other. The top pointholder at the end of the last race is declared the series champion for the year.
A unique addition to NAFSCAR was the introduction of the Family Competition Awards in 2001. The highest ranked of each unique animal family, at the end of each season, will receive $50,000 to a charity of their choosing, as well as $50,000 in cash to spend however he or she wishes. The only requirement for this is that there be three of each family in active full-time competition. For example, if there were only two hyenas attempting all 36 races of the season, there would be no Crocuta award. It's determined by a panel of judges at season's end, heavily based on final points position and amount of race wins.
There are three main team members in a race; the driver, the crew chief and the spotter. The crew chief makes the team decisions and provides necessary info to the driver so he or she can make the best decision on-track, while the spotter constantly provides the driver with information about his surroundings. Other important members of the team are on pit road; two tire changers, a jackman, a catch can man, two tire carriers and a gasman.
Finally, qualifying; an incredibly complex procedure. The way NAFSCAR used to work is having the fastest 43 qualifiers race and all the others go home, but NAFSCAR saw it necessary to ensure certain teams make it into the race every week, and therefore introduce owner's points; points that the owner of the car scores, which are tallied the same as driver's points, only have a direct affect on the driver whether or not the driver has to qualify for the race in order to actually be in the race. In Swift Cup, after race five, it's the current top 35 in owner's points that are automatically locked into each race so long as they remain there. For the first five races of the year, it goes back to last year's owner's points. The only races that are excluded from these rules are the season Shootout, the Daytona 500, and the All Star Race in the Spring, which have their own rules that do not have a direct impact on the story.
NAFSCAR does have a few limitations and expensive add-ons in an anthro society. First off, it is very important that the car stay cool, especially for those with a thicker coat to prevent overheating, which is why each helmet is equipped with a chilled electronic neck strap and two cooling fans, as well as several cooling devices installed in the car. One of the major determinations on whether a driver will be hired or not is species, unfortunately, as each species is created differently. Turtles, for example, need custom-made seats for their shells to fit comfortably, which is why turtles are so rare in the sport. Apart from that; if you can't use the equipment, you can't participate. NAFSCAR is working to make the sport playable by avians, but most taller species like dragons and giraffes would not be able to participate due to vehicle size and helmet requirements. No aquatic mammals have ever been able to successfully compete, either. Helmets are specially designed to allow ears to fit comfortably, and come in many sizes, but many drivers complain the larger-eared helmets look like mouse heads. Finally, due to several injuries in the late 1990s resulting in tail docking surgeries, tail holster chilled airlocks have been introduced to the sport, and each car is required to have one in the middle of the fold of the seat.
Changes in the sport do happen, as I have noted. And as I speak, NAFSCAR could be discussing a new rookie system, introducing new safety standards, going to new tracks, et cetera. Who knows? There may be a change by the time I finish writing this sentence!