Meager crowd should make NASCAR rethink California schedule

The racing in Sunday's Auto Club 500 was some of the best we've seen at Fontana in recent years.

But unfortunately there weren't very many fans in the grandstands to witness it.

One of the track's smallest crowds in history turned out to watch the second race of the Sprint Cup Series season and the annual game of guessing whether or not NASCAR visits Southern California twice next year went into overdrive.

The brutal California economy combined with a less-than-perfect weather forecast most likely combined for the disappointing turnout. But while both issues are legitimate reasons for poor attendance, the track may have finally run out of excuses.

Parent company International Speedway Corporation plans to bring a second race to its Kansas Speedway in 2011 now that a brand new casino and hotel complex is on the fast track. That date needs to come from another ISC property and at this point in the game, Auto Club Speedway might make the most sense.

It's true that the Los Angeles market is the second largest in the country and presents a wealth of media opportunities for the sport. However, making the trek to L.A. two times a year doesn't appear to be worth the effort and you have to wonder if the track hosted only one race, the second race of the Chase lineup, whether the grandstands would be full.

When the gates first opened in Fontana back in 1997, sellout crowds were the norm. But when a second race was added to the track's schedule, each date suffered at the box office.

Positioning Fontana as a one-stop track that has championship implications with its Chase spot in the schedule may be the cure to those woes. Shedding one date and combining efforts for its playoff weekend seems to make the most sense for ACS's future.

While the on-track product has improved, it's hard to ignore how the grandstands have thinned out.

My guess is there will be only one trip to Fontana in 2011 and that will be a wise decision indeed.

The Fast Five

A little luck never hurts, and Jimmie Johnson can attest to that. (AP)

1. Luck has always been a big part of racing's success and that again proved to be the case Sunday with Jimmie Johnson. A split second the other way and Johnson's late race pit stop could have turned out to be disastrous rather than the winning move. Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus were the first to admit the call had its share of fortune behind it, but after winning four straight championships nobody should be surprised that the equation for success has its share of four leaf clovers and rabbit feet.

2. Richard Childress Racing appears to have returned to its successful ways after a dismal 2009. Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton finished second and third Sunday coming on the heels of the solid performance by the entire three-car stable last week in Daytona. Harvick has the points lead and RCR should be on the Chase radar this season.

3. The Roush Fenway Racing stable is headed in the other direction, and at a track the team has dominated over the years. Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle were able to only eek out top-10 finishes. If RFR doesn't begin to excel at the next string of intermediate tracks on the schedule, including Las Vegas and Atlanta the next two weekends, the removal of Drew Blickensderfer as Matt Kenseth's crew chief last week may not be the only personnel change.

4. One of the preseason's championship favorites, Denny Hamlin, isn't off to a particularly impressive start. All kinds of problems plagued Hamlin on Sunday as he ended up in 29th place. Speaking of panic, you have to wonder what's going on in the 11 car's headquarters right now.

5. Also on the disappointing side of the ledger is Martin Truex Jr., who followed up his impressive Daytona performance with an engine failure, a trip into the wall and a 39th-place finish on Sunday. Coupled with a 15th-place finish for David Reutimann and a 35th for Marcos Ambrose and MWR/JTG Daugherty no doubt couldn't wait to get out of California.

Speed sounds

"No way around it. We got lucky. We got a really nice gift." -– Jimmie Johnson

"Just have to step up, and I need to step up and start doing a better job." –- Kasey Kahne

"Things like that will happen. It's racing." -– Juan Pablo Montoya

"I can't build the cars. What do you want me to do? I just drive them." -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Down shifting

Jamie McMurray followed his Daytona 500 win with a rough day in Fontana. Despite winning the pole, McMurray was plagued with problems all day long and finished 17th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed McMurray across the finish line in Daytona a week ago, but a broken axle led to a problem-filled afternoon and a 32nd-place run for Junior.

Kasey Kahne slid through the infield grass after losing it in Turn 4 and after tearing up thousands of yards of sod, also suffered a damaged front splitter. He wound up placing 34th.

Charging ahead

Joey Logano came up short in Saturday's Nationwide Series race after leading 130 laps but bounced back Sunday with a fifth-place finish.

Kurt Busch's bad decision to pit late in last week's Daytona 500 cost him a potential shot at victory, but he rebounded with a sixth-place run.

Team Red Bull enjoyed a solid day with Scott Speed leading again late as he did a week ago in Daytona. Speed and teammate Brian Vickers finished 11th and 12th.

Sneak peek

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the site of next week's third race of the season. Last year Kyle Busch went to victory lane in a race that also saw Jimmie Johnson finish 24th.