DATE: Thursday, September 4, 1997           TAG: 9709040621

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   39 lines

1998 WINSTON CUP SCHEDULE RELEASED

NASCAR released its 1998 Winston Cup schedule Wednesday and, as expected, it included no second date for Texas Motor Speedway.

In a minor surprise, it DID include a second date for Japan. In addition to a race at Suzuka on Nov. 15, the series will race at the new Twin Ring Motegi 1.49-mile oval Nov. 22. Both races will be non-points events.

With the addition of the Las Vegas race on March 1, the series increases to 33 races - most since 1971, when there were 48.

But speedway magnate Bruton Smith and the folks at Texas Motor Speedway obviously wish the schedule had been increased to 34 races.

Smith called the omission of a second Texas race in 1998 ``a disservice to the drivers and the owners.'' Eddie Gossage, general manager of the Texas track, said in a statement: ``We're disappointed about the second date, but we're not giving up. We would like for NASCAR to tell us what their criteria are in awarding a Winston Cup race. If they use the criteria I've heard for the past 20 years - which is attendance, purse and television ratings - we should have two races. We simply want to know what the rules are.''

Smith had offered a NASCAR record-breaking $5 million purse for a second date, but when that subject came up Sunday at Darlington Raceway during an interview with Bill France, the NASCAR president was flip about the matter. ``We're planning on the second race in April,'' he said. ``It's the second race at Texas, so far as I know. ''

Of the $5 million purse offer, France said, ``When I heard about that, I told (NASCAR Vice President of Competition) Mike Helton that he better go back and get the extra million dollars for April's race because that would be the second race.''

The first Texas race paid a purse of about $4 million.

There were only a few minor additional unannounced changes on the schedule besides the second Japan race. The California races were flip-flopped, with Sears Point moves to Sunday, June 28, while the race at California Speedway is on Sunday, May 3.

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