A Proposed 2004 Winston Cup Schedule
With growing talk about schedule changes in Winston Cup, what will the 2004
schedule look like? What will the 2006 schedule look like? This is asked because
the present TV deal will end that season and a new one will be put up for bid or
negotiated.
Offered is a modest proposal for the 2004 season, with a listing of support
races where necessary and appropriate comments:
JANUARY
17 – Winston West 200, Sears Point
18 – Western 500k, Sears Point
A good way to shake down cars and teams before Daytona is to run the
California road course; the precedent is the Western 500 at Riverside run
1964-81 in January.
FEBRUARY
8 – ARCA Daytona 250, 4 PM, and Daytona Shootout
12 – Twin 125s, 3 PM
13 – Daytona Truck 300 & IROC Round One
14 – Grand National Daytona 300
15 – Daytona 500, 5 PM
Given that night racing is coming to Daytona, the 500 should be run on Sunday
night. Supporting races, however, should not conflict with local short tracks.
FEBRUARY
20 – Truck Carolina 200, Rockingham
21 – GN Carolina 250, Rockingham
22 – Carolina 500, Rockingham
More tripleheaders are necessary for NASCAR’s three big track divisions.
Also, the sport needs to return Winston Cup race distances to 500 miles where
necessary, as 500 miles is a better test of machinery and driving at the Cup
level.
FEBRUARY
27 – Truck Gambler 250, Las Vegas
28 – GN Gambler 300, Las Vegas
29 – Gambler 500, Las Vegas
MARCH
5 – Truck California 250, Fontana
6 – GN California 300, Fontana
7 – California 500, Fontana
Kicking the season off on the West Coast is a good way to get some early
attention and also avoid the heat of late-spring and summer.
MARCH
12 – ARCA Atlanta 250
13 – GN Atlanta 300
14 – Atlanta 500
There really isn’t any realistic alternative date to run Atlanta’s spring
race.
MARCH
19 – Truck Rebel 250, Darlington
20 – GN Rebel 300, Darlington
21 – Rebel 500, Darlington
MARCH
27 – GN Southeastern 250, Bristol
28 – Southeastern 500
APRIL
3 – GN Alamo 300, Texas
4 – Alamo 500, Texas
APRIL
10 – Truck Virginia 250, Martinsville
11 – Virginia 500, Martinsville
APRIL
16 – GN Music City 250, Nashville
17 – Music City 400, Nashville
Easter Sunday is scheduled for this weekend – racing can be run on Good
Friday and on Saturday.
APRIL
23 – ARCA Alabama 250, Talladega
24 – IROC and GN Alabama 300, Talladega
25 – Alabama 500, Talladega
MAY
1 – GN Richmond 250
2 – Richmond 400
MAY
7-9 – Winston Cup bye week
Grand National and Trucks can get front-page with stand-alone racing.
MAY
15 – GN Mason-Dixon 250, Dover
16 – Mason-Dixon 500, Dover
Dover ran its spring race before the World 600 1974-1986.
MAY
21-23 – Winston Cup bye week
Grand National, Trucks, and ARCA can get some front-page attention before the
Memorial Day weekend.
MAY
29 – Truck World 250, Charlotte
30 – GN World 300, Charlotte
31 – World 600, 4 PM
To better allow drivers to run both the Indianapolis 500 and Charlotte, the
600 should be moved to Monday.
JUNE
4 – Truck Bluegrass 250, Kentucky
5 – GN Bluegrass 300, Kentucky
6 – Bluegrass 500, Kentucky
Kentucky Motor Speedway has shown it can handle a Winston Cup-caliber
weekend.
JUNE
11 – ARCA Pocono 200
12 – GN Pocono 250
13 – Pocono 500
Grand National can put on some good racing at Pocono.
JUNE
19 – ARCA Michigan 250
20 – Michigan 500
JUNE
25 – The Winston, Texas
26 – GN Lone Star 300, Texas
27 – Lone Star 500, Texas, 5 PM
Texas’s long-sought second Winston Cup date
JULY
2 – ARCA Firecracker 200, Daytona, 6 PM
3 – GN Firecracker 300, Daytona, 6 PM
4 – Firecracker 450, Daytona, 6 PM
The Trucks can run at Kansas as the support race for the IRL’s weekend.
JULY
9 – Truck Windy City 250, Chicagoland
10 – GN Windy City 300, Chicagoland
11 – Windy City 500, Chicagoland
JULY
16 – NASCAR Modified 125, New Hampshire
17 – GN New England 200 and GN North New England 125, New Hampshire
18 – New England 300, New Hampshire
JULY
23 – ARCA 200 and Truck Summer 250, Pocono
24 – GN Summer 300, Pocono
25 – Summer 500, Pocono
JULY 29-AUGUST 1
Winston Cup bye week
Trucks and Grand National can run Indy Raceway Park.
AUGUST
6 – Truck Brickyard 250, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
7 – GN Brickyard 300, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
8 – Brickyard 450, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Trucks and Grand National can handle IMS.
AUGUST
15 – Watkins Glen Grand Prix
The race should be run on the track’s long course.
AUGUST
20 – ARCA Yankee 250, Michigan
21 – GN Yankee 300, Michigan
22 – Yankee 500, Michigan
AUGUST
27 – Truck Volunteer 250, Bristol, 7 PM
28 – GN Volunteer 250, Bristol, 7 PM
29 – Volunteer 500, Bristol, 6 PM
Bristol’s night race can be run on Sunday night, for better TV ratings.
SEPTEMBER
4 – GN Southern 250, Darlington
5 – Southern 500, Darlington, 6 PM
The Southern 500 can be run Sunday night.
SEPTEMBER
10 – Truck Capital City 200, Richmond
11 – GN Capital City 250, Richmond
12 – Capital City 400, Richmond, 6 PM
More Sunday Night NASCAR
SEPTEMBER
17 – Modified New Hampshire 125
18 – Truck New Hampshire 200
19 – New Hampshire 300
SEPTEMBER
24 – Truck Delaware 200, Dover
25 – GN Delaware 250, Dover
26 – Delaware 500, Dover
OCTOBER
1 – Truck National 250, Charlotte
2 – GN National 300, Charlotte
3 – National 500, Charlotte, 6 PM
OCTOBER
9 – GN Kansas 300
10 – Kansas 500
OCTOBER
16 – NASCAR Modified 150, Martinsville
17 – Old Dominion 500, Martinsville
OCTOBER
23 – GN American 250, Rockingham
24 – American 500, Rockingham
OCTOBER
29 – ARCA Dixie 250, Atlanta
30 – GN Dixie 300, Atlanta
31 – Dixie 500, Atlanta
NOVEMBER
6 – GN Kentucky 250
7 – Kentucky 500
NOVEMBER
12 – Truck Phoenix 200
13 – GN Phoenix 250
14 – Phoenix 500k
NOVEMBER
19 – Truck Autumn 250, Talladega
20 – ARCA 250 and GN Autumn 300, Talladega
21 – Autumn 500, Talladega
DECEMBER
3 – Truck Miami 200
4 – GN Miami 300
5 – Miami 500
DECEMBER 11-12 – Final Winston Cup bye week
A final Truck-GN stand-alone event can be run, perhaps at Texas or if
purchase can be made, at North Wilkesboro.
DECEMBER
17 – Truck Los Angeles 250 and Winston West 200, Fontana
18 – GN Los Angeles 300, Fontana
19 – Los Angeles 500, Fontana
The season ended throughout the 1970s at Ontario Motor Speedway.
The Winston is listed with Texas’ second date because it is long past time
when the all-star race should be rotated to different tracks as part of their
Winston Cup weekends.
The huge number of races listed illustrates the point that the sport can’t
afford to give up any dates at traditional tracks.
Such a schedule can help with the sport’s growth and also to maintain its
ties with its traditional markets. But the practice of basically pitting one
track against another for Winston Cup dates cannot work.