Viewer's Guide: Fontana

ATLANTA -- Rusty Wallace says fringe fans who are planning to tune out this Sunday after last weekend's Daytona 500 are making a big mistake.

"After all the pre-season testing and hoopla the teams go through and then spending two weeks with the stress and emotions peaking at Daytona, this weekend's race at Fontana could be the most pivotal deal of the whole season," said Wallace, who won the 2001 Fontana race.

	California, here I come Rusty Wallace's career stats at California Speedway Category Stat Starts 9 Wins *1 Top-5s 2 Top-10s 5 Laps Led 164 Avg. Start 12 Avg. Finish 16 * -- 2001 Auto Club 500

"One of the biggest reasons I say that is because the way the schedule is set up for this year. There's an open week right after California and that can mean the best of things or the worst possible situation for some of 'em.

"If you're still riding a high after Daytona, you can really have everybody on your team feeling like King Kong with another good run at California," said Wallace. "And the thing about it this year is that after the race this weekend at Fontana, you have an off weekend where that momentum and the team morale really can spread."

By his own admission, Wallace struggled in Fontana testing last month, but that doesn't mean he isn't expecting to build on his 10th-place finish last weekend at Daytona.

"It was so hard to get a gauge on how strong you were out there during the test because the wind was blowing a gazillion miles an hour. You couldn't really size anybody up."

FOX made history last weekend by posting a 10.9 average rating for the Daytona 500. The number tied NBC's coverage of the 2002 Daytona 500 for the highest-rated Great American Race in history.

Nielsen Media Research reports this year's race averaged 18.7 million viewers, second only to the 18.8 million viewers for the 2002 race. Last year's race drew 17.8 million viewers.

Not surprisingly, the rating was highest in the closing laps. It drew a 13.0 rating in the half hour beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET and a 13.5 from 6 to 6:20 p.m. ET.

Scott Riggs, Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Jimmy Spencer are among the guests scheduled for "Trackside" this week from Fontana (8 p.m. ET) on SPEED. Riggs is coming off a strong fourth-place finish in last weekend's Daytona 500.

"We had strong runs in California last year and seemed to be a top-10 car in testing, so hopefully we can be up front again this week and keep that momentum rolling," Riggs said.

In this week's "Ask The Producer," Cody Hierholzer of Boerne, Texas wants to know why FOX broadcasts are in surround sound and FX broadcasts are not.

NASCAR on FOX producer Neil Goldberg says it's actually very easy to explain.

'NASCAR on FOX' producer Neil Goldberg

"It is all a matter of how the two networks decide to broadcast their races. There are costs that are related to each and every technology upgrade you use to deliver your product to the viewer.

"You must transmit it a certain way and it must go through a certain facility back at the network that can send it out in 5.1 All has to do with economics. For the broadcasts on FOX there are many reasons that it makes sense right now."

Each week, we'll choose one fan's question to ask a NASCAR on FOX producer. Does something on the broadcast leave you shaking your head? Have you always wondered how or why the TV crew does something? Use the link to the right to e-mail your question and you just might read the answer right here.

With all the things that we will be seeing this weekend, William Vinson of North Carolina wants to Rant about something we won't be seeing.

EMAIL Send Mark your take for "The Rant" or your question for "Ask The Producer"

"We are not happy about Rockingham losing all of its races. After all these years of support, we are left with nothing. At least they could give us a truck race."

It's hard to deny that Rockingham produced some great racing. Still, the bottom line is that there were empty seats there on race day. In addition, NASCAR is a business and it obviously felt that to grow the business, they needed to expand to other areas.

Now to this weekend's -- and next week's -- schedule:

Track: California Speedway

• 2-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in turns
• 11-degree banking on frontstretch
• 3-degree banking on backstretch
• Length of frontstretch: 3,100 feet
• Length of backstretch: 2,500 feet

TV schedule (All times ET)

• NASCAR Live: 3 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: 6 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: 11 a.m. Sat., SPEED
• Nextel Cup practice: 7 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Trackside: 8 p.m. Fri, SPEED
• Bud Pole Qualifying: 3 p.m. Sat., FX
• NASCAR This Morning: 11 a.m. Sun., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: 1 p.m. Sun., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: 1:30 p.m. Sun., SPEED
• Auto Club 500: 2 p.m. Sun., FOX

Easy does itGordon cruises to victory in the 2004 Auto Club 500 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

One year ago, a week after beating fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a controversial finish at Talladega, Gordon dominated on the way to victory in the Auto Club 500, his third victory in eight tries on the two-mile California oval.

The most recent checkered flag went to Gordon. Tony Stewart had the dominant car for most of last Sunday, but it was Gordon who held off furious charges from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch to win his third Daytona 500.

Keep an eye on Bud Pole Qualifying. This weekend is the first time that NASCAR institutes its post-qualifying impoundment policy. Qualifying -- traditionally held on Friday -- will be held on Saturday afternoon, following which NASCAR will impound the cars.

Track: California Speedway

• 2-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in turns
• 11-degree banking on frontstretch
• 3-degree banking on backstretch
• Length of frontstretch: 3,100 feet
• Length of backstretch: 2,500 feet

TV Schedule (All times ET)

• Busch Pole Qualifying: 1 p.m. Sat., SPEED
• Race: 5:30 p.m. Sat., FX

Mr. Fix ItBiffle comes out on top last year after a flurry of pit stops Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

One year ago, Greg Biffle's engine had a sporadic cough, he was losing oil pressure, had hot air blowing in his face -- and he still won.

The most recent checkered flag went to Tony Stewart. Stewart and Kevin Harvick ganged up on the Chance 2 duo of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. to sweep past with less than three laps remaining to win the season-opening Hershey's Take 5 300 last weekend at Daytona.

Keep an eye on Biffle, one of seven former NASCAR Busch Series champions entered in the California field. He returns not only as the defending champion of this event, but he also won the second race at the track last September. He will try to match Matt Kenseth as a three-time series winner at California.

Track: California Speedway

• 2-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in turns
• 11-degree banking on frontstretch
• 3-degree banking on backstretch
• Length of frontstretch: 3,100 feet
• Length of backstretch: 2,500 feet

TV schedule (All times ET)

Race: 9 p.m. Fri., SPEED

One year ago, Former Nextel Cup driver Todd Bodine raced to his first Craftsman Truck Series victory, ending Ted Musgrave's three-race winning streak at California Speedway.

Close finishTodd Bodine holds off the competition to win last year's race Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

The most recent checkered flag went to Bobby Hamilton. NASCAR had to go to the videotape to determine the winner of the Florida Dodge Dealers 250. It was determined that Hamilton had completed the pass of Jimmy Spencer just before the final caution flag.

Keep an eye on Rick Crawford, who'll make his 200th consecutive Craftsman Truck Series start Friday night.

Keeping the string alive has been a challenge for Crawford and his team. He's overcome mechanical problems, illness and injury, most recently last April following an accident at Atlanta Motor Speedway that left Crawford with a broken foot.

"If we had raced the next week it might have ended the streak," he said. "As it turned out, we had a few weeks off before we raced again."

Mark Spoor is an interactive producer for NASCAR.COM. The Domino's Viewer's Guide runs each Thursday during race weeks.