CART CAN SEE WRITING ON WALL.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK  Motor Sports

FONTANA - It wasn't so much what California Speedway president Bill Miller had to say, but what he had to do that will mold the future of racing at the Fontana track.

NASCAR Winston Cup racing will be integral in the success of California Speedway. CART racing will not.

That seems to be the choice Miller and his speedway staff have made. The announcement Friday that California Speedway will host two Winston Cup races in 2004 is testimony to how important the Southern California market is to NASCAR.

However, in conjunction with the announcement of an additional NASCAR race, Miller unveiled the track's season-ticket plans for 2004, which does not include the CART Champ Car Series. The track and Championship Auto Racing Teams have an agreement to hold races at California Speedway until 2004.

Miller said the cost of the season-ticket package and the uncertainty of the future of CART were considerations he took into account when the decision was made not to include the Champ Cars as part of the package.

``It's a new approach to realigning our package and selling our tickets,'' Miller said.

It's also a clear message to CART that its series is not a valuable enough commodity to market to the track's most loyal customers.

``The landscape has changed,'' Miller said. ``We will complete the final year of a five-year agreement. We need to see where that is beyond 2004. If it makes business sense to have them here, we will certainly entertain that. But it needs to make sense. We are in the business to make money.''

This has all the makings of a turf war. While Miller and NASCAR officials, President Mike Helton and Vice President of Communications Jim Hunter touted the importance of bringing NASCAR to the second largest market in America, and the largest market that NASCAR targets, they have also shown a willingness to muscle out a competing series.

The speedway's plans are not sitting well with CART officials.

``I wouldn't consider questioning our future as an endorsement of support,'' said Adam Saal, CART's vice president of communication. ``Nevertheless, we plan to fulfill our obligations for 2003 and 2004.''

But being excluded from the season-ticket package at California Speedway did not seem to be a matter of concern for Saal.

``We are not proponents of making race fans buy tickets they otherwise wouldn't purchase in order to get favorable seating to a race they do want to attend,'' Saal said. ``We've seen this happen at other tracks before and it really doesn't fit into what we want to do.

``We have confidence in our product. We do not need to be part of a season-ticket plan to be successful.''

It's not as though attendance at CART races at California Speedway has been sparse. An estimated 70,000 were in attendance for last year's California Speedway CART race. By comparison, the Indy Racing League event held at California Speedway drew a generous estimation of 20,000. Nothing compares to the sellout crowds that NASCAR draws, but 70,000 fans would seem to make a successful race.

When Miller says it's all about making money, it's not entirely true.

What might be closer to the truth is that Los Angeles has a faithful NASCAR following and a loyal auto racing contingent. NASCAR does not want to share it - with anyone.

``As much as this is an important market for NASCAR to race here twice, it's just as important for CART and its sponsors to be in this market twice,'' Miller said. ``But it needs to make sense. They have a lot on their horizon. They need to determine the direction they're going.''

NASCAR is very clear on the direction its going. It realizes that Los Angeles race fans will sell out a 92,000-seat track when it comes to town. It is banking on Los Angeles race fans doing it twice a year.

The future of CART racing on super speedways has been in question for some time. California Speedway is the only super speedway in America that CART races at currently.

When the Champ Cars come to town in November, it might be the last time CART races on a super speedway.