NASCAR Announces 33 Points Events for 1998 Winston Cup Schedule
3 September 1997
NASCAR WINSTON CUP SERIES SCHEDULE TO CELEBRATE SANCTIONING
BODY'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH 33 CHAMPIONSHIP POINT EVENTS
DAYTONA BEACH, FL. (Sept. 3, 1987) The NASCAR Winston Cup Series
will celebrate the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing's
50th Anniversary with an expanded schedule of 33 championship point
events in 1998.
The 33 events represent an increase by one from the 1997 schedule
with the addition of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which will be the
third race of the season when run on March 1. The 33 championship
point events are the most on the schedule since 48 dates made up the
1971 season.
The 1998 chase for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series title begins with
the 40th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15, 50 years to the day
after the first officially sanctioned NASCAR event on Daytona's beach
course and won by Red Byron in his Ford modified car.
Additionally, the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series schedule will
include a change in date for four facilities.
After having its inaugural race scheduled in June 1997, California
Speedway's date has been moved to May 3 and becomes the 10th race on
the schedule.
Richmond International Raceway's annual spring race has been moved
from its traditional March date to Sat. June 6 in 1998.
The NASCAR Winston Cup Series' annual trek to northern California
and Sears Point Raceway has been shifted to June 28 switching from the
10th to the 16th race on the schedule. With the Labor Day Weekend
later on the calendar in 1998, New Hampshire International Speedway's
second date moves up on the schedule from mid-September to August 30
"The schedule combined with NASCAR's 50th Anniversary celebration
promises to make the 1998 season an exciting one, said Mike Helton,
vice president of competition for NASCAR. "We are pleased with the
addition of Las Vegas and are delighted that we were able to work with
some of our track operators and assist them in their requests in
modifications to their respective dates."
The addition of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 1 ,50O-acre
motorsports complex that includes the 1 02,0O0-seat 1 .3-mile
superspeedway, gives the NASCAR Winston Cup Series its sixth major
change in six years:
* New Hampshire International Speedway was added to the 1993 schedule, and
the 1 995 July NASCAR Winston Cup date at NHlS broke the record for the
largest Sporting event in New England history;
* The NASCAR Winston Cup Series made its debut at the famed Indianapolis
Motor Speedway for the first Brickyard 400 a year later in front of a
crowd estimated at more than 315,000;
* In 1997, NASCAR added the California Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway
to the schedule as well as a second date at New Hampshire International
Speedway.
The schedule also includes the two traditional non~championship
point events --The Bud Shootout and The Winston. Recently renamed from
the Busch Clash, the Bud Shootout opens the 1998 season on Feb, 8 in a
race featuring the pole winners from the previous year's schedule. The
Winston, which again will be run under the lights on May 16, a special
winners-only event.
For the third Consecutive year, the 1998 schedule also will
include a trip To Japan, this time with a two-race stop. Next year's
first event will be at the 1.4-mile Suzuka Circuit road course in
Suzuka City, 250-miles South of Tokyo. The second stop will be at the
Twin Ring Motegi, a 1.49-mile oval which recently celebrated its
opening.
The 50th Anniversary will officially kick-off at the 1997 NASCAR
Winston Cup Series Banquet Dec. 5 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York
where the 50th NASCAR Winston Cup champion will be crowned. In 1998
the 50th Anniversary will be divided into four quarterly themes; the
first quarter will focus on NASCAR history, the second will feature
the greatest drivers and racing rivalries of NASCAR, the third quarter
will be a country music salute to NASCAR, and the fourth quarter will
be a tribute to NASCAR fans.
Plans for the 50th Anniversary celebration will include more than
200 hours of special programming and features focused on the past,
present and future of the sport on CBS, ESPN, espn2, TBS Superstation
and TNN: The Nashville Network.
