NOTEBOOK \ NASCAR

Robby Gordon frustrated: Road course ace Robby Gordon started second Sunday and led the most laps (48) in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. As other drivers stretched fuel mileage to improve their positions, Gordon had to pit under green on Lap 74 and managed to claw his way back to 16th position before the race ended. “You look at the monitor and look at the guys who beat us, and they were nowhere all day long,” Gordon said. “It’s just disappointing that fuel strategy makes a difference of a race win or not. I told [crew chief] Gene Nead, ‘I’d just rather run out of fuel than finish 16th.’ He said, ‘There’s no way we’re going to make it,’ and we barely made it the way we did it — so, obviously, we’ve got to get with the boys at Roush and Yates [other Ford teams] and figure out why we’re getting a quarter of a gallon less per lap than the other guys. It’s a big deal.”

What’s in a name — or number? National anthem singer Emmy Rossum, a Golden Globe nominee for her portrayal of Christine in the movie version of “The Phantom of the Opera,” attended her first NASCAR race Sunday. The classically trained opera singer and actress wasn’t totally unfamiliar with the world of stock cars, having seen a number of televised races, and she already had her favorites in the driver ranks. “I got to meet Jeff Gordon, and that was very nice,” Rossum said. “And I’m a real big fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Eight is my lucky number, so I’ll look for that. I got to meet No. 18 [J.J. Yeley]. He didn’t tell me his name, but I wished him luck just the same.” Conversely, Yeley might have gotten Rossum’s name, but it’s a good bet he didn’t get her number.

A common bond: Jeff Gordon, a native of the Bay Area city of Vallejo, Calif., and Toyota/Save Mart 350 grand marshal Jerry Rice met for the first time this weekend and found they had something in common — an affinity for the San Francisco 49ers. “We talked about him being born in Vallejo and being a big-time 49er football fan,” said Rice, the best wide receiver in NFL history. “He said he had a helmet with my signature and also [Joe] Montana’s. That’s from way back in the day right there. We just talked, and we had a great time.”

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service