What was the name of the NASCAR Cup Series from 1972 to 2003?

The NASCAR Cup Series was called the Winston Cup Series from 1972 through 2003.

R. J. Reynolds became NASCAR’s premier-series sponsor in 1971 through its Winston cigarette brand. The 1972 season was the first under the modern-era format and was commonly identified as the Winston Cup Series. Richard Petty won that inaugural modern-era Winston Cup championship.

The name remained in use through the 2003 season, when Matt Kenseth won the title. Winston’s sponsorship then ended after 33 years, and telecommunications company Nextel became the title sponsor in 2004. The series was subsequently known as the Nextel Cup Series and later the Sprint Cup Series.

A common mix-up is treating Grand National Series as the answer. Grand National was the premier series’ earlier name, used before the Winston era; it was not the official title from 1972 to 2003.