Sears Point: Bill Elliott preview

THOUGHTS ON SEARS POINT:

"We had a good run there last year. I enjoy going to the road courses. It's something different and it's a nice little break from our normal schedule. I got my first win at Riverside so I guess you can say that I'm not as uncomfortable as some guys are on this kind of track. Starting up front is real important because it's just so hard to get around someone at places like this. Having a good handling racecar underneath you never hurts either."

TRAVEL TO CALIFORNIA:

"It's not that bad for the drivers. It's the crew guys who kind of get the worst part of the deal. It's good we have an off weekend coming up for everyone. It takes a little more out of you than you think going back and forth like that, but the way things have changed over the years it's not as bad as it used to be. I know these guys train pretty hard and they're in good shape. The way NASCAR is growing, we need to be in markets like California. In fact, it looks like next year we'll be coming out here again."

RACE NOTES

* Bill Elliott is scheduled to drive chassis No. 24. Elliott ran this chassis last year at Infineon and Watkins Glen notching two top-five qualifying runs and a top-10 finish (8) at Infineon.

* Bill Elliott will drive the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge this weekend.  However, Trans-Am Series driver Brian Simo tested the No. 9 Dodge at Carolina Motorsports Park and is scheduled to standby for Elliott at Infineon.