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Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
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HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY
California Speedway is one of the most popular racing venues in America. It offers people a great chance for watching car races and going home thrilled with the entire experience. But it was not so very long ago.

Henry J. Kaiser founded the first integrated steel mill on the same site in the spring of 1942, but unfortunately the mill did not succeed as well as expected and Kaiser went bankrupt. The mill was shut down permanently on December 31, 1983, and later that same year, the Penske Corporation started negotiations with Kaiser, seeking to persuade Kaiser to build a superspeedway.

Penske succeeded in 1994 and work started on building the speedway in late November 1995. But one problem that the workers faced was that EPA had already listed this piece of land under its Superfund cleanup. Thousands of tons of scrap metal and rubble in excess of 1 million tons had to be removed from the site that had housed the buildings for the Steel Mill till then. In all, two million cubic yards of earth had to be removed before the required 300,000 tens of asphalt could be spread over it and rolled for making the track.

California Speedway finally turned out to be the largest sporting venue in Southern California, with a two-mile D-shaped oval superspeedway with a 1.3-mile infield road course located on 529 acres in Fontana, San Bernardino County. Less than two years after its construction began, a packed crowd of fans witnessed the inaugural California 500, first in the series of the many NASCAR races that will take place here. The racer was Jeff Gordon and the fans enjoyed the ultimate in the racing action.

Less than two years later, a sold-out crowd of over 90,000 fans watched the green flag drop for the inaugural California 500. Jeff Gordon took the first checkered flag at California Speedway. California Speedway is a two-mile D-shaped oval superspeedway with a 1.3 mile infield road course located on 529 acres in Fontana, San Bernardino County, CA. Designed to offer the ultimate in fan enjoyment, the California Speedway is the largest sporting venue in Southern California.

TRACK INFORMATION:
The California Speedway has a unique D-shaped oval track, which is two mile long with 14 degrees of banking in turns and 11 degrees of banking down the front stretch and 3 degrees of banking down the backstretch.

Opened
1997

Track Length
2-miles D-shaped oval

Front straight
3,100ft

Back straight
2,500ft

Width
75ft

Front straight Banking
11degree

Back straight Banking
3 degree

Turns
14

Seating
92,109

First IRL Race
March 24, 2002

Pit Road
2,200 feet long with 44 individual pit stalls

Grandstand Seats
92,000

Records
Date Series Driver Speed
6/22/97 Nextel Cup Race Jeff Gordon 155.00
2/27/05 Nextel Cup Qualifying Kyle Busch 188.245
4/28/01 Busch Race Hank Parker Jr. 156.00
2/26/05 Busch Qualifying Tony Stewart 185.941
9/20/03 Craftsman Truck Race Ted Musgrave 146.00
2/24/06 Craftsman Truck Qualifying David Reutimann 178.980

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Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
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it s** that they dont go to rockingham any more .but on the flip side i can see their haulers go threw memphis on i40

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Do not forget to bring your own water in to the track. Even though the weather is going to be different than last September, the track did run out of bottled water before half way in 100 degree heat.

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News and notes on NASCAR drivers
Posted 2/21/2007 8:59 PM ET
The Sports Xchange
News and notes on NASCAR drivers, in order of the 2007 points standings:
Kevin Harvick

No. 29 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: This is the second time Harvick has led the points, the first since New Hampshire on September 17, 2006. He has two top-10 and four top-15 finishes at California Speedway, but last year he finished 29th and 15th in the two Cup events there.

Last week: Harvick won the closest Daytona 500 (0.020-second margin of victory) since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993 in a thrilling finish.

Etc.: Harvick's whirlwind media tour included appearances on "The Late Show with David Letterman," "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "Live with Regis and Kelly." "I don't know that there's a whole lot that can prepare you for the media side of it," Harvick said.

Mark Martin

No. 01 Chevrolet, Ginn Racing

This week: Martin is the only driver in history to win Cup, Busch, Truck and IROC races at Fontana. He won the track's second Cup race in 1998. In 13 Cup starts there, he has three top-five finishes and six top-10s.

Last week: Martin's second-place finish in the Daytona 500 was his best-ever finish in that event, but the 55th runner-up finish of his Cup career. It was his best finish since a second place at Atlanta on March 20, 2006.

Etc.: Martin will again take on double duty this weekend at California as he looks to defend his 2006 win in the Craftsman Truck Series. This time, Martin will take the helm of the No. 21 Wood Brothers entry.

Jeff Burton

No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: Burton has one pole, three top-five and four top-10 finishes in 13 Cup starts at California Speedway. In addition to racing in Sunday's Cup race, Burton will drive the No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet for RCR in the Stater Bros. 300 NASCAR Busch Series race Saturday.

Last week: Burton scored an impressive third-place finish in the Daytona 500, giving Richard Childress Racing two cars in the top three.

Etc.: Jackman Josh Yost will undergo surgery to his left ankle today at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C. During a routine pit stop in the Daytona 500, Yost's left Archilles tendon ruptured. Adam North, the jackman for the No. 29 Holiday Inn NBS team, will fill in for Yost.

Mike Wallace

No. 09 Chevrolet, Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet

This week: Wallace will not be racing in the Cup race at California because he is running a limited schedule in the series. He will be competing in the Stater Brothers 300 Busch race, though. Fourth in points is the highest of Wallace's career. His previous best was sixth after the 2001 Daytona 500.

Last week: Wallace's fourth-place finish in the Daytona 500 was the best of his career. His previous best was fifth on Nov. 13, 1994.

Etc.: Wallace also ran in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona, but he only made it one lap before he crashed.

David Ragan

No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

This week: The 21-year-old from Unadilla, Ga., is making his first career start at California Speedway. "We want to be the top rookie, we want to be one of the top contending Roush cars week in and week out," he said.

Last week: Ragan was a big surprise in the Daytona 500, finishing fifth in only his second Cup race. His previous best was 25th at Martinsville on Oct. 22, 2006.

Etc.: Ragan, who had 159 green-flag passes in the Daytona 500, said he learned a tremendous amount in his first 500-mile race. "You just can't push the issue," Ragan said. "And luck is really a lot here."

David Gilliland

No. 38 Ford, Robert Yates Racing

This week: Before moving to North Carolina at the start of 2006, the Riverside, Calif., native housed his racing operation in a small shop just a few miles from the Fontana race track. Now he returns as one of one NASCAR's newest stars looking to continue his streak of success. He finished 32nd in his only Cup start there last September.

Last week: Gilliland finished eighth at Daytona after starting on the pole.

Etc.: Gilliland credits new spotter Earl Barban for much of his early success. "I immediately felt very comfortable with Earl on the radio," Gilliland said. "I have a ton on respect for everything he has done working with Rusty (Wallace) and Jimmie Johnson."

Joe Nemechek

No. 13 Chevrolet, Ginn Racing

This week: Because he is with a new team and lacks 2006 owner points, Nemechek must be in the top 35 in points after the fifth race of the year (Bristol) to secure an automatic starting position. His best finish at California was 10th — in the fall race in 2005.

Last week: With crew chief Peter Sospenzo directing the mechanics of the Chevy, the ninth-place finish in the Daytona 500 came after the team had concerns about the car before the race.

Etc.: The last time Nemechek was in the top 10 in points was after Rockingham on Feb. 22, 2004. He was ranked 10th.

Jeff Gordon

No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: There have been 11 different winners in the 13 Cup races at California Speedway, and Gordon is the only multiple-race winner, with victories in 1997, 1999 and 2004. Gordon has six top-fives and six top-10s and an 11.8 average finish there. He finished 13th and fifth in the two races last season.

Last week: While he had hoped for a better finish than his 10th at Daytona, Gordon had to be satisfied with the result considering his race ended with a trip to the infield care center.

Etc.: Gordon's car will carry the familiar "fire and flames" design in this weekend's race but will feature a new waterborne paint from DuPont Refinish.

David Stremme

No. 40 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

This week: The driver from South Bend, Ind., has his highest career points standing. His previous best last season was 28th after the Daytona 500. He hopes to continue the momentum at California, where he finished 36th and 33rd last year.

Last week: Stremme is coming off tying a career-best finish of 11th to open the season at Daytona. That matched his previous best, at New Hampshire and Homestead in 2006. His previous best Daytona finish was 16th in last July's Pepsi 400.

Etc.: Stremme had the most "quality passes" at Daytona with 229 — 14 more than his nearest competition (Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth).

J.J. Yeley

No. 18 Chevrolet, Joe Gibbs Racing

This week: Yeley finished eighth at California last February and 19th in September.

Last week: Yeley used patience, perseverance and a bit of good luck to avoid four accidents in the last 50 laps and finish 12th in the Daytona 500.

Etc.: While Yeley qualified in 12th place at Daytona, he was forced to start the race from the rear of the field because his crew found a leak in the transmission after Saturday's final practice. Each team is allowed one engine change and one transmission change during Speedweeks. The team had already switched a transmission during the weekend, so crew chief Steve Addington made the switch because he didn't want to take any chances.

Elliott Sadler

No. 19 Dodge, Evernham Motorsports

This week: There have been 10 different winners in the past 10 races at California Speedway, and the list includes Sadler. His victory came in the Labor Day weekend race in 2004.

Last week: Sadler was sixth in the Daytona 500. "This is an unbelievable finish for the week we've had," he said.

Etc.: Five days before the Daytona 500, NASCAR suspended Sadler's crew chief, Josh Browne, for two races and fined him $25,000 for a rules violation found before qualifying. Sadler was docked 25 points, as was car owner Ray Evernham. The loss of the 25 points dropped Sadler to 11th in the standings.

Reed Sorenson

No. 41 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

This week: Sorenson finished 21st in both races at California last year, but he did lead eight laps in the fall race.

Last week: Sorenson rallied in the closing two laps to finish 13th at Daytona. Earlier in the race, he had to pit to have a hole in the radiator taped up.

Etc.: Sorenson believes he and his team "learned a lot of things last year that are definitely going to help us out this year. I feel like I'm going to be a better driver this year and the team as a whole is going to be better."

Boris Said

No. 60 Ford, No Fear Racing

This week: Because he is still hunting for more sponsorship money, Said plans to run only a very limited schedule in 2007. He says he has money for only seven races, and California is not one of them.

Last week: Said was all smiles after finishing 14th in the Daytona 500. "This was only my third or fourth restrictor-plate race, and we ran all day and finished 14th. I'm really happy with it," he said. "It was a blast."

Etc.: Said, who spun early in the race, rallied to earn the top-15 finish at Daytona. "I was fortunate we didn't hit anything," he said.

Robby Gordon

No. 7 Ford, Robby Gordon Motorsports

This week: In nine starts at California Speedway, Gordon has posted only one top-10 finish. On the other hand, four of his finishes have been 31st or worse.

Last week: Gordon took the conservative route throughout the Daytona 500, and it paid off with a 15th-place finish. "I thought there were going to be a lot of wrecks," Gordon said. "I told the guys I was going to remain patient, and just like I thought, everything worked out for us."

Etc.: The Auto Club 500 will be the second race for Gordon and his team since making the switch from Chevrolet to Ford.

Johnny Sauter

No. 70 Chevrolet, Haas Automation Racing

This week: Sauter's only Cup start at California came on May 2, 2004, when he started 37th and finished 21st. "I've never been known for intermediate tracks, but we had a really good test in Las Vegas," he said.

Last week: Sauter, making his first Nextel Cup start for Haas Automation Racing, was delighted with how his Speedweeks went. First, he had to post a fast enough qualifying speed to earn a spot in the Daytona 500, which he did.

Etc.: "Starting off the season the way we did in Daytona was just remarkable," Sauter said, "and I can't tell you how much momentum it's going to give us coming into Fontana."

Sterling Marlin

No. 14 Chevrolet, Ginn Racing

This week: Marlin has three top-10 finishes in 13 starts at California, three of them coming in a row between 2001 and 2003.

Last week: After finishing 17th in the Daytona 500, Marlin said, "We had a heck of a day. I have to give a lot of credit to my spotter (T.J. Majors) because he did a great job saving me from every single accident — and there were some big ones. We narrowly escaped them all."

Etc.: Marlin noted that "with the car being so tight early and with the number of big accidents, I'm not too disappointed with our finish."

Clint Bowyer

No. 07 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: Bowyer will be driving the same car that he drove to a third-place finish last fall at California Speedway.

Last week: Bowyer literally slid across the finish line on his roof after being involved in the last-lap wreck as he finished 18th in the Daytona 500. "It was quick," said Bowyer of his car rolling onto its roof. "I flipped over and then here comes the mud. I tell you — much more mud would have come in and I wouldn't have got out."

Etc.: Bowyer said what happened on the last lap was because "everybody was going for it. It's the Daytona 500."

Juan Pablo Montoya

No. 42 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

This week: Montoya will make the third start of his Nextel Cup career this weekend at California Speedway.

Last week: Montoya was pleased with his 19th-place finish in his first Daytona 500 after all the troubles he had in the race. "We were really tight," Montoya said. "The car was so bad." Then during a pit stop, he got blocked in and when he went to put the car in reverse "it got stuck between two gears and it broke half the gearbox."

Etc.: Montoya already realizes that in stock-car racing "the car changes so much from new tires to old tires, from high fuel to low fuel. The driver has a big influence."

Casey Mears

No. 25 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: Mears finished seventh in the spring race last year at California Speedway.

Last week: Mears' was another car that was involved in the last-lap wreck. "It looked like we were going to have a top-10," Mears said after his 20th-place finish. "I couldn't really see what happened. I don't know what started it, but everybody kind of started getting crazy there at the end."

Etc.: Crew chief Darian Grubb said "there was just no way I could pass up this opportunity to work with Casey and this National Guard, GMAC Chevrolet team. It is just an incredible opportunity." Grubb moved to the 25 team from the 48 operation.

Bobby Labonte

No. 43 Dodge, Petty Enterprises

This week: Labonte will make his 14th start at California Speedway. He has four top-five finishes in 13 races at the two-mile track, including two second-place finishes, but he finished a disappointing 31st and 26th in the two races at California last year.

Last week: Labonte finished 21st in the Daytona 500.

Etc.: Labonte said of his Daytona finish, "Well, we rolled across the finish line on all fours, didn't wreck the car all day, and we're sitting better in points than last year (when he got caught up in a wreck and finished 35th). I think we're off to a decent start."

Others

Dale Jarrett (No. 44 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing) is another driver who has run all 13 Cup races at California Speedway. He has six top-10 finishes. Jarrett was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in the car manufacturer's first Nextel Cup race as he ended up 22nd in the Daytona 500. ... Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge, Evernham Motorsports) dominated the fall race at California — he led 130 laps in scoring his first win at the track. In the past three races at the 2-mile oval, Kahne has finished sixth, fourth and first. And in four of the past five races, he has finished sixth or better. ... Kyle Busch (No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports) will be looking for his fourth straight top-10 finish at California Speedway this weekend and his second win at the 2-mile track. Busch has led at least once in three of the past four events at Fontana. ... Carl Edwards (No. 99 Ford, Roush Racing) has never finished lower than fifth in six starts at California, including four top-five finishes. But he is still looking for his first win at the track and his first Nextel Cup victory in 16 months. ... Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ford, Roush Racing) dominated the California event a year ago, leading 168 laps before engine failure sidelined him late in the race. In 2005, Biffle won the spring race and finished second in the fall event. During the past four races at the two-mile oval, Biffle has led the most laps — 230.

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Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
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Unless I come across some freebies, I am unfortunately sitting this one out. I hate that NASCAR is so close to home and I am not going. But on the other hand, my wife just gave birth to our 1st, so I guess there is a pretty good reason to stay home.

congrats desertroots... how many more ya gonna pop out?... makes it hard to go to a race with little ones... at least TV coverage is kid friendly!

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Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports... the rest are just games........ Earnest Hemmingway

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Posted 2/22/2007 11:28 PM ET

Answers to pressing questions heading into Sunday's Auto Club 500 Nextel Cup race at California Speedway by USA TODAY's Nate Ryan:

Q: Will there be as many empty seats on Sunday as last year?

A: If demand stays on pace, California Speedway President Gillian Zucker said, the 92,000-seat grandstands will surpass the 2006 total. The Orange County (Santa Ana, Calif.) Register estimated a crowd between 70,000-80,000 last season.

"Ticket sales are good," she said Tuesday. "We're trending ahead. It's very exciting. It says a lot about changes made to the facility."

The track, which hasn't sold out since a second race was added in 2004, has spent $10 million on improvements in the last year, adding a Wolfgang Puck restaurant to its revamped midway, moving infield motor home parking back 65 feet to improve sight lines and erecting a 105-foot marquee sign to finally provide I-10 freeway visibility.

But barring an unexpected surge among Southern California's famously fickle sporting public, the track probably won't have a full house for the third consecutive season since its first race was moved to February.

Zucker said the lack of a sellout wouldn't be a disappointment.

"Our goal is more than last year, and I feel we'll be successful," she said. "It's all about a bigger goal than just selling out a facility. It's about growing the sport in a new part of the country that hasn't had as much exposure to it as we would like. Everyone talks about all the entertainment options and things to do here. Our job is to make it clear that no matter what else is going on, this is the place to be."

Q: Will Juan Pablo Montoya deliver an attendance jolt as he did at Homestead-Miami Speedway last season?

A: He could, considering that Zucker said about 20% of her track's fans are of Latino descent.

The track is maximizing the Colombian's NASCAR debut in Southern California. On Thursday, Montoya led a garage tour in his native tongue for several Spanish media outlets such as Telemundo, Univision and La Opinion.

Zucker said the speedway has tracked an increase in calls to its Spanish ticket line since running more advertisements on Spanish radio stations and adding a NASCAR 101 in Spanish to its website.

"We're doing pretty well, but it could be much bigger, especially with more diversity in the sport," Zucker said.

Q: What's the biggest challenge to packing the place in February?

A: And the winner is … the Academy Awards, which will begin shortly after Sunday's race is over.

It's not as if the track counts a huge following among the beautiful people who live on the west side of Los Angeles (though the track now offers sushi), but competing against their annual extravaganza isn't easy.

Despite built-in buzz from a favorable spot on the schedule after the Daytona 500 (particularly after this year's thriller), it's tough to attract attention in a Southern California market obsessed with the entertainment industry.

The speedway's Fontana location is about 60 miles east of Los Angeles and depends on L.A. affiliates for TV coverage. Yet sports aren't on the radar screen during a week in which center stage belongs to the stars of the silver screen. The drawing power of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon pales in comparison with Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith and Penelope Cruz.

The track has tried to capitalize on its proximity to Hollywood, redesigning its logo to resemble a movie premiere, entertaining celebrities on race day (Kevin Costner is this year's grand marshal) and bringing Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick to the Kodak Theater on Wednesday for an Oscar photo op.

"If you could select any date, you'd try to avoid conflict with an event that draws national and international attention," Zucker said.

Q: So would it make sense to shift the date?

A: Zucker would like to have races in April and September because "it's beautiful weather and they're in a position far enough apart that you have an opportunity to develop distinct marketing plans."

But she bristles at the suggestion California Speedway risks losing a race soon if it can't begin selling out despite sitting within a two-hour drive of about 16 million people.

All of the track's suites have been sold since December, which is another indication of its allure for sponsors hungry for exposure.

California gained its second race and a Labor Day weekend date because of attendance shortfalls at North Carolina Speedway and Darlington Raceway, two tracks where corporate hospitality also isn't as strong.

"People act like this track's not profitable, which is ridiculous," Zucker said.

Q: How many cars will be attempting to qualify?

A: There were 52 as of Thursday, according to the entry list on NASCAR's media site. Although there will be a dozen fewer entries than for the Daytona 500, several full-time teams again won't make the show.

Of the drivers who qualified at Daytona International Speedway, only Boris Said and Mike Wallace won't be at California. That doesn't leave enough room to squeeze in all of the names — including Paul Menard, Jeremy Mayfield, Ward Burton, A.J. Allmendinger and Brian Vickers— who missed the opener.

Q: Who's good at California?

A: Five starts and five top-10s for Carl Edwards, who seems poised to become the third consecutive Roush Fenway Racing driver to win the February race in Fontana. Teammate Greg Biffle, who won this event in 2005, had led the most laps (230) over the last four races at California, including a race-high 168 before an engine failure last year. Matt Kenseth went on to win.

Q: Who could do without all that smog and traffic?

A: Kevin Harvick might not be reveling in his Daytona 500 victory so much this weekend as the Bakersfield, Calif., native seeks to reverse his fortunes at the Cup race closest to his hometown.

Q: Who else will feel at home this weekend?

A: Seven drivers will be returning to their home state: Harvick, Allmendinger (Los Gatos); Daytona 500 pole-sitter David Gilliland (Riverside); Jeff Gordon (Vallejo); Robby Gordon (Bellflower); Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon); and Casey Mears (Bakersfield).

The Golden State has produced the last three Daytona 500 winners (Gordon, Johnson, Harvick).

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Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
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