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@mmccarthy
I found this and thought it was pretty interesting:
Some very very talented open-wheel drivers who are well used to ovals have come in to Nascar and are taking years to get up to speed. JP Montoya, Sam Hornish and Dario Franchitti are all former CART champions and the transition hasn't been swift and sure for any of them.
The reason they're not winning from the outset is that Nascar is predominantly reliant on car setup. Not simply finding a balance for the car in qualifying and running that, but in understanding how the track changes as it rubbers in, as the race wears on and the ambient and track temperature changes, as a high line emerges that might be quicker than the low line earlier in the race, etc etc. The behaviour of the car changes subtly and the driver who wins is usually the one who has the setup right throughout the race.
The driver has to understand what the car's doing and relate that to the crew chief throughout the race, and the crew chief has to make the right judgement calls on what changes to adopt at pitstops. It's all about the setup of the car; a good Nascar driver has excellent car control but also outstanding technical feedback and a feel for reading / predicting track conditions.
So the whole thing is a race team's sport, based on depth of knowledge and experience both in the car and on the pit wall.
As you watch the racing it becomes clear who has a handle on their car and who doesn't.
The remarkable thing about Nascar is that in the main, the racing is quite subtle and free from contact. Which is surprising mainly because of the average Nascar fan. The fans and the track action seem totally incompatible