Jarrett Discusses Racing at California Speedway
With California being Michigan’s “sister track” are there any comparisons between the two?
“California is a good track and I know that it was built to mirror the track here at Michigan, but to me, it just doesn't do that. When you look at it from above, yes you see the similarities. They are both two-mile tracks that appear to be very symmetrical. But when you get behind the wheel of a race car it is totally different. The transitions into the corners are totally different and that makes a difference in the way you race the track. Having said that, California is a good, challenging and fun race track to race on but it is hard to say it is like racing at Michigan.”

How difficult is the transition from afternoon to night during this particular race at California?
“It’s probably one of the most difficult races for a transition that we have. We need to get somebody to ride in there with us for the start of the race to see it is a terrible time to start the race. When you are going down the backstretch at close to 200 mph and you can't see anything -- that's not very fun. There is not a driver out there that likes driving at that particular time. You can't adjust to it -- you are literally blinded by the sun for at least a 35 to 45 minute timeframe. We need to seriously look at adjusting that time. You do as much with tape and your shield as you can but you need to be able to see out of the windshield and again when you get to that one time period there during that race you literally can't see anything. I think we've been fortunate that nothing has happened but it is still not a very fun time as far as the drivers go until you get the sun is gone.”