MAKEOVER NOT EXTREME BUT GOAL IS MAINSTREAM ATTRACTING NEW FANS AS VITAL AS KEEPING FAITHFUL.

Byline: Louis Brewster Staff Writer

When the green flag falls Sunday afternoon on the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, it'll be hard to judge who's charging harder: the 43 drivers or NASCAR.

While the cars approach speeds of 200 mph on the slightly-banked tri- oval, the sanctioning body is successfully completing a mainstream makeover. Never before in its 56-year history has NASCAR undergone so many changes.

Some are as obvious as the multi-million dollar billboards for corporate America; others are quite subtle, the least of which is the attempt to attract minorities and women into the sport and in front of television sets.

This is not your father's NASCAR, much less that of your grandfather. It starts at the top with young Brian France, who took over as the sanctioning body's top man from his father, Bill France Jr. In turn, the elder France was entrusted to run NASCAR by the founder, the late Big Bill France.

Then there's Nextel, which paid NASCAR $750 million for title rights for the next 10 years. Winston - the R.J. Reynolds cigarette brand that sponsored the series the previous 33 years - and its advertising restrictions are gone, paving the way for new marketing opportunities.

Another obvious change is the much-discussed ``Chase for the Championship,'' a major revision in the way the series champion is crowned. The 36-race schedule has been split into a 26-10 format, with only the top 10 drivers and those within 400 points of the leader after 26 races eligible to compete for the $5 million check.

Many consider the revision to be a knee-jerk reaction to Matt Kenseth's running away with the title in 2003. Kenseth ended the suspense early, at one point building a 400-plus points lead despite winning just one race. Ryan Newman won a season-high eight events but was not a factor in the points race.

In the same vein, NASCAR has also changed the scoring system for the first time since 1975. It's expected that giving the race winner more points. Together with the 10-race showdown, the change will allow NASCAR to compete with the NFL for television ratings in the fall.

NASCAR has not stopped there. Each change has a long-term purpose:

-- Moving the tradition Labor Day Sunday race from Darlington, S.C., to California Speedway. Not only does it give NBC the second-largest television market in the country, but it also marks a break from the Southeast and further strengthens the sport's national grip.

NASCAR no longer is just regional sport but rather a major player with a footprint in major markets and an eye on New York and the Northwest.

-- NASCAR's continuing attempt to diversify its audience quicker than it can its fields.

The sanctioning body produces numbers that indicate 40 percent of its fans are women and nearly an equal amount earn at least $50,000. NASCAR's demographics show 72 percent of its fans hold full-time jobs and own their homes.

NASCAR dads - white men in blue-collar jobs that are considered vital by presidential candidates - are still the backbone, but their numbers shrink each season, nearly at the rate Confederate flags are coming down in the infield. Nonetheless, it was enough for President Bush to attend the season opener.

-- The face of NASCAR's infield might be changing, but the the sanctioning body wants to remember its heritage. Stripping Darlington of its traditional Labor Day slot is one thing, leaving its past heroes is quite another.

NASCAR is in the midst of an advertising campaign that incorporates the greatest drivers of all time along with today's stars, set catchy rock songs.

``The new campaign sets out to blend the sights and sounds of the past and present NASCAR,'' said Roger VanDerSnick, managing director of brand and consumer marketing for NASCAR. ``Our goal in the campaign is to affirm our core fans' loyalty and devotion to NASCAR while creating an emotional appeal that encourages casual fans to learn more about our sport's great history.''

And if that wasn't enough, there's the NASCAR theme song - ``Thunder'' - composed by David Robidoux. The days of ``Richard Petty Driving'' by Alabama have long since passed.

-- Stock car racing has always been considered an American indulgence. But no longer. Brian France has ruled out going to Europe but leaves the option of including Mexico open.

NASCAR, perhaps in another move to destroy the good ol' boy, redneck image, finally allowed a foreign-based manufacturer - Toyota - to compete in the Craftsman Truck Series.

It's uncertain whether Toyota will ever compete on the Nextel Cup level or whether other foreign name plates - Honda, Nissan and Mercedes come to mind - also will enter the fray.

What is certain is that NASCAR, in a span of months, has changed. Its new fans consider it for the better, while the faithful are left shaking their heads, wondering if they have lost what they built.

Louis Brewster, [phone]

l-brewster(at)dailybulletin.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 7 boxes

Photo:

NASCAR has changed its scoring system for the first time since 1975 and added a ``Chase for the Championship.''

Walter Richard Weis/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) HISTORY BOOK

(2) RECORD BOOK

(3) RACE INFORMATION

(4) ON THE TUBE

(5) LISTENING IN

(6) NEXTEL CUP STANDINGS

(7) SERIES SCHEDULE