The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has announced a 36-race schedule for the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. For the first time in the 54-year history of NASCAR’s premier series, the schedule will end in the state of Florida.
The season begins with the 44th running of the Daytona 500, Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. The season finale is set for Nov. 17 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS), in Atlanta, Ga., has been the site of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series season finale since 1987. Recurring inclement autumn weather led AMS officials to request an earlier date on the schedule.
In addition to the 36 races that will count in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series point standings, there again will be two ‘all-star’’ events: the Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 10 at Daytona and The Winston, May 19 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.
The season will have three off weekends, affording NASCAR Winston Cup Series teams well-deserved breaks amid their quests for the series championship.
Per NASCAR tradition, the Easter Sunday (March 31) and Mother’s Day (May 12) weekends will be open, along with the weekend of June 30.
Befitting the series’ burgeoning popularity and the record television ratings posted throughout the 2001 season, all 36 NASCAR Winston Cup Series races in 2002 will be nationally televised; a total of 26 events will be televised by the NBC and Fox networks, starting with NBC’s telecast of the Daytona 500. Cable networks TNT and FX will televise a total of 10 events.
In addition, TNT will carry the Budweiser Shootout and the Feb. 17 Gatorade 125s — the two exciting, 125-mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500 — on Feb. 17. Also, FX will carry The Winston.
A total of 13 tracks will host two point races apiece: Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 10 and Oct. 27); Bristol Motor Speedway (March 24 and Aug. 24); Darlington Raceway (March 17 and Sept. 1), Daytona (Feb. 17 and July 6); Dover Downs International Speedway (June 2 and Sept. 22); Lowe’s Motor Speedway (May 26 and Oct. 13); Martinsville Speedway (April 14 and Oct. 20); Michigan International Speedway (June 16 and Aug. 18); New Hampshire International Speedway (July 21 and Sept. 15); North Carolina Speedway (Feb. 24 and Nov. 3); Pocono Raceway (June 9 and July 28); Richmond International Raceway (May 4 and Sept. 8); and Talladega Superspeedway (April 21 and Oct. 6).
The following facilities will host one event: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 3); Texas Motor Speedway (April 7); California Speedway (April 28); Sears Point Raceway (June 23); Chicagoland Speedway (July 14); Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Aug. 4); Watkins Glen International (Aug. 11); Kansas Speedway (Sept. 29); Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 10) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 17).
The Chicagoland and Kansas tracks return to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series schedule after highly successful debuts in the 2001 season.
Sears Point and Watkins Glen return, as the series’ only two road-course events.
For more information please contact:
NASCAR Public Relations Department
Tel: +1 (386) 253-0611