California makes for a beautiful backdrop, but the racing is at most times nothing to look at. Credit: Autostock

Cross' Words: California

NASCAR must be a Labor of love to watch twice a year from here

California should not have two 500-mile Cup races -- and it's especially not deserving of the Labor Day weekend event.

The racing, in a word, is boring. Despite the drivers' ability to race three-wide, the track has not yielded to must-see TV -- and that's where the majority of Sunday night's crowd was, in front of the tube.

I'm not beating the drum for a return to Darlington for the first weekend in September; that ship has sailed. But there is a way to keep a left-coast presence in the Race for the Chase: Give a second date to Las Vegas.

OK, so the argument is that International Speedway Corporation owns California Speedway and it would be a cold day in Hades before ISC moved one of its races to a Speedway Motorsports Inc. track -- especially one with as much cache as the Labor Day event. Fair enough; ISC stockholders want to optimize their investment.

There are 19 Cup races held at ISC tracks: California (2), Chicago, Darlington, Daytona (2), Homestead-Miami, Kansas, Martinsville (2), Michigan (2), Phoenix (2), Richmond (2), Talladega (2) and Watkins Glen.

Six of those tracks are in the Race to the Chase: California, Chicago, Daytona, Michigan, Richmond and Watkins Glen.

Five of those tracks are in the Chase for the Nextel Cup: Homestead-Miami, Kansas, Martinsville, Phoenix and Talladega.

Others believe California would be a better race if 100 miles were lopped off. That's akin to putting a Band-Aid on a major gash. It's also short-sighted.

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It's no secret that NASCAR would like to have California Speedway be the West Coast's beacon for stock-car racing. But the track is not conducive to edge-of-your-seat racing. The facility is top shelf, but fans do not buy a ticket to look at the façade; fans buy tickets (and watch on TV) for the on-track product.

Say Anything

"All you are going to do is upset your stomach and put everything else in an uproar."
-- Kyle Busch on fretting over the Race to the Chase, which has Pos. 3-11 separated by 147 points entering Richmond

Figuratively Speaking

9 -- Drivers in contention for the final eight spots in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

• Points leader Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are the only drivers who have clinched a spot in the Chase. As for the rest of the top 10 (lap leader points not included) -- regardless of what 11th-place Kasey Kahne does:

• Kevin Harvick will clinch a spot by finishing 39th or better.

• Jeff Gordon will clinch a spot by finishing 24th or better.

• Kyle Busch will clinch a spot by finishing 22nd or better.

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. will clinch a spot by finishing 16th or better.

• Denny Hamlin will clinch a spot by finishing 16th or better.

• Tony Stewart will clinch a spot by finishing seventh or better.

• Mark Martin will clinch a spot by finishing fourth or better.

• Jeff Burton will clinch a spot by finishing third or better.

Fast Facts

• Kasey Kahne's series-leading fifth victory -- he also won at Atlanta, Texas, Charlotte and Michigan -- marked the third weekend sweep this year: Kevin Harvick at Phoenix in April and Matt Kenseth at Bristol last week.

• Kahne's win is only the second time in NASCAR history that a weekend sweep has occurred on back-to-back weekends. Harry Gant was the first driver to post consecutive sweeps, winning both races at Richmond and Dover in September 1991.

• Kahne is the 10th different race winner in the past 10 races at California Speedway -- and the victory is the first by a Dodge driver at Fontana since the track opened in 1997. Jeff Gordon, with three wins, is the only driver with multiple victories at Cali.

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Richmond | 7 p.m. ET Saturday | TNT

• There have been nine different race winners in the past 10 races at Richmond. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is sixth in points -- 77 ahead of 11th-place Kasey Kahne -- is the only repeat winner during that time. Junior, who won at Richmond in May, and Tony Stewart lead all active drivers with three victories at RIR.

• Greg Biffle, who has started in the top 10 in six consecutive races at Richmond, is riding a streak of four consecutive top-10 finishes at the track, the longest current streak.

• Kyle Busch has three consecutive top-five finishes at Richmond, and his average finish of 4.3 is the best of all active drivers. Busch finished fifth in the May race, his worst finish in three starts at the .750-mile track.

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Mailbag

C'mon, the mailman doesn't deliver on Labor Day. Enjoy the holiday.

Fantasy Perspective

• On the .750-mile configuration at Richmond, Rusty Wallace led 2,933 laps -- more than three times the total of any other driver. Jeff Burton, who is 10th in points -- 30 ahead of 10th-place Kasey Kahne -- leads active drivers with 874 laps led. Richmond used to be a .542-mile track, but was remodeled to its current size after the Feb. 21, 1988, race. Davey Allison won the first race on the current layout on Sept. 11, 1988. Only four drivers have started all 36 races on the three-quarter-mile configuration at RIR: Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin, Ken Schrader and Michael Waltrip.

And Finally ...

PARKSVILLE, British Columbia (AP) -- If you're interested in a three-hour tour, George Schultz has just the boat for you. For $89,400, you can buy the boat famous for setting aground on an uncharted desert isle to set the stage for the 1960s television classic Gilligan's Island.

The twin-diesel, 36-foot mahogany Wheeler Express Cruiser hit a reef in Hecate Strait as the former owner was taking the vessel down the coast from Alaska. Scotty Taylor of Parksville said the owner sold the 46-year-old boat to him for salvage on condition that he promise to restore it. Schultz, a boat broker, estimated that the work cost more than $180,000.

According to the Gilligan's Island Web site (www.gilligansisle.com), the boat is the third of four vessels used in the show. Taylor's Minnow was used in the opening credits of the second season.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.