FONTANA - Not all the attention at Auto Club Speedway this weekend is centered around the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. At least on Friday.
The ribbon-cutting for Lefty's Fun Zone is sat for 12:30 p.m. and will feature Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) and Tillman, the skateboarding bulldog from "Who Let the Dogs Out" on the Animal Planet channel.
"I think it's going to be big and look for lots of kids at the track on Saturday," said track president Gillian Zucker, who'll preside at the ceremonies. "It's a great way to get families to the track."
Children under 12 are admitted free Friday and Saturday.
Lefty's Fun Zone will include the "Math & Science of NASCAR" display and activities such as Bubble Rollers, a Pinewood Derby and Woodie's, where the menu is catered to children.
There also will be several "pit stops" that include opportunities to sit in a mockup of Dale Earnhardt Jr. race car; a Victory Lane cutout display; banking at Daytona International Speedway and Fontana; wave the green and checkered flag at the kid-sized flag stand and sit in actual go cart.
Apologies all over
Defending Cup champion Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon had their Bristol races impacted by contact. Stewart finished 14th and Gordon 35th after challenging for the lead.
Stewart was pushed into a SAFER barrier by a fast-closing Brendan Gaughan on lap 479. Many expected fireworks.
"Brendan came down and told me and all of my guys sorry, which we really appreciated," Stewart said. "He went down into (turn three) and the brake pedal went to the floor. It's kind of good that I was there to somewhat slow him down a little bit, but at the same time we had a top-10 run going there, which for the way we've run here the last couple trips, it's a big improvement."
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., were racing side by side on the backstretch on Lap 360 when Earnhardt made contact trying to pass to the inside. Earnhardt's right-side tail pipes flattened Gordon's left-rear tire and Gordon spun into the wall.
He finished 35th.
"I absolutely feel responsible," Earnhardt said about the incident. "I got into his door a little bit. We were racing and having a good time, to be honest with you. I put the pipes up against the left-rear tire of his car and knocked the sidewall out of it.
"I hate and I feel bad about that. I'm going to have to do some damage control this week. I know Jeff understands what was going on out there, but his boys work real hard on their car and they had a good run going. They had a potential win, or good run going, too, and they deserve it."
The good news for Earnhardt, who finished 15th after a late speeding penalty?
"Well, at least we won't have to hear about me and Mark Martin anymore," Earnhardt said by radio to his crew, referring to a run-in at Las Vegas.
But not in Southern California
Bojangles has signed to sponsor this year's Sprint Cup race - the Bojangles' Southern 500 - at Darlington Raceway on May 12 in the track's traditional spot on Mother's Day weekend.
As part of the deal, the Bojangles menu - Chicken Supremes, Cajun Filet Sandwich, Seasoned Fries and Legendary Iced Tea - also will be served at four other International Speedway Corp. tracks in the South: Daytona, Talladega, Martinsville and Richmond.
But no word on Auto Club Speedway in Southern California.
Pit stops
Carl Edwards, known for his physical regimen, is stopping off in Ft. Worth on Wednesday to train with the Ft. Worth police Swat team. ... Fox reported a 4.0/10 overnight/fast rating/share for Sunday's Bristol race, up 3 percent from 2011's 3.9/9. It was the first increase this season from last year.
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