 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).