"As we head into the year 2000 we are very enthusiastic about the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series season," stated Tom Deery, vice president, NASCAR. "We are thrilled to have our traditional venues returning and we are excited about the new facilities that have joined our series for 2000."

Ten new facilities have joined the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series for the 2000 season, including; Atomic Speedway in Knoxville, Tenn., Coastal Plains Raceway in Jacksonville, N.C., Claremont (N.H.) Speedway, Sandia Motorsports Park in Alberquerque, N.M., Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C., Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway, Smoky Mountain Speedway, Maryville, Tenn., Southampton Motor Speedway in Capron, Va., Thunder Raceway in Show Low, Ariz., and Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl.

"We have an excellent group entering the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 2000," added Deery. "We have the opportunity to reach thousands of short track racing competitors and fans in several new areas with the exciting competition that identifies the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series."

NASCAR Weekly Racing Series short tracks, nationwide, begin accumulating NASCAR Weekly Racing Series track points for a new season beginning any time after January 1st. Track point leaders in each of the 10 regions are evaluated on their performance establishing the top 50 drivers in each region, forming the Competition Performance Index (CPI). The first CPI is released in mid-May. From there an 18-week season follows, with the 2000 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series CPI ending on September 10. Following the September 10th date, NASCAR Weekly Racing Series short tracks are still able to accumulate track points to determine their own track champions.

The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series consists of both dirt and asphalt tracks, nationwide. Weekly short track racers have the opportunity to compete for regional and national recognition as well as over $1.7 million in posted awards, the highest posted awards for any short track racing series.

ATLANTIC SEABOARD REGION
Nick Woodward of High Point, N.C., raced to the top of the standings in the Atlantic Seaboard Region of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 2000. Woodward will collect more than $40,000 for winning the region and finishing second in the nation with 14 victories, 17 top-5 and 18 top-10 finishes. Woodward competes in the NWRS Late Model Stock Car division at Southampton Motor Speedway in Capron, Va., where he visited Victory Lane 14 times. Woodward battled throughout the season with Mark McFarland of Winchester, Va., who races at Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Va.

MIDWEST REGION
Joe Kosiski of Omaha, Neb., wrapped up his fourth regional and second consecutive championship in the Midwest Region and closed out an era at Sunset Speedway. The .375-mile facility in Omaha, Neb., is completing its last season of racing. Kosiski climbed to third in the national standings over the final four weeks of the season. Kosiski has been racing for 25 years and this will be his 16th consecutive visit to the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national champion's banquet. Kosiski, who won nine times in 18 starts, will collect more than $40,550 for his region title. Kosiski, who has won five O'Reilly Auto Parts All-Star Series, NASCAR Touring championships, won the 1986 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national champion and the 1992 and 1999 Midwest Region championships.

PACIFIC COAST REGION
For the second consecutive season Mark Welch of Orangevale, Calif., will collect more than $40,000 for winning the Pacific Coast Region. Welch won 11 races on his way to winning the title while racing in the NWRS Modified division at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway. Welch has led the Competition Performance Index in the region since early in the 1999 season. Welch accumulated 18 top-5 and 19 top-10 finishes in 21 events at the tight .250-mile speedway. He wound up fourth in the national standings.

BLUE RIDGE REGION
Wade Day of Blountville, Tenn., maintained his lead in the Blue Ridge Region from just past the halfway point in the season and parlayed it into a championship worth more than $40,000. For Day, who competes in the Late Model Stock Car division at Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway, it is his first region title. Day won 14 times in 20 starts at the high-banked .375-mile concrete oval and edged Chad Harris of Stuarts Draft, Va., who competes at New River Valley Speedway in Radford, Va., for the region title and fifth place in the nation. Day accumulated 18 top-5 finishes.

NORTHEAST REGION
Richard Mitchell of Bruceton Mills, W.Va., captured the Northeast Region championship for the second consecutive season. Mitchell, who races in the Late Model division at Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, Pa., won 10 races and more than $40,000 in posted awards from the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series point fund. Mitchell, who had 16 top-5s and 19 top-10s, finished sixth in the national championship standings.

HEARTLAND REGION
Jim Leka of Illiopolis, Ill., raced to his first Heartland Region championship. Last year Leka's nephew, Jeff, captured the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national championship. This season Jim Leka, who competes in the NWRS dirt Modified division at Macon (Ill.) Speedway, won nine times and earned more than $40,000. Leka finished seventh in the national standings with 17 top-5 finishes in 18 starts.

NEW ENGLAND REGION
Ted Christopher of Plainville, Conn., raced to his first New England Region title while competing in the SK Modified division at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway. Christopher, who will collect more than $40,000 for his efforts, raced into the region lead with just two weeks remaining in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series season. Christopher held off Jerry Marquis of Broad Brook, Conn., the 1999 region champ, to capture the region title and finish eighth in the nation. Christopher won nine times with 12 top-5 and 14 top-10 finishes in 18 starts.

SUNBELT REGION
Dick Cobb of Las Vegas won the last event of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, securing his first Sunbelt Region championship. Cobb, who will receive more than $40,000 from the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series point fund, edged out Larry Hunter of Parker, Colo., who races at Sandia Motorsports Park in Albuquerque, N.M. Cobb, who competes in the Late Model division at the .375-mile oval, raced to five victories, 16 top-5 and 17 top-10 finishes and finished ninth in the national standings.

GREAT WEST REGION
Jerry Robertson of Arvada, Calif., turned in a record performance at Colorado National Speedway in Erie, Colo., to capture more than $40,000 that goes to the winner of the Great West Region. Robertson, who competes in the Late Model division at the .375-mile oval, set a single-season record at the speedway with 10 victories. Robertson also had 13 top-5 and 17 top-10 finishes, placing him 10th in the national standings.

All NASCAR Weekly Racing Series regional champions will receive $40,200 from participating series sponsors, R.J. Reynolds Winston brand, Exide Corporation, Anheuser-Busch, CV Products, Hoosier, NAPA Echlin, Edelbrock, Holley Carburetors, 76, Champion Spark Plugs, Cintas Uniforms, Earl's Products, Featherlite Trailers, Gatorade, J.E. Pistons, Mechanix Wear, Moroso, Prestone Antifreeze, NAPA Filters, Raybestos Brakes, and STP, that creates the largest purse in NASCAR Weekly Racing Series history.

In addition those sponsors create the $108,000 that the national champion will receive, as well as the champion's ring and trophy.

All champions will be honored at the champions banquet on Friday, November 5, at the Contemporary Resort in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida. The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series is contested every season on both dirt and asphalt tracks, nationwide. Weekly short track racers have the opportunity to compete for regional and national recognition, as well as over $1.423 million in posted awards; the highest posted awards for any short track racing series.

Simply put, the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Competition Performance Index rewards excellence in competition at your home track, while also comparing your performance against drivers competing throughout your region and, ultimately, throughout the United States. Between January 1 and September 12, 1999, drivers earned and accumulated points at their home track based on how they finish each race. NASCAR then applies a formula known as the Competition Performance Index. (CPI). Each week, using the CPI formula, the performance of the driver with the greatest number of points given at a race track (that track's points leader) is compared against the performance of the points leaders from the other 9 tracks in his or her region. This creates a top-10 ranking of drivers for that region.

Every week, the CPI is updated with the rankings constantly changing throughout the season. When the season concludes, whoever is atop the regional top-10 ranking is crowned the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series regional champion.