NASCAR Announces 1998 Winston West Series Schedule
18 November 1997
NEW SUPERSPEEDWAY EVENTS HIGHLIGHT ADDITIONS TO
NASCAR WINSTON WEST SERIES SCHEDULE FOR 1998
SCOTTS VALLEY, CA - Two new superspeedway events will highlight other
additions to the NASCAR Winston West Series schedule for 1998.
The season, which will celebrate NASCAR's 50th Anniversary, will feature six
superspeedway races -- including a visit to Phoenix International Raceway and
a second race at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Also new for 1998
will be a visit to the nation's heartland for a road-course race.
The series will travel to the one-mile superspeedway in Phoenix, Ariz., on
April 18 for a companion race with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The
NASCAR Winston West Series previously visited PIR for stand-alone races
between 1977 and 1984.
The series will make two visits to California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., in
1998. The first event will be May 2 as a companion race with the NASCAR
Winston Cup Series. The second visit to the two-mile superspeedway will be
July 18 as a companion race with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the
NASCAR Busch Series.
"These additional events on the NASCAR Winston West Series schedule reflect
the continued growth of this series," said Dennis Huth, NASCAR vice president
for administration. "We look forward to the series going back to a facility
as spectacular as Phoenix International Raceway, which hosted series races in
the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Phoenix event is a great addition to the
lineup of superspeedway races that are on tap for 1998."
The schedule includes a return on Aug. 2 to the beautiful D-shaped one-mile
superspeedway of Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host two events for the series in 1998. The
first visit will be on Feb. 25. The series will return to the 1.5-mile
superspeedway to conclude its season on Nov. 7.
The 1998 schedule also includes an inaugural visit by the series to Heartland
Park Topeka (Kan.) on May 17. The 2.1-mile track will provide a second road
course race for the series, in addition to the Sears Point Raceway event in
Sonoma, Calif., on Oct. 11.
"With six races at major superspeedway facilities, this schedule will offer
increased exposure for the growing number of teams in the series," Huth said.
"We also look forward to our visit to Heartland Park Topeka. The two road
courses will offer an exciting added ingredient for the competitors."
The series will kick off its season on Jan. 11 at Tucson (Ariz.) Raceway
Park, with an event that is part of that venue's Winter Heat Program. Other
events in 1998 include two stops at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield,
Calif.; a race at Portland (Ore.) Speedway; a race at Evergreen Speedway in
Monroe, Wash.; and a race at Altamont Raceway Park near Tracy, Calif.
In addition to the six superspeedway events on tap for 1998, there are six
short-track races, along with the two road course events. The series will
visit 11 tracks in seven states during the year.
Invited NASCAR Winston West Series drivers will join competitors from the
NASCAR Winston Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series in a trip to Japan in November for a two-race stop at the
1.4-mile Suzuka Circuit road course in Suzuka City and the Twin Ring Motegi
1.49-mile superspeedway.
By NASCAR Public Relations