This inaugural visit to Twin Ring Motegi is the final of 14 races an the NWWS schedule. It is the sixth superspeedway event on this years schedule.
it is the first NASCAR championship race outside of the United States. In NASCARS 51-year history. points races have been held in the United States and Canada, but one has never been held overseas.
NASCAR held an exhibition event at the 1.549-mile superapeedway in 1898, which was won by Mike Skinner. Exhibition events were also held on the road course at Suzuka Circuitland in 1996 and 1997. Skinner was victorious in 1997 and Rusty Wallace won the event in 1996.
Two of the NWWS drivers competing in this event, Gilliland and Scott Gaylord, also raced in the NASCAR exhibition events held each of the past three years in Japan.
Two of the Japanese drivers competing in this event Hideo Fukuyama and Kelichi Tauchiya also hold the distinction of competing in the three NASCAR exhibition events in Japan in 1996. 1997 and 1998.
In addition to Gilliland and Gaylord, three other NWWS drivers entered in this event also competed in the exhibition event at Twin Ring Motegi last year Gaughan, Austin Cameron and Gary Smith.
This will mark the second consecutive year that Andy Houston is competing in the NWWS season finale. Houston, a regular competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, won the final race of the season last year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
