CALIFORNIA, ATLANTA COULD FACE SPEED ISSUES.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK Motor Sports

Mark Martin, winner of the 1998 California 500 at California Speedway, was asked if he could build a race track, what kind would he build.

``Dover - minus the concrete,'' said the NASCAR Winston Cup driver of the No. 6 Viagra Ford Taurus. ``There's nothing wrong with mile-and-a-half speedways. I wouldn't build anything like a two-mile track.''

Martin, who finished fourth in Sunday's Talladega 500, said with cars getting faster and technology improving the durability of engines and chassis designs, it's only a matter of time before tracks like Atlanta Motor Speedway and California Speedway, site of Sunday's NAPA Auto Parts 500, start requiring teams to use restrictor-plate engines that are used at Talladega and Daytona to reduce speeds.

``One day, Atlanta could face that problem,'' Martin said. ``California could, but with its banking, it could be a while before it faces that problem. When you restrict them, it's like driving on cruise control on the highway at 65.

``Talladega has the potential to be just disastrous. Just because we made it through doesn't mean it's not the most dangerous race to drive in. We had a 38-car draft at the end of the race. It was difficult and hazardous. It's good for the fans and good for TV ratings, but it is incredible we got through that thing without triggering a major disaster. All those drivers deserved gold medals.''

Even though Martin said he has little love for superspeedways, particularly the kind that lend to restrictor-plate racing like at last weekend's Talladega 500, he could use a race at California Speedway like the one he had three years ago.

Martin is struggling this year, as are his Roush Racing teammates, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth. Despite Martin's strong finish at Talladega, it was only his third top 10 in nine races and his best finish of the year.

Another past California Speedway champion, Jeremy Mayfield, could use a change of luck as well. Mayfield, driver of the No. 12 Mobil 1 Ford Taurus, only has three top 10s this season and is looking for anything to help him get to the front of races.

``California has always had a good race and it's always been a good race for me,'' Mayfield said. ``We're pretty excited about getting back there and giving the front another shot.''

Jeff Gordon, who won the inaugural race at California Speedway in 1997 and repeated in 1999, has the most at stake entering this year's race.

Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo, is second in points and needs a good showing to chase down series leader Dale Jarrett.

His track record at California Speedway is impressive: two wins, one top five, one pole, 287 laps led and he is the only driver to complete all 1,000 laps in the four-year history of the event.

``Those are the types of numbers we need at every track,'' Gordon said. ``I've always liked racing at places like California and Michigan. The track is wide and gives you plenty of room to run and race side-by-side.''

--Martin focused on Cup: For the first time in a long time, Mark Martin is racing in the Winston Cup Series and only the Winston Cup Series. Since 1987, Martin raced in both the Busch Series and the Cup circuit. In that time, he also mixed in a few tours on the International Race of Champions.

After winning the most races in Busch Series history - 45 - Martin decided not to return to Busch racing in 2001. And he has no plans on going back any time soon.

``It gives me a little piece of mind,'' Martin said. ``It gave me a little more time to focus on Winston Cup and my son's racing. It cut a lot of mania out of my life and has given me a chance to have a little peace of mind.

``I will never go back to the schedule I was running prior. I'm not saying I won't go back to Busch, but I won't do 38 Winston Cup races and like 14 Busch races. The stress wears you down. The demand is greater after doing it for so long. I am really enjoying not running Busch races.''

--Winston West at California Speedway: Defending NASCAR Winston West Series champion Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas has particularly fond memories of California Speedway but for an unusual reason.

``I love it. I ... love Fontana,'' Gaughan said. ``I love big tracks and Fontana is the biggest I can get.''

But one of the reasons he loves Fontana so much is a photo taken during the 1999 Winston West event. He shredded his car in a fiery crash which made a Los Angeles newspaper's front page of sports two years in a row. While he is not proud of the crash, he is excited about the publicity he has gotten because of it.

--More Winston West: Bill Sedgwick of Acton, a two-time NASCAR Winston West champion, will make his 100th series start in the Pontiac Wide Track Grand Prix 200 at California Speedway on Saturday.

Sedgwick, a Saugus Speedway champ, has been racing off and on in the Winston West since 1980. In that time he has won 17 races, including a career-high four in a season, which he accomplished in 1990 and 1992. He also has 58 top-five finishes and 70 top 10s. He started the season third on the series' money list, with $615,436 in career earnings, and is tied for seventh on the pole winners list with Butch Gilliland and Jim Brown with 15.

Sean Woodside of Saugus, the 1999 Winston West champion, will be entered in the California Speedway race. He also plans to race in the NASCAR Super Late Model race at Irwindale Speedway later tonight.

NASCAR Winston Cup NAPA Auto Parts 500 Site: Fontana

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 5 p.m.; Sunday, race (Fox, 11:30 a.m.)

Track: California Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 500 miles, 250 laps.

BUSCH Auto Club 300 Site: Fontana

Schedule: Saturday, race (FOX, 12:30 p.m.)

Track: California Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 300 miles, 150 laps.

INDY RACING LEAGUE Atlanta Classic 500 Site: Hampton, Ga.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 8 p.m. (ESPN2, Saturday, 1 a.m., tape); Saturday, race (ESPN2, 4 p.m.)

Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.54 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 308 miles, 200 laps.

CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS Firestone Firehawk 600 Site: Fort Worth, Texas.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, Sunday, 10 p.m., tape); Sunday, race (ESPN, noon)

Track: Texas Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 360 miles, 240 laps.

FORMULA ONE Spanish Grand Prix Site: Barcelona.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, (Speedvision 4 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speedvision, 5 a.m.)

Track: Circuit of Catalunya (road course, 2.937 miles).

Race distance: 187.968 miles, 64 laps.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION Mac Tools Nationals Site: Bristol, Tenn.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 1:45 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 9:45 a.m. (ESPN2, 6:30 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, 11 a.m. (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m., tape).

Track: Bristol Dragway.

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NASCAR Winston Cup (see text)