Winter Heat Series
Winter Heat Series (or NASCAR Winter Heat) is a television program on TNN and later ESPN2 that featured stock car racing.
History
The program aired during the winter months between November and January (during
Tucson Raceway Park
in Tucson, Arizona.
TNN originally broadcast the races before ESPN took over. Broadcasters for TNN were
Ray Dunlap
served as fill-ins for Parsons and Weber.
There were six to eight races per winter. The first season of Winter Heat featured the then-brand new
NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour. In later years when ESPN covered the events, there generally were three late model races (called the Winston Triple Crown), and a race or two from the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour and Winston West Series. Ron Hornaday Jr.
won the first ever Southwest Winter Heat race while Garrett Evans won the second.
Late model champions
- 1995–96: Greg Biffle
- 1996–97: Carl Trimmer
- 1997–98:
- 1998–99: Marc Groskreutz
Notable drivers to gain national attention from the series
- Greg Biffle
- Kurt Busch
- Matt Crafton
- Rick Crawford
- Shane Hall
- Kevin Harvick
- Ron Hornaday, Jr
- Ronnie Hornaday
- Hershel McGriff
- Chris Raudman
- Craig Raudman
- Mike Skinner
- Chris Trickle
External links
- nascar.com article on Benny Parsons' recommendations about Greg Biffle after Biffle dominated the Winter Heat series
- Ronnie Hornaday in Winter Heat
- 1996-97 Champion Carl Trimmer's website
- Bill Weber's article about leaving ESPN, includes memories of Winter Heat
- Site contains screen captures of the Southwest Series' first two Winter Heat races