NASCAR Preview - Round 16 : Sears Point.

The Save Mart/Kragen 350 at Sears Point is one race where you can truly throw the form book out of the window. Of the 34 Winston Cup events held each year, only two are held on road courses which requires a completely new approach to oval racing.

Sears Point and Watkins Glen offer those drivers with road racing backgrounds a clear advantage over all those who grew up racing on the short ovals. However some drivers have the uncanny ability to adapt their style instantly whereas others simply cannot get the hang of this left turn malarkey.

One driver who enjoys NASCAR's annual trip to Sonoma's barren surroundings is Jeff Gordon. The #24 Du Pont Automotive Chevrolet pilot has won at Sears Point for the last two years, starting on the front row on both occasions. Gordon sees Sunday's race as the perfect opportunity to get his title ambitions back on track and feels that his crew are beginning to gel successfully.

Gordon lost the majority of his 'Rainbow Warriors' last season when his crew chief Ray Evernham left to set up his own team. This year, his new pit-crew have experienced all the usual teething troubles but have still managed to get Jeff to the finish in all 15 races this year so far. Gordon finished eighth last time out at Pocono which was more than enough to maintain his position in the overall top ten.

Bobby Labonte's championship lead could come under major attack this weekend. The Interstate Batteries Pontiac driver has finished all seven Winston Cup races he has started at Sears Point although he has yet to win. Last year he was involved in a late race accident after growing impatient behind the slower car of Joe Nemechek. If a similar lapse of concentration befalls him this year, any one of three drivers can snatch his points lead away.

The closest of that trio is Dale Earnhardt. The 'Intimidator' was on course for a win last Monday at Pocono when Jeremy Mayfield barged him out of the way on the very last corner. However the man in black closed to within 60 points of Labonte with his eventual fourth place finish and despite Earnhardt not being a great fan of road racing, last weeks disappointment will have fired him up even more. He for one knows that 60 points in NASCAR circles is only the difference between 1st and 16th positions in the 43 car field. After more than 110 laps of Sonoma, anything is possible.

With a close second place at Pocono, reigning Winston Cup champion Dale Jarrett moved himself right back into the title picture. Last year he showed that overtaking on this narrow winding track can be easy, even in a big lumbering stock car after charging through the field from 29th to sixth. Jarrett has not won in 14 races but once again his form has been utterly consistent with 11 top ten finishes so far this year.

Mark Martin won at Sears Point in 1997 and was second to Gordon last year. Martin is one of the few acknowledged road racing experts not to come from a circuit racing background. The Roush driver scored his first top ten finish since April last Monday at Pocono to stay in contention for the Winston Cup. With only 60 points separating him from the next four drivers in the standings, a win would boost his teams confidence no end.

Last year Tony Stewart took pole position on his first visit to the track and judging by his recent form, the 1999 rookie of the year has to be considered a major threat for victory. Stewart has finished ahead of his Joe Gibbs tem-mate Labonte in each of the last three races and has moved up to seventh in the points standings.

A good outside tip for success is John Andretti in the Petty Enterprises Pontiac. Andretti has years of road racing experience behind him and has posted a third place finish in each of the last two races at Seas Point. Last season he rose from 31st on the grid and will be looking to give legendary sponsor STP a big send-off in what is their last race with 'The King's' team.

Wally Dallenbach is another driver who always does well at Sonoma. The Galaxy Motorsports driver has plenty of Trans-Am and Sportscar experience in his CV and has been calling the praises of his fledgling team's road course chassis.

NASCAR's streak of different winners could be coming to an end with Jeremy Mayfield's last gasp win at Pocono. The Penske-Kranefuss driver is now the third driver to have more than one Winston Cup victory to his credit this year and appears to have developed a new ruthless streak since his disqualification from Talladega. Last year Mayfield ran well to seventh and needs to build up his momentum quickly if he is to challenge for honours this year.

Last year the 112 lap race lasted a gruelling three hours underneath the baking Californian sun and many drivers were in a state of near exhaustion by the time the chequered flag fell. Even the victorious Gordon used his pit-stops as an opportunity to throw cold water over himself and so Sunday's race could turn out to be a case of survival of the fittest.