Jeff Green: Auto Club 500 preview

The thoughts of Jeff Green heading into California:

"There was an old joke, 'The best part of Daytona is Rockingham,' but now you have to say, 'The best part of Daytona is California.' You say that because now the real racing can start. We can spend two weeks, or even a month at Daytona, and the driver will still not have as much control of situations as he does at other tracks. That's not the case at California.

"We can race the car there, and I think this is when the real racing season starts. We have a lot more control of circumstances on the track this week. We just aren't racing from line to line and depending on having partners to get to the front. The pressure is solely in our hands this week - that seems to be fair.

"We have a lot of work to do this week and there are a lot of unknowns for everyone. Softer tires, new sized spoilers and new impound procedures are all coming into effect this weekend. That's a lot of 'new' for anyone at any one time. I think it's something we're going to keep an eye on. Obviously the changes weren't a surprise for anyone, and most of us have tested under the new packages, but there is still an element of the unknown until you get into an actual race weekend.

"New rules are always a part of the sport. It makes it a little bit more difficult on the teams in the short term, but in the long term they might be better. NASCAR competition is the best out there right now, and I think these new rules help make and keep the sport competitive. You can't ever stand still and just hope things get better themselves. NASCAR is very proactive in making and keeping the competition close. I think that's the right course to take.

"We tested out in Las Vegas and then California in January trying to figure out the best setup for our Cheerios Dodge. You try and try different things with shocks and springs, and you just throw about everything you can at the car in two days, and then you come back hoping that it works. We think we've got some good things for California This new Cheerios Charger has been impressive in testing, and although we still have a lot to learn with this new car, it has been great right out of the box. Dodge has been helpful with all their research and development. Our Evernham Engine package has been a tremendous boost for us as well. I don't know if we are right on top of everything yet, but we're going down the right road.

"At least we're going racing this weekend. That's what makes you excited about this weekend. Rockingham or California, it's just not Daytona. We're going to work hard and have some control of our own circumstances - that's relieving. This Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team is ready to get to California."