Winston Cup Preview tickets still available

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Fans still have a chance to purchase tickets to meet their favorite drivers at the 14th annual T. Wayne Robertson NASCAR Winston Cup Preview, scheduled for Saturday at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com, at Ticketmaster outlets in North Carolina and South Carolina, by phone through Ticketmaster at (336) 722-6400, or in person at the Joel Memorial Coliseum box office.

The T. Wayne Robertson NASCAR Winston Cup Preview is the largest single-day sports charity event in North Carolina. In the 13-year history of the event, the Preview has raised more than $2.4 million for charity.

The 2002 Winston Cup Preview raised $190,000 for its primary charities: Brenner's Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem, Speedway Children's Charities, the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary and the T. Wayne Robertson Memorial Fund.

Those charities, in addition to the Victory Junction Gang Camp will be the beneficiaries of the 2003 event.

If you'd like to contribute to the charity drive, please call the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary at (704) 455-9299 to donate.

Unlike previous years, wristbands for the 2003 Winston Cup Preview will be dispersed through a priority system based on the time of ticket purchase. All tickets to the 2003 Preview will now indicate the priority group of which the attendee is a member.

No phone orders will be accepted at the Coliseum box office.

Event attendees are limited to six tickets per purchase. Tickets are $15 for adults, with children age 12 and under admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Wristband distribution for the event, one of the largest fan-oriented events of the Winston Cup season, will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Joel Memorial Coliseum.

AUTOGRAPH TIMES  •  9-11 a.m.  Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Stacy Compton, Sterling Marlin, Jamie McMurray, Ken Schrader, Mike Skinner, Joe Nemechek, Robby Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Casey Mears, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Raines, Harry Gant, Benny Parsons, Allen Bestwick  •  11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m.  Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Green, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kenny Wallace, Mike Wallace, Carl Long, Mike Bliss, Todd Bodine, Brett Bodine, Derrike Cope, Larry Foyt, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Mike Joy, Jeff Hammond  •  1:30-3:30 p.m.  Tony Stewart, Jeremy Mayfield, Ward Burton, Ricky Craven, Bill Elliott, Michael Waltrip, John Andretti, Terry Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Jerry Nadeau, Kyle Petty, Christian Fittipaldi, Hermie Sadler, Buddy Baker, Donnie Allison  •  3:45-5:45 p.m.  Rusty Wallace, Jimmy Spencer, Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman, Steve Park, Ricky Rudd, Johnny Benson, Jack Sprague, Bobby Allison

Fans attending the Winston Cup Preview will need to obtain wristbands in order to attend the autograph session of the following drivers: 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Rusty Wallace, Matt Kenseth, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott, Kyle Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A total of 400 wristbands will be allotted to each of these drivers.

Preview attendees do not need wristbands to attend the autograph session of any other driver. People obtaining wristbands will be allowed to visit the autograph areas of drivers not requiring wristbands.

Attendees possessing tickets marked Group A will lead off the wristband distribution at 6 p.m. on Jan. 17. Each subsequent group will follow in 20-minute intervals, until all wristbands have been distributed. Group A will be pre-staged for distribution at 5:30 p.m.

At this time, the final scheduled group, "Group P," is scheduled to begin its wristband distribution at about 11 p.m. The schedule may change or be adjusted due to demand.

"We have evaluated the wristband policy following each Preview, and this new policy should eliminate the need for fans to stand in line overnight to obtain wristbands," said Rich Habegger, vice president of operations for R.J. Reynolds' Sports Marketing Enterprises. "Overall, we feel it should add to the enjoyment level of everyone attending the Preview."

Attendees must have a valid ticket in order to obtain a driver wristband, with a one wristband per person limit. Children ages 12 and under do not need tickets to receive a wristband, but must obtain the same driver wristband as their guardian.

Fans awaiting wristband distribution will be able to attend the Clevite Engine Building exhibition (2:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.) on Jan. 17 in the Joel Memorial Coliseum Annex.

The Clevite Engine Building Competition takes place in the Coliseum during the Winston Cup Preview.

Also, Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Inc. have donated the complete shell of a NASCAR Winston Cup No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Saturday's auction.

The braces were cut and the shell was lifted off the chassis in one piece. The windshield, rear glass and roof flaps are included. The shell will be autographed by Dale Earnhardt Jr.