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  CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY
Fontana, California

Jamie Squire/Getty Images
2007 Dates
Auto Club 500, February 25
Sony HD 500, September 2
Track Specs
2 mile D-shaped oval
Banking/Turns: 14 degrees
Banking/Front Straightaway: 11 degrees
Banking/Back Straightaway: 3 degrees
February 2006 Results
Winner: Matt Kenseth
Pole: Kurt Busch
July 2006 Results
Winner: Kasey Kahne
Pole: Kurt Busch
What to watch for
In Fontana, aerodynamics are the key. The best aero numbers will win out at the 2-mile California Speedway, once again giving young Kasey Kahne the advantage. Ray Evernham has found the formula for SoCal success, as Kahne led 130 laps on his way to a victory in September last year, after finishing fourth in February. The No. 9 car was also the runner-up in 2004's Labor Day race.

The Roush trio of Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards should also run well at the track in San Bernardino County. Biffle took the checkered flag in February 2005, while Kenseth won in the circuit's first trip to California last year - in a race that Biffle led 168 laps before late engine failure. Edwards has yet to win in Fontana, but his last five trips have yielded nothing worse than a sixth-place finish.

Kyle Busch won the fall event here in 2005 and had eighth- and 10th-place finishes last year. Prior to that, however, Busch finished 23rd and 24th in his first two trips. But the aggressive 21-year-old Las Vegas native has three straight top 10s and may have found his groove just a few hours from home.

Born in the Bay Area town of Vallejo, Calif., Jeff Gordon has won three of the 13 races down south in Fontana, including the inaugural event in 1997. Gordon hasn't won since 2004 but finished fifth and 13th last season.

Keep an eye on...
• Clint Bowyer -- A wide, moderately banked intermediate will likely be the site of Bowyer's first career Cup triumph. California fits the description to a tee. Factor in his third- and 14th-place finishes there last season and he looks appealing.

• Elliott Sadler -- Sadler may suddenly become a hot pick on the intermediates. Now in Evernham equipment - and enjoying some past success on the cookie cutters - Sadler could break out in a big way. He has one career win in California, coming in 2004.

• Dale Jarrett -- DJ has a decent track record at California and along with Matt Borland may be able to overcome any deficiencies in the new Toyota equipment to post a respectable run.

• Casey Mears -- Mears posted seventh- and 14th-place finishes here last year in Ganassi sheet metal. If he can take those pieces and run seventh, he should drive Hendrick machines to the front.


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