NASCAR heads to Southern California this weekend looking for a perfect 10. No, not the next Miss Winston, but the 10th different winner in as many races.

There were 10 different winners to open the 2000 season, setting a modern-era record. That mark could be matched Sunday.

A number of drivers could become this season's next winner. Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott, Ward Burton, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Sterling Marlin, Ricky Rudd, Kevin Harvick and Johnny Benson all found Victory Lane in 2002. But so far each has been shut out this season.

Rusty Wallace and Jeff Burton are also candidates for victory. The two have combined for 71 wins, but neither has taken a victory lap since 2001. Wallace's last win came at California in race 10 of that season.

"Oh yeah, we're well aware that it has been a helluva long time since our last win, but we're determined and committed to get back to Victory Lane," said Wallace, who finished eighth in last year's race in Fontana. "What keeps us pumped up with the adrenaline flowing and not letting all the frustration get to us is the fact that we have been competitive and should have won several races since then."

Wallace has led three races this season for a total of 200 laps.

There are also drivers who could play the spoiler this weekend and become the first repeat winner. Heading to California, where surfing may be the unofficial state sport, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon are riding a wave of momentum.

On the strength of three consecutive top-three finishes, Earnhardt has climbed to second in the standings.

Junior crashed and suffered a concussion a year ago at Fontana, but says that's not indicative of how good he can be in there.

"I see a lot of people pointing at our poor finish last year as a sign we shouldn't be expected to do very well this week," he said. "But, (the crash) was a freak deal -- Harvick blew a tire and we had nowhere to go. It was a big-time hit, and I struggled for weeks after that, but we hit the wall in practice the year before and then came from the back of the field in a back-up car to finish third. I'd prefer to look at that run as a more realistic example of what we can do as a team."

	California Speedway's wide corners can be very deceptive to drivers intending to go three-wide.

Meanwhile, Gordon readies for Fontana on the heels of four straight top-10s and a victory at Martinsville just before the break.

"It's such a relief to get a win this early in the season and to place ourselves in a competitive position for the championship," said Gordon, currently third in points. "I've said all year that this team has been running well, we just needed everything to come together for a victory. Our goal right now is consistency and winning a fifth championship."

California Speedway may be one of Gordon's best tracks. In addition to his two wins (1997 and '98), he leads the series with a 5.8 average finish there.

At certain speedways horsepower can compensate for handling. While at others, handling can make up for lost power. At California, however, there is no compromise. Its demanding combination of long straightaways -- 3,100-foot front stretch and 2,500-foot backstretch -- and flat, sweeping corners requires drivers to have the complete package to be competitive.

"It's fast, it's flat and momentum is so important there," Stewart said. "If a guy is off just a little, he's off a lot."

The California corners are deceptively wide. With the naked eye it appears cars could run three-, maybe even four-wide. Yet, since the two-mile oval opened in 1997 that has not been the case.

"Passing hasn't ever been easy at Fontana," Robby Gordon said. "It's tended to be a one-groove race track over the years, but it has gotten a bit better as rubber has been laid down on the track."

Last year's winner Johnson agrees.

"That racetrack last year, the groove really widened up," he said. "(As drivers) we want a racetrack that has side-by-side racing. And the California Speedway is aging enough, to where it's getting a few bumps and the bottom groove of the racetrack is wearing out a little bit, and it's allowing us to move around and have side by side racing."

That's good news for NASCAR, which may be feeling pressure to showcase that type of action this weekend.

It's rumored that NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation are considering removing a date from Darlington Raceway -- the site of this year's closest and most dramatic finish -- and awarding it to California in 2004. And if this weekend's Auto Club 500 is a single-file parade like years past, there will be few fans that would see that as an even exchange.