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NASCAR: Featherlite Southwest Series Schedule Announced

21 December 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 2001 Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring schedule will have 16 championship point events at 11 race tracks throughout the Southwest region of the United States, it was announced today by NASCAR officials.

The series will once again feature a mix of events including superspeedway, road course and short track events that complete the 2001 season. The series will make four superspeedway stops in 2001. The series opens the season on the 1.00-mile Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway alongside the NASCAR Winston West Series. Featherlite Southwest Series competitors will return to Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo., on Sunday, May 20th for a 100-mile event.

The series will also return to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway for an event on Saturday, October 13th. M.K. Kanke of Granada Hills, Calif., a Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring veteran, was the last driver to win a series event on the 1.5-mile superspeedway.

The final superspeedway event of the season will be held on Thursday, October 25th at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway run in conjunction with the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

Tucson (Ariz.) Raceway Park will host the final event of the Featherlite Southwest Series season on Saturday, November 3rd, with a 150-lap event. Last season Auggie Vidovich, Jr., of Lakeside, Calif., recorded his first career victory at Tucson when he beat Sean Woodside of Saugus, Calif., to the checkered flag in a photo finish.

Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway will host three events in 2001 in April, July and September, while Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., will also host three events in April, June and October.

The series will once again take on the twists and turns of Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., as a companion to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series on Saturday, June 23rd.

Exciting short track racing will also highlight the schedule at several other venues including; Cajon (Calif.) Speedway, Colorado National Speedway in Erie, Colo., the 'Bullring' at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway and Madera (Calif.) Speedway will also host a short track event in the 2001 season.

"We are thrilled to present an exciting Featherlite Southwest Series schedule that has been built around traditional dates, as well as several exciting new events," said Tom Deery, NASCAR vice president. "We think we have established a strong schedule for the upcoming season and we are very enthusiastic about the 2001 season as well as the future of this series."

Featherlite, Mfg., the 'Official Luxury Coach of NASCAR', joined the Southwest Series in 1994. They will once again join NASCAR as a marketing partner to the series in the 2001 season and the commitment to an ever-growing championship point fund.

The Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring is one of nine NASCAR Touring Series blanket the United States, bringing special events to many NASCAR Weekly Racing Series tracks and some NASCAR superspeedways and road courses. NASCAR Touring Series can provide a competitor with an entire career, or they can provide valuable experience to competitors moving through the NASCAR ranks. Corporate sponsors make significant contributions to NASCAR Touring Series point funds.

The sponsors include R.J. Reynolds, Anheuser-Busch, Featherlite Trailers, Goody's Headache Powders, Raybestos Brakes, and the RE/MAX Realty Corporation. The 2001 Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring schedule is attached.

REVISED 2001 FEATHERLITE SOUTHWEST SERIES SCHEDULE

DATE EVENT LOCATION DISTANCE

  • Sun., Feb. 4 Phoenix Int'l Raceway, Phoenix, AZ (1 Mi)100 L
  • Sat., Mar. 24 Cajon Speedway, El Cajon, CA (3/8 Mi)125 L
  • Sat., Apr. 7 Mesa Marin Raceway, Bakersfield, CA (1/2 Mi)125 L
  • Sat., Apr. 21 Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, CA (1/2 Mi)150 L
  • Sun., May 6 Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV (3/8 Mi)250 L
  • Sun., May 20 Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, CO (1 Mi)100 M
  • Sat., June 9 Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, CA (1/2 Mi) 150 L
  • Sat., June 23 Sears Point Raceway, Sonoma, CA (1.949 Mi RC)200 K
  • Sat., June 30 Mesa Marin Raceway, Bakersfield, CA (1/2) Mi)150 L
  • Sat., July 28 Madera Speedway, Madera, CA (1/3 Mi)125 L
  • Sat., Aug. 18 Colorado National Speedway, Erie, CO (3/8 Mi)150 L
  • Sat., Sep. 1 Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, CA (1/2 Mi)200 L
  • Sat., Oct. 13 Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV (1.5 Mi)67 L
  • Sat., Oct. 20 Mesa Marin Raceway, Bakersfield, CA (1/2 Mi)200 L
  • Thurs., Oct. 25 Phoenix Int'l Raceway, Phoenix, AZ (1 Mi)125 M
  • Sat., Nov. 3 Tucson Raceway Park, Tucson, AZ (3/8 Mi)150 L
  • M - Miles L - Laps K - Kilometers RC - Road Course

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE - SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Note: Saturday, August 11th, at Sandia Motorsports Park in Albuquerque, N.M., was removed from the schedule.

Text Provided By Doug Stokes

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