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California Driver Tale of the Tape
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Aerospace Ford)
· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 16.6
· Average Running Position of 12.8, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.8, seventh-best
· 217 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 1,174 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.483 mph, sixth-fastest
· 2,405 Laps in the Top 15 (69.0%), eighth-most
· 649 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 11th-most
Clint Bowyer (No. 15 PEAK Toyota)
· Two top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 12.7
· Average Running Position of 13.1, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 91.4, 10th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.052 mph, 10th-fastest
Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
· One win, five top fives, 10 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 12.4
· Average Running Position of 15.0, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.6, 12th-best
· 1,275 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· 2,204 Laps in the Top 15 (63.3%), 10th-most
· 673 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)
· Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 10.7
· Average Running Position of 9.1, second-best
· Driver Rating of 109.2, second-best
· 243 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.627 mph, second-fastest
· 2,803 Laps in the Top 15 (80.5%), third-most
· 739 Quality Passes, third-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Subway Ford)
· One win, eight top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 8.4
· Average Running Position of 12.2, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 98.5, fifth-best
· 153 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.508 mph, fifth-fastest
· 2,651 Laps in the Top 15 (76.1%), fifth-most
· 708 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet)
· Three wins, 10 top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.8
· Average Running Position of 10.4, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 96.2, sixth-best
· 202 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 1,273 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.399 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,581 Laps in the Top 15 (74.1%), sixth-most
· Series-high 779 Quality Passes
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)
· One top five, four top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 19.0
· Average Running Position of 13.9, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.7, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.205 mph, ninth-fastest
· 1,926 Laps in the Top 15 (64.6%), 12th-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet)
· One win, four top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 15.4
· Average Running Position of 12.0, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.5, eighth-best
· 119 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 1,191 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.329 mph, eighth-fastest
· 2,557 Laps in the Top 15 (73.4%), seventh-most
· 707 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
· Five wins, 12 top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 5.7
· Series-best Average Running Position of 6.1
· Series-best Driver Rating of 119.6
· Series-high 456 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 172.084 mph
· Series-high 3,247 Laps in the Top 15 (93.2%)
· 745 Quality Passes, second-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet)
· One win, four top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.5
· Average Running Position of 14.4, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 92.9, ninth-best
· 107 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· 1,210 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.051 mph, 11th-fastest
· 2,237 Laps in the Top 15 (64.2%), ninth-most
· 705 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
· Three wins, eight top fives, 14 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.1
· Average Running Position of 9.4, third-best
· Driver Rating of 105.5, third-best
· 133 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· 1,149 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.547 mph, third-fastest
· 2,860 Laps in the Top 15 (82.1%), second-most
· 701 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· Two wins, six top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.9
· Average Running Position of 9.9, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 102.0, fourth-best
· 226 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.511 mph, fourth-fastest
· 2,683 Laps in the Top 15 (77.0%), fourth-most
· 707 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Auto Club 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
So far this NASCAR Sprint Cup season, we’ve had four different winners on four vastly different tracks through the first four weeks. Carl Edwards win last week paid out 25/1 (Bet $100 to win $2,500) at the LVH Super Book and vaulted him into third-place in points behind new leader Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
While six-time Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson sits fifth in points, it’s his teammate, Jeff Gordon who is tied with Edwards in third-place. Gordon is the only driver to finish all four races within the top-10, and if thinking his consistency is a sign of things to come, the LVH is offering 12/1 odds to win his fifth Cup Championship.
As the series heads to Fontana, CA this week, which has been a major East Coast to West Coast travel schedule thus far for the haulers, we kind of have a little background on who might be good because of what we saw in Las Vegas.
In the last few years we have seen a good correlation between Fontana and Las Vegas where Edwards, Johnson and Tony Stewart all took checkered flags within weeks of each other. Keselowski won two weeks ago at Las Vegas with Earnhardt Jr., Johnson, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano all running well and leading at least 34 laps. Will they be good again this week? Probably.
The big variable in just transferring over who was good at Vegas’ 1.5-mile high banked track to Fontana’s 2-mile layout that has a moderate 14 degrees of banking is how much improved the Joe Gibbs Racing cars are from what we saw in Las Vegas. Last season, Kyle Busch won at Fontana, and between he, teammates Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin, they won on seven of the 11 1.5-mile tracks. Did the JGR teams learn enough in Las Vegas, especially with Kyle Busch‘s success, to help get a better read on the new aero package?
Chances are they all got a little better by studying Busch’s set-up, but I’m not so sure that they’ll be better than what the Penske Fords are bringing. And this doesn’t just mean Keselowski. His teammate Joey Logano has been strong and fast (currently sixth in points), with almost the exact same set-up and equipment as Keselowski. He was fourth at Las Vegas, and the last time he was on a 2-mile D-shaped oval, he won at Fontana’s sister track in Michigan last August.
How about Johnson, who grew up in nearby El Cajon, CA? They seem to still be figuring things out themselves, but when they get to Fontana, everything just seems to click for them. He holds track records for wins (5) and best average finish (5.7), and his worst finish in 19 career starts was 16th. Johnson always seems to find his way around Fontana well, and he could very well be the fifth different driver to win a race this season.
Edwards has also done well at Fontana over his career driving a Roush-Fenway Ford, sitting right behind Johnson with an 8.4 average finish. He’s finished seventh or better in eight of his past 10 starts there, including a win in 2008.
Matt Kenseth is a three-time winner, tied with Gordon for second most, and his finished seventh or better in 11 of his past 14 starts. There are still some doubts about whether his team has figured out how to blazing fast like they were on these type of tracks last season, but he should be able to cruise in for a top-10 finish.
And then we get to Gordon’s exploits at Fontana, the driver who christened the track as it’s first winner in 1997. His last win there was in 2004, but he’s been runner-up three times since, and with the way he’s been running, he looks to be a driver that could surprise everyone by winning in his home state, or one of two states that he claims as home.
Because of the way Junior ran at Vegas, we should expect him to be up front as well at Fontana, and it doesn’t hurt his chances that he was third there last year and second the year before. Before winning the Daytona 500, the only two wins he had in the previous six seasons were on Fontana’s sister track in Michigan. Vegas seems to correlate better with Fontana than Michigan for some reason, but if going to the window with a wager, you need all the ammunition you can to go up with confidence.
Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #22 Joey Logano (12/1)
2) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (7/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (7/1)
5) #2 Brad Keselowski (8/1)
California Driver Chassis Selections
Jayski.com
#2-Brad Keselowski: Primary Chassis: PRS-867 - Last Raced: New chassis. Backup Chassis: PRS-862. Last Raced: Backup at fall Kansas, 2013
#3-Austin Dillon: will pilot Chassis No. 457 in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. This is a new Chevrolet SS that will be utilized for the first time under race conditions this weekend.
#4-Kevin Harvick: will pilot Chassis No. 4-850 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Built new for 2014, Chassis 4-850 will see its first laps of competition this weekend.
#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-820 for Sunday's event at Fontana. Kahne raced this car twice last year, finishing 15th at Kansas Speedway in October and then 13th at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.
#10-Danica Patrick: Chassis No. 10-828 was used for the first time in November 2013 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Patrick started 24th and finished 20th. Patrick then drove the car earlier this month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where she started 22nd and finished 21st.
#15-Clint Bowyer: Chassis No. 798 serves as the primary chassis for Bowyer at Auto Club Speedway. It's a new Chassis for the 2014 season and finished 13th at Phoenix a few weeks ago. Chassis No. 800 serves as the back-up chassis. This is also a new chassis for 2014.
#16-Greg Biffle: Primary Chassis: RK-890 Brand new chassis. Backup Chassis: RK-844 Last ran Bristol - finished 9th.
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Primary Chassis: RK- 893 - new chassis. Backup Chassis: RK-860 - last raced at Texas - finished 16th.
#22-Joey Logano: Primary Chassis: PRS-868 - Last Raced: New chassis. Backup Chassis: PRS-865. Last Raced: Homestead, 2013 (finished 8th)
#24-Jeff Gordon: #24 crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-861 for this Sunday's 400-miler in Southern California. This is a new chassis that has never been raced.
#27-Paul Menard: will pilot chassis No. 461 in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS is new to the RCR fleet and will make its first laps this weekend at ACS.
#31-Ryan Newman: will drive chassis No. 462 in Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet SS is brand new in competition and will make its debut at the track for the first time during Friday's practice and qualifying activities.
#33-Brian Scott: will wheel chassis No. 460 in this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup series race at Auto Club Speedway. This Chevrolet SS is newly constructed by the Richard Childress Racing crew and will be utilized for the first time under race conditions this weekend.
#41-Kurt Busch: will pilot Chassis No. 748 in Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. In five previous starts, all as the No. 39 for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), it has one top-five finish and four top-10s with a best of fifth at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Chassis No. 748 led laps in three of its five starts.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: Crew chief Chad Knaus has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 48-799 for California. Johnson notably drove this chassis to Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway last August and to a fifth-place result at Chicagoland Speedway last September. The backup car is Chassis No. 48-784 which Johnson last raced in June 2013 at Michigan International Speedway.
#55-Brian Vickers: Primary 797 has not raced. Backup 779 - finished third at Atlanta in 2013 with Martin Truex Jr. behind the wheel.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Steve Letarte will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-810 for this weekend's 400-mile event at ACS. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to a 15th-place finish at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in October 2013.
#99-Carl Edwards: Primary chassis RK-891 is a new chassis. Backup chassis RK-861 was last used in 2014 as a backup at Vegas and as a primary in Kansas last October finishing fifth.
Driver Handicaps: Auto Club
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com
To assist in making your fantasy racing picks, MRN.com's Jeff Wackerlin breaks down all the stats and information to help steer you toward Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.
Who's HOT at Auto Club
• Defending race winner Kyle Busch has a 2.0 average finish and has led 356 laps in the last three races.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers in wins (5), laps led (851) and average finish (5.7).
• Kevin Harvick, who will make first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing, has finished in the top 10 in five of the last six races, including a win in 2011.
• Carl Edwards, a winner in 2008, has finished sixth or better in his last three starts.
• Ryan Newman, who will make his first track start with Richard Childress Racing, is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the last four races.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished in the top five in his last two starts.
• Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon each are three-time winners.
• Tony Stewart, who is coming off his first top five of the season, has won two of the last four races.
Who to Keep an Eye On at Auto Club
• Greg Biffle (2005 Auto Club winner) and Kurt Busch (Making first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing) each have finished in the top 10 in their last two starts at Auto Club.
• Joey Logano led all drivers with a 4.3 average finish in the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) with the Gen-6 car in 2013. Paul Menard (8.7), Matt Kenseth (9.3) and Martin Truex Jr. (12.3) also ranked in the top 10 in average finish.
• Brad Keselowski, who is still seeking his first top 10 at Auto Club, has recorded the best driver rating (117.9) in the first four races of the season.
• Denny Hamlin, last weekend's pole winner at Bristol, has won the last two poles at Auto Club and was in contention for the win up until a last-lap crash in 2013.
• Kasey Kahne has finished in the top 10 in three of his last four starts at Auto Club. He finished ninth last season for his first top 10 in two track starts with Hendrick Motorsports.
• Rookie Austin Dillon, who will be making his first Auto Club start in the Cup Series, recorded an average finish of 12.5 in the two races at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway last season. Rookie Kyle Larson finished sixth in his first Auto Club start last season in the Nationwide Series.
Tire Notes: Teams will be running the same combination of left- and right-side tires that they have run in the last two races at Auto Club Speedway. Kyle Busch (1.5), Earnhardt (2.5), Edwards (4.5), Biffle (6.0) and Kurt Busch (7.0) are the top five drivers in average finish in that span. Kyle Busch has led the most laps in the two races with 205.
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Joey Logano
Pete Pistone: Jimmie Johnson
Dustin Long: Jimmie Johnson
John Singler: Jeff Gordon
Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings
(All stats/notes are in regards to Auto Club Speedway unless noted)
Brad Keselowski: Has yet to finish in the top 15 or lead a lap in five starts; Coming off a pair of 12th-place finishes at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 867) in the Auto Club 400.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Has finished third and second in the last two races - first top fives in nine starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Combined to lead 54 laps at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway last season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 810) that he last finished 15th with at Charlotte Motor Speedway last fall.
Carl Edwards: Second-best average finish (5.0) in the last three races; Winner of the 2008 February race; Posted the fourth-best average finish (7.3) in the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) with the Gen-6 car in 2013; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 891) in the Auto Club 400.
Jeff Gordon: Last of 11 top 10s (ninth) came in the 2010 fall race; Last of three wins came in May 2004; Did not post a top 10 or lead any laps in the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) in 2013; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 861) at Fontana.
Jimmie Johnson: Streak of 10 consecutive top 10s came to an end last season with a 12th-place finish; Last of five wins came in the 2010 February race; Has only combined to lead five laps in the last three races after combining to lead 742 in previous eight; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 799) that he won with at Pocono Raceway last June and finished fifth with at Chicagoland Speedway.
Joey Logano: Led 41 laps and finished third in his first track start with Penske Racing last year; Led all drivers with a 4.3 average finish in the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) with the Gen-6 car in 2013; Won at Michigan last August; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 868) in the Auto Club 400.
Denny Hamlin: Has started from the pole in the last two races; Was contending for the win last season until a last-lap crash with Joey Logano; Posted a 25.0 average finish in the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) in 2013.
Matt Kenseth: Finished seventh last season in first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing; Won three times in previous 20 starts with Roush Fenway Racing; Posted the sixth-best average finish (9.3) in the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) with the Gen-6 car in 2013.
Ryan Newman: Only driver to finish in the top 10 in each of the last four races; Will make first track start with Richard Childress Racing in a new car (chassis No. 462).
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Finished 20th last season in first Cup track start; Posted an 18.3 average finish in the three races at two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) in 2013; Posted two top fives at Auto Club in the Nationwide Series with his current Cup crew chief Mike Kelley; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 893) in the Auto Club 400.
Kasey Kahne: 11.5 average finish in two starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four races; Finished in the top 10 in two of the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) in 2013; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 820) that he last finished 15th with at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Greg Biffle: Has finished sixth in the last two races; Winner of the 2005 February race; Posted the second-best average finish (5.3) in the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) with the Gen-6 car in 2013; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 890) in the Auto Club 400.
Austin Dillon: Making first Cup Series track start; Posted a 12.5 average finish in the two races on the two-mile Michigan International Speedway in 2013; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 457) at Fontana.
Kyle Busch: Defending race winner; Has posted a series-leading 2.0 average finish and 356 laps led in the last three races; Posted the eighth-best average finish (12.0) in the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) with the Gen-6 car in 2013.
Marcos Ambrose: Has yet to finish inside the top 20 in eight starts; Scored first top 10 - sixth place - in the threee races on two-mile tracks with the Gen-6 car last August at Michigan International Speedway.
Jamie McMurray: Has not finished in the top 10 in last 12 starts; Posted a 24.7 average finish in the three races on two-mile tracks (Auto Club and Michigan) in 2013.
Paul Menard: Posted the fifth-best average finish (8.7) in the three races on two-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) with the Gen-6 car in 2013; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 461) in the Auto Club 400.
Brian Vickers: Making first track start since 2011 and first with Michael Waltrip racing; 16.1 average finish in 14 starts; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 797) in the Auto Club 400.
Casey Mears: Finished 15th last year; 23.0 average finish in four starts with Germain racing; Posted a 20.3 average finish in the three races on two-mile tracks (Auto Club and Michigan) in 2013.
Aric Almirola: Finished 14th last year; 29.7 average finish in six starts; Posted a 16.3 average finish in the three races on two-mile tracks (Auto Club and Michigan) in 2013.
Auto Club 400 Post-Practice Betting Notes
By: Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com
LAS VEGAS -- We were hoping for a fifth different driver to win during the first five races, and while that may still happen, Kevin Harvick, the winner of Sprint Cup race No. 2 at Phoenix, has been placed on top of our ratings chart as the driver to beat in Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA.
Harvick, a Bakersfield, CA native, had the best 10-consecutive lap average in Saturday's early practice session while also having the quickest individual lap. He also was fourth fastest in the 10-consecutive lap category during happy hour. In addition to looking like he has the car to beat, he also has some great recent history going for him such as winning in 2011 and finishing 10th or better in seven of his last nine starts at his home-state track.
Before the weekend of practices and qualifying began, we were using the March 9 Las Vegas race as a guide to who might be fast, and while it still applies, it's hard to get Harvick's finish of 41st out of the mind. However, he did lead twice for 23 laps, and only finished poorly because of a brake issue that sent him to the garage while in second-place. It was also at Vegas during a test session that Harvick wowed everyone with blazing speeds.
So even though we don't have the Las Vegas winner Brad Keselowski or runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the top of this list, Las Vegas definitely still applies to all handicapping equations. The results sheet says Harvick finished poorly at Vegas, but it doesn't tell the whole story.
Keselowski would have been near the top of the chart with Harvick if he wasn't one of several cars to have tire issues during Saturday's practices. Keselowski also had some mechanical issues as well, but still managed to run the fourth fastest lap during happy hour. It could just be one of those things that the team got figured out and eliminated as an issue, but when his teammate Joey Logano cut a tire and slammed into the wall during the same practice, it took away some of the excitement we had for both Penske cars early in the week. Logano will be using a back-up car in the race and will start from the rear.
The driver to perhaps be most excited about is three-time Fontana winner, Jeff Gordon. He was ultra fast in both of Saturday's practice sessions, including having the best 10-consecutive lap average during happy hour. Gordon christened the track with its first win in 1997, but hasn't been to the winner's circle there since 2004. The Vallejo, CA native should be very excited about his chances Sunday because it's not often he looks as fast before a race as he has this week. Look for Gordon to be racing for the win and maybe become that fifth different driver to win in the first five races.
Another California native that could be the fifth different winner, Jimmie Johnson from nearby El Cajon, wasn't extraordinary in practice, but was consistent. And his past history counts for a lot here since he's the best the track has ever seen. He's also driving his winning chassis from Pocono last year. Pocono and Fontana have nothing in common, but a winner is still a winner, and the driver and crew all know the stats of their cars. The thought of using a proven winner alone seems to carry some extra swagger, as if Johnson actually needed any more of that.
The best value on the board looks to be Gordon with a couple 25-to-1 long shots like Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer offering value. Who knows when Bowyer will win a race and who knows when Stewart will finally feel comfortable in a car this season, but both looked fast in Saturday's practices. With Stewart's affiliation with Harvick, and team note-sharing, there's no reason why Stewart shouldn't compete for the win Sunday. If he did, it would be his third Fontana win in five years.
NASCAR circuit tackles California on Sunday
By: Brian Graham - StatFox
Statfox.com
The NASCAR circuit travel west to Fontana, CA for Sunday’s Auto Club 400. After whizzing around the half-mile oval in Tennessee last week, the Auto Club Speedway measures nearly four times the size of Bristol at 2 miles. This D-Shaped Oval intermediate track has banking consisting of 14° turns, 11° for the frontstretch (3,100 feet or .587 miles) and a nearly-flat 3° backstretch (2,500 feet or .473 miles) banking. This speedway holds approximately 92,000 fans in its seats. Race favorite Jimmie Johnson (5-to-1 odds) is looking for his sixth career win at this track.
Drivers to Watch
Carl Edwards (15/1) - Last week's winner in Bristol has performed extremely well in his career in Fontana with 13 top-7 finishes in 16 starts, earning a strong 8.4 average finish on this track, which is second to only Jimmie Johnson. He even won this race in 2008, and has placed 6th, 5th and 4th in his past three Fontana starts. With a pair of top-5's to start the season, put your largest Sunday wager on Edwards to win in back-to-back weeks.
Matt Kenseth (6/1) - No matter where he begins, Kenseth usually finishes near the front of the pack at Fontana. In his past 14 starts at this track, he has three victories which all came from starting 24th or worse (31, 25 and 24). He has eight OTHER top-7 finishes in this 14-race span, and has a stellar average finish of 10.1 in 20 career starts at this California track. The odds aren't great, but 6-to-1 is still worthy enough for a small wager.
Clint Bowyer (20/1) - In 13 career races at Fontana, Bowyer has finished in the top-10 in seven of those races, including five of his past seven eight at this track. In October 2010, Bowyer was the runner-up at this track to Tony Stewart and followed that up with a 7th-place finish in 2011. Last season he had a beneficial 13th-place starting spot, but didn't finish because of engine problems. Bowyer is certainly worthy of a play on Sunday with darkhorse 20-to-1 odds.