For Immediate Release
RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRIES EXPECTED FOR FEATHERLITE SOUTHWEST SERIES, NASCAR TOURING OPENER

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (January 26, 2000) - When Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring competitors check in for the 2000 season-opening race at Phoenix International Raceway February 3rd they might set a record before even one car gets on the race track.

More than a week before teams are scheduled to begin checking in for the Series' portion of the 23rd Annual Copper World Classic, 74 teams have indicated they will compete in the prestigious event.

The Series record for most cars entered in an event is 74, set at Riverside International Raceway in 1988 and tied at Phoenix in November of 1994.

And if the number of entrants is impressive, so is the quality of the field. In addition to Featherlite Southwest Series competitors, teams from all four of NASCAR's touring late model series (RE/MAX Challenge, Slim Jim All Pro, Raybestos Brakes Northwest) have indicated they expect to compete.
``This shapes up to be one of the most competitive events in Featherlite Southwest Series history,'' said NASCAR vice president Tom Deery. ``It's a great way to kick off the 2000 NASCAR Touring season.''
NASCAR Winston Cup Series star Ken Schrader has entered, as has Rick Carelli, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series star and former Featherlite Southwest Series champion. So has Carelli's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor Scott Hansen, former Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series champion Ron Eaton and 1999 NASCAR Winston West Series champ Sean Woodside.
``Just qualifying for this race will be an accomplishment,'' Deery noted.
The large and impressive field could threaten the Series' single-lap qualifying record at PIR. The record, set by Ron Hornaday Jr. before the 1995 Copper World event, is 27.386 seconds (131.745 mph). Qualifying begins at 2:00pm on Saturday, February 5, with the event slated to begin on Sunday, February 6 at approximately 3:00pm.

Nine NASCAR Touring Series blanket the United States, bringing special events to many NASCAR Winston Racing Series tracks and some NASCAR superspeedways and road courses. NASCAR Touring Series are extremely popular with fans and competitors. 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. These sponsors include Anheuser-Busch, Featherlite, Goody's Headache Powders, Raybestos Brakes, RE/MAX International, Inc., Slim Jim and RJ Reynolds brand Winston.