) John Andretti
) Casey Atwood
) Johnny Benson
) Ed Berrier(not entered)
) Joe Bessey(not entered)
) Rich Bickle(not entered)
) Dave Blaney
) Mike Bliss(not entered)
) Brett Bodine
) Geoffrey Bodine(not entered)
) Todd Bodine
) Gary Bradberry(not entered)
) Kurt Busch
) Stacy Compton
) Derrike Cope
) Ricky Craven
) Wally Dallenbach(not entered)
) Kerry Earnhardt(not entered)
) Ron Fellows(not entered)
) Robby Gordon(not entered)
) David Green(not entered)
) Jeff Green(not entered)
) Steve Grissom(not entered)
) Bobby Hamilton, Jr(will run the #33 for Nemechek)
) Bobby Hillin(not entered)
) Ron Hornaday
) Andy Houston
) Tom Hubert(not entered)
) Buckshot Jones
) PJ Jones(not entered)
) Jason Leffler
) Kevin Lepage
) Chad Little(not entered)
) Carl Long
) Dave Marcis
) Sterling Marlin
) Rick Mast
) Ted Musgrave(not entered)
) Joe Nemechek(injured will not race - Hamilton Jr to run the #33)
) Ryan Newman
) Kyle Petty
) Robert Pressley
) Scott Pruett(not entered)
) Jeff Purvis(not entered)
) Ricky Rudd
) Boris Said(not entered)
) Ken Schrader
) Brian Simo(not entered)
) Mike Skinner
) Jimmy Spencer
) Hut Stricklin
) Kenny Wallace
) Scott Wimmer(not entered)

Rules for The Winston 2001

• INFO ABOUT THE WINSTON:
  
  
• Humpy to make his pick UPDATE it's Jarrett: With an assist from magician Mark Robinson, Lowe's Motor Speedway presient H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler will gaze into his crystal ball Thursday and reveal his pick to win The Winston on May 19. During the past 13 years, Wheeler has been correct nine times in his annual selection, including his prediction that rookie Dale Earnhardt Jr. would top the veterans in last year's running of NASCAR's annual all-star event. Wheeler has spent hours touring the Winston Cup garage areas and talking to sources on the phone and is prepared, with a little magic and illusion, to reveal his selection at 2:30pm/et Thursday(May 10th) at The Speedway Club at Lowe's Motor Speedway(That's Racin')(5-10-2001)
  UPDATE: Every year about this time, Lowe's Motor Speedway president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler dons the cloak of the prognosticator and picks the winner of The Winston, next weekend's NASCAR all-star race. At the speedway near Charlotte on Thursday, the race promoter and ringmaster gazed into the future again and said Dale Jarrett would be this year's winner of the prestigious race(That's Racin')(5-11-2001)
  
  
• The Winston Fast Facts: Saturday, May 19, 2001 at 9:00pm/et at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C. 1.5-mile quad-oval with 24-degree banking in the turns.
  
  Distance: 70 laps, 105 miles (run in three segments of 30 laps, 30 laps and 10 laps) Only green-flag laps count in all three segments. At the end of the first segment, there will be a 10-minute break. At the end of the second segment, pit road will be opened, but the pace car will remain on the track. Teams will have the option to pit for fuel, tires, chassis adjustments, etc.
  
  Purse: $2,000,000 (including the Winston Open, No Bull Sprint and qualifying):
  The Winston Winner’s share: Minimum $500,000
  First Segment Bonuses: 1st -- $50,000; 2nd -- $15,000; 3rd -- $7,500
  Second Segment Bonuses: 1st -- $50,000; 2nd -- $15,000; 3rd -- $7,500
  Television awards in the amount of $1.7 million will also be distributed as part of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Car/Champion Owner Program.
  
  Radio/Television: Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast the race live to its affiliate stations beginning at 7:15pm/et Cable station FX will televise The Winston live. Pre-race coverage begins at 7:00pm/et and coverage will also include the Winston Open and the No Bull Sprint.
  
  Last Year’s Pole Sitter: Bill Elliott (105.932 seconds, 152.928 mph) Total elapsed time of three laps, including a two-tire pit stop
  
  Qualifying: One round to be held Friday night, May 19, at 8:00pm/et. The driver’s official speed will be the total elapsed time of three laps, including a mandatory four-tire pit stop prior to the first lap.(LMS PR)(5-12-2001)
  
  
• News rules for the Winston: Drivers this year will make a four-tire change instead of a two-tire change on their pit stop at the start of qualifying for The Winston all-star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 19. Teams were allowed to pit anytime during a three-lap qualifying run until last year, when the stop was moved to the beginning of the run. This year, teams will make a four-tire change, then complete a three-lap run with total time being used to determine starting order for the event. The Winston will again be run in segments of 30, 30 and 10 laps, with only green-flag laps counting. After the first segment, as few as the top six and as many as the top 12 positions will be inverted using a process that will be announced later. Drivers not qualified for The Winston can earn a spot in the event by winning the 30-lap Winston Open or the 16-lap No Bull Sprint that precede the main event on May 19. There will be no 25-lap qualifying races for the Open or the Sprint this year - a two-lap qualifying run will be used instead.(That's Racin')(3-24-2001)
  
  
• The Winston Stays the Same: No changes are planned for this season's running of The Winston all-star race, May 19 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The race will continue to be run in three segments, of 30 laps, 30 laps and 10 laps. As was done last season, the winner of both The Winston Open and the No Bull Sprint will transfer into the field for The Winston. There are now 21 drivers eligible for The Winston. Winners from the 2001 season are Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt, Ward Burton, Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jeremy Mayfield, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Steve Park and Jerry Nadeau. Bill Elliott and Terry Labonte are eligible as former Winston Cup champions; Michael Waltrip is eligible as a past winner of The Winston; and drivers John Andretti and Joe Nemechek are eligible as qualified drivers from the 1999 season. Should a nonqualified driver win a race before the event, that driver would be added and the 1999 winners, Andretti and Nemechek, would drop out.(That's Racin')(2-10-2001)
  
  

  The Winston 2001 Schedule

  PRACTICE and QUALIFYING:
  Winston Open Qualifying Draw, Friday, May 18th at 1:00pm/et
  Winston Open Practice, Friday, May 18th from 2:00 - 2:55pm/et on FSN live (Fox Sports Net)
  The Winston Practice, Friday, May 18th from 3:00 - 3:55pm/et, continues on on FSN live (Fox Sports Net)
  Winston Open Practice, Friday, May 18th from 4:15 - 5:15pm/et
  The Winston Practice, Friday, May 18th from 5:20 - 6:20pm/et
  Qualifying for the Winston Open (2 laps/all positions), Friday, May 18th televised on FX at 7:00pm/et
  Qualifying for the The Winston Winston (3 laps w/pit stop w/4-tire change), Friday, May 18th at ~8:00pm/et televised on FX
  Winston Open Practice, Friday, May 18th, for 20 minutes The Winston Qualifying
  The Winston Practice, Friday, May 18th, for 20 minutes after Winston Open Practice
  
  THE RACES
  The Winston Open (30 laps/16 laps) at 7:30pm/et, Live on FX
  The Winston (30 laps/30 laps/10 laps) at 9:00pm/et, Live on FX
  
  

  The Winston/Open Paint Schemes

  #2-Rusty Wallace, Miller Lite/Harley-Davidson
  #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr, MLB All-Start Game
  #22-Ward Burton "Clear Hood"/Cat C16 truck engine
  #29-Kevin Harvick AOL/Goodwrench
  #36-Ken Schrader Pedigree
  #43-John Andretti Hamburger Helper
  #55-Bobby Hamilton The 'Lightning' Square-D(same as Richmond)
  
  

  The Winston to Move?

• Winston Looks Like it's Staying...in Charlotte: It appears unlikely The Winston all-star race will be moved from Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., to Nashville Superspeedway, or anywhere else, anytime soon. The special event is sponsored by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and RJR spokesman Denny Darnell yesterday said the company is happy at the Charlotte-area track which has hosted The Winston for 15 of its 16 runnings(Tennessean)(4-19-2001)
  
  
• The Winston to Move? UPDATE 2: It is possible, but not likely, that The Winston will move to another track after this year's May 19 running of Winston Cup's all-star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Rick Sanders, president of Sports Marketing Enterprises, the marketing arm of series sponsor R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., said Saturday that discussions are under way about the future of the event. The Winston has been held at the Charlotte track 15 times in the 16-year history of the event. It was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1986, the second year of its existence. Sanders said that Winston would prefer having The Winston continue to stand alone on its own racing weekend, rather than be included as part of activities during a regular points event. Another option that is being considered for The Winston, Sanders confirmed, is naming the trophy that goes to the winner of the event the Dale Earnhardt Trophy.(That's Racin')(3-31-2001)
  UPDATE: There is speculation out of North Carolina that The Winston all-star race could move after this year and that it might wind up at Texas Motor Speedway. A contract with Charlotte's Lowe's Motor Speedway runs out after this year. Sponsor R.J. Reynolds can keep the race in Charlotte, where it has been a major success, or make a change. Options include some kind of rotation system or taking it to another track(Dallas Morning News)(4-1-2001)
  UPDATE 2: heard from some readers that Eddie Gossage of Texas Motor Speedway said on local (Texas) radio NewsTalk 820 (WBAP) out of Dallas that the Winston would not be moving to Texas Motor Speedway despite the rumors and that Bruton Smith was not buying Darlington Raceway(4-3-2001)