Atlanta loses Winston Cup finale date

The 1.5-mile oval, which has held the final Winston Cup race of every season since 1987, has been given an October slot to avoid the rain that forced last year's event to be put back a day. Miami's Homestead speedway will host the final race instead (see full calendar below).

Atlanta's traditional place on the calendar led to the circuit's motto 'Where champions are crowned', but track officials have accepted that the change was inevitable and have expected the move.

The speedway's president Ed Clark said: "Although hosting the final race of the year provided some great moments in our track history, the date was not always the best for holding an outdoor event in Georgia. Fans and competitors requested an earlier date, and I'd like to thank [NASCAR president] Mike Helton and the others at NASCAR who have worked to accommodate us all with what will be more comfortable weather conditions for the NAPA 500 weekend."

Even if Atlanta continued hosting the final race, it would not guarantee championship showdowns. In the past three years, the title had already been won before the Winston Cup reached Atlanta.

Atlanta's autumn event will now be four races ahead of the final round. But the track's March round has kept the same place on the calendar, despite snow affecting the race in past years. That is because there are no obvious choices of tracks that enjoy warm weather at that time of year to switch dates.

There will be 36 Winston Cup races in 2002, just as there are this year. The two traditional non-championship "all-star" events will also continue to be run: The Bud shoot-out at Daytona on February 10, and the Winston at Charlotte on May 18. The teams and drivers will have just three weekends off between February and November.




Feb 10, Bud Shootout, Daytona*
Feb 14, Gatorade 125s, Daytona*
Feb 17, Daytona 500, Daytona
Feb 24, North Carolina 400, Rockingham
Mar 3, UAW-DaimlerChrylser 400, Las Vegas
Mar 10, Atlanta 500, Atlanta
Mar 17, Darlington 400, Darlington
Mar 24, Food City 500, Bristol
Apr 7, Texas 500, Texas
Apr 14, Martinsville 500, Martinsville
Apr 21, Talladega 500, Talladega
Apr 28, NAPA Auto Parts 500, California
May 4, Pontiac Excitement 400, Richmond
May 18, The Winston, Charlotte*
May 26, Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte
Jun 2, Dover 400, Dover
Jun 9, Pocono 500, Pocono
Jun 16, Michigan 400, Michigan
Jun 23, Sonoma 350, Sears Point
Jul 6, Pepsi 400, Daytona
Jul 14, Chicago 400, Chicagoland
Jul 21, New England 300, Loudon
Jul 28, Pennsylvania 500, Pocono
Aug 4, Brickyard 400, Indianapolis
Aug 11, TBA, Watkins Glen
Aug 18, Pepsi 400, Michigan
Aug. 24, Sharpie 500, Bristol
Sep 1, Southern 500, Darlington
Sep 7, Chevy Monte Carlo 400, Richmond
Sep 15, New Hampshire 300, Loudon
Sep 22, Dover 400, Dover
Sep 29, Protection One 400, Kansas
Oct 6, EA Sports Thunder 500, Talladega
Oct 13, UAW-GM Quality 500, Charlotte
Oct 20, Martinsville 500, Martinsville
Oct 27, NAPA 500, Atlanta
Nov 3, Pop Secret 400, Rockingham
Nov 10, Phoenix 500, Phoenix
Nov 17, Homestead 400, Homestead

* non-championship races