IN FONTANA, THEY'RE AVOIDING THE PITS; OFFICIALS LEARN FROM TEXAS-SIZED TRAFFIC JAM.

Byline: Patrick Hipes Daily News Staff Writer

The rain began on a Friday, slowly washing away lanes and alleyways. In the dampness that enveloped Texas Motor Speedway and its inaugural event, NASCAR's Interstate Batteries 500 back on April 6, tempers began to flare.

And it all happened before the race began. In the parking lot.

A mud-soaked gravel lot and limited entrances to the facility caused numerous logistical nightmares at the Fort Worth, Texas, track, leaving officials scrambling for last-minute shuttle buses and parking spots for an estimated 185,000 fans.

These are headaches the California Speedway has taken every precaution to avoid when the state-of-the art, $110 million track plays host to its first races this weekend.

``Usually when we do these kinds of things, we tell people how much it's going to cost and they say, `Oh, do we need this?' or `Can we get away with less?' '' said Sgt. Rod Jones of the Fontana Police, one of four police agencies involved in dealing with traffic for race weekend.

``In this case, the speedway never flinched,'' Jones said. ``They said, `Never mind the cost. Pay for this, pay for that.' ''

In the end, the winners may be the nearly 200,000 fans expected over the next three days, including 70,000 for Sunday's California 500. It's near certain it won't rain here, but track owner Roger Penske and image-conscious NASCAR are banking that the missteps in Texas will not happen here.

``We had better be in better shape than they were (in Texas),'' executive vice president Les Richter said. ``They were not prepared in a lot of areas.''

At Texas Motor Speedway, with only one major freeway and one main road in and out of the complex, those who didn't arrive early for the race were bottlenecked. By the end, according to TMS spokesperson Laura Maready, general manager Eddie Gossage had to order shuttle buses to get stranded fans to their seats.

``We only had four people on our staff of 150 people that had actual speedway experience,'' Maready said. ``We were faced with some tough challenges. We had quite a few letters from fans. Some complained, some said they had a great time, but if they could suggest some changes . . .''

To worsen matters, the rain washed away the rubber on the only groove in the little-used track, which had been called too narrow by racers lucky enough to get practice time before the rain. Both shortcomings accounted for a 14-car pileup at the end of Lap 1. In all, 73 of the race's 334 laps were run under caution.

Afterward, driver Rusty Wallace's call for a ``total reconstruction'' of the racetrack sent shivers throughout NASCAR, and owner Bruton Smith's Speedway Motor Sports, Inc. actually saw its stock fall after the weekend.

California Speedway hopes it has learned from Texas, which made an additional $4.5 million in improvements after its rough beginning, including five feet of pavement on the narrow turn to the frontstretch. The early completion of the wide track surface has ensured plenty of practice time in Fontana. With on-track problems under control, California Speedway officials and police leaders visited Phoenix International Raceway to better understand traffic patterns and road systems for the event's other race.

``Any time a new track is opening, you learn from other facilities,'' PIR spokesman Scott Simpson said. ``It takes so much planning and effort, but in the end you just have to be on your toes. Be prepared.''

For the weekend, members of the California Highway Patrol and Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana police departments will coordinate a staff of 85 officers that took shape last September.

``We've spent a lot of hours on this,'' CHP Lt. Larry Duncan said. ``We've learned a lot from looking at other tracks. A lot of people get out there early, things like that.''

In Fontana, any idea to make traffic a nonissue has been implemented. All of the 32,000 parking spots surrounding the track are paved - including two lots on the east side that were only proposed recently - at the speedway's insistence.

Three major freeways - Interstate 10, Interstate 15, and Highway 60 - are within a 10-mile radius of the venue, while four main roads lead into the speedway property.

In addition, the track, in conjunction with the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission and MetroLink, built a train station on the north side of the property. MetroLink has sold out 22 one-way trains rented for the occasion on routes from Oxnard, Lancaster, Oceanside and downtown L.A. for Sunday's California 500 - a total of 14,000 passengers.

``There's a myth that trains in Southern California don't go where people want to go,'' MetroLink spokesman Peter Hildago said. ``We wanted to dispel that.''

By Sunday evening, track officials and police authorities hope the months of planning will ensure two things - happy fans and moving cars.

``We are all nervous, and we all want to pull it off,'' Jones said. ``It may come down to a big headache at the end. But I think we can handle whatever's thrown at us.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Map

Photo: (1--Color) California Speedway officials are hoping that the fans' rides to and from the track are as smooth as Jeff Gordon's practice run.

(2) As NASCAR drivers pass by empty grandstands during practice, the California Speedway appears just about ready for its grand opening.

Associated Press

Map: CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY