Teams approach Fontana with visions of Michigan (cont'd)

Tony Stewart, who does well at Michigan but not as well at Fontana despite the similarities in the track, said the heat makes the track slick, but opens up the racing grooves.

"It has a lot more grip in the spring because it's cooler," Stewart said. "Still, even when you're in California at that time of year, there's still a good shot that the track's going to be a little slick on race day, which is good. That's why the groove will widen out and that's why guys can move around on the racetrack the way they can."

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It's like everywhere ... you have to get the car to turn well without being loose.

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JIMMY ELLEDGE

Bobby Labonte, one of the best at Michigan but winless at Fontana, said the key to tackling the 2-mile oval is keeping the car from tail-wagging off the corners.

"[Fontana] is a downforce and motor track," he said. "This new car has less downforce than the other car, so handling is even more important. Every team is trying something and this is one of our latest pieces to try to get the car to turn a little better without being so loose off the corners."

One thing that will most likely not be as big a problem as it was last year is the heat. Pat Tryson, who wrenches Kurt Busch's No. 2 Dodge, is hopeful, at least.

"I remember the Labor Day race last year as being possibly the hottest race day on record and we were so fortunate that we raced on into the night and not in the heat of the afternoon," Tryson said after last year's triple-digit temperatures.

"We were struggling in the early stages of the race and made some major adjustments. We removed a spring rubber, opened up the right-rear shock and worked on it with the wedge. The changes really brought the car to life and Kurt was definitely top-five material, but we just ran out of laps there at the end."

Rain, too, is likely not going to be a factor, either. It was the rain -- and a call on fuel mileage -- that put Busch a lap down during a difficult stretch of competition. Fuel mileage, like at Michigan and Pocono, is another similarity among the three tracks.

"It was a hard-fought 13th-place finish that we earned in February's race at Fontana," Tryson recalled. "It was the first race for the new cars there and we had to come back the next day after rain hit the track only [87] laps into the race. We stretched the fuel trying to lead a lap and it bit us. We got a lap down, but stayed tough enough to get the 'lucky dog' with about 100 laps to go. We came from about 20th all the way back up to 13th there in the final laps of that one."