Auto Club 400 Betting News and Notes

Fontana Driver Tale of the Tape

Greg Biffle (No. 16 Clean Harbors Ford)

· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 17.8
· Average Running Position of 13.5, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 93.7, eighth-best
· 217 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 1,243 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.601 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,484 Laps in the Top 15 (67.3%), eighth-most
· 676 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 10th-most

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 BlueDEF Toyota)

· Two top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 12.9
· Average Running Position of 12.9, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.1, ninth-best
· 74 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
· 1,211 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.347 mph, 11th-fastest
· 1,918 Laps in the Top 15 (60.2%), 12th-most

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 11.9
· Average Running Position of 14.6, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.6, 12th-best
· 94 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 1,368 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.271 mph, 12th-fastest
· 2,401 Laps in the Top 15 (65.1%), ninth-most
· 762 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Carl Edwards (No. 19 Subway Toyota)

· One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 8.5
· Average Running Position of 12.5, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 97.8, fifth-best
· 154 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.692 mph, fifth-fastest
· 2,773 Laps in the Top 15 (75.1%), fourth-most
· 754 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet)

· Three wins, 10 top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.8
· Average Running Position of 10.2, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.3, sixth-best
· 252 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 1,391 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.729 mph, fourth-fastest
· 2,756 Laps in the Top 15 (74.7%), sixth-most
· Series-high 831 Quality Passes

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Sport Clips 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 171.376 mph, 10th-fastest
· 1,926 Laps in the Top 15 (64.6%), 11th-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John's/Budweiser Chevrolet)

· One win, four top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 16.4
· Average Running Position of 12.5, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 94.7, seventh-best
· 126 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 1,277 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.559 mph, eighth-fastest
· 2,662 Laps in the Top 15 (72.1%), seventh-most
· 742 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Pro Services Chevrolet)

· Five wins, 12 top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 6.7
· Series-best Average Running Position of 6.0
· Series-best Driver Rating of 120.1
· Series-high 504 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 172.393 mph
· Series-high 3,432 Laps in the Top 15 (93.0%)
· 767 Quality Passes, third-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet)

· One win, four top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.0
· Driver Rating of 91.5, 10th-best
· 109 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
· 1,264 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· 2,315 Laps in the Top 15 (62.7%), 10th-most
· 738 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 DeWalt Toyota)

Three wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 9.8
· Average Running Position of 9.1, third-best
· Driver Rating of 106.2, third-best
· 137 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.784 mph, third-fastest
· 3,066 Laps in the Top 15 (83.1%), second-most
· 735 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Chevrolet)

· Two wins, seven top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.5
· Average Running Position of 10.5, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 100.7, fourth-best
· 226 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.657 mph, sixth-fastest
· 2,773 Laps in the Top 15 (75.1%), fourth-most
· 752 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Auto Club 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

The three-race West Coast swing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series comes to an end this week at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and so far for the west coast boys it's two-for-two. Well, it's two-for-two for Bakersfield's Kevin Harvick who won at both Las Vegas and Phoenix, but we'll take it.

Didn't this sport start in the South?

We’ve come a long way in NASCAR, which traditionally used to be a ‘southern thing’, but the recent greats of the sport have all been coming from the west coast such as Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and now Harvick. Yes, the West Coast breeds NASCAR Champions.

Harvick, who won last year's championship, has finished first or second in all four races this season and dating back to last season he’s done it seven straight. The last Cup driver to accomplish the same feat was Richard Petty in 1975 in his Carolina Blue STP car.

Not to take anything away from ’The King’, but Harvick’s accomplishment in this era of parity is much more impressive. Petty had a huge edge in the sport and few equals. He didn’t have to face the multi-car teams and didn’t have such stringent competition rules that are geared towards keeping everyone so equal.

Harvick’s team obviously has a leg up on everyone with the 2015 rules package, but after seeing three races under the package -- and two on tracks that apply this week, you can believe that Harvick will see more competition this week where his top-2 finish streak might be in jeopardy.

While Fontana’s wide two-mile layout races much differently from the 1.5-mile tracks of Atlanta and Las Vegas we’ve seen already, the one common component that is applicable to all three is speed and balance. And there have been quite a few drivers that are near the same plateau as Harvick in those areas.

Granted, Harvick led the most laps on each of those 1.5-mile tracks, but Johnson was able to grab a win at Atlanta. Joey Logano led 84 laps at Atlanta and 47 at Las Vegas. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had top-5 finishes in each, Martin Truex Jr was top-6 in both, Ryan Newman a top-10 in each and Jeff Gordon had good cars but found bad luck to finish poorly.

And we haven’t even really seen the Joe Gibbs Racing team step up yet. Fontana is the site of their last non-restrictor-plate win and that driver -- Kyle Busch -- is on the injured reserve. However, Matt Kesneth was fifth at Atlanta and Denny Hamlin fifth at Las Vegas.

Past history for Fontana doesn't mean as much for this weeks race as much as current form does, and more specifically Atlanta and Las Vegas, but let's take a look at some driver history for the fun of it.

El Cajon, CA native Jimmie Johnson is a five-time winner in 20 starts, including his first Cup victory as a rookie. He’s got a track best 6.7 average finish, however, he hasn’t won there since the spring of 2010 when the track still had two dates.

Vallejo, CA native Jeff Gordon is the only driver to start all 25 races at Fontana and has captured three wins, including the inaugural race in 1997. He last won there in 2004, but has been runner-up three times since. He’s the one driver you might be afraid to side with this week because of poor finishes at Atlanta and Las Vegas, but don’t be. His car will be good, he’s just got stay out of trouble.

Kevin Harvick won for the first and only time at the track closest to his home in 2011, but he’s several more bad experiences, including 36th last season despite practicing and qualifying well.

Elk Grove, CA native Kyle Larson showed everyone early last season with a second-place finish here that he was going to be a star someday and that wins might be coming soon, but it hasn’t happened yet. He practiced well at both Atlanta and Las Vegas, but it didn’t translate to race day. He is a decent mid-range selection and could present value in match-ups if not priced too high. A top-7 finish could be in the cards.

Las Vegas native Kurt Busch had an outstanding first race of the season last week at Phoenix to the point that the car almost looked as good as SHR teammate Harvick. Who knows what’s going on with Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick at SHR, but Busch should be good this week as well. He won there in 2003 and was fifth and third in the past two seasons there.

Kasey Kahne, from Washington state, won here in 2006 and has a 16th-place average. He finished 41st last season, but he could turn out to be a decent mid0range choice as he’ll be good just like all his Hendrick teammates.

Matt Kenseth (Wisconsin) is a three-time winner that probably should have a couple more there over his career. Still, a 9.8 average finih over 22 starts is only best by Johnson and Edwards, who we can’t touch yet.

If you want to wave the Confederate flag for a southern driver, the best chance of winning might be from North Carolina’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. who had top-5 finishes at Atlanta and Las Vegas. However, Junior has never won at Fontana, but does have two runner-ups.

Martin Truex Jr. doesn’t have any great history at Fontana, but he’s creating great history this season with one great finish after another. And his car has good history there with Kurt Busch bringing home fifth-place in 2013.

So when we look at this weeks race, yes, Harvick will be the favorite again, but more so than last week, there are other great candidates to win and because of the roll Harvick is on, he’ll be overpriced and value will be shifted back to the other drivers.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #22 Joey Logano (8/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (8/1)
3) #24 Jeff Gordon (10/1)
4) #4 Kevin Harvick (9/2)
5) #20 Matt Kenseth (12/1)

Drivers to Watch - Calfiornia
By Sportsbook.ag

NASCAR heads out to the Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, when Sprint Cup drivers take their talents to Fontana. The Auto Club 400 has been a part of the series in the early part of the season since 1997 and last year was one of the best installments to date as there were 35 different lead changes between 15 different racers.

In the end it was Kyle Busch who won the event for the second consecutive year with a race time of 3:05:53 on the two-mile, D-shaped oval track, but he once again will not be part of the field this week due to his injury. The track also features 14-degree banking and has seen four multiple time winners in the past with Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth winning three times as Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch have each won twice.

Let’s look at the field and find some racers who could do well this weekend.

Drivers to Bet

Jimmie Johnson (6/1) - Although this seems like an obvious choice, he is worth noting as he has dominated at this track in the past with five wins and 12 top-fives in his 20 races. Only two of those came at this specific race (2002, 2010) as he has an average finish of 6.6 in this event; the best mark among racers who have run this Auto Club 400 more than once. He already earned his 71st win this year at Atlanta and is coming off a solid 11th-place finish in Phoenix, so he should be at the top of every list this week.

Kasey Kahne (12/1) - Kahne has been one of the hottest racers in the series this year and has done no worse than 17th this season. Despite his strong start, he has been unable to grab his 18th career Sprint Cup Series win, with his best finish being a fourth last week in Phoenix. If there is a time to win this year it is now since he has won at this track once before and holds a driver rating of 91.5 behind 10 top-10 finishes in 18 attempts. Look for the 34-year-old to put up another big effort this week as he looks to move up the Sprint Cup rankings.

Martin Truex Jr. (15/1) - Truex Jr. has been one of the most consistent drivers this year and has done no worse than eighth in the early part of the season. He has improved his standing from the pole in each of the races and last week jumped from a start of 15th to a finish of seventh at Phoenix. He is no stranger to this track either, racing here 14 times in the past, but only managing three top-10s in that time. He is not one of the bigger names in the game, but his recent run suggests that his lowly two career victories will have some company at some point this year.

Ryan Newman (30/1) - Newman has posted some great results at Auto Club Speedway in the past with four top-five finishes over 20 career races, but has been unable to come in first when all is said and done. He is coming into this year’s installment of the race on the heels of consecutive third-place finishes at Phoenix and Las Vegas and is due for a win since his last one came back in 2013 at the Brickyard 400. The veteran is coming off his best Sprint Cup Series finish last year when he was the runner-up to Kevin Harvick and he should be able to ride his recent success to a top finish on Sunday.

Brendan Gaughan (100/1) - Gaughan does not have anywhere as good of a career as most of the racers in this event with just four career top-10s in his 45 Sprint Cup races, but one of those finishes came here and he is running with a crew that has led Harvick to three top-seven performances at this speedway in the past. This may be a long shot, but Gaughan should be able to put up his best showing of the year so far this week.

Odds to win Auto Club 400

Kevin Harvick 7/2
Jimmie Johnson 6/1
Brad Keselowski 8/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8/1
Jeff Gordon 8/1
Joey Logano 8/1
Kasey Kahne 12/1
Matt Kenseth 12/1
Carl Edwards 15/1
Kurt Busch 15/1
Kyle Larson 15/1
Martin Truex Jr. 15/1
Denny Hamlin 20/1
Ryan Newman 30/1
Jamie McMurray 40/1
Tony Stewart 60/1
David Ragan 75/1
Paul Menard 75/1
Austin Dillon 100/1
Brian Vickers 100/1
Clint Bowyer 100/1
Greg Biffle 100/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 100/1
AJ Allmendinger 300/1
Aric Almirola 300/1
Danica Patrick 300/1
Sam Hornish Jr. 300/1
Casey Mears 500/1
Ricky Stenhouse 500/1
Trevor Bayne 500/1

Check out more NASCAR Odds and Props at Sportsbook.ag!

Driver-By-Driver Breakdown
By Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com

LAS VEGAS -- With finishing second or better in the first four races of the 2015 Sprint Cup season, Kevin Harvick has been posted by the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as the 7-to-2 favorite to win Sunday's Auto Club 400 in Fontana, Calif.

For a driver that has won the past two races during NASCAR's west coast swing, the odds may appear to be somewhat attractive considering he was as low as 9-to-5 last week at Phoenix. The wide 2-mile layout of Fontana has been much harder for Harvick to conquer than Phoenix has been, but he hasn't won in Las Vegas either.

The best betting strategy for this week is to pay close attention to what happened at the 1.5-mile tracks at Atlanta and Las Vegas. Although Fontana has a unique design where the high and low line are equally popular with drivers, it is different from most of the other tracks; it doesn't resemble any track other than Michigan, Atlanta and Las Vegas. These are relative because down force tracks require lots of speed to do well. Past history at Fontana is secondary in the betting equation this week.

Let's take a look at the odds according to the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook:

KEVIN HARVICK 7/2: The Bakersfield, CA native won his only Cup race on the track closest to his home in 2011, but in his first year with Stewart-Haas Racing last season he finished 36th (despite being our top-rated driver following all practice sessions). He should be among the fastest in Saturday's final practices, but this is one driver where past history (16.4 avg.) on the track may play against him. A record seven straight top-two finishes is a hard current-form trend to go against, but there's better value with a wider pool of candidates to win this week.

JIMMIE JOHNSON 6/1: The five-time winner from El Cajon, CA got his first Cup win as a rookie on his home track in 2002 and owns just about every major record on the track, including a 6.7 average finish in 20 starts. He hasn't won there since 2010, but on the strength of leading 92 laps and winning at Atlanta, JJ is a major player this week.

JEFF GORDON 8/1: The Vallejo, CA native christened the track with a win in the inaugural 1997 race and has won two more times since, the last coming in 2004. Although the beginning to his final Cup season hasn't been what he could have imagined in his wildest dreams, there is good news. Despite poor finishes at both Atlanta and Las Vegas, he had cars capable of winning. Gordon should be contending for the win in the late stages.

DALE EARNHARDT JR 8/1: In 22 starts, he's never won at Fontana and has a 19.5 average finish with a pair of runner-ups. One aspect that makes him such a good candidate this week is finishing third at Atlanta and fourth at Las Vegas. He'll be using a new chassis this week.

BRAD KESELOWSKI 8/1: For a driver that has been blessed with so much horsepower over the past three seasons, it's surprising to see that his best Fontana finish in six career starts is 18th. Despite sluggish cars that don't resemble his teammates (Joey Logano) or his 2014 cars on down force tracks, he still managed to have decent runs at Atlanta (9th) and Las Vegas (7th).

JOEY LOGANO 8/1: He might present the best value to win on the basis of leading the second most laps behind Harvick at Atlanta and Las Vegas.His best Fontana finish was third in 2013.

KASEY KAHNE 12/1: This is his type of track and it's surprising that his 2006 victory is his lone win in 18 starts. He should finish within the top-10 this week.

MATT KENSETH 12/1: He's a three-time winner and finished fourth last season. There's good news and bad news with Kenseth; his Joe Gibbs racing teammate, Kyle Busch, won at Fontana the past two seasons. The bad news is that JGR hasn't won in a non-restrictor-plate race since Busch's win last year. He was fifth at Atlanta three weeks ago.

CARL EDWARDS 15/1: Outside of Johnson, Edwards has been the most consistent at Fontana with an 8.5 average finish that includes a 2008 win. However, he still doesn't have a top-10 finish this season. Until he shows something, it's best to stay away and even use the No. 19 car to bet against in driver matchups.

MARTIN TRUEX JR 15/1: His best finish here is sixth, which was done in back-to-back races in 2007-08. He could be in store for a career run Sunday based on this year with sixth-place at Atlanta and a runner-up at Las Vegas. Kurt Busch finished fifth in the No. 78 at Fontana in 2013.

KURT BUSCH 15/1: Not a bad start to the 2015 season for Busch with fifth-place last week at Phoenix. However, that doesn't relate to this weeks task. Could it be possible that Busch is the lucky one at SHR to have cars as good as Harvick? Substitute driver Regan Smith was very ordinary at Atlanta and Las Vegas in the No. 41, but Busch has always been good at Fontana, including his last year with third-place in his first season at SHR. The Las Vegas native won at Fontana in 2003 for Jack Roush.

DENNY HAMLIN 20/1: Two years ago he was injured in a violent wreck caused by a vengeful Logano. Last season he missed the race because of blurred vision caused by a sinus infection. His best finish was third in 2008, but there were signs at Atlanta before wrecking that makes his one of the better long shots to win on Sunday.

KYLE LARSON 20/1: The Elk Grove, CA native is right there with Hamlin as a driver with longer odds that has a legitimate shot to cash. He finished second last season as a rookie and has been fast at Atlanta and Las Vegas practices.

RYAN NEWMAN 30/1: Newman said earlier this week that Fontana is "like a flat Atlanta Motor Speedway" and if true, Newman should be decent because he finished ninth there. His better run came at Las Vegas where he finished third. In 20 career starts, he has four top-5 finishes with a best of third in 2004.

JAMIE McMURRAY 40/1: Both he and teammate Larson had great runs last season, with McMurray finishing sixth. It was his first top-10 on the track since 2006.

TONY STEWART 60/1: I can't recall Stewart ever having odds this high to start a race week and I've been creating NASCAR odds during his entire career. He's had a rough go of it and it's hard to watch because he's raised the bar so high for himself. It's reminiscent of watching a great pitcher like Steve Carlton serving up countless home runs at the end of his career. His only two wins at Fontana came within the past five seasons.

DAVID RAGAN 75/1: The No. 18 won the past two Fontana events with Kyle Busch, but Ragan hasn't been competitive yet this season.

PAUL MENARD 75/1: He had a career best finish of eighth in 2013 and followed that up with ninth last year. He was 13th at Atlanta.

CLINT BOWYER 100/1: It's been a struggle so far and the success he's had at Fontana -- 2010 runner-up -- came with Richard Childress.

BRIAN VICKERS 100/1: He finished seventh last season and substitute driver Brett Moffitt was eighth at Atlanta. Wait for final practices on Saturday for more details, but he might be a nice play at plus-money in driver match-ups.

AUSTIN DILLON 100/1: His 2014 Cup debut at Fontana went well with an 11th-place finish, but appears to be having much more growing pains in his sophomore season.

GREG BIFFLE 100/1: He won in 2005 back in the days when Roush Fenway Racing was the team to beat at Fontana. In addition to Biffle's win, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Edwards and Kenseth (three times) all visited victory lane with the cat-in-the-hat. Those days are long gone as the 100/1 odds reflect.

AJ ALLMENDINGER 300/1: Seventh-place at Atlanta and sixth-place at Las Vegas say the Los Gatos, CA native has a better shot to win than several drivers with lower odds; but actually winning isn't likely -- wait until Sonoma. Matchups, however, are the way to go with this week. His best career finish at Fontana came last season with eighth-place.

ARIC ALMIROLA 300/1: He finished dead last in 2014, but had a career-best 14th in 2013.

SAM HORNISH JR 300/1: Filled in for Hamlin last season and finished 17th.

DANICA PATRICK 300/1: With Hollywood and TMZ just down the highway, she'll get plenty of attention this week. Surprisingly, despite having no legitimate shot of winning she always gets plenty of attention from bettors in Las Vegas at the bet windows. She had a career-best 14th last season.

TREVOR BAYNE 500/1: In his only Cup run at Fontana he finished 30th in 2011.

RICKY STENHOUSE JR 500/1: Finished 34th last season and 20th in 2013.

CASEY MEARS 500/1: Career-best seventh-place in 2006 for the Bakersfield, CA native and a respectable 15th the past two seasons. They have shown good speed this season, bit not enough to justify a wager on him to win.

FIELD 300/1: Good luck! Save your money, or bet on Logano at 8/1 instead.

Chassis Selections
Jayski.com

#3-Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 481 in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Dillon raced this Chevrolet to a 39th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, after spending time in the garage making repairs. This is the same Chevrolet SS that Dillon raced in 2014 to a 25th-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a 13th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October, a 16th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway in September, a 22nd-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in August and a 10th-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.
#4-Kevin Harvick: Chassis No. 4-846: Kevin Harvick will pilot the No. 4 Jimmy John's/Budweiser Chevrolet SS built on Chassis No. 4-846 in the Auto Club 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Built in 2014, Chassis No. 4-846 made its debut at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in March, when it started 27th and led 28 laps before being collected in a late-race accident and finishing 39th. It made its second appearance at Dover (Del.) International Speedway in June, when it started eighth, led 24 laps and finished 17th. At Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in August, No. 4-846 started sixth, led five laps and finished second. In its most recent appearance, Harvick started fourth, led 17 laps and finished fifth at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in September.
#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-923 for Sunday's race at Fontana. It is a brand new chassis.
#10-Danica Patrick: Chassis No. 761: Danica Patrick will pilot Chassis No. 761 in the Auto Club 400. Previously raced by Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammates Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman, Chassis No. 761 has two prior starts. In June 2013, the car made its debut with Newman at the wheel at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. He started fifth and finished 36th in that event after getting caught up in an accident. Last May, Busch raced Chassis No. 761 in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. He started the race from the tail of the field and was running inside the top-10 before the car's engine expired at lap 271.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-754: This car debuted in March 2013 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where it qualified ninth and finished a solid 11th. Prior to Las Vegas, it had never turned a wheel on a racetrack, but it did spend considerable time in the wind tunnel. Its second start came in April 2013 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where it qualified 13th and struggled with its handling before finishing 21st. Its last start of 2013 came in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, where it started 13th and finished 14th in the non-points event. Chassis No. 14-754 sat idle until 2014, where under the direction of crew chief Chad Johnston, it was completely rebuilt. It came out of the box strong in its fourth career start in April at Texas, winning the pole and leading three times for 74 laps before finishing 10th. Chassis No. 14-754 made a second All-Star Race appearance at Charlotte in 2014. It had a quiet night, starting 15th and finishing 12th. The car hasn't turned a wheel since, but with new Chevy SS sheet metal honed in the wind tunnel, it returns to action this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
#15-Clint Bowyer: Chassis No. 800 serves as the primary chassis for Bowyer at Fontana. This chassis raced in 2014 at Kentucky in July (23rd), Dover in June (4th) and Bristol in August (17th). Chassis No. 816 serves as the back-up chassis. This chassis raced in 2014 at Atlanta and Charlotte in the Fall where parts failures relegated him to 38th-place and 43rd-place finishes.
#24-Jeff Gordon: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-921 for Sunday's race, scheduled for 200 laps. The chassis is brand new and has never been raced.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 487 for this weekend's 400-mile event in Fontana., Calif. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS has already seen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action in 2015 at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Menard started and finished in the 13th spot.
#31-Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 504 in Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet SS is a brand new car and will take to the track for the first time on Friday when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams practice and qualify at the two-mile, D-shaped oval.
#32-Mike Bliss Crew Chief Clinton Cram will be bringing chassis 784 to serve as the primary car. This chassis previously ran in Atlanta three weeks ago. Chassis 742 will serve as the backup car.
#33-Brian Scott is scheduled to pilot chassis No. 441 in Sunday's Auto Club 400. This No. 33 Chevrolet SS is a brand new car taking to the track for the first time on Friday when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams practice and qualify at the two-mile speedway.
#41-Kurt Busch Chassis No. 837: Kurt Busch will pilot Chassis No. 837 in Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Formerly a No. 10 chassis for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate Danica Patrick, Chassis No. 837 debuted in May 2014 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where Patrick had one of the best outings of her career as she started ninth and finished seventh. Its next event was in June at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, where she started 10th and finished 21st. Chassis No. 837 was then tested Aug. 25 and 26 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois before being used at the same racetrack in September, where Patrick started 18th and finished 19th. Chassis No. 837 will see its first laps of 2015 competition this weekend.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: For this weekend's event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-891, which finished ninth in Homestead last November. The backup car is No. 48-824, which Johnson raced at Pocono last June.
#55-Brian Vickers: Primary: 808- In 2014, Vickers finished 26th at Darlington, 42nd and 19th at the Michigan races, 15th at Dover in September and 23rd at Homestead. Backup: 813-Clint Bowyer drove chassis to 17th at Charlotte in May, 10th and sixth at Michigan races and ninth at Dover in September.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Greg Ives will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-924 for this weekend's 400-mile event. It is a brand new chassis that has not been raced.

Driver Handicaps: Auto Club
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com

MRN.com's Jeff Wackerlin help you set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's Auto Club 400 with a look at some detailed driver notes and stats at Auto Club Speedway.

Who's HOT at Auto Club

• Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers in wins (5), laps led (955) and average finish (6.6).
• Kevin Harvick, who had a tire issue last year in his first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing, has finished in the top 10 in five of the last seven races, including a win in 2011.
• Carl Edwards, who will make his first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing, is the only driver entered in the race that has finished in the top 10 in the last four races.
• Kyle Larson finished second in this event last year for his first of eight top fives in his rookie season. He also is the defending XFINITY Series race winner.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has posted a 5.7 average finish in his last three starts, including two top fives.
• Kurt Busch has finished in the top five in his last two starts, including a third-place run with Stewart-Haas Racing last season.
• Tony Stewart, who is still looking for his first finish inside the top 30 this season, has finished in the top five in three of the last five races, including two wins. His fifth-place finish last year was one of three top fives with crew chief Chad Johnston.
• Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon each are three-time winners.

Who to Keep an Eye On at Auto Club

• Paul Menard (5.7), Jamie McMurray (10.7), Clint Bowyer (10.7), Brad Keselowski (12.3) and AJ Allmendinger (14.3) each ranked in the top 10 in average finish in the three races at 2-mile speedways (Auto Club and Michigan) last season. Menard was the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all three.
• Joey Logano, who finished third at Auto Club in 2013, is coming off a combined 115 laps led and an average finish of 6.0 in the two races at Michigan in 2014.
• Ryan Newman, who is seeking his fourth consecutive top 10 of the season, has posted a 9.4 average finish in his last five starts at Auto Club.
• After missing last year's race, Denny Hamlin will look to get back on track at Auto Club with crew chief Dave Rodgers, who helped lead Kyle Busch to wins in the last two races there.
• David Ragan will look to continue the No. 18 team's success at Auto Club when he makes his first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Martin Truex Jr. will be looking continue a Furniture Row team record with his fifth straight top 10 of the season on Sunday.
• Kasey Kahne is coming off his first top five of the season and will have crew chief Keith Rodden, who led Jamie McMurray to a sixth-place finish at ACS last season. McMurray is also coming off his first top five of the season.
• AJ Allmendinger, who has two top 10s on intermediate tracks this season, finished eighth at ACS last season.

MRN.com Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Jimmie Johnson
Pete Pistone: Jimmie Johnson
John Singler: Jeff Gordon

Driver Notes

Ordered by Top 20 in Average Finish in Last Five Races at Auto Club

Kyle Larson: Finished second in this event last year for his first of eight top fives in his rookie season. Larson also finished eighth in the June race at Michigan International Speedway, but a crash in the August race there relegated his average finish to 17.7 in the three races at 2-mile tracks last season. Last October, Larson participated in the Goodyear tire test at ACS.

Brian Vickers: Has raced in two of the last five races, posting an average finish of 7.5. Vickers finished seventh last season in his first track start with Michael Waltrip Racing. This weekend, Vickers will return in the same car (chassis No. 808) that he finished 42nd and 19th with at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway in 2014. Last October, Vickers participated in the Goodyear tire test at ACS.

Tony Stewart: Is the only multiple winner in the last five races among drivers entered in the race. Stewart missed the August race at Michigan International Speedway last August, but posted an 8.0 average finish in his two starts at 2-mile tracks in 2014. This weekend, Stewart will return in the same car (chassis No. 754) that he led 74 laps en route to a 10th-place finish last spring at Texas Motor Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Has posted a 9.0 average finish in his last five starts with two top fives, including a runner-up in 2013. Earnhardt Jr. had the third-best average finish at 2-mile tracks last season at 8.0. This weekend, Earnhardt will debut a new car (chassis No. 924) in the Auto Club 400.

Ryan Newman: Has a 9.4 average finish in his last five starts. Newman's 20th-place finish in this event last year was his worst finish in the three races at 2-mile speedways in 2014. This weekend, Newman will pilot a new car (chassis No. 504) in the Auto Club 400.

Jimmie Johnson: Appeared to be on his way to a win last year in this event until he blew a tire with seven laps to go while leading. Johnson's 24th-place finish in this event dropped his average finish to 10.2 in the last five races. Auto Club Speedway is Johnson's best non short-track on the circuit based on his average finish of 6.6. Johnson, a five time winner at ACS, will pilot the same car (chassis No. 891) that he finished ninth with at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Austin Dillon: Finished 11th last season in first track start. Dillon's finish was his best in the three races at 2-mile speedways last season. This weekend, Dillon will return in the same car (chassis No. 481) that he last finished 39th with earlier this month at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Kurt Busch: Finished third last year in first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing. Busch's finish was his third consecutive top 10 and second consecutive top five. This weekend, Busch will return in the same car (chassis No. 837) that Danica Patrick last drove to a 19th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway.

Carl Edwards: Has finished in the top 10 in his last four starts. This weekend, Edwards will make his first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing where his crew chief Darian Grubb previously guided to Tony Stewart to the win in 2010 with Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Kevin Harvick: Finished 36th in first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing last season after tire issues. Harvick has one win (2011) and a 12.2 average finish in his last five starts. He went on to finish second at both races at Michigan International Raceway to lower his average finish to 13.3 in the three races at 2-mile speedways in 2014. This weekend, Harvick will return in the same car (chassis No. 846) that he last finished fifth with at Richmond International Raceway.

Matt Kenseth: Has posted one pole and an average finish of 5.5 in two starts with Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth's fourth-place finish in this event was his only top 10 in the three races at 2-mile speedways last season.

AJ Allmendinger: Finished eighth last season in first track start with JTG Daugherty Racing to give him a 14.4 average finish in the last five races. Allmendinger posted an average finish of 14.3 in the three races at 2-mile speedways lasts season.

Clint Bowyer: Has yet to post a top 10 in three starts with Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer finished 16th in this event last year to help give him the fifth-best average finish (13.0) in the three races at 2-mile speedways in 2014. This weekend, Bowyer will return in the same car (chassis No. 800) that he last finished 17th with at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Paul Menard: Has finished in the top 10 in the last two races. Menard's last four track starts have come with Richard Childress racing where he's posted an average finish of 13.0. Last year, Menard's 5.7 average finish in the three races at 2-mile speedway was best among all drivers. This weekend, Menard will return in the same car (chassis No. 487) that he finished 13th with at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this month.

Jeff Gordon: Gordon's only top 10 in the last five races came in the 2010 fall race, in ninth. Last year, Gordon ranked second in both average finish (6.7) and laps led (127) in the three races at 2-mile speedways, which included a win at Michigan International Speedway in August. This weekend, Gordon will shoot for his fourth win at Auto Club driving a new car (chassis No. 921).

Kasey Kahne: Kahne's 41st-place finish in this event last year raised his average finish to 15.4 in the last five races. Kahne will make his first track start with crew chief Keith Rodden, who led Jamie McMurray to a sixth-place finish last year.

Sam Hornish Jr.: Hornish Jr. has yet to finish in the top 10 in seven starts; Hornish finished 17th last season as a last minute replacement for Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Toyota. This weekend, will mark his first track start with Richard Petty Motorsports.

Martin Truex Jr.: Last of three top 10s in 14 starts came in 2012, in eighth. Truex Jr. will be seeking his fifth straight top 10 of the season on Sunday. Last October, Truex participated in the Goodyear tire test at ACS.

Jamie McMurray: Finished sixth last year to lower his average finish to 19.4 in the last five races. Last season, McMurray tied for the fifth-best average finish (10.7) in the three races at 2-mile speedways.

Danica Patrick: Finished 14th after a tire issue last season to lower her average finish to 20.0 in two starts. This weekend, Patrick will drive the same car (chassis No. 761) that Ryan Newman last drove to a 36th-place finish at Dover International Speedway after getting caught up in an accident.

Joey Logano: Finished 39th last season to raise his average finish to 21.0 in two track starts with Team Penske. Logano went on to lead a combined 115 laps and post an average finish of 6.0 in the two races at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway in 2014.

hiiiii blade

Longtime no see K-de

How you been?

Kurt Busch one to beat at Fontana
By Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com

LAS VEGAS -- Welcome back Kurt Busch!

After missing the first three races of the season, it didn’t take long for the controversial Las Vegas native to have his eagerness translate to the scoreboard with a fifth-place finish at Phoenix last week.

But Phoenix is a completely different animal to this week’s wide 2-mile layout of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. While Busch looked to have a car very equal to eventual winner Kevin Harvick last week, the real challenge to see how close Busch is to Harvick comes in Sunday’s Auto Club 400. Based on Friday and Saturday practices, as well as him sitting on the pole, it’s fair to say Busch has the good stuff from Stewart-Haas Racing, unlike teammates Danica Patrick and team co-owner Tony Stewart.

It’s hard to fathom another car being as good as Harvick’s, since he’s coming off a championship and has finished second or better in his past seven races. But Busch appears to be right there with him. In fact, he might even be better than the No. 4 this week.

If practices are any indication, which they usually are, then Busch is the driver to beat this week. Not only was he fastest in every practice session, he also had the fastest 10-consecutive lap average in the final two sessions. He should be expected to lead quite a few laps and contend for his first Fontana win since 2003.

The only reason we don’t rate Busch ahead of Harvick this week is because of the unknown. Stats from practice don’t lie, but we haven’t seen Busch run a full race on a down-force track, while everyone else has Atlanta and Las Vegas under his or her belt.

Things look perfectly fine right now for Busch and the No. 41 team, but until we see him on race day, Harvick remains No. 1 in our ratings for the week.

Perhaps the most perplexing part of Busch jumping into the car and excelling right away is that Stewart and Patrick are still light years apart from what Harvick and Busch have shown in practices.

Much further behind the dynamic SHR duo is Jimmie Johnson, who practiced very well on Saturday. If Ryan Newman’s assessment that Fontana runs “like a flat Atlanta Motor Speedway” is correct, that’s good news for Johnson, because he led 92 laps en route to the win. If we look back on history, Johnson gets the highest of marks due to a track-record five wins, including his first career win as a rookie in 2002. But after practices are factored in, Johnson is well behind Harvick and Busch in the ratings.

Everyone else looks like they're fighting for positions. Brad Keselowski should have a good run, but his poor past history at Fontana (18th or worse in six starts) lingers. Joey Logano was disappointing in practice, but should still have plenty of speed. The rest of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers all look basically the same, and there might be an inclination to believe they’ll get better in the late stages like Johnson did at Atlanta.