BNS: Busch North Series 2000 Schedule Set

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2000) The 2000 Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring schedule will highlight 19 championship point events at 14 race tracks across the Northeast, it was announced Wednesday by Tom Deery, NASCAR vice president Weekly Racing Series. In addition to stops at some of the Northeast's leading facilities, the series will debut at a new speedway and return to a facility that hosted two events during the inaugural 1987 season.

Waterford Speedbowl in New London, Conn., will play host to the series for the first time on Saturday, Aug. 5 when the full-fendered machines take to the .333-mile semi-banked oval.

The series will return to Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway on Saturday, May 27 for the first time since 1987. Former NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division champion Chuck Bown and 1999 Seekonk Speedway Pro Stock track champion Rick Martin won the two events run in 1987 on the tricky .333-mile oval.

The series will visit New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon on three separate occasions for superspeedway style racing.

Lee (N.H.) USA Speedway will once again open the short track season for the series hosting the opening event on Sunday, April 16. New Thompson (Conn.) Speedway; Holland (N.Y.) International Speedway; Jennerstown (Pa.) Speedway; Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt.; and Star Speedway in Epping, N.H., will each host one short track event during the season.

The series will visit Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Conn., and Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine, for two events at each facility.

Busch North Series competitors will also have the opportunity to compete against their Southern counterparts once again. Combination events with the NASCAR Busch Series will be held at the Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International road course on Sunday, June 25, and Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway on Sunday, July 16.

"The Busch North Series schedule shapes up very well for the 2000 season," Deery said. "The schedule includes traditional stops, as well as the combination events. Add to that exciting events at New Hampshire International Speedway and the season looks extremely promising."

Anheuser-Busch, Incorporated of St. Louis, Mo., has been involved with the Busch North Series since its inception 13 seasons ago. It will once again join NASCAR as a marketing partner to the series in NASCAR 2000. In 1999 Anheuser-Busch took new initiative in activating its sponsorship program in the Busch North Series with several programs that will continue throughout the 2000 season.

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, Slim Jim, Goody's Headache Powders, Raybestos Brakes and the RE/MAX Realty Corporation.

-nascar.com-