CUP: Preseason Media Tour Begins Monday

More than 220 motorsports journalists from across the nation – and, in a few cases, across the pond – will gather in Charlotte this week for the annual Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour, an extended
preview of the NASCAR season to come.
The tour is scheduled to begin Monday with several events. Sprint, sponsor of NASCAR’s top series for 10 years, is scheduled to make a noon announcement concerning the Sprint Unlimited, the Daytona International Speedway race formerly known as the Bud Shootout. The Unlimited, a non-points event, is scheduled to open the Sprint Cup season Feb. 16.
On Tuesday, the second day of the four-day tour, a noon luncheon will feature a competition update from NASCAR officials.
The tour will include visits to or with principals of Stewart-Haas Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Penske Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and others.
The CMS tour has been a part of the NASCAR preseason for 31 years.
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.