Although he hasn't finished in the top 20 in his last three California Speedway starts, retiring from two of those events with engine failure, the driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet has a major statement to make after his lowly finish at Daytona and a good result on Sunday would further add to the proof that he and his team are back to where they were a couple of years ago.
Another driver with a strong California Speedway pedigree is Penske Racing's Kurt Busch, who has amassed one win, two more top five finishes and no less than six top 20 finishes in seven career Nextel Cup starts at the Speedway. Like Gordon, Busch has a major point to prove on Sunday after his late crash at Daytona left him 38th in the final rundown. Busch's new team, the #2 Penske Racing squad, has gained more top ten finishes than any other team at Fontana in the hands of former driver Rusty Wallace and so Sunday's race could be the ideal opportunity for Busch to get an early win for new boss Roger Penske.
Although his form would suggest otherwise, in the black and white world of the Nextel Cup points table, Busch is one of three of last year's Championship ‘chasers' who heads into Sunday's race currently outside the top 35 in owner standings. Although there are four more races to go before NASCAR begins using the 2006 points table to decide who gets the guaranteed grid slots and who doesn't Busch, Jeremy Mayfield and Carl Edwards can all ill afford another poor showing.
Mayfield, who finished a distant 37th at
Daytona, has actually led more races at the California Speedway than any other driver. As one of thirteen drivers to have competed in all eleven Nextel Cup races at the two-mile track, Mayfield has led eight in total and took the chequered flag first for Penske Racing back in 2000.
