Motor Sports Weekly News

Story and file photos by Drew Hierwarter

 

Maybe it was the time of year, or maybe it was the weather, maybe even the double file restarts. Whatever it was, the racing at California Speedway, oops sorry, Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Sunday was somewhat better than it has been in the past.

 

It’s no secret that ever since NASCAR awarded a second race to the two-mile speedway that Roger Penske built on the former site of a Kaiser steel mill, it has been struggling to get all of its 92,000 seats covered up with fans. That second race date, much to displeasure of the hard core fans, came at the expense of Darlington Raceway’s traditional Labor Day weekend “Southern 500”.

 

There has been no shortage of theories as to why the crowds have stayed away. The track is wide and smooth which, unfortunately, produced very little side-by-side competition. With plenty of room to race, the cars tended to get spread out which in turn led to very few caution flag causing problems to bring the field back together for a restart. Even Jeff Gordon once said the races at Fontana could be boring. And if a driver traveling around the track at nearly 200 mph is bored, how do think the fans sitting in 100+ degree heat must be doing? 

 

The typical weather for that part of Southern California in early September could easily make one think that the old steel mill’s blast furnace was still in operation. And for most of the people in the greater Los Angeles area, the beach and its much more comfortable temperatures, takes about the same driving time to get to and doesn’t require an expensive ticket.  

 

So this year NASCAR moved the race to the second weekend in October and got a day that was sunny and mild and near perfect for racing. A few well timed cautions for “debris” on the track also helped to take advantage of NASCAR’s new double file restarts to keep the competition close and somewhat exciting.  

 

The official crowd estimates were a little optimistic and put the count in the 70,000 range and for the most part the fans who were there were treated to an entertaining race. The implications of the “Chase for the Championship” helped add some interest although there were no big surprises or major shifts in the points. 

 

For the third straight year Jimmie Johnson won the fall race at Fontana, the closest Sprint Cup race to his home town of El Cajon, CA.  The win enabled the 48 team to take over the points lead for the first time in the Chase, dropping Mark Martin to second. Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart remain in third and fourth respectively and Jeff Gordon’s second place finish on Sunday moved him up two spots to fifth in the points. 

 

Once again, the Hendrick Motorsports 48 team appears on the verge of collecting yet another championship. It makes a great story as it would be a record breaking fourth consecutive title earned by the Chad Knaus led team. On the other hand Mark Martin would be a sentimental favorite to win the title and Tony Stewart would be a popular win as he would be the first owner/driver to do so since Alan Kulwicki in 1992.  

 

But don’t count out Montoya. He’s not feeling any of the pressure that the other “Chasers” are under because, as he himself says; “. . . nobody expected us to be here so we have nothing to lose.” The 42 team has been steadily improving all season and has finished no worse than fourth in the four Chase races run so far and they show no signs of faltering now. 

 

Most of the “experts” who eat the free food in the media centers around the sport now feel that the championship is clearly in Jimmie Johnson’s grasp.  But that sound Johnson can hear is Montoya in the Ganassi Racing Chevrolet coming up hard on the outside. Don’t be surprised if he uses a “last lap slingshot” to steal the title away from the Champ!