Chase Goes on Without Calamity

Given the unpredictability of stock car racing, perhaps the most notable aspect of Sunday’s Sony HD 500 at California Speedway was that every driver in the Nextel Cup series’ title hunt accomplished exactly what he needed.

With two drivers in, the nine others who arrived with chances at making NASCAR’s Chase for the Nextel Cup were still in contention for the championship when they left Fontana after Sunday’s race.

Some swapped positions in the standings, and race winner Kasey Kahne edged closer to qualifying for the Chase. But none ran into the disaster all of them feared, thanks to an accident-free race at the wide, two-mile oval.

“We did what we needed to do,” said Jeff Gordon, who finished fifth to maintain his fourth spot in the points.

After the first 26 races of the 36-race season, the top 10 drivers qualify for the Chase to determine who wins the title over the final 10 races.

The Fontana race was No. 25, so the final race to set the field for this year’s Chase will be run Saturday night at the venerable Richmond International Raceway, a three-quarter-mile oval in Virginia.

“We just need to do our best again next week and see where the points end up,” said Kahne, who is 11th in points but now only 30 points behind 10th-place Jeff Burton.

Matt Kenseth leads the standings by nine points over Jimmie Johnson, after both finished the race in the top 15. They’re the two who have already clinched berths in the Chase.

“It’s a humbling sport,” said Kahne, who has won five times this year -- more than any driver -- and yet still could miss the Chase. That’s because, after being strong through June with four victories, he fell into a summer slump.

“There are highs and lows, and we had a high early in the season,” said Kahne, who drives the No. 9 Dodge for Evernham Motorsports. “We had a low in the middle of the season. Hopefully, we’re getting back on the highs.”

From the moment the green flag fell on a sweltering evening in Fontana, most of the Chase contenders aggressively moved to the front, rather than conserving their cars. And they stayed there as night fell and the race ended under the lights.

Kahne, Gordon, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and rookie Denny Hamlin all took turns leading the 250-lap race, which earned them bonus points. Even veteran Mark Martin, who struggled throughout the race, managed to lead three laps and finish the race ninth in the points, one spot up from where he’d begun.

The race also provided a lift for several drivers who won’t make the Chase.

At one point, Kahne and his teammates, Elliott Sadler and Scott Riggs, were running first, second and third, the first time owner Ray Evernham could recall that happening with his team.

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When NASCAR comes to Fontana, there is another topic that nearly rivals the Chase among racing officials, team members and the media: Why California Speedway doesn’t sell out for Cup races.

The question piques interest, given NASCAR’s popularity and the huge population of Southern California. That combination, the thinking goes, should guarantee a sellout.

Everyone has a theory why it doesn’t: There are too many other things for Southern Californians to do, especially over Labor Day weekend and especially when Fontana is an hour’s drive east of Los Angeles and north of Orange County. It’s too hot for many would-be spectators in early September. California Speedway has too many seats, 92,000. The track shouldn’t have two Cup races a year, only one. And so on.

But there’s another viewpoint.

Although not every seat was filled, there likewise were few patches of empty seats. There were unfilled rows here and there but, overall, there appeared to be at least 85,000 spectators in the grandstands. (The speedway doesn’t announce attendance figures.)

Toss in the 10,000-plus fans in the infield, and the race drew nearly 100,000 people -- NASCAR’S unofficial estimate was 102,000 -- on a Labor Day weekend day with triple-digit temperatures.

“It was a fantastic crowd,” said speedway President Gillian Zucker. “I fully anticipate that when we get the final numbers, we’re going to be incredibly pleased.”

Zucker acknowledged that in Southern California, she still has to build interest in NASCAR and in her track to fill every seat twice a year. She took a major step this summer, building a $10-million expansion of the track’s “fan zone” amenities area.

“When will it sell out? I know it will,” she said. “I think we’re well on our way, but I’ve never given an indication of the date I expect it to. I’m the most impatient person on the planet, and I guarantee you that I want it to happen more quickly than anyone else.”

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Kahne was the 10th winner in the last 10 Cup races at California Speedway.... Greg Biffle, who dominated the February race in Fontana before succumbing to engine failure, was never in contention Sunday and finished 24th for Roush Racing.... Kevin Harvick of Bakersfield, who finished 15th, extended a 37-race streak of running at the finish, tops of any driver. The streak began at California Speedway a year ago.

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james.peltz@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

The Chase

Nextel Cup standings through 25 out of 36 races. After the 26th race, all drivers in the top 10 will earn a berth in the Chase for the Championship:

*--* PL DRIVER POINTS BEHIND 1. Matt Kenseth 3,638 -- 2. Jimmie Johnson 3,629 9 3. Kevin Harvick 3,296 342 4. Jeff Gordon 3,251 387 5. Kyle Busch 3,244 394 6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3,226 412 7. Denny Hamlin 3,225 413 8. Tony Stewart 3,194 444 9. Mark Martin 3,181 457 10. Jeff Burton 3,179 459 11. Kasey Kahne 3,149 489 * Next race: Chevy Rock & Roll 400, Richmond (Va.) International Speedway, Saturday, 4 p.m. PDT (TNT).

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Source: NASCAR.com