10-CENT SPIKE IN GAS PRICES.

Byline: Evan Pondel and Dana Bartholomew Staff Writers

Gas prices jumped an additional 10 cents a gallon in the past week and headed toward record levels, frustrating commuters already feeling the pinch in their pocketbooks from the weak economy.

Tony Pitts reeled at the posted prices Thursday when he pulled into a Chevron station along the Ventura Freeway in Calabasas: $1.99 for regular, $2.09 for midgrade and $2.17 for premium.

``I looked at that and said, Man, that's pretty incredible,'' he said. Pitts is a 42-year-old mortgage broker here on business from Atlanta, where premium was $1.85 when he left last week. ``It's borderline gouging. We don't have a war, so why are the prices going up?''

The average price of regular unleaded gasoline in Los Angeles swelled Thursday to $1.88. The prospect of war, percolating crude oil prices and a petroleum workers strike in Venezuela are maintaining a grip on gasoline prices, analysts said.

``The news is bad. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee,'' said Bob van der Valk, a wholesaler with Cosby Oil in Santa Fe Springs. And there's nothing on the horizon to keep prices from reaching - or exceeding - the $2.04 cost for regular unleaded gas in late spring 2001.

It's not only war talk and crude oil that are squeezing the price of gasoline.

Refiners are just starting the shift from winter- to summer-grade fuel. Churning out cleaner-burning gasoline requires a decent scrub-down at the refineries. The result is a pause in production, causing supply to contract and prices to rise.

Still, the switch in fuel has been amplified by the possibility of war in Iraq, causing many refiners to keep a tight rein on supplies. Although drivers generally attribute soaring gasoline prices to industry greed, van der Valk said that this time around there are many factors playing with the pump.

``And you watch, the average price will be at $1.95 by next week. It's just going to whiz on through,'' van der Valk said.

Crude-oil futures for March closed 37 cents lower Thursday, at $36.79 a barrel, on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Although the price of crude oil - a main ingredient of gasoline - fell slightly after a Sunoco refinery came back on line, analysts don't expect the price decline to last.

``It's too much, $2 for a gallon of gas,'' Juan Castillo, 23, of North Hollywood said as he gassed up his Chevrolet pickup. ``Usually, it costs me $25 to fill up - now it's $35. Too much money.''

As consumers brace for even higher prices, the Automobile Club of Southern California is launching a pilot program that entitles holders of its Platinum Plus Visa card to a 5 percent discount at the pump.

So far, the program has been offered only to select Southern California Auto Club members. But by May 1, all 6 million members will have an opportunity to apply for the card.

``Obviously, this offer is in response to the gas prices out there,'' said Carol Thorp, a spokeswoman for the Auto Club. ``We're just checking for bugs in the system right now.''

Card-holders will be able to receive 5 percent a day for gasoline purchased at stations in Southern California.