THE SCHEDULE

SATURDAY: Auto Club 200 (Winston West), noon, Channel 7

* SATURDAY: International Race of Champions, 5 p.m.

* SUNDAY: California 500, 11 a.m., Channel 7

* SEPT. 27: Support race (TBA)

* SEPT. 28: Marlboro 500, noon, ESPN delayed

* OCT. 18: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 1 p.m. ESPN

* OCT. 19: NASCAR Busch Series, 1 p.m., ESPN

FACTS

THE TRACK

* LOCATION: Fontana, about 50 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

* OPENING DATE: Friday.

* COST OF CONSTRUCTION: $100 million.

* LENGTH OF TRACK: Two-mile D-shaped oval, and 1.3-mile road course.

* WIDTH OF TRACK: Seventy-five feet, with 15-foot apron on the turns and straightaways.

* SURFACE: Asphalt track, concrete pit lanes.

* LENGTH OF BACK STRETCH: 2,500 feet.

* BANKING OF TRACK: 14 degrees in turns, 11 degrees on front stretch, 3 degrees on back straightaway.

* PIT ROAD: Measures 2,200 feet and accommodates 44 individual pit areas.

* SEATING CAPACITY: 70,874 permanent grandstand seats, with 25,000 more planned.

* LUXURY SKYBOXES: 40, plus 71 corporate pit lane suites.

* MAJOR 1997 EVENTS: California 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race, Sunday; Marlboro 500 CART race, Sept. 28.

* OTHER 1997 EVENTS: International Race of Champions, Saturday; Craftsman Truck race, Oct 18; Busch Grand National race, Oct. 19.

DID YOU KNOW

* LONG ROAD: Three hundred thousand tons of asphalt have been poured at the Speedway, enough to pave a single lane from the track to Las Vegas, covering 284 miles.

* TESTING: The first driver to practice on the track was Penske’s Paul Tracy, who reached 217 mph in one lap around the circuit.

* MEMORIES I: The last NASCAR race in Southern California was on June 12, 1988, when Rusty Wallace won the Budweiser 400 at Riverside International Raceway.

* MEMORIES II: The last NASCAR Winston Cup race on an oval track in California was in 1980 at the Ontario Motor Speedway. Bennie Parsons won the Los Angeles Times 500 on the 2 1/2-mile track.

* MEMORIES III: The track was built on the site of the former Kaiser Steel Mill. The water tower from the Kaiser property supplies water to irrigate the infield.

* HOT SEATS: All 70,784 grandstand seats have been sold for the California 500. Some tickets are available for Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions and for Saturday’s Auto Club 200 and IROC race. Information: (800) 944-7233 or (909) 428-9300.

* KEEPING TRACK: Children 12 and under will receive a plastic wristband identifying them and their seat location.

* TREETOPS: There are 299 palm trees on the property, including 69 down the backstretch.

* TAKE THE TRAIN: The Metrolink commuter train will make a stop behind the track’s backstretch on race weekends. Trams will ferry fans to track entrances.

* OR DRIVE: There is free, paved parking for more than 32,000 vehicles.