Winston Western 500

Winston Western 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
VenueRiverside International Raceway
LocationMoreno Valley, California
Corporate sponsorWinston
First race1958 Crown America 500
Last race1987 Winston Western 500
Distance311.8 miles (502 km)
Laps119
Previous namesCrown America 500 (1958)
Unnamed (1961)
Riverside 500 (1963)
Motor Trend 500 (1964–1971)
Winston Western 500 (1972–1987)
Most wins (driver)Dan Gurney (5)
Most wins (manufacturer)Ford (11)

The Winston Western 500 was an annual NASCAR Winston Cup race held at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California, United States, in January, and then in later years, November. From 1963 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 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.