NASCAR announces 2002 Craftsman Truck schedule

December 22, 2001
4:25 PM EST (2125 GMT)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR has announced a 23-race schedule for the 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. For the first time in its eight-year history, the series will begin and end in the state of Florida and in combination with NASCAR's other two national touring series - the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division.

The season begins with the third running of the Daytona 250, Feb. 15 at Daytona International Speedway. The season finale is set for Nov. 15 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Three other facilities will host NASCAR national touring series weekend tripleheaders kicked off by a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event: Dover Downs International Speedway on May 31, Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 5 and Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 8.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series also will be paired with the NASCAR Winston Cup Series at Darlington Raceway on March 15 and at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 20. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will join the NASCAR Busch Series at The Milwaukee Mile on June 29 and Indianapolis Raceway Park on Aug. 2.

One track, Texas Motor Speedway, will host two races in 2002, on June 7 and Sept. 13. Michigan International Speedway, host to events in 1999 and 2000, returns to the schedule with a July 27 race. Seventeen events will be held on tracks of one mile or greater in length while six races are set for short tracks ranging in size, from quarter-miles to three-quarters-mile ovals.

Superspeedway events in addition to those previously listed include California Speedway (Nov. 2); Chicago Motor Speedway (Aug. 25); Kansas Speedway (July 6); Kentucky Motor Speedway (July 13); Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 13); Nashville Superspeedway (Aug. 10); Pikes Peak International Raceway (May 19); and Gateway International Raceway (May 5).

Additional short track events include Martinsville Speedway (April 13); Memphis Motorsports Park (June 22); and Big Daddy's South Boston Speedway (Sept. 21).

Cable networks ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise all 23 events nationally. The affiliates of MRN Radio also will broadcast the full 2002 schedule.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES 2002 SCHEDULE:

Feb. 15 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla

March 15 Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C.

April 13 Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

May 5 Gateway International Raceway, St. Louis, Mo.

May 19 Pikes Peak International Raceway, Colorado Springs, Colo.

May 31 Dover Downs International Speedway, Dover, Del.

June 7 Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas

June 22 Memphis Motorsports Park, Memphis, Tenn.

June 29 The Milwaukee Mile, Milwaukee, Wis.

July 6 Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.

July 13 Kentucky Speedway, Lexington, Ky.

July 20 New Hampshire International Speedway, Loudon, N.H.

July 27 Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Mich.

Aug. 2 Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis, Ind.

Aug. 10 Nashville Superspeedway, Nashville, Tenn.

Aug. 25 Chicago Motor Speedway, Chicago, Ill.

Sept. 5 Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va.

Sept. 13 Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas

Sept. 21 Big Daddy's South Boston Speedway, South Boston, Va.

Oct. 13 Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nev.

Nov. 2 California Speedway, Los Angeles, Calif.

Nov. 8 Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix, Ariz.

Nov. 15 Homestead-Miami Speedway, Miami, Fla.

Tentative, subject to change.