Viewer's Guide: Sonoma

ATLANTA -- For Kasey Kahne, second place is getting to be a habit.

Last Sunday at Michigan, Kahne battled from a lap down to garner his fourth second-place finish of the season. Meanwhile, he's still looking for his first Nextel Cup victory.

The FOX crew will take a look at the latest chapter in Kahne's quest for his first win Sunday during the pre-race show from Sonoma.

	Kasey Kahne

"It's about as good as we could have hoped for," Kahne said of last Sunday's effort.

"I would have needed three or four more laps," Kahne said. "If it would've went to the checkered flag, we probably would've lost by a car length or so."

His latest runner-up finish was his first top-10 effort since his runner-up effort at Texas.

"We've been struggling back and forth. Still having good runs, but not where we want to be and not where we feel we can be."

Hot spots: The pre-race show will also feature an in-depth look at Infineon Raceway, the first road-course venue of the 2004 season. More specifically, the show will examine how the differences in road-course racing have more weight this year, thanks to the new championship format.

Ask The Producer: This week's question from Don Klynsma of Sioux City, IA but it has actually been submitted by many folks:

	Neil Goldberg

"I've noticed a very annoying trend during the Nextel Cup races on FOX. It was particularly bad at Pocono. The car audio is so loud that I can't even hear the announcers.

"Who's responsible for this balance is it the local FOX affiliate or does that come from the truck? The balance is so out of whack that I was forced to watch most of the green flag action without commentary."

NASCAR on FOX producer Neil Goldberg explains:

"This is the problem of the local carrier, unfortunately. Once it leaves FOX, it is in their hands. We have been trying to work with them to get things balanced. Thanks for your patience."

Let your voice be heard: Each week, we'll pick one question to ask the producer of the FOX telecast. Why did they do things this way? Why did they talk to that driver? Any question that eats at you could be answered right here in the Viewer's Guide.

Send your questions to the e-mail box in this piece.

The Rant: This week, Jayline Thomas of parts unknown spews about graphics taking away from the racing during broadcasts:

NASCAR ON FOX  Visit FOXSports.com for NASCAR news

"How come the broadcasting networks -- notice I used the plural form there -- think that it's imperative to spout off about their "upcoming" events on their network using graphics -- even if they have nothing to do with racing?

"I get so tired of the race being blocked by graphics on the screen that I could just scream! Even my 7-year-old asked me this past weekend why they couldn't just show the race, and not all of the pictures on the screen. Isn't that what the commercials are for? And goodness knows -- we see enough of those!"

Get in on the action: In "The Rant," we'll pick e-mails each week to argue about a TV coverage issue, be it a commentator's comment, a driver's comment, a pre-race feature -- basically anything you want to spout off about.

Come with an intelligent, passionate argument and you may see your take on NASCAR.COM.

On to this weekend's busy schedule:

Nextel Cup Series: Dodge/Save Mart 350

Site: Sonoma, Calif.

Track: Infineon Raceway (permanent road course, 1.99 miles, 10 turns).

Race distance: 218.9 miles, 110 laps

Last year Robby Gordon celebrates his second Cup win Play video It's a battle of the Gordons in the closing laps Play video Earnhardt Jr. and Wallace tangle entering Turn 11 Play video

TV: Bud Pole Qualifying: SPEED, 6 p.m. ET Friday. Happy Hour: FX, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday (tape-delayed). Race: FOX, 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday.

Last race: Ryan Newman, who led all drivers with eight victories last year, finally picked up his first win of 2004 by taking the DHL 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Newman had not finished better than third in any of the previous 14 races this season.

Last year: Robby Gordon earned his second series victory despite being criticized for racing back to the yellow under caution on his way to the win at the Dodge/Save Mart 350. Runner-up Jeff Gordon said Robby Gordon passed teammate Kevin Harvick under a yellow flag that NASCAR said was perfectly legal.

Potential storyline: Robby Gordon is definitely special on road courses; he swept last year's two multi-turn tests. But as far as being a championship contender, Gordon needs a boost. He comes into Sonoma 20th in points, nearly 700 points behind first-place Jimmie Johnson.

EMAIL Send Mark a question for "Ask The Producer" or your take for "The Rant"

"This weekend is going to be important for Team Cingular because it could help us move up a bit in the standings, where some of the other drivers currently ranked higher than us tend to struggle on road courses," Gordon said.

"So, if everything plays in our favor, we could make up 40 to 50 points on some of those top guys right now. If you look at two races like that and add them together, with Watkins Glen coming up, that could mean almost 100 additional points from where we are right now."

Point to ponder: California has a great NASCAR heritage when it comes to road racing. The West Coast NASCAR drivers first competed on road courses in 1955 when the premier series made its debut on the unique 2-mile oiled dirt road course at Willow Springs Raceway in Lancaster, Calif. Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR veteran Chuck Stevenson won the event and a whopping $1,570.

Busch Series: Alan Kulwicki 250

Site: West Allis, Wis.

Track: The Milwaukee Mile (1-mile oval, 9-degree banking in turns. Frontstretch: 1,265 feet. Backstretch: 1,265 feet).

Race distance: 250 miles, 250 laps.

Last year Keller cruises to the victory in the closing laps Play video Brian Vickers makes a charge to the front Play video Hornaday has to battle lapped cars for the lead Play video

TV: Busch Pole Qualifying: SPEED, 6 p.m. Race: FX, 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

Last race: Kyle Busch picked up his third victory of the season by winning the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Busch started at the back of the 43-car field after wrecking his car in practice, moved into the top 10 by lap 47 and took the lead for good with two laps remaining.

Last year: Jason Keller won the GNC Live Well 250 under a yellow flag for his first Busch victory of 2003. Keller battled teammate Scott Riggs for about six laps before taking the lead for good on Lap 231.

Potential storyline: Saturday at The Milwaukee Mile, Biffle will attempt his 100th NASCAR Busch Series start.

ALSO  Since it debuted at Rockingham in 2001, the "Hollywood Hotel" has grown from merely a studio to a raceday destination.  •  Complete story, click here

"I just found out this past weekend that I'd be making my 100th start in the NASCAR Busch Series, and that's pretty cool," Biffle says. "I'm very fortunate to reach this point in my career, and I've only been able to do it with the backings of good teams and sponsors.

"I owe Jack Roush and the entire Roush Racing organization a great deal of gratitude for taking a chance on me in 1998. And I have to thank the many sponsors that I've had the opportunity to meet and work with. Without all of them, none of what I've accomplished would've been possible.

"We've done some great things together over the years, and it's certainly been a fun ride."

Point to ponder: Dick Trickle started from the pole and Alan Kulwicki led twice for a total of 43 of 200 laps on May 13, 1984 at The Milwaukee Mile. Sam Ard, however, wrestled the lead away from Kulwicki on Lap 117 and led the rest of the way to capture his fourth win of the season, and his second in as many races.

Ard extended his win streak to three the next week, at Dover International Speedway.

Craftsman Truck Series: Black Cat Fireworks 200

Site: West Allis, Wis.

Track: The Milwaukee Mile (1-mile oval, 9-degree banking in turns. Frontstretch: 1,265 feet. Backstretch: 1,265 feet).

Race distance: 200 miles, 200 laps.

TV: Race: SPEED, 9 p.m. ET Friday.

Last year Brendan Gaughan turns out to be Milwaukee's best Play video The battle heats up during the closing laps at Milwaukee Play video Problems begin just after the green flag falls Play video

Last race: Bobby Hamilton moved past Shane Hmiel with eight laps to go and won the O'Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park. It was his second victory of the season and sixth with the series.

Last year: Brendan Gaughan overcame a mistake on the next-to-last lap and became the ninth different winner in nine truck series races at The Milwaukee Mile.

Potential storyline: Nine different drivers have won the past nine Craftsman Truck Series races at the Milwaukee Mile.

Point to ponder: The 1995 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule of 20 events listed three races at two one-mile oval tracks -- The Milwaukee Mile and Phoenix International Raceway. Mike Skinner captured all three events en route to the 1995 series championship. Of this year's 25 events, 18 are held at tracks of a mile or more in length.

Mark Spoor is an interactive producer of NASCAR.COM. The Domino's Viewers Guide appears each Thursday during race weeks.