Winston Western 500 Information & Winston Western 500 Links at HealthHaven.com

**Winston Western 500**

Venue	Riverside International Raceway
Corporate sponsor	Winston
First race	1958
Distance	311.8 miles (502 km)
Number of laps	119
Previous names	Crown America 500 (1958) Unnamed (1961) Riverside 500 (1963) Motor Trend 500 (1964-1971)

The Winston Western 500 was an annual NASCAR Winston Cup race held at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California, USA, in January, and then in later years, November. From 1965 to 1981, the race was held in January and was the season opening race. NASCAR elected to start its season with the Daytona 500 beginning in 1982, so a second Winston Western 500 was run in November to accommodate the change; the change resulted in Riverside hosting three Winston Cup races in 1981. The race ran in November from 1981 to 1987, serving as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series' final race of the year from 1981 to 1986. The race distance was 500 miles until 1977 when it was shortened to 311 miles (500 kilometers). The other race held at Riverside, the Budweiser 400, was held in June.