Gentlemen, start your Sharpies
By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
January 19, 2002
2:11 PM EST (1911 GMT)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The NASCAR fans who were already lining up outside Joel Coliseum on Friday night were in for a chilly evening, but the excitement of having the chance to get an autograph from one of their favorite drivers had to warm their hearts.
The 13th annual T. Wayne Robertson Winston Cup Preview will kick off Saturday morning at 8:30 ET, with more than 20,000 fans expected to attend the day-long affair.
Every current Winston Cup driver is expected to attend, despite a forecast that could include a wintry mix of precipitation.
In addition, PRN Radio is scheduled to hold a two-hour live broadcast from the Preview, featuring many top drivers as they discuss the upcoming season. It's scheduled to start at noon ET.
Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin and Ricky Rudd are among the drivers listed to be on the autograph tables for the first two-hour session, beginning at 9 a.m. ET.
Jeff Burton and Sterling Marlin are two of the headliners who will sign for the fans starting at 11:15 a.m. ET
Defending Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte and Shawna Robinson will be available for autograph-hunters from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET.
The final two-hour session features Bill Elliott, Ward Burton, defending Daytona 500 champ Michael Waltrip, Terry Labonte and Kyle Petty.
The event is named after its creator, T. Wayne Robertson, who was an executive with RJR and was instrumental in laying the groundwork that made the NASCAR Winston Cup Series what is today.
As far as the location of the Preview, Winston-Salem is the hometown of RJR and always seemed like a natural choice for the Winston Cup Preview.
"This is a charity event and everyone gives their own time to do this," said Denny Darnell, senior manager of marketing for RJR. "The drivers and everyone else just kind of chips in on this effort. It's the first official NASCAR Winston Cup Series event for the 2002 season. Fans get to see the drivers and it's a really nice way to kick off the season before the opener in Daytona."
In addition to the autographs, there will also be Winston Cup cars on display with new paint schemes. There will also be collectibles for sale, displays from various tracks and the event is capped off with an auction -- everything from race ticket packages, to autographed sheet metal, to team clothing is up for grabs to the highest bidder.
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