CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY

2000

* April 30: NAPA Auto Parts 500. Jeremy Mayfield overcame an overheating car to become the 10th NASCAR driver in 10 races to win a Winston Cup feature. Mayfield, who had not won in 61 starts, held off challenges by Bobby Labonte and rookie Matt Kenseth to win before a crowd estimated at 115,000.

There were 22 lead changes among 15 drivers. Kenseth, one day after winning a Busch series race, led 119 laps, nearly half the race.

In Saturday races, Kenseth won the Auto Club 300 for Busch Grand National cars when leader Ward Burton hit the wall eight laps from the finish, and Johnny Benson won the Pontiac Wide Track 200 for Winston West cars. Ken Schrader was second and Brendon Gaughan third.

1999

* May 2: California 500. Jeff Gordon led 151 of 250 laps to win his third Winston Cup race of the season during what was a frustrating year for the defending series champion. He led the final 41 laps and won by 4.492 seconds over Jeff Burton as 117,000 watched.

Bobby Labonte finished third, followed by rookie Tony Stewart, who scored the best finish of his NASCAR career to that date. Dale Jarrett was fifth, en route to winning the championship.

Matt Kenseth won the Auto Club 200 for Busch Grand National cars and Ricky Craven won the Winston West 200.

* Oct. 31: Marlboro 500. Adrian Fernandez of Mexico closed the season with a $1-million prize for winning the race and rookie Juan Montoya won another $1 million as the FedEx CART series champion.

Canadian driver Greg Moore died after suffering massive head injuries in an accident while exiting Turn 2 on Lap 10.

Fernandez, who started 13th, led only the final 10 laps of the 250-lap race in earning his second victory of the season. Max Papis finished second and Christian Fittipaldi third.

Montoya’s fourth-place finish, coupled with a 10th place by Dario Franchitti, gave him the series title.

1998

* May 3: California 500. Mark Martin, who lost the inaugural California 500 when he had to pit for fuel late in the race, got his revenge by dominating the NASCAR Winston Cup race before 115,000 spectators.

Martin led 165 of 250 laps and defeated Jeremy Mayfield by 1.287 seconds. Mayfield’s runner-up finish was the best of his career and allowed the fifth-year driver to take the series points lead over teammate Rusty Wallace, whose car blew an engine and finished 34th.

In support races, Ken Schrader won the Auto Club 200 for Winston West cars and Martin won an IROC race over Al Unser Jr.

* July 18-19: NASCAR Tripleheader. Rookie Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 141 of 150 laps and won the Kenwood 300 for Busch Grand National cars. Jack Sprague won the No Fear Challenge 200 for Craftsman Trucks. In a battle of Southern California youngsters, Kevin Harvick, 22, of Bakersfield, defeated Austin Cameron, 20, of El Cajon in the Winston West 200.

Nov. 1: Marlboro 500. Before an estimated 105,000, Jimmy Vasser capped off a spectacular season for Chip Ganassi’s team by winning the $1-million race bonus while teammate Alex Zanardi won the season championship.

Vasser took the lead with a slingshot pass of Greg Moore going into the final lap of 250 on the two-mile oval. The winning margin was 0.36 of a second, with Zanardi third. Vasser led a race-high 63 laps after 24 lead changes among seven drivers.

A late yellow caution flag, caused when Paul Tracy spun in Turn 2 while preparing for a restart on Lap 246, gave the finish a trophy dash look. Moore grabbed the lead only to have Vasser slip past on the final go-round.

Mark Hotchkis of Pasadena won the Indy Lights race.

1997

* June 22: California 500. Jeff Gordon won the first race ever run on California Speedway before a capacity crowd of 95,000, continuing his reputation for winning “firsts.” Gordon also won the first Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.

Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Terry Labonte finished 1-2 in a pair of Chevrolets. Although Gordon won by 1.074 seconds, the win was in doubt until the final lap because he was running low on fuel.

Martin won the IROC in a tense race with Bobby Labonte, who was subbing for Robby Gordon after Gordon had been injured in an accident during 500 practice. Ken Schrader won the Auto Club 200 for Winston West cars.

* Sept. 28: Marlboro 500. PacWest teammates Mark Blundell and Mauricio Gugelmin dominated the inaugural FedEx CART race at California Speedway before 93,000 on a sweltering day that reached 106 degrees. Blundell won by 0.847 of a second over Jimmy Vasser, averaging 166.575 mph for the 500 miles.

During qualifying, Gugelmin recorded the fastest lap in auto racing history at 240.942 mph. He finished fourth in the race. The race had 13 lead changes among eight drivers. Adrian Fernandez finished third.

Clint Mears, son of four-time Indianapolis winner Rick Mears, won a spectacular Indy Lights race that overshadowed the main event.

* Oct. 18-19: NASCAR Doubleheader. Mike Bliss won the No Fear Challenge 200 for Craftsman Trucks before 40,000 fans on Saturday. On Sunday, with 55,000 looking on, Todd Bodine won the Kenwood 300 Busch Grand National in a fuel-strategy race. Pole-sitter and leader Steve Park had to pit five laps from the finish for a splash of fuel, giving the win to Bodine, who went the final 142 miles without pitting.