NASCAR FITS WELL IN TINSELTOWN.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK Motor Sports

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Auto Club 500 at California Speedway will precede the 77th annual Academy Awards on Sunday. Since NASCAR will be in town for Hollywood's biggest night, here is a look at how much the Oscar-nominated movies have in common, or in contrast, with stock cars.

``Finding Neverland'': The story of James M. Barrie, the author who used four little boys as inspiration to write ``Peter Pan,'' the book about a boy who never grew up.

Kinda sounds like Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s rise through NASCAR, always a Cup championship contender, but quickly becoming the best stock car driver to never win a Cup championship.

The point was even made after the Daytona 500 that it was the first time in four years that Earnhardt Jr. didn't win a single race during Speedweek.

``I hadn't really even thought about that,'' said Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. ``I guess, if you want to bring it up, it's a little disappointing.

``I'm not too disappointed. I got a third place. Did I finish third (Saturday)? What did I finish, third, in the Busch race? So I got two thirds, man, that's pretty good, and a second. I know I can't win 'em all, which I'd like to. But I like to keep my average pretty high. And I think I should get some credit for that.''

For the time being, Junior's pursuit of NASCAR's highest honor has been about as fruitful as looking for Neverland.

``Million Dollar Baby'': Boxing movie about the most unlikely of boxers: a woman. Since there are no women drivers in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, the next best comparison would be to Kasey Kahne.

Not to imply that Kahne drives like a woman, nor that there's anything wrong with that, but the second-year driver for Evernham Motorsports is expected to be the next big thing in NASCAR. Until he wins a race, though, he may turn into the million dollar bust.

``Ray'': The bio-pic on the life of singer Ray Charles details his struggles with blindness, drugs and women to his triumphs in music and show business.

The only Ray who has any distinction in NASCAR these days is Ray Evernham, who has incredible vision, seems only addicted to speed (the race track kind, not the pill-popping kind) and as far as anyone knows, has no women problems of any sort.

The crew chief turned team owner runs operations for Jeremy Mayfield and Kahne's cars. When he was with Hendrick Motorsports and working on Jeff Gordon's cars, he was considered the best in the business. Now, things are a little more challenging.

``You've got to create a good atmosphere for those people to work and everybody's not the same,'' Evernham said.

``You have to make sure they've got some security, that they feel like they're a part of the end result of that car.''

Sounds like he is trying to find a rhythm in his organization. No word yet on if he can carry a tune.

``The Aviator'': Another biography about the life of billionaire Howard Hughes, his dabbling in filmmaking and his battles with Congress. It ends with Hughes' descent into isolation and eventual madness.

In the interest of good taste, there will be no jokes about Hendrick Motorsports here. Shame on you for even thinking about it. Out of respect for the NHL and Hendrick, everyone who even thought about making fun of Hendrick Motorsports, go sit in the penalty box for two minutes. Now!

The highest flyer in NASCAR, at least from the start of NASCAR's inaugural Chase for the Championship to now, has been Jamie McMurray. He posted eight top-10 finishes in the last 10 races of 2004 and was perhaps the best driver in NASCAR, flying under the radar, so to speak.

Then again, if Chip Ganassi, who owns McMurray's, Casey Mears' and Sterling Marlin's teams, fails to get a driver into the Chase this year, we may see a modern mogul venture into madness.

``Sideways'': Quirky romantic comedy about a bachelor's last days before getting married, set in California wine country.

Sounds like every NASCAR Cup Series race run at Sears Point in Sonoma.

At any given point during the season, one driver has more of a distinction for getting sideways than others.

Right now, Kevin Harvick is the one driver who most others are worried about getting sideways.

He bump-drafted Jimmie Johnson right out of one of the Twin Duel 150 races at Daytona International Speedway last week and quickly became the first of the NASCAR's bad boys to get put in the stock car dog house.

Johnson and Harvick met in private to discuss the incident and things have cooled off since.

``We talked about everything and just realized that everybody was racing hard and things happen,'' said Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.

``So it's just one of those deals and nothing you can really do about it other than pick up the pieces and go race again, so that's what we all came here to do.''

Don't be surprised if Harvick is the one getting more than his share of sideways glances at California Speedway this weekend.

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TIM HADDOCK