New races unlikely on Winston Cup calendar

MountaineerTom · June 16, 2001

Two More Cup races in 2002? UPDATE 2 No? NASCAR president Mike Helton said the sanctioning body is working on the 2002 schedule, but he refuses to comment on the garage rumor that there will be two more races -- 38 total -- next season. Word is Kentucky Speedway will be awarded an inaugural event and that California will get a second race. Other changes might include moving races at Rockingham, Atlanta and Darlington to dates that are more weather friendly(Sporting News)(6-11-2001)

UPDATE: NASCAR officials currently are working on the 2002 schedule. Sources from the sanctioning body said the new docket would have several changes. The new Kentucky Speedway near Cincinnati will join the series, as well as a second racing date at California. If ISC completes the purchase of Pocono, it likely will lose one of its two racing dates. So will the Darlington Raceway and the North Carolina Speedway. Darlington will lose its spring date, while North Carolina(Rockingham) will drop its fall race. Also under consideration is a plan to change the fall contest at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, now the season finale, to an earlier date when the weather is more cooperative. The vacancy created by North Carolina would be a perfect fit(Savannah Morning News)

UPDATE 2: It appears unlikely that NASCAR's Winston Cup schedule will be expanded next season. George Pyne, NASCAR's senior vice president, said Friday it was "very unlikely" any new races would be added to the already-crowded schedule. Races at Kansas City and Chicago were added this season, bringing the number of Winston Cup races to 36 - 38 counting the Budweiser Shootout and The Winston, two non-points events. "The sanctioning process is under way. We're ahead of schedule and NASCAR is very sensitive to adding any more weeks to the schedule at this point," Pyne said. "While the process isn't complete, it is very unlikely you'll see any additional weekends." Pyne said he wouldn't discuss specific items, such as moving race dates already on the schedule, but added that there will be no "dramatic changes." "I want to be clear. It's not completed. Anything's possible. I wouldn't read anything more into it than that, other than we're ahead of where we normally are," he said.(That's Racin')(6-15-2001)

(Edited by MountaineerTom 99Z71 at 10:24 pm on June 15, 2001)