NASCAR Shakes Up California Labor Day Weekend

California Speedway Crucial in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Aug. 31 -- The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to California Speedway this Sunday with more at stake than ever before. Sunday's Pop Secret 500 is the second to last race before the inaugural "Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup" begins.

The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup is a new format to determine the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion. The top 10 drivers in the point standings going into New Hampshire (Sept. 19), and anyone else within 400 points of the standings' leader will participate. All drivers eligible will have their points totals reset. The leader will be reset with 5,050 points and five-point incremental drops will follow. After the reset, the standard point-earning system will remain in place for the last 10 races. All drivers -- not just those involved in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup -- will continue to compete for race victories, race purses and positions in the point standings.

The new format will give every driver in the NASCAR Top 10 an opportunity to win the points championship over the last 10 races. With only two more races before the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup begins, drivers at the bottom end of the Top 10 must be on top of their game to stay eligible. Five teams come into this weekend with realistic hopes of cracking the top 10 in the standings and securing a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

There are currently three California natives in the NASCAR Top 10. Four- time series champion and Vallejo native, Jeff Gordon enters the weekend leading the championship standings for the second consecutive week. Jimmie Johnson, from El Cajon, spent eight weeks in first place, and is now a close second to his teammate and car owner. Bakersfield's Kevin Harvick has spent 22 of the season's 24 weeks in the Top 10 and is currently eighth in the standings.

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Pop Secret 500 can be seen Sunday at 4:00 p.m. PST on NBC. The NASCAR Busch Series Target House 300 airs Saturday at noon PST on NBC.

For more information, please contact: NASCAR Public Relations, (386) 253-0611.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second release in a series of five.