Fontana Features True Night Race

California Speedway will run its first race totally after dark tonight when the Grand National West cars kick off NASCAR weekend with the Relocate Here 250, presented by San Bernardino County.

All previous West races at the speedway have been in daylight, and the only “Finish Under the Lights” race last year started in the afternoon. Tonight’s 100-lap race will start at 8.

Darkness will not be the only difference this year. Ken Schrader, last year’s winner and a perennial entrant in the event, has elected to sit out to concentrate on his effort Sunday in the Nextel Cup Sony HD 500. Schrader also won in 1997 and 1998, and is the only multiple winner at Fontana.

The GN West is a one-day event with practice in the morning and qualifying at 4:30 p.m.

“This puts a lot of emphasis on the crew,” points leader Scott Lynch said of the schedule. “But this serves to give us a slight edge as we have one of the most together crews around.”

Lynch, from Burley, Idaho, has two victories in eight races and leads 2004 champion Mike Duncan of Bakersfield, by 58 points. Steve Portenga, of Sparks, Nev., and winner of the Irwindale GN West race, is third, and David Gilliland of Riverside is fourth.

Nextel Cup cars will practice today from 6 to 7:20 p.m. Qualifying for both Cup and Busch cars is scheduled for Saturday.