No Bull 5 program ends.

NASCAR Winston Cup Series title sponsors Winston and their parent company R.J Reynolds Tobacco have elected not to continue with the Winston Cup 'No Bull 5' program in 2003 after five years.

The program, which debuted in conjunction with NASCAR's 50th Anniversary season in 1998, saw five fans selected to partner five drivers in five specially selected events across the season. If one of the 'No Bull 5' drove to victory lane in the event both the driver and the fan paired with him won 1 million dollars. The drivers who finished in the top-five in any given 'No Bull 5' race automatically qualified for the next 'NB5' event.

"The Winston No Bull 5 program was a very successful program for the Winston brand," said Ned Leary, president of Sports Marketing Enterprises. "However, we are constantly evaluating the allocation of resources. For 2003, the decision has been made to deploy those resources in other areas.

"This decision does not affect our sponsorship of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The 2003 season marks Winston and parent R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's 33rd season of involvement in NASCAR's premier racing series."

In just 25 'No Bull 5' races no less than 13 fans became millionaires thanks to the exploits of their paired drivers. Jeff Gordon is the all-time leading No Bull 5 winner and has won 4 times while Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Dale Earnhardt and Mark Martin have all driven to victory lane at least once as a No Bull 5 contender.