NEWS IN WINSTON-SALEM MARIA. WELL, IT’S REALLY GOING TO OPERATE AS USUAL, SO FANS CAN STILL EXPECT THE CRAZY AND FUN RACES THAT THEY’RE USED TO. IT’S JUST GOING TO BE THAT NASCAR IS NOW GOING TO RUN THINGS FROM HERE. BUT BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM HAS BEEN OPERATING AS A FAMILY BUSINESS FOR THE LAST 17 YEARS, UNTIL NOW. NASCAR WILL NOW MANAGE THE RACING OPERATIONS UNDER A LEASE WITH THE CITY OF WINSTON-SALEM. THAT LEASE RUNS UNTIL 2050. IT’S A TRACK THAT HOLDS A LOT OF MEMORIES FOR FANS, DRIVERS AND THE FAMILIES WHO STARTED IT IN 1949. SINCE THEN, THE STADIUM HAS HOSTED NASCAR CUP SERIES AND RACES AND HAD SEVERAL RACING LEGENDS HERE, LIKE RICHARD PETTY AND JUNIOR JOHNSON. WARREN PENNILESS, WHOSE FAMILY RUNS THE STADIUM, SAYS NASCAR WANTS TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY AND LEGACY OF BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM. NASCAR HAS PROMISED US IS THEY DON’T WANT TO ROCK THE BOAT. THEY WANT TO KEEP BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM GREAT. THE WAY IT IS, SO I DON’T REALLY THINK IT WILL BE TOO MUCH OF AN EFFECT, A NEGATIVE EFFECT, IF ANYTHING, IT WILL BE POSITIVE BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO BRING EVEN MORE EXPOSURE TO TO WHAT WE DO HERE AT BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF MAYBE CUP RACES OR BIG MARQUEE EVENTS COMING HERE? AND WE’LL JUST HAVE TO SEE WHERE THE WHERE THE ROAD TAKES US THERE. STAY TUNED. AND BOWMAN GRAY’S RACING SEASON STARTS ON APRIL 20TH. I’M GOING TO TOSS IT BACK NOW IN THE STUDIO TO KENNY BECK, WHO HAS MORE ON THIS FROM MAYOR ALLEN JOINS KENNY MARIE. THE MAYOR TELLS ME FANS AND DRIVERS REALLY WON’T NOTICE THIS CHANGE AT ALL. IT’S MORE ABOUT THE STABILITY OF HAVING OFFICIAL NASCAR BACKING. EVENTUALLY, HE SAYS, THOUGH THIS DEAL COULD MEAN BIG THINGS FOR BOWMAN, GRAY. WE TALK WITH THEM YESTERDAY AND THEY NOT MAKE ANY PROMISES, BUT THEY SAID HE WAS ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY. WE CAN BRING A NATIONAL EVENT OF SOME SORT HERE, AND IF WE DID THAT, THERE MIGHT HAVE TO BE SOME A FEW IMPROVEMENTS MADE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST GOT THROUGH SPENDING ABOUT $9 MILLION ON THE STADIUM TO BRING IT UP TO, YOU KNOW, BETTER STANDARDS THERE. SO I THINK IT’S A PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. THE MAYOR ADDS NOTHING WILL CHANGE WITH WINSTON-SALEM STATE EITHER. THE RAMS, OF COURSE, PLAY THEIR HOME FOOTBALL GAMES AT BOWMAN GRAY IN THE FALL. THAT WILL CONTINUE. WWSU ALSO OFFERS DEGREES IN MOTORSPORTS MANAGEMENT AND ONE OF ITS STUDENTS, RODGER CARRUTH, JUST BECAME THE THIRD BLACK DRIVER IN NASCAR HISTORY TO WIN A NATIONAL SERIES RACE WHEN HE TOOK HOME THE CHECKERED FLAG EARLIER THIS MONTH IN TH