April 10, 2002
- The Winston, 2002, announcement UPDATE 2 Changes: There will be an announcement on Tuesday, April 9th of the new format for The Winston, NASCAR’s all-star race. The Winston will be contested under the lights at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 18, 2002. The new format will make The Winston more competitive than ever before.(LMS PR)(4-5-2002)
UPDATE: the NASCAR press conference to announce the new format for The Winston, scheduled for Tuesday morning at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC, will be rescheduled for Wednesday morning at 11:00am/et.(TMS Site)(4-8-2002)
UPDATE 2: The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., and its Winston brand today announced the revised format for the 2002 running of The Winston, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series’ all-star event. It’ll be “Survival of the Fastest” as for the first time in the 17-year history of The Winston, drivers will be eliminated from the grid following both the first and second segments, leaving just the 10 fastest drivers to compete for the winner’s share of a $3 million purse in the final 20-lap dash around Lowe’s Motor Speedway. This year’s running of The Winston (Saturday, May 18) will consist of three segments totaling 90 laps, or 135 miles, around the 1.5-mile surface of Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The first segment will be 40 laps, after which the field will be trimmed to the top 20 finishers. Segment No. 2 runs a total of 30 laps, after which 10 more competitors will be eliminated to set up the final dramatic segment. Inversion, a staple of the competitive format of The Winston since 1992, will remain a part of the format for the 2002 event, but that process has been relocated and will now follow the second segment. A fan vote will determine whether four, six, eight or the entire field of 10 cars will be inverted for the final segment. The field for The Winston, by rule, consists of a minimum of 18 drivers who have either won races or championships in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series or The Winston within the last five years, plus one driver who transfers by winning the Winston Open, the qualifier run immediately prior to The Winston, and one driver who wins the last-chance “suitcase race” known as the No Bull Sprint. Currently, there are a record 26 drivers eligible for this year’s The Winston. The Winston Open is composed of drivers and teams who participated in a NASCAR Winston Cup event in 2001 or this season and are not otherwise eligible for The Winston. This year’s Winston Open will be 30 laps in duration, with all laps counting toward the total. As is the case with the first two segments of The Winston, should the Winston Open encounter a late-race caution that prevents a green-flag finish, there will be one opportunity to end the race under green with the number of laps extended for a green-white-checkered flag finish. If there is another caution, the race will end under caution. The No Bull Sprint will be 16-laps and features all teams that finished The Winston Open, but did not win the race. Qualifying procedures for The Winston continue to focus on team performance. A four-tire pit stop on the Lowe’s Motor Speedway pit road will begin a driver’s qualifying effort, followed by three laps. The total elapsed time of the pit stop and laps will determine the pole position for The Winston, which awards the winning team $50,000. Qualifying will take place on Friday, May 17.(Lowes Motor Speedway Site and see the Winston Fact Sheet there)(4-10-2002) - Waltrip to field a car for Kenny Wallace at Talladega? UPDATE yep #98: Mike Waltrip mentioned during the Fox BGN rain delay coverage that Michael Waltrip racing will field a Cup car at Talladega for Kenny Wallace that will carry Aaron’s Rent sponsorship and that Aaron’s will also be the title sponsor of the Cup at Talladega that will be know as the 499 not the 500. Supposedly DEI will supply the car (a backup #15) and engine, not sure what number it’ll use (#81 as used in Daytona testing?). Waltrip seemed serious and Kenny Wallace was interviewed a bit later and says it is a serious effort and it is being posted on the Kenny Wallace site.(4-6-2002)
UPDATE: Michael Waltrip Racing Inc. (MWR) will field a Cup car for the first time in the Aaron’s 499 on April 21, 2002 at Talladega Superspeedway. Michael Waltrip, owner of MWR and driver of the #15 DEI NAPA Chevrolet, announced, Kenny Wallace, will pilot the #98 Chevy sponsored by Aaron’s Sales and Lease Ownership. Ken Butler, President of Aaron’s Sales and Lease Ownership, announced March 16th Aaron’s would be the title sponsor for the Busch Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in addition to its primary sponsorship of Waltrip’s #99 BGN car. Butler decided one race and one car entry was simply not enough. Butler revealed Aaron’s would make it a double header by sponsoring the Winston Cup race. While Waltrip drives the Aaron’s Dream Machine on Saturday’s, their was no Dream Machine entered in Sunday’s race until Waltrip stepped up to the plate offering his team and cars. “I am blessed to have a wonderful sponsor in Aaron’s,” Waltrip said. “They love NASCAR racing and NASCAR fans and have chosen NASCAR as their main source of spreading the word of their company’s products. I didn’t think twice about making this happen for a sponsor like Aaron’s. Michael Waltrip Racing, supported by Dale Earnhardt Inc. will give Kenny (Wallace) a legitimate opportunity to win in Talladega.” The car Wallace will drive was tested at Talladega Superspeedway by Waltrip and competed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Daytona in 2001. Wallace finished sixth in last year’s Talladega 500 with a best superspeedway finish of second when he pushed Dale Earnhardt to his last win at Talladega in 2000.(Fahlgren PR)(4-10-2002) - Burton to be honored REPOST: Ward Burton, the first Virginian to ever win the prestigious Daytona 500 and driver of the #22 Caterpillar Dodge, will be officially honored by Halifax County, VA, the town of South Boston, VA., and the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce, April 13 at his hometown track, South Boston Speedway. Burton’s victory will be celebrated in pre-race ceremonies preceding the Textilease 300 presented by “Little Trees”. The evening also features twin 50s for the NASCAR Textilease Late Model Stock Cars and 300 laps for the ASA series. The weekend of April 13 and 14 is a great one for race fans in Southside Virginia, with Martinsville Speedway, only 60 miles west of South Boston, hosting the Virginia 500 on April 14. Many Virginia and motorsports dignitaries are expected to celebrate with Burton at the Speedway, as well as family, friends and fans. Race fans in attendance wearing a Ward Burton hat or shirt, or with a Ward Burton poster, will be given the chance to win two Weekend VIP Suite passes for the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway, July 26 through 28. A large banner is being produced to commemorate Burton’s Daytona victory, as well as congratulating South Boston graduates Elliott Sadler and Geoffrey Bodine on their top-three Daytona 500 sweep. The banner will also feature names of individuals and businesses that have joined the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation Club 22. Throughout the Winston Cup season, race fans and businesses can join Club 22 for a $22 donation to the Foundation. Members will receive a Foundation decal and quarterly newsletters along with recognition on the Speedway’s banner. Information will be available to join the Club 22 at the April 13 event at the Speedway.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(3-18/4-10-2002)
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