New post-qualifying system could pull Gordon back to the pack

Friday, Feb. 25, 2005 | 11:19 a.m.

FONTANA, Calif. -- Sunday's Auto Club 500 will mark the 10th time the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series has raced at California Speedway, but even three-time event winner Jeff Gordon said he would be going through a learning experience this weekend.

This weekend's race will be the first conducted under NASCAR's new post-qualifying impound system that will be in place for the majority of the series' points races. Under the new format, qualifying moves from Friday to Saturday and NASCAR will impound the starting field of 43 cars immediately after the post-qualifying inspection. Also, the traditional final practice -- also known as "Happy Hour" -- will be eliminated and teams will not be allowed to make adjustments on the cars during the impound period.

As if that wasn't enough for the teams to get a handle on this weekend, Sunday's race will also be the first in which the shorter rear spoiler and new tire compound will come into play.

"The biggest thing is the unknowns of how much effort to put into qualifying versus how much you're going to put into the race," Gordon said. "Track position, to me, is still very crucial and we don't want to give up any of that track position if we don't have to. Obviously, being good in the race is more important than qualifying but we don't want to give up anything if we don't have to.

"It's going to be really interesting to see what guys can run qualifying versus how good their cars are in the race. It's just that unknown that we're all dealing with of what's going to take place -- what the real strategy is going to be. We'll learn it over the (next) five, six races but until then, it's going to be everybody's best guess."

Another veteran driver, Kyle Petty, said his team would try to strike a balance with the car that will allow him to qualify well but still be strong in the 250-lap race.

"Qualifying is still important," Petty said. "Where you start is still going to be pretty important to how things work out and you still want to start as near the front as possible.

"Of course, with the new deal you have to think primarily about the race. You can't go out there in qualifying trim because you have to race the setup you qualify with, so you have to be right where you want to be with the car when it comes time to qualify."

While the new impound procedure has many of the veteran drivers and crew chiefs scratching their heads as they try to develop a strategy for the weekend, Nextel Cup Series rookie Kyle Busch was left wondering what all the fuss was about.

"Last year in the Busch Series, we would practice in race trim and then switch over at the end and make a few qualifying runs," said Busch, a Las Vegas native. "So, in a sense, I'm used to the way things are going to be, whereas some guys may not be.

"I think it will mix up some teams, meaning some will go out focusing on race setups and some will focus on qualifying. California is a track where you can pass, so if you qualify in the middle or the back of the pack you can race your way to the front if you have the car to do it."

Gordon agreed with the assessment of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

"The good thing about our sport is that you can come from the back and drive to the front in our races, and I think that's what makes NASCAR racing so exciting; it's not just follow the leader," Gordon said. "Track position is becoming more important than it used to be, but you still can come from the back if you've got a good car and a good team."

More often than not, Gordon has had both a good car and a good team when he has come to Fontana. He won the inaugural race in 1997 and followed with victories in 1999 and again last spring. He is the only driver to win more than once on the 2-mile oval and Gordon has an average finish of 9.33 in nine races here.

"It's one of those tracks where it takes quite a package," Gordon said. "It takes, obviously, a good car that has good aerodynamics to get down those long straightaways -- a lot of horsepower underneath the hood -- but you also have to handle well and be aggressive as a driver through the corners and communicate well with the team, and I just think that that suits us.

"For whatever reason, we've had good success there -- whether it be trying to save fuel mileage or having just a strong car and being in the right position at the right time. When you go to a track and you've had success, it builds your confidence and you continue to carry that on with you each time you go back."

By virtue of his victory in the season-opening Daytona 500, Gordon comes to Fontana as the Nextel Cup Series points leader. He holds a 15-point lead over Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished second and third, respectively, at Daytona.