by Larry McReynolds

Updated: March 9, 2005, 11:43 AM EST

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Two or three years ago at Fontana, the aero package and Goodyear tires would allow the leader to stay out for the final 45 laps and take the win because drivers couldn't pass you. It didn't matter if you had 10-lap tires or 30-lap tires, track position was more important.

Thanks to these shorter rear spoilers, dreaded aero push has dissipated. It doesn't really make sense that removing an inch of rear spoiler would mean less aero push, but when a driver runs up behind another car, they aren't looking at a big, old, sheet-of-plywood rear spoiler on the back. You can go ahead and complete the pass. At the end of last Sunday's race, it was neat to see several different strategies. Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle took no tires. Jamie McMurray took two tires. And Jimmie Johnson nearly won the race after restarting in 10th with four fresh tires.

Let's see how the racing is at Las Vegas and Atlanta, but we may be on to something that's going to give us better side-by-side racing. The new package is putting more control back in the hands of the driver, crew chief, engineer and chassis specialist. And it puts more of a burden on the crew chief to make the right decision on the final pit stop.

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Park in drive

Congratulations to Steve Park for finally getting back to Victory Lane four years to the day that he last won a NASCAR race at Rockingham, the week after Dale Earnhardt died. I don't know of anybody who would have anything against Park winning last Friday night's Craftsman Truck race. Ever since he crashed in the Busch race at Darlington 3 1/2 years ago, he has had a rough go of it

Another big number

The nine NASCAR on FOX people on the air and everybody from directors to producers to cameramen behind the scenes are fortunate to have a great sport to cover, and when you've got a great product, hopefully people pay attention as 12.7 million viewers did last Sunday. After Daytona and California, we want to keep the momentum going, and I hate to see the Cup cars have a weekend off so early in the season, but the good news is the NASCAR on FOX crew won't be sitting at home. We're going to Mexico for the first Busch Series points race outside the United States. We'll be on FOX at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday with qualifying on SPEED Channel, Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to FOXSports.com on MSN for my race preview.

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FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.

"Larry McReynolds: The Big Picture" is on bookstore shelves now, or you may order your own autographed copy from www.DWStore.com.