Fans said shopping -- and smoking -- was good at California last weekend. Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Track Smack: Off week

Guys, it is safe to say that Fontana was not the most exciting of races. What can be done about it?

Marty Smith: I'm not one to harp on the boring races thing, but man, that one was tough to watch. I talked to three or four drivers in the past two days, and they all said the same thing -- banking.

Ryan Smithson: They either have two choices -- plow up the track like Miami did, or wait and pray that the Car of Tomorrow will fix the bad racing there. Fontana has plenty of company. Las Vegas is plowing it up, and Fontana needs to do the same.

David Newton: Excuse me. I'm still trying to get the sleep out of my eyes. Two things need to be done. They need to redo the track surface like Homestead to make for better racing.

Dave Rodman: I saw very little of the race, but if anyone else had their car tuned to the fine degree that Biff's was, could they have dealt with him?

E-MAIL •   Dave Rodman •   Ryan Smithson •   Marty Smith •   David Newton JOIN THE FRAY •   Send us a topic for discussion

David Newton: And they need to give the Labor Day date back to Darlington and revise the Southern 500, where there always is great racing.

Marty Smith: A lot of people complain about California replacing Rockingham. From a competition/viewership standpoint, I couldn't agree more. But from ISC's back pocket, 75,000 seats sold sings much sweeter than 40,000 in frigid Southern Pines.

David Newton: I don't blame the 15 million or so in that area for not filling the stands. It was almost painful to watch at times.

Ryan Smithson: Fontana was like the scene in A League of Their Own, when Tom Hanks yells: "Get ready girls! Dozens of fans are waiting for the game to start!"

Marty Smith: Rockingham was the best damn track out there. Maybe not the best market, but the best track.

Marty Smith: Here's hoping ISC redeems itself buy building a Rockingham in Seattle. Complete with gritty North Carolina asphalt.

Matt Kenseth celebrates in Victory Lane. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Auto Club 500 Official Results Pos. Driver Make 1. M. Kenseth Ford 2. J. Johnson Chevy 3. C. Edwards Ford 4. K. Kahne Dodge 5. J. Burton Chevy 6. J. McMurray Ford 7. C. Mears Dodge 8. J.J. Yeley Chevy 9. M. Martin Ford 10. Ky. Busch Chevy • Complete results, click here Victory LaneMatt Kenseth celebrates his California victory Top finishersJohnson, Kahne, Edwards talk about their day Final lapsKenseth holds off the field in a green-white-checkered finish TaggedContact with J.J. Yeley sends Kurt Busch spinning Green flagTroubles for Stewart, Gordon follow them to California Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Ryan Smithson: Marty, it isn't the seats. It's the TV market. Ticket sales are but a fraction of the track's revenues. A small fraction.

David Newton: You're right. They could run that thing in an empty facility and the sponsors would be happy.

Dave Rodman: You're right -- I don't think great racing is going to make all that much of a difference. Right now, you could argue Vegas and Fontana are equally raceable -- or not -- and which one draws, and which one draws flies?

David Newton: Did you hear the reason the seats weren't filled? Supposedly, 10,000 or so were under the stands shopping. Or smoking, as a fan e-mailed me today.

Dave Rodman: Hmm. Sounds like some issues with their head-counting software.

Ryan Smithson: I guarantee you fans go to Vegas before Fontana, and it's rather stupid to have those races back-to-back.

Marty Smith: It's even dumber to have those races back-to-back with a week off in between, Smithson.

David Newton: Everything's gravy after you've used all your fingers and toes.

Marty Smith: ISC sources tell me that the company brass is none-too-pleased with the turnout. Remember, before they went to two races, Fontana sold out like hotcakes.

Ryan Smithson: Quit building tracks based on luring open-wheel when open-wheel doesn't bring you any revenue!

Marty Smith: Once again, build Rockingham in Seattle.

David Newton: I don't buy the saturation theory you guys are getting at. They're like 20 or more million fans to draw on, unlike Rockingham, which has 200.

Marty Smith: The thing about the Rockingham argument is this: the fans didn't step up. If that place had sold tickets when the pressure was on, NASCAR may have given them a more favorable date. It just didn't draw.

David Newton: But part of the draw problem was the date ...

Ryan Smithson: It amazes me the sheer speed we went from four Piedmont races to one. When we took over the site in 2001, there were four.

Dave Rodman: I had to laugh when some journalist in California wrote that someone out there was crying about the date placement. Well, NASCAR could fix that, so it's interesting they have not -- including not remaking the schedule to maximize the Chase.

Ryan Smithson: You know what these race teams are thinking when they are at the airport on Monday morning after Fontana. "If Rockingham had sold out, I'd be eating breakfast in my kitchen right now."

Could tracks like The Rock or The Lady in Black ever be duplicated? Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith: Sure it was. It was a big part of the problem. They should've given a June date before they closed the joint. Then again, it was ibuprofen for their Texas Motor Speedway lawsuit headache

David Newton: Again, we're making a bigger deal about the number of fans than NASCAR. All they care about is the market.

Marty Smith: Newt, I just got the shopping under the stands e-mail, too.

David Newton: The smoking under the stands one was better.

Marty Smith: It's from Jennifer Colon in Alabama: "Marty! I saw the empty seats at California and I think it stunk. I also read the article about the vacant seats, which included the explanation from Gillian Zucker, the president of California Speedway, and it sounded like Hollywood Hogwash!

Marty Smith: Hollywood Hogwash. Sounds like a country song.

David Newton: Apparently, it's not enough to breathe the smog out there.

Ryan Smithson: I am sure Jennifer Colon was at the race, boys. She flew Southwest from Birmingham to LAX.

David Newton: She definitely was spinning. I got dizzy listening to her.

Ryan Smithson: Of course, there was the rumor that radio stations in L.A. were giving away tens of tickets.

Greg Biffle did his burnout a little too early on Sunday. Credit: Gavin Lawrence/Getty Images

Ryan Smithson: Report: Greg Biffle hoping for 36 races at Fontana. Geez.

Marty Smith: Report: He blew up. Report: He is 233 points out of first.

Ryan Smithson: Biffle is like 14 points ahead of Scott Riggs.

David Newton: Biffle will make the Chase with no problem. Just a minor setback.

Dave Rodman: Plenty of racing left, though. I just hope for his sake he doesn't trip once or twice more, in the next few races, here. Tough, we all remember where Tony was last year, what -- in April or early May?

Dave Rodman: make it: "Though ...

David Newton: I like tough better.

Marty Smith: Biffle's cars are unbelievable. He'll be fine.

Ryan Smithson: Biffle would make the Chase even if the next 10 races were at Martinsville.

David Newton: They'd probably sell more tickets at Martinsville.

Marty Smith: Martinsville sells out every race, boys. It's impressive.

Ryan Smithson: Sigh. We're going to have a major schedule shakeup, boys, in 2007. We always do in a new TV year.

Dave Rodman: As you well know, I'd certainly like to see it. So we'll see ...

David Newton: I agree, Ryan. I think the Chase will reflect a lot of that change.

Ryan Smithson: Fontana might have underestimated just how crucial that missed sellout might have been.

Dave Rodman: Just what do you mean by that, Ryan?

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, that was a pretty big deal, like Marty said. It wasn't a small thing. Certainly can't blame it on the weather. There were only a few thousand people in the stands for the Busch race.

Marty Smith: A Busch race half full of Cup drivers, no less.

Dave Rodman: I don't understand your connection between them never selling out and it meaning anything.

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, think son. You weren't there. There was very little race buzz. No traffic. Empty seats and a boring race. Not the biggest success story, bud.

Dave Rodman: As far as I am concerned, they have already missed their chance to remake the Chase schedule, so I am not going to fret about it anymore until they do something about it.

Marty Smith: Which current Chase tracks will lose a date?

David Newton: New Hampshire and Dover -- gone.

Marty Smith: The Dover race is awesome, Newt, but you may be right because it's neither an ISC track nor a big market.

Marty Smith: I love Dover races.

Ryan Smithson: Rodman thinks NASCAR should race 36 times in New England.

This may be the only shot of three-wide racing at California. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Dave Rodman: Smithson, you know how I feel about California. I put my time in on behalf of my co-workers -- because I wouldn't feel right condemning them to go, year after year.

David Newton: Walking around Los Angeles on Saturday night, one never would have known there was a race in town. I saw two kids in race jackets, Gordon and Kellogg's, and nobody else.

David Newton: Tag Heuer didn't have a Jeff Gordon picture, but had Tiger Woods and all its other celebs. The Levi store didn't have Jimmie Johnson or Marty.

Marty Smith: Good one, Newt. That was funny ...

David Newton: I was serious.

Dave Rodman: I need to go back to Fontana to go to Rosa's.

David Newton: Good luck. They're out of wine. Ryan drank it all.

Ryan Smithson: Rosa's has the best service of any place on tour.

Dave Rodman: Best Italian on the circuit.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the participants.