Auto Club 500 News and Notes

Driver to win the Auto Club 500

Jimmie Johnson +585
Jeff Gordon +685
Carl Edwards +750
Matt Kenseth +785
Tony Stewart +885
Dale Earnhardt Jr +855
Denny Hamlin +1250
Kyle Busch +1250
Kurt Busch +1350
Greg Biffle +1450
Martin Truex Jr +1815
Ryan Newman +2050
Kevin Harvick +2250
Casey Mears +2850
Clint Bowyer +2850
Jeff Burton +3125
Mark Martin +3125
Kasey Kahne +3500
Jamie McMurray +3650
Juan Montoya +5500
Field +2050

TheGreek

Montoya looks ahead to California
February 19, 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -With the Daytona 500 in his rearview mirror, Juan Pablo Montoya now moves on to California Speedway to face one of the biggest challenges of the season.

He's terrible on 2-mile tracks, totaling an average finish of 32nd in the four races at California and Michigan last season. Improving at those places could be critical to his success this year.

``I'm really bad at California,'' he said. ``We went there, we tested, we threw a lot of things at the car, and we ran a little better, but not great. I don't know if its a place we don't like, or if I am doing something wrong.

``By tradition, I think Michigan and California are some of the worst tracks for the team. Going there, it will be interesting to see if we can make it work.''

Montoya and car owner Chip Ganassi are hoping to put the Colombian in the Chase for the Sprint Cup this season, and a berth in the title hunt will depend as much on the driver as it will on the improvements the team makes. The gains at Daytona were obvious as teammate Reed Sorenson had a strong Speedweeks and finished fifth in the race.

Montoya was running near the front at the end of the race, but was collateral damage in contact between Dave Blaney and Kevin Harvick. One of the cars clipped his right rear, forcing him out with less than 10 laps to go to pull a fender off of his tire.

He had to settle for a disappointing 32nd-place finish.

``With about 12 to go it looked like it was going to be pretty good,'' crew chief Donnie Wingo said. ``We kind of got shuffled out and somebody got in the left rear of us and knocked us out.''

Top 10 drivers - and beyond

Week 2: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 -- And Beyond

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 18, 2008) -- Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12, along with some other notable drivers, going into the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway on February 24.

1 -- Ryan Newman (No. 12 altell Dodge)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 110.6

2008 Rundown
* With 42 lead changes among 16 drivers, Newman won one of the most competitive Daytona 500s in history
* Ended an 81-race winless drought with the win
* Led eight laps in the Daytona 500

California Speedway Outlook:
* Two top fives, three top 10s; one pole
* Average finish of 19.5
* Finished 39th at California in September
* Led four of 10 races for eight laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* Fourth-fastest driver in the turns

2 -- Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Light Dodge)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 70.4

2008 Rundown
* One top five
* Led nine laps

California Speedway Outlook:
* One win, three top fives, five top 10s; three poles
* Average finish of 11.3
* Finished ninth in September
* Led eight of 11 races for 224 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* Improved 11 "Closer" positions in the final 20 laps of the race

3 -- Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.9

2008 Rundown
* One top five
* Led 16 laps

California Speedway Outlook:
* Three top fives, six top 10s
* Average finish of 16.7
* Finished 13th in September
* Led six of 13 races for 225 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* Average Running Position of 9.7

4 -- Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 133.1

2008 Rundown
* One top five
* Led 86 laps

California Speedway Outlook:
* One win, two top fives, five top 10s; one pole
* Average finish of 11.1
* Finished third in September
* Led five of seven races for 215 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* Average Running Position of 4.2

5 -- Reed Sorenson (No. 41 Target Dodge)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.4

2008 Rundown
* One top five
* Led five laps

California Speedway Outlook:
* Average finish of 26.5
* Finished 21st in September
* Led one of four races for eight laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* 149 Laps in the Top 15

6 -- Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.4

2008 Rundown
* One top 10
* Led one lap

California Speedway Outlook:
* One win, three top fives, five top 10s; one pole
* Average finish of 14.3
* Finished 10th in September
* Led five of eight races for 267 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* Average Running Position of 8.3

7 -- Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Best Buy Dodge)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 78.0

2008 Rundown
* One top 10

California Speedway Outlook:
* One win, two top 10s
* Average finish of 22.5
* Finished 35th in September
* Led two of 13 races for 67 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* Fourth-fastest driver on the straightaways

8 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Mountain Dew AMP/National Guard Chevrolet)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 115.6

2008 Rundown
* One top 10
* Led 12 laps

California Speedway Outlook:
* Three top fives, four top 10s
* Average finish of 19.8
* Finished fifth in September
* Led five of 12 races for 25 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* 196 Laps in the Top 15

9 -- Robby Gordon (No. 7 Jim Beam Dodge)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 72.0

2008 Rundown
* One top 10

California Speedway Outlook:
* One top 10
* Average finish of 26.5
* Finished 41st in September
* Led two of 11 races for 10 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* Spent all 200 laps on the lead lap

10 -- Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.2

2008 Rundown
* One top 10
* Led seven laps

California Speedway Outlook:
* One win, two top fives
* Average finish of 20.1
* Finished 17th in September
* Led five of 10 races for 260 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* Average Running Position of 9.0

11-- Bobby Labonte (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.4

California Speedway Outlook:
* Four top fives, five top 10s; one pole
* Average finish of 17.4
* Finished 11th in September
* Led four of 15 races for 33 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* 243 Green Flag Passes, second-most

12 -- Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 77.8

2008 Rundown
* 65 consecutive races in the top 12, longest current streak in the series

California Speedway Outlook:
* Five top fives, six top 10s
* Average finish of 16.0
* Finished fourth in May
* Led eight of 13 for 646 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* Pass Differential of 16 (Passes minus times passed)

26 -- Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
* Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 79.9

2008 Rundown
* Led one lap

California Speedway Outlook:
* Two wins, six top fives
* Average finish of 6.8
* Won at California in September
* Led six of 10 races for 219 laps

Daytona 500 Loop Data Highlight
* 127 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News & Notes - California
Courtesy of NASCAR Media PR

New Year Plus New Car Equals Close Competition

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2008) - If last week's season-opening Daytona 500 is any barometer, expect more "raciness" in this Sunday's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.

NASCAR's new car, beginning its first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, promises a ramped-up competitive environment along with significant safety boosts and cost-containment measures.

Certainly last week's Daytona 500 was one of the most competitive in the race's 50-year history - winner Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel-SAMSUNG HDTV Dodge) took the lead on the last lap.

The event's 42 lead changes were the most since 2001 (49) and the fifth time since 1972 that a Daytona 500 produced 40 or more lead changes.

Also consider that 16 drivers led at least one lap, the second-highest total in Daytona 500 history. Only the 2006 race had more leaders (18).

And the new car begins 2008 by racing at four consecutive tracks for the first time, including California, where series teams tested on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

"I'm looking forward to these cars because everyone is so close," said Carl Edwards (No. 99 DISH Network Ford) during the test, which was preceded by a two-day test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "I believe that opens the opportunity for the drivers to be able to make a little bit bigger difference. I think that's going to be a pretty good thing."

"I think you're going to see a lot of people moving around," said Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) at the preseason test, of Sunday's Auto Club 500. "I think this car, even at Las Vegas, you could move around and make time. You're just going to see a lot of different grooves develop as the race goes on."

Three-Peat: Kenseth Looks For Third Consecutive California Win

It shouldn't surprise if Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Carhartt Ford) makes a winning move in the final laps of Sunday's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.

The 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion is pursuing his third consecutive victory in the track's February event.

NASCAR Loop Data statistics illustrate his excellence there. Kenseth leads several key pre-race categories for California, including Driver Rating (113.9), Average Running Position (7.242) and Fastest in Turn 1 (179.453 mph).

And although he didn't get the finish he wanted in last week's Daytona 500 - Kenseth finished 36th after damaging contact with Roush Fenway Racing teammate David Ragan (No. 6 Southern California Insurance Ford) - he ran up front for much of the race and led one lap.

Kenseth also was second-fastest during the Thursday night, Jan. 31 session of last month's California test, while teammate Carl Edwards led two of the five sessions.

"It's one we certainly look forward to," Kenseth said. "You look forward to trying to get some momentum back after our disappointing Daytona 500. So hopefully it will be all right."

Hendrick Motorsports Looking To Erase Daytona 500 Disappointment

After a disappointing Daytona 500 performance, Hendrick Motorsports looks to rebound in Sunday's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.

Just as they did last year.

The dominant NASCAR Sprint Cup organization in 2007, Hendrick opened 2008 with similar expectations, plus a media consensus as preseason favorites.

Reigning and two-time series champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet) won the Daytona 500 pole while newest teammate and fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) won the non-points Budweiser Shootout the week prior to the Daytona 500.

Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Cromax Pro Chevrolet), last year's series runner-up, sought his fourth Daytona 500 victory. Casey Mears (No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet), poised for a breakout year with new crew chief Alan Gustafson, played the dark-horse role.

But only Earnhardt finished inside the top 10 at Daytona - ninth. Suspension problems relegated Gordon to 39th. A late-race spinout put Johnson in 27th. Mears, running in the top five with five laps remaining, finished 36th after hitting an outside wall.

Fast-forward to California, where Hendrick teams hope to duplicate last season's West Coast panacea - a rebound that followed similarly frustrating results in the 2007 Daytona 500.

Gordon was Hendrick's highest finisher in last year's "Great American Race" - 10th. Mears finished 20th. Then-teammate Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota) finished 24th while Johnson finished 39th following an accident.

Here's the precedent: Seven Chevrolets finished in the top 10 of last year's Auto Club 500 at California, including three HMS drivers.

Gordon finished second behind winner Matt Kenseth. Johnson finished third and Busch finished ninth. Mears finished 31st.

The Penske Racing Way: Daytona 500 Winner Ryan Newman's Back ...

Ryan Newman's last-lap victory last Sunday represents more than a one-race triumph in the 50th Daytona 500 - significant though it is.

It also may function as his re-introduction to contender status, a label many media and fans affixed to Newman from the start.

The 2002 NASCAR Sprint Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year, Newman began his series career the same season as reigning and two-time champion Jimmie Johnson.

Both young drivers excelled immediately - Johnson, in his and Newman's seventh season, has yet to finish outside the top five - but Newman has endured a rockier path, of late.

After consecutive top-10 finishes from 2002-2005, Newman dipped to 18th in '06 and 13th in '07, noticeable because of his early exploits.

Nicknamed "Rocketman," Newman set the rookie record for poles in a season (six) in '02. He also led the series with 11 poles in '03, nine poles in '04 and eight poles in '05.

He also had a series-high eight wins in '03.

Recent struggles, coupled with major Penske Racing changes - the departure of crew chief Matt Borland in late 2006 and the arrival of teammate Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) to begin the '06 season - also impacted Newman's team.

However, a good relationship with Busch and the 2008 addition of new crew chief Roy McCauley have proven positive factors. Busch, who finished as Daytona 500 runner-up, powered Newman across the finish line, helping the South Bend, Ind., native to grab his 13th career victory and break an 81-race winless streak.

"It's a life-changing experience," Newman said. "I'm trying to do my best to represent NASCAR and all the people that have made the difference in my life to get to this point."

... Thanks To An Image-Changing Boost From Teammate Kurt Busch

"Redemption" may prove to be the longest-lasting effect of Penske Racing's 1-2 finish in last Sunday's 50th Daytona 500.

Not only did winner Ryan Newman crack a career-long winless streak, teammate Kurt Busch's unselfish nudge-to-victory may have spiffed up the latter's image.

Busch, the sometimes-controversial 2004 series champion, jumped behind Newman during last Sunday's last-lap scramble at Daytona International Speedway.

Rather than make it a three-wide dash for the win, he chose to help Newman and finish second, ensuring team owner Roger Penske's first Daytona 500 victory.

"I think Kurt said it best, he was happy to see me in Victory Lane," Newman said. "It was as if he won, even though he didn't. If the roles were reversed, I would feel the same way."

"Kurt gave me a great push, was the perfect teammate, the perfect time. Sometimes it takes that. "

The finish was especially gratifying for Busch, who raced from a 43rd-place start to finish second. He also battled distraction; specifically, an alternation with another former champion, Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet), during a Budweiser Shootout practice session the previous week, that earned both drivers a six-race probation from NASCAR.

In The Loop: Former Champions Johnson And Kenseth Seek California Rebound

Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth can chalk up their poor finishes in the Daytona 500 to first race jitters. But only if they continue their dominance at California Speedway.

The two suffered uncharacteristic poor finishes last Sunday, but past California performances suggest a strong rebound this weekend.

Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Johnson finished a disappointing 27th, but has been dominant at the 2-mile track.

He won his second California race last September, and since 2005, has a Driver Rating of 111.3 (second-best), an Average Running Position of 7.7 (second-best), 99 Fastest Laps Run (fourth), the fastest Average Green Flag Speed at 172.261 mph and a series-high 1,381 Laps in the Top 15 (91.8%).

Kenseth fared even worse at Daytona, finishing 36th. But if his past California success continues, the ship should be righted quickly.

Since 2005 - a span that includes two wins and five top 10s - Kenseth has a series-best Driver Rating of 113.9, a series-best Average Running Position of 7.2, 89 Fastest Laps Run (sixth), an Average Green Flag Speed of 172.195 mph (second) and 1,332 Laps in the Top 15 (88.5%).

Also look for a strong performance out of Kyle Busch, who had an incredible weekend at Daytona, but nothing to show for it. Busch finished in the top five in all three of NASCAR's national series races last weekend, but never entered Victory Lane. The trip to California might cure some of that frustration.

Busch's first career win took place at California - the victory earned him the record for youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, an accolade he still holds - and he has scored five consecutive top-five finishes at California.

Since 2005, Busch has an average Driver Rating of 109.3 (third), an Average Running Position of 9.5 (fourth), 102 Fastest Laps Run (third) and a third-best 1,259 Laps in the Top 15 (83.7%).

Happy For "The Captain": NASCAR's Richard Buck Pays Tribute To Former Boss

Team owner Roger Penske's first Daytona 500 victory - courtesy of driver Ryan Newman - has resonated through the motorsports world.

Particularly accomplished in open-wheel competition, Penske had won many NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as a stock-car team owner. But he'd never won the race - the Daytona 500 - until last Sunday.

A 13-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Penske is beginning his 25th season in NASCAR. And many former, as well as current, employees are happy for him, including Richard Buck, NASCAR's Director of Touring Series.

"I hear that Ryan had to buy a new suit," said Buck, who worked for Penske's open-wheel teams from 1985 through 1996. He served as the crew chief on five of Penske's Indianapolis 500-winning teams, working with drivers such as Rick Mears, Al Unser Sr., Al Unser Jr., Paul Tracy, Danny Sullivan and Emerson Fittipaldi.

"That was one of those small things. You always had to get that suit out, dust it off."

He cites teamwork as Penske's key.

"He's a fierce competitor," says Buck, now in his third season with NASCAR, of Penske, "but genuine, caring - wrapped up in one great guy."

History On The Move: NASCAR'S 60th Anniversary, California-Style

Although California Speedway marks its 11th birthday this season, NASCAR's competitive presence in the Golden State extends back to 1951 - NASCAR's fourth year of existence.

As the sanctioning body celebrates its 60th season in 2008, consider that 15 California tracks have hosted events throughout the years.

And that Sunday's Auto Club 500 will be the 120th NASCAR event in the state of California.

In April 1951, Marshal Teague won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in California, at Gardena's Carrell Speedway, a dirt track.

In the 1960s, California native Dan Gurney, an open-wheel and sports-car star, won five times at Riverside International Raceway, driving for two historic NASCAR organizations - Holman-Moody and the Wood Brothers.

In the 1970s, the legendary A.J. Foyt won the first Ontario Motor Speedway events, in 1971-72.

In the 1980s, Tim Richmond won four times at Riverside (twice in 1982, then in 1986-87).

In the 1990s, another California native - Jeff Gordon - rose to prominence, winning two of the first three races at California Speedway (1997 and 1999).

This decade, another California native - Jimmie Johnson, also Gordon's teammate - has two California Speedway wins.

In fact, no other state boasts as many current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers.

Including Johnson and Gordon, seven California natives will compete this weekend at California - Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears, Robby Gordon (No. 7 Jim Beam Dodge), David Gilliland (No. 38 Freecreditreport.com Ford) and AJ Allmendinger (No. 84 Team Red Bull Toyota).

Jeff Gordon hails from Mission Viejo, Johnson from El Cajon, Harvick and Mears from Bakersfield, Robby Gordon from Orange, Gilliland from Riverside and Allmendinger from Los Gatos.

Other California natives attempting to qualify for Sunday's Auto Club 500 include Burney Lamar (No. 08 Rhino's Energy Drink Dodge) and Mike Skinner (No. 27 Bill Davis Racing Toyota).

Off The Track: Special Events, Entertainment For Auto Club 500

Celebrities are no stranger to California Speedway, located only 50 miles from the world's entertainment capital, Los Angeles.

Perhaps the newest is California native Kina Grannis, who will sing the National Anthem prior to Sunday's Auto Club 500.

Grannis, who hails from Jeff Gordon's hometown of Mission Viejo, won the recent Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" music challenge. She's also a University of Southern California graduate.

Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian Brad Garrett, of FOX's "Til Death" comedy, will serve as Sunday's Grand Marshal. Garrett also played Robert on "Everybody Loves Raymond."

The legendary blues-rock band ZZ Top, still comprised of original members Billy F. Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, will be featured at a pre-race concert on Sunday.

On Saturday, George Thorogood and the Destroyers will perform at the Miller Lite Rock 'n Racing Show following the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series doubleheader.

That concert will take place in the Opportunity, California FanZone.

On Wednesday, Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman will appear at California Speedway Day in L.A. at Hollywood & Highland Center. He'll be welcomed by City of Los Angeles officials, who will proclaim Wednesday, Feb. 20 as California Speedway Day in L.A.

NSCS, Etc.

Back On Track ... Although he's completed only one of 36 events in 2008, it's clear Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be a threat with his new team, Hendrick Motorsports.

Aside from winning the season's non-points precursor, he also finished ninth in last Sunday's Daytona 500 - the highest Hendrick finisher.

Back On Track, Part II ... Six Dodge teams finished in the top 10 of the Daytona 500, including winner Ryan Newman and runner-up Kurt Busch.

That's happened only two other times - most recently in 1969 and before that, in 1967.

Back On Track, Part III ... Despite a difficult first season in 2007, Toyota teams look ready to flex their competitive muscle in 2008.

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) won his Gatorade Duel qualifying race for the Daytona 500 while teammate Tony Stewart won the season-opening NASCAR Nationwide event.

Stewart was Toyota's highest Daytona 500 finisher - third. Teammate Kyle Busch was fourth, and led a race-high 86 laps.

Triple-Duty Man ... Busch will be busy this week at California Speedway, competing in Saturday's scheduled NASCAR Craftsman Truck and NASCAR Nationwide Series doubleheader along with Sunday's Auto Club 500.

Milestone ... Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Mark Martin (No. 8 Principal Financial Group Chevrolet) is scheduled to make his 700th career start this Sunday

Top 12 Driver Press Conferences ... Each event weekend, the top 12 drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings are available to the media at designated times. This week's schedule for the top 12 drivers in the series standings is available at NASCAR's media-only web site - www.nascarmedia.com.

Up Next: The UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Following Sunday's event at California Speedway, NASCAR Sprint Cup teams head five hours northeast, across the Nevada state line and the Mojave Desert, to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

That's where Jimmie Johnson is the logical favorite for the UAW-Dodge 400 on Sunday, March 2. He's won the last three consecutive races at Las Vegas, and seeks his fourth victory.

Auto Club 500 Preview

Matt Kenseth will be looking to jumpstart his Sprint Cup season on Sunday afternoon when he hits the track at California Speedway for the 2008 running of the Auto Club 500.

Kenseth has won the Auto Club 500 in each of the past two years, and he could use a good result after his disappointing day at Daytona International Speedway in the season-opening race. Kenseth ended up way behind in 36th place in the Daytona 500.

The winner at Daytona on Sunday was Ryan Newman, who snapped an 81-race drought with the victory. Teammate Kurt Busch finished second in the race, while Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Reed Sorenson rounded out the day's Top 5. Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Robby Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Greg Biffle completed the Top 10.

Dale Jr. had the best result of all the Hendrick Motorsports cars, which had been expected to dominate. Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears were both involved in accidents and finished 27th and 35th, respectively. Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon ran into mechanical problems and ended up near the back of the Daytona 500 field in 39th spot.

Sam Hornish Jr. was the top rookie driver; he finished in 15th place. Dario Franchitti was 33rd, and Regan Smith was 37th. Other notable results included Jeff Burton (13th), Kevin Harvick (14th), Denny Hamlin (17th), Carl Edwards (19th), and Martin Truex Jr. (20th). As well, Clint Bowyer finished in 24th place, and Juan Pablo Montoya was 32nd.

Newman, therefore, sits atop the points race after one week - he has a 15-point lead on second-place Kurt Busch. Stewart and Kyle Busch are both 20 points behind the leader, Sorenson is 30 points back of first place, and Kahne now trails Newman by 39 points.

Kenseth has had the most recent success at California speedway, with two wins there in the past two years. Johnson won the Sharp AQUOS 500 at California last season, and he also won the NAPA Auto Parts 500 there back in 2002. Gordon has three career Cup wins at the Fontana track (2004, 1999, and 1997). Kahne, Biffle, Sadler, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Jeremy Mayfield, and Mark Martin have all picked up one win there.

So who do the Vegas oddsmakers like to get the win at California Speedway this week? Gordon and Johnson sit tied at 5/1 odds atop the list, with Earnhardt Jr. at 7/1, and Stewart at 8/1. Kenseth, Hamlin, and Kyle Busch are all pegged at 12/1 odds to win the Auto Club 500 this weekend, with Kurt Busch at 15/1, and both Newman and Edwards at 20/1. Biffle and Harvick round out the rest of the top tier of contenders with 22/1 odds.

And one race isn't enough to shift around the odds to win the Sprint Cup this season, so Johnson still sits atop that list at 3/1. Gordon is next at 4/1, followed by Kenseth at 7/1, Stewart at 8/1, and Edwards at 10/1. Earnhardt Jr. is pegged at 12/1 odds to win the series championship this season, while Kurt Busch is behind him on the list at 15/1 odds.

After racing in California the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series will head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the UAW-Dodge 400 on March 2. The rest of the March schedule then includes events at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Kobalt Tools 500), Bristol Motor Speedway (Food City 500), and also Martinsville Speedway (Goody's Cool Orange 500).

R. Gordon docked 100 points as NASCAR penalizes 10 teams after Daytona
February 20, 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Robby Gordon was docked 100 points and his crew chief was suspended for six races and fined $100,000 as NASCAR penalized 10 teams in its three different national series for infractions found at Daytona International Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of seven drivers penalized for Nationwide Series infractions, and six crew chiefs were suspended. Todd Bodine, winner of the Truck Series race, was one of two drivers penalized in that series.

The harshest penalty went to Gordon, who had an unapproved front bumper cover on his No. 7 Dodge during opening day inspection for the Daytona 500. The deduction of points drops him from ninth in the standings to 41st.

Frank Kerr, the crew chief, was fined $100,000 and is not eligible to return to the track until the April 12 race in Phoenix. Kerr was also placed on probation through the end of the year.

In the Nationwide Series, Earnhardt's car was found to have an illegal spoiler during an inspection. He was docked 50 points, owner Rick Hendrick was docked 50 points and crew chief Chad Walter was fined $25,000 and suspended for the next six races. Walter is also on probation through the end of the year.

Drivers Kertus Davis, Johnny Sauter, David Gilliland, David Stremme and Cale Gale were all docked 25 points and their owners docked 25 points for various infractions discovered after qualifying.

The crew chiefs - Gene Allnutt (Davis), Jon Wolfe (Sauter), Bob Edwards (Gilliland), Steve Darne (Stremme) and Charlie Wilson (Gale), were all fined $15,000 and suspended for the next six Nationwide races. They were all placed on probation until the end of the year.

In addition, Jerry Baxter, the crew chief for David Reutimann, was fined $5,000 and placed on probation until July 9 for an infraction discovered on opening day inspection.

In the Truck Series, Bodine was fined 25 points and car owner Stephen Germain was fined 25 points for an infraction found before qualifying. Mike Hillman Jr., the crew chief, was fined $10,000 and suspended for the next four Truck Series events. He was also placed on probation until the end of the year.

Rick Renn, the crew chief for Ron Hornaday Jr., was fined $5,000 for a violation found in opening day inspection.

Auto Club 500 Driver Rating

We’re only one race into the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, but Daytona decided to through a wrench into the status quo. Isn’t Hendrick Motorsports supposed to dominate every aspect of the sport? I guess not. We learned that Joe Gibbs Racing has figured out the switch to Toyota. Maybe more importantly, we found out that Dodge is going to be a player in 2008 after a disappointing campaign last year. The manufacturer only won three races in 2007, but will already be looking for number two this weekend at Fontana.

Kyle Busch tops NASCAR’s Power Rankings after a dominant performance at Daytona. He led a race-high 86 laps but ended up with a 4th place finish. He was upset with the final restart. “Those guys (Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch) had such a head of steam,” Busch said. “They got ahead of me on that restart. They lagged back and then got a big push. In the NASCAR rulebook, that's not right, but they let it go.” Busch continued: “Those guys couldn't keep up all day, but at the end there were those cautions that propelled them forward enough with (newer) tires,” he said. “Anybody can drive on that stuff. We'll take it and go to California.” Look for a motivated Busch to perform well at California this weekend. He has 18 top 10 finishes in 39 career starts at high-banked superspeedways. If JGR can give him a car similar to last week, he will be a handful for the other drivers.

Two other drives to watch atop the rankings are Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle. Both are glad to be back on their 'A' game, after disappointing campaigns in 2007. Kahne was impressive throughout Daytona and finished strongly in 7th place. In his career, he has six wins at high-banked superspeedways, second among active drivers. Look for him to contend this weekend. Biffle had an equally impressive showing at the “Great American Race” and is expecting great things this season. “They (faster cars) got such a run on us, and I couldn't block them. They're just going to spin us out. We're thinking about the championship, not a Daytona 500 win.” Biffle is a championship-level driver, but needs a good run at California to validate last week’s showing.

Earlier we recommended avoiding Juan Pablo Montoya at California. To supplement our earlier opinion, here’s a great quote from the driver himself: “I'm really bad at California,” he said. “We went there, we tested, we threw a lot of things at the car, and we ran a little better, but not great. I don't know if it’s a place we don't like, or if I am doing something wrong.”

profantasysports.com

Auto Club 500 PreQ

While the Daytona 500 was dominated by one Kyle Busch and his new Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota ride the event came down to a host of Dodge drivers making a run at the end to finish with six of the first eight spots including the winning Dodge of Ryan Newman. Busch, however, has quickly made a statement about his new team and Toyota leading a race best 86 laps while settling for a 4th place finish. He now ranks as the No. 1 driver on the PostQ forecast thanks in large part to the solid run in the Daytona 500. He does have a win at California Speedway while recording five consecutive top 10 finishes. Look for the youngster to be among the leaders once again.

Many expected that either the Hendricks Motorsports Chevrolets or the JGR Toyotas to take the checkered in the season opener. It didn’t happen but JGR sure looked a lot better than Hendricks did. While Busch was finishing in 4th he was pushing his teammate Tony Stewart, who looked like he had the win all but wrapped up with one lap remaining, to a 3rd place finish. Stewart has not run as well at California as Busch has but he should be in store for a good run as well. Jump on the JGR bandwagon early and often this season.

After winning the Bud Shootout and a Gatorade Duel event Dale Earnhardt Jr. was picked by many to take the checkered flag in the Daytona 500. While his Hendrick teammates struggled Junior had a solid day before, like many others, saw the Dodge train blow past him on the last lap. Junior still finished with a 9th place run in his first point’s race with his new team but there was some disappointment in his voice after the race. He ranks in the top 3 on the PreQ forecast and with the dominance his Hendrick teammates have displayed on the high-banked superspeedways you can bet that Junior will have another solid finish.

Ah, the up-and-downs of the racing world. David Reutimann raced his way into the Daytona 500 and ended the day with a solid top 20 finish. Now, however, the team will travel to California where Reutimann will again have to qualify on time in order to race on Sunday. He did make both events last season but struggled on race day finishing outside the top 30 in both starts. He must fight his way into the top 35 in the point standings to ensure a starting position each week and can ill afford a poor finish. If Reutimann makes this weekends Auto Club 500 he will need to run much better than he did a season ago.

Again we’ll state that we do like Juan Pablo Montoya this season – just not at the beginning of the season. Montoya has struggled on the restrictor plate tracks and it was not a surprise to see him finish well back in the pack. He runs a little better on the high-banked superspeedways but California has not been kind to him in his short career. In two starts Montoya is averaging a 30th place finish. Overall he averages a 24th place finish on the high-banked superspeedways with three top 10s. He will get better as the season progresses but avoid him for this race.

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News & Notes - California
NASCAR Media

New Year Plus New Car Equals Close Competition

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2008) — If last week’s season-opening Daytona 500 is any barometer, expect more “raciness” in this Sunday’s Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.

NASCAR’s new car, beginning its first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, promises a ramped-up competitive environment along with significant safety boosts and cost-containment measures.

Certainly last week’s Daytona 500 was one of the most competitive in the race’s 50-year history — winner Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel-SAMSUNG HDTV Dodge) took the lead on the last lap.

The event’s 42 lead changes were the most since 2001 (49) and the fifth time since 1972 that a Daytona 500 produced 40 or more lead changes.

Also consider that 16 drivers led at least one lap, the second-highest total in Daytona 500 history. Only the 2006 race had more leaders (18).

And the new car begins 2008 by racing at four consecutive tracks for the first time, including California, where series teams tested on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

“I’m looking forward to these cars because everyone is so close,” said Carl Edwards (No. 99 DISH Network Ford) during the test, which was preceded by a two-day test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I believe that opens the opportunity for the drivers to be able to make a little bit bigger difference. I think that’s going to be a pretty good thing.”

“I think you're going to see a lot of people moving around,” said Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) at the preseason test, of Sunday’s Auto Club 500. “I think this car, even at Las Vegas, you could move around and make time. You're just going to see a lot of different grooves develop as the race goes on.”

Three-Peat: Kenseth Looks For Third Consecutive California Win

It shouldn’t surprise if Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Carhartt Ford) makes a winning move in the final laps of Sunday’s Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.

The 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion is pursuing his third consecutive victory in the track’s February event.

NASCAR Loop Data statistics illustrate his excellence there. Kenseth leads several key pre-race categories for California, including Driver Rating (113.9), Average Running Position (7.242) and Fastest in Turn 1 (179.453 mph).

And although he didn’t get the finish he wanted in last week’s Daytona 500 — Kenseth finished 36th after damaging contact with Roush Fenway Racing teammate David Ragan (No. 6 Southern California Insurance Ford) — he ran up front for much of the race and led one lap.

Kenseth also was second-fastest during the Thursday night, Jan. 31 session of last month’s California test, while teammate Carl Edwards led two of the five sessions.

“It's one we certainly look forward to,” Kenseth said. “You look forward to trying to get some momentum back after our disappointing Daytona 500. So hopefully it will be all right.”

Hendrick Motorsports Looking To Erase Daytona 500 Disappointment

After a disappointing Daytona 500 performance, Hendrick Motorsports looks to rebound in Sunday’s Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.

Just as they did last year.

The dominant NASCAR Sprint Cup organization in 2007, Hendrick opened 2008 with similar expectations, plus a media consensus as preseason favorites.

Reigning and two-time series champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) won the Daytona 500 pole while newest teammate and fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) won the non-points Budweiser Shootout the week prior to the Daytona 500.

Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Cromax Pro Chevrolet), last year’s series runner-up, sought his fourth Daytona 500 victory. Casey Mears (No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet), poised for a breakout year with new crew chief Alan Gustafson, played the dark-horse role.

But only Earnhardt finished inside the top 10 at Daytona — ninth. Suspension problems relegated Gordon to 39th. A late-race spinout put Johnson in 27th. Mears, running in the top five with five laps remaining, finished 36th after hitting an outside wall.

Fast-forward to California, where Hendrick teams hope to duplicate last season’s West Coast panacea — a rebound that followed similarly frustrating results in the 2007 Daytona 500.

Gordon was Hendrick’s highest finisher in last year’s “Great American Race” — 10th. Mears finished 20th. Then-teammate Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota) finished 24th while Johnson finished 39th following an accident.

Here’s the precedent: Seven Chevrolets finished in the top 10 of last year’s Auto Club 500 at California, including three HMS drivers.

Gordon finished second behind winner Matt Kenseth. Johnson finished third and Busch finished ninth. Mears finished 31st.

The Penske Racing Way: Daytona 500 Winner Ryan Newman’s Back …

Ryan Newman’s last-lap victory last Sunday represents more than a one-race triumph in the 50th Daytona 500 — significant though it is.

It also may function as his re-introduction to contender status, a label many media and fans affixed to Newman from the start.

The 2002 NASCAR Sprint Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year, Newman began his series career the same season as reigning and two-time champion Jimmie Johnson.

Both young drivers excelled immediately — Johnson, in his and Newman’s seventh season, has yet to finish outside the top five — but Newman has endured a rockier path, of late.

After consecutive top-10 finishes from 2002-2005, Newman dipped to 18th in ‘06 and 13th in ‘07, noticeable because of his early exploits.

Nicknamed “Rocketman,” Newman set the rookie record for poles in a season (six) in ’02. He also led the series with 11 poles in ’03, nine poles in ’04 and eight poles in ’05.

He also had a series-high eight wins in ’03.

Recent struggles, coupled with major Penske Racing changes — the departure of crew chief Matt Borland in late 2006 and the arrival of teammate Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) to begin the ‘06 season — also impacted Newman’s team.

However, a good relationship with Busch and the 2008 addition of new crew chief Roy McCauley have proven positive factors. Busch, who finished as Daytona 500 runner-up, powered Newman across the finish line, helping the South Bend, Ind., native to grab his 13th career victory and break an 81-race winless streak.

“It's a life-changing experience,” Newman said. “I'm trying to do my best to represent NASCAR and all the people that have made the difference in my life to get to this point.”

… Thanks To An Image-Changing Boost From Teammate Kurt Busch

“Redemption” may prove to be the longest-lasting effect of Penske Racing’s 1-2 finish in last Sunday’s 50th Daytona 500.

Not only did winner Ryan Newman crack a career-long winless streak, teammate Kurt Busch’s unselfish nudge-to-victory may have spiffed up the latter’s image.

Busch, the sometimes-controversial 2004 series champion, jumped behind Newman during last Sunday’s last-lap scramble at Daytona International Speedway.

Rather than make it a three-wide dash for the win, he chose to help Newman and finish second, ensuring team owner Roger Penske’s first Daytona 500 victory.

“I think Kurt said it best, he was happy to see me in Victory Lane,” Newman said. “It was as if he won, even though he didn't. If the roles were reversed, I would feel the same way.”

“Kurt gave me a great push, was the perfect teammate, the perfect time. Sometimes it takes that. “

The finish was especially gratifying for Busch, who raced from a 43rd-place start to finish second. He also battled distraction; specifically, an alternation with another former champion, Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet), during a Budweiser Shootout practice session the previous week, that earned both drivers a six-race probation from NASCAR.

In The Loop: Former Champions Johnson And Kenseth Seek California Rebound

Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth can chalk up their poor finishes in the Daytona 500 to first race jitters. But only if they continue their dominance at California Speedway.

The two suffered uncharacteristic poor finishes last Sunday, but past California performances suggest a strong rebound this weekend.

Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Johnson finished a disappointing 27th, but has been dominant at the 2-mile track.

He won his second California race last September, and since 2005, has a Driver Rating of 111.3 (second-best), an Average Running Position of 7.7 (second-best), 99 Fastest Laps Run (fourth), the fastest Average Green Flag Speed at 172.261 mph and a series-high 1,381 Laps in the Top 15 (91.8%).

Kenseth fared even worse at Daytona, finishing 36th. But if his past California success continues, the ship should be righted quickly.

Since 2005 – a span that includes two wins and five top 10s – Kenseth has a series-best Driver Rating of 113.9, a series-best Average Running Position of 7.2, 89 Fastest Laps Run (sixth), an Average Green Flag Speed of 172.195 mph (second) and 1,332 Laps in the Top 15 (88.5%).

Also look for a strong performance out of Kyle Busch, who had an incredible weekend at Daytona, but nothing to show for it. Busch finished in the top five in all three of NASCAR’s national series races last weekend, but never entered Victory Lane. The trip to California might cure some of that frustration.

Busch’s first career win took place at California – the victory earned him the record for youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, an accolade he still holds – and he has scored five consecutive top-five finishes at California.

Since 2005, Busch has an average Driver Rating of 109.3 (third), an Average Running Position of 9.5 (fourth), 102 Fastest Laps Run (third) and a third-best 1,259 Laps in the Top 15 (83.7%).

Happy For “The Captain”: NASCAR’s Richard Buck Pays Tribute To Former Boss

Team owner Roger Penske’s first Daytona 500 victory — courtesy of driver Ryan Newman — has resonated through the motorsports world.

Particularly accomplished in open-wheel competition, Penske had won many NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as a stock-car team owner. But he’d never won the race — the Daytona 500 — until last Sunday.

A 13-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Penske is beginning his 25th season in NASCAR. And many former, as well as current, employees are happy for him, including Richard Buck, NASCAR’s Director of Touring Series.

“I hear that Ryan had to buy a new suit,” said Buck, who worked for Penske’s open-wheel teams from 1985 through 1996. He served as the crew chief on five of Penske’s Indianapolis 500-winning teams, working with drivers such as Rick Mears, Al Unser Sr., Al Unser Jr., Paul Tracy, Danny Sullivan and Emerson Fittipaldi.

“That was one of those small things. You always had to get that suit out, dust it off.”

He cites teamwork as Penske’s key.

“He’s a fierce competitor,” says Buck, now in his third season with NASCAR, of Penske, “but genuine, caring — wrapped up in one great guy.”

History On The Move: NASCAR’S 60th Anniversary, California-Style

Although California Speedway marks its 11th birthday this season, NASCAR’s competitive presence in the Golden State extends back to 1951 — NASCAR’s fourth year of existence.

As the sanctioning body celebrates its 60th season in 2008, consider that 15 California tracks have hosted events throughout the years.

And that Sunday’s Auto Club 500 will be the 120th NASCAR event in the state of California.

In April 1951, Marshal Teague won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in California, at Gardena’s Carrell Speedway, a dirt track.

In the 1960s, California native Dan Gurney, an open-wheel and sports-car star, won five times at Riverside International Raceway, driving for two historic NASCAR organizations — Holman-Moody and the Wood Brothers.

In the 1970s, the legendary A.J. Foyt won the first Ontario Motor Speedway events, in 1971-72.

In the 1980s, Tim Richmond won four times at Riverside (twice in 1982, then in 1986-87).

In the 1990s, another California native — Jeff Gordon — rose to prominence, winning two of the first three races at California Speedway (1997 and 1999).

This decade, another California native — Jimmie Johnson, also Gordon’s teammate — has two California Speedway wins.

In fact, no other state boasts as many current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers.

Including Johnson and Gordon, seven California natives will compete this weekend at California — Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears, Robby Gordon (No. 7 Jim Beam Dodge), David Gilliland (No. 38 Freecreditreport.com Ford) and AJ Allmendinger (No. 84 Team Red Bull Toyota).

Jeff Gordon hails from Mission Viejo, Johnson from El Cajon, Harvick and Mears from Bakersfield, Robby Gordon from Orange, Gilliland from Riverside and Allmendinger from Los Gatos.

Other California natives attempting to qualify for Sunday’s Auto Club 500 include Burney Lamar (No. 08 Rhino’s Energy Drink Dodge) and Mike Skinner (No. 27 Bill Davis Racing Toyota).

Off The Track: Special Events, Entertainment For Auto Club 500

Celebrities are no stranger to California Speedway, located only 50 miles from the world’s entertainment capital, Los Angeles.

Perhaps the newest is California native Kina Grannis, who will sing the National Anthem prior to Sunday’s Auto Club 500.

Grannis, who hails from Jeff Gordon’s hometown of Mission Viejo, won the recent Doritos “Crash the Super Bowl” music challenge. She’s also a University of Southern California graduate.

Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian Brad Garrett, of FOX’s “Til Death” comedy, will serve as Sunday’s Grand Marshal. Garrett also played Robert on “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

The legendary blues-rock band ZZ Top, still comprised of original members Billy F. Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, will be featured at a pre-race concert on Sunday.

On Saturday, George Thorogood and the Destroyers will perform at the Miller Lite Rock ‘n Racing Show following the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series doubleheader.

That concert will take place in the Opportunity, California FanZone.

On Wednesday, Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman will appear at California Speedway Day in L.A. at Hollywood & Highland Center. He’ll be welcomed by City of Los Angeles officials, who will proclaim Wednesday, Feb. 20 as California Speedway Day in L.A.

NSCS, Etc.

Back On Track … Although he’s completed only one of 36 events in 2008, it’s clear Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be a threat with his new team, Hendrick Motorsports.

Aside from winning the season’s non-points precursor, he also finished ninth in last Sunday’s Daytona 500 — the highest Hendrick finisher.

Back On Track, Part II … Six Dodge teams finished in the top 10 of the Daytona 500, including winner Ryan Newman and runner-up Kurt Busch.

That’s happened only two other times — most recently in 1969 and before that, in 1967.

Back On Track, Part III … Despite a difficult first season in 2007, Toyota teams look ready to flex their competitive muscle in 2008.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) won his Gatorade Duel qualifying race for the Daytona 500 while teammate Tony Stewart won the season-opening NASCAR Nationwide event.

Stewart was Toyota’s highest Daytona 500 finisher — third. Teammate Kyle Busch was fourth, and led a race-high 86 laps.

Triple-Duty Man … Busch will be busy this week at California Speedway, competing in Saturday’s scheduled NASCAR Craftsman Truck and NASCAR Nationwide Series doubleheader along with Sunday’s Auto Club 500.

Milestone … Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s Mark Martin (No. 8 Principal Financial Group Chevrolet) is scheduled to make his 700th career start this Sunday

Up Next: The UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Following Sunday’s event at California Speedway, NASCAR Sprint Cup teams head five hours northeast, across the Nevada state line and the Mojave Desert, to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

That’s where Jimmie Johnson is the logical favorite for the UAW-Dodge 400 on Sunday, March 2. He’s won the last three consecutive races at Las Vegas, and seeks his fourth victory.

Kasey Kahne is the event’s defending pole winner.

The Race: Auto Club 500
The Place: California Speedway
The Date: Sunday, Feb. 24
The Time: 4 p.m. (ET)
The Track: 2-mile oval
The Distance: 500 miles/250 laps
TV: FOX, 3:30 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, SIRIUS Satellite Radio
2007 Winner: Matt Kenseth
2007 Polesitter: Jeff Gordon

2008 Points
1 Newman 190
2 Kurt Busch 175
3 Stewart 170
4 Kyle Busch 170
5 Sorenson 160
6 Kahne 151
7 Sadler 150
8 Earnhardt Jr. 143
9 Robby Gordon 142
10 Biffle 139
11 Labonte 130
12 Burton 129

Pre-Race Schedule: Friday—Practice, 12-1:30 p.m.; Qualifying, 3:40 p.m. Saturday—Practice, 2-3:55 p.m. (All times local — PT)

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Analyzing The Auto Club 500 At California Speedway (Part Two)
NASCAR Media

Selected Driver Highlights - California Speedway-specific
Note: All driver statistics that follow are from California Speedway. The Loop Data statistics - Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. - in this release, however, cover the last six races at California. NASCAR's scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
* One win, two top fives
* Average finish of 20.1
* Average Running Position of 13.5, 11th-best
* Driver Rating of 95.4, eighth-best
* Series-high 134 Fastest Laps Run
* 464 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
* Average Green Flag Speed of 171.810 mph, eighth-fastest

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
* One win, three top fives, five top 10s; three poles
* Average finish of 11.3
* Average Running Position of 11.5, sixth-best
* Driver Rating of 95.1, ninth-best
* 70 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
* 1,136 Laps in the Top 15 (75.5%), third-most
* 259 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)
* One win, two top fives, five top 10s; one pole
* Average finish of 11.1
* Average Running Position of 9.4, fourth-best
* Driver Rating of 109.3, third-best
* 102 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
* Green Flag Speed of 171.985 mph, fifth-fastest
* 1,259 Laps in the Top 15 (83.7%), third-most
* 294 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
* Five top fives, six top 10s; one pole
* Average finish of 7.6
* Average Running Position of 12.2, ninth-best
* Driver Rating of 100.6, sixth-best
* Series-high 20 "Closer" positions (positions improved in last 10% of races)
* 446 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
* 1,104 Laps in the Top 15 (73.4%), fifth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
* Three wins, seven top fives; two poles
* Average finish of 11.8
* Average Running Position of 11.6, seventh-best
* Driver Rating of 90.2, 12th-best
* 69 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
* Series-high 544 Green Flag Passes
* 1,082 Laps in the Top 15 (71.9%), seventh-most
* Series-high 347 Quality Passes

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
* Two wins, six top fives
* Average finish of 6.8
* Average Running Position of 7.7, second-best
* Driver Rating of 111.3, second-best
* 99 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
* Series-fastest Average Green Flag Speed of 172.261
* Series-high 1,381 Laps in the Top 15 (91.8%)
* 325 Quality Passes, third-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
* One win, three top fives, five top 10s; one pole
* Average finish of 14.3
* Driver Rating of 96.5, seventh-best
* 77 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
* Average Green Flag Speed of 171.583 mph, 10th-fastest
* 946 Laps in the Top 15 (59.4%), 10th-most
* 275 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
* Two wins, four top fives, eight top 10s
* Average finish of 16.7
* Series-best Average Running Position of 7.2
* Series-best Driver Rating of 113.9
* 89 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
* Average Green Flag Speed of 172.195 mph, second-best
* 1,332 Laps in the Top 15 (88.5%), second-most
* 256 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
* Three top fives, six top 10s
* Average finish of 16.7
* Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best
* Driver Rating of 101.2, fifth-best
* 130 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
* Average Green Flag Speed of 171.995 mph, fourth-most
* 1,086 Laps in the Top 15 (72.2%), sixth-most
* 280 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Auto Club 500 Tidbits:
History
* Groundbreaking for California Speedway took place in November 1995.
* The first race at California Speedway was a NASCAR Camping World Series, West race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997.
* The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 22, 1997 - won by Jeff Gordon.
* September 2004 was the first night-race at California Speedway and that was also the first year there were two races a year.

Notebook
* There have been 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at California Speedway since the track opened in 1997.
* Joe Nemechek won the Coors Light Pole for the inaugural race at California Speedway in 1997. Greg Sacks broke Nemechek's short-lived, track-qualifying record in the second round of qualifying.
* Jeff Gordon won the inaugural race at California on June 22, 1997. He has since won two more - in 1999 and 2004.
* There have been 11 different Coors Light Pole winners, led by Kurt Busch (three) and Jeff Gordon (two). Qualifying was canceled in 1999.
* Eleven different drivers have posted victories. Jeff Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth (two) are the only multiple race winners there.
* Rick Hendrick has won six races at California, more than any other car owner.
* Eight of the 15 races at California were won from outside the top-10 starting positions.
* Matt Kenseth won the 2006 Auto Club 500 from the 31st starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started at California.
* There have been no caution-free or shortened races at California.
* There have been two green-white-checkered finishes at California: 2005 fall and 2006 spring.
* Mark Martin has seven top-10 finishes, including one victory, in 14 races at California. He also failed to finish three times. One of Martin's DNFs was his first top10 - he ran out of gas on the final lap of the inaugural race in 1997, yet still finished 10th.

In California...
* There have been 119 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in California:
* 380 NASCAR drivers have their home state recorded as California.

* There have been 29 race winners from California in NASCAR's three national series:

California Speedway Data
Race # 2 of 36 (2-24-08)
Track Size: 2 miles
* Race Length: 250 laps/500 miles
* Banking/Corners: 14 degrees
* Banking/Frontstretch: 11 degrees
* Banking/Backstretch: 3 degrees

Driver Rating at California
Matt Kenseth 113.9
Jimmie Johnson 111.3
Kyle Busch 109.3
Mark Martin 103.6
Tony Stewart 101.2
Carl Edwards 100.6
Kasey Kahne 96.5
Greg Biffle 95.4
Kurt Busch 95.1
Jeff Burton 92.8

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2007 races (6 total) at California.

Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Jeff Gordon (185.735 mph, 38.765 seconds)
2007 race winner: Matt Kenseth (138.451 mph, 2-25-07)
Track qualifying record: Kyle Busch (188.425 mph, 38.248 seconds,
2-25-05)
Track race record: Jeff Gordon (155.012 mph, 6-22-97)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 40-44 laps, based on fuel mileage

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Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off : So Begins the Task

The Cup circuit spends nearly two weeks at Daytona each February. The 500 and the preliminary events leading up to the big race generate a lot of hype. The new season is starting and the drivers, teams and fans are excited. The media starts cranking things up after a long winter nap. And, oddly enough, some folks will begin predicting trends based on what happens at Daytona. If Daytona success was an indicator of yearlong good fortune, right now it would seem Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and the Joe Gibbs drivers are in the catbird seat.

But there is a danger in paying too much attention to the Daytona results. As a plate track, racing at Daytona is fairly unique. Talladega is the only other plate track on the circuit and, as each year goes by, it seems that Talladega is becoming more of an animal unlike any other, including Daytona. Even if you lump Daytona and Talladega in the “plate track” category together, the two tracks combine to stage four points races out of a total of 36 such races.

The next three races: Fontana, Las Vegas and Atlanta will give fans a much clearer picture of who the big guns are going to be in 2008. While all are high speedsuperspeedways, California is low-banked, Vegas is moderately-banked, and Atlanta is high-banked. The majority of this year’s events will be run on these sort of superspeedways. Drivers and teams who fare well in the next three races combined can at least stake a claim to being players in this year’s championship chase.

Matt McLaughlin say we should have a better indication of the teams that will contend in 2008 following the race at Atlanta.

Why is Daytona such a poor indicator of season long success? First and foremost the engines are restricted with the plates at Daytona which requires an entirely different engine package than the rest of the season. Annually, the big teams spend millions of dollars on plate engine programs that are budgeted separately from the main engine development program. That’s because the Daytona 500 and the other three plate races are such high profile events. Of course you want to keep the sponsors happy by running well in the first race of the season (often the honeymoon for a new team and sponsor) and in the race that traditionally draws the highest TV ratings.

With the advent of the Car of Tomorrow (Car of This Year?), there should be less differences between the aerodynamics of the plate track cars and the regular season cars. In fact, some teams that had Bud Shootout cars wiped out in practice wrecks even ran short track cars in the Shootout. But my guess is they chose to run those short track cars not the cars they’ve designated to run at Fontana, Vegas and Atlanta because they’ve already found some new tricks with the COT and they didn’t want to risk wiping out the carefully tweaked pieces they’ll need over the next few weeks. They have a month to rebuild those Martinsville cars.

What’s the difference? Traditionally essentially it boils down to the plate engines again. With horsepower restricted, teams tweaked the cars’ bodies to minimize drag, even at the cost of down force. Drag slows a car down heading down a straight and, with the engines down on horsepower, teams faced a double-whammy. The high banking helped the cars through the corners anyway.

The cars designed for a track like Fontana are very different indeed. Teams were willing to accept a certain level of drag on the car’s body if they could find more downforce, particularly in the front end to help the cars through the low-banked corners. It doesn’t matter how fast the car is down the straight if the driver has to lift all the way out of the gas early to get his car to steer through the turns.

Driving the plate track races is also a lot different than racing on the rest of the big oval tracks. At Daytona and Talladega, a driver must have drafting partners to help push him towards the front. With the plates limiting horsepower to the least common denominator, the packs at Daytona and Talladega tend to feature a lot of two and three wide racing, 10 and 11 rows deep into the field. On the normal oval tracks, drivers can pass without assistance. The better handling cars with higher horsepower engines and more capable drivers run at the front of the pack and the rest of the field gets strung out behind them.

It’s as if a shooting championship featured 32 rounds of target shooting and four firefights in which contestants tried to shoot each other. If you want to know who top gun is going to be, wait until the Easter Break next month. By that point we’ll all have a clearer picture of who the big dogs are going to be in 2008. Yes, Daytona is a big deal but Daytona is over. Let the real season begin.

Drivers to Watch This Week

Jeff Gordon – Gordon has won three times at Fontana and finished second here last year. A California native, Gordon puts special emphasis on running well here and he really needs to get his season back on track after Daytona.

Jimmie Johnson – Johnson is another California native who wants to run well here. To date, he has run well at Fontana indeed, scoring his first ever Cup victory here in 2002 and winning here again last fall. His average finish after 10 career Cup starts at Fontana is an impressive seventh.

Matt Kenseth – Kenseth has won this race the last two years (and finished seventh in the last three Fontana fall events oddly enough.) These big flat tracks just seem to suit Kenseth and the Roush iron beneath him.

The Joe Gibbs Mob – Sure, they all ran well in Speedweeks, but can they back up that power on a non-plate track? This weekend’s race might give us an insight into how well the Toyota teams are going to run this year.

frontstretch.com

Auto Club 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

The top story coming into the NASCAR Cup race this week at California Speedway will be the element of uncertainty with the new car running its first race on an intermediate cookie cutter track. The series has run on every type of track for the last year other than what they actually run the most on. They practiced plenty at both Las Vegas and California prior to Daytona speed weeks, but the actual race conditions can’t be duplicated.

The intermediate tracks have always been the tracks that certain teams focused their attention on since they compile almost half of the season’s races. Teams like Roush-Fenway Racing won championships with the method of focusing so much at the intermediate tracks. It’s not to say they didn’t want to be better at restrictor plate races. The Daytona 500 is nice, but it is only one race with only four total plate races on a season. The logic is that it would likely better serve a team, if they had to concentrate on one area, to make it on these tracks.

Jack Roush became the king of the cookie cutter tracks with almost everyone of his drivers performing at the highest levels on these tracks. Mark Martin started the run, was then aided by Jeff Burton, then Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, and now with Carl Edwards. Kenseth and Busch put together Championship seasons with the philosophy of being really good in one area.

You have to believe that Roush will have that same type of edge with the new cars, but yet there still is that uncertainty until we actually see some racing. In years past, a Roush driver has always been considered the favorite to win at California. This year Matt Kenseth comes into this race as the third choice to win at 8-1 behind Hendrick drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Kenseth has won the February California race the last two seasons and has finished no worse than seventh in his last three starts there.

Hendrick has done well for themselves at California as well with six wins. However, their odds as being the favorites right now have more to do with their dominating success in the new car where they have proved to be better than everyone on all types of tracks they have run on.

One of the only distinctions we can assume will take place that occurred in Sunday’s Daytona 500 is that cars will be much more racier than we have experienced as viewers in the past for California races. The drivers also agree that the new cars will allow for a more competitive race from their end as well.

“I’m looking forward to these cars because everyone is so close,” said Carl Edwards during the test, which was preceded by a two-day test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I believe that opens the opportunity for the drivers to be able to make a little bit bigger difference. I think that’s going to be a pretty good thing.”

“I think you're going to see a lot of people moving around,” said Kevin Harvick of Sunday’s Auto Club 500. “I think this car, even at Las Vegas, you could move around and make time. You're just going to see a lot of different grooves develop as the race goes on.”

Will the Hendrick new car advantage continue as they venture into the realm of the unknown? Based on the time trials at both Vegas and California, it appears that the gap has closed on the huge advantage that Hendrick had last season. The Toyota’s led by Joe Gibbs’s trio of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Tony Stewart all looked dialed in and ready to go. We can’t use Daytona much as a barometer because of the restrictor plates used there, but there was a similar case of the test times from Daytona pre-season being relevant to what actually happened in the race. The same occurrence is likely to happen again this week as the Gibbs drivers perform well enough to compete for the win. Hamlin posted the fastest overall time while Kyle Busch was third fastest.

One of the surprises that came from the testing was how fast Ryan Newman was in the testing. The Penske team, now owners of a Daytona 500 trophy, has struggled over the last few seasons trying to get back on track to the days where Newman was a contender in every cookie cutter track. At the test session, Newman posted the second fastest times.

Another driver who used to be great on these types of tracks but slipped last season was Kasey Kahne. Kahne has one win to his credit at California along with two other Top 5 finishes. Perhaps some organizational changes and the Budweiser sponsorship will have Kahne back in the mix contending for a win. Their new car performance really improved drastically as the season went on last season.

We’ll stick with tradition and Jack Roush’s knowledge of setting up a winning car at California and observe with great attention to get an edge on the Las Vegas race running in Week 3.

Top 5 Finish prediction:

1) #99 Carl Edwards (13/1)
2) #18 Kyle Busch (13/1)
3) #11 Denny Hamlin (13/1)
4) #24 Jeff Gordon (5/1)
5) #17 Matt Kenseth (7/1)

Fantasy Preview: Auto Club 500

I've often wondered why races at California Speedway are 500-mile affairs when races at Michigan International Speedway -- the facility Fontana was modeled after -- has 400-mile events. It must be something about trying to give West Coast fans as much up-close exposure as possible. Well, maybe the powers that be at NASCAR and the speedway would do a better job of selling out the facility if they made races shorter in an effort to keep viewers from going into sleep-induced comas. In the past four years, California races have lasted an average of 3:38 minutes -- or 56 minutes longer than the average Michigan race in that same span. Keep your events under three hours, and you'll make races much more palatable for everyone. Always leave 'em wanting more.

But enough moaning about that. Fantasy owners must prepare for this race as is, and that means engine longevity plays a big part in who wins this race. Not only does your engine have to last 500 miles, it needs to make the power at the end to enter victory lane. There won't be any surprise winners of this race. A driver from a powerhouse team will win it.

As you set your lineups this week, keep in mind these drivers.

TOP TIER

Jimmie Johnson. In 10 Sprint Cup races at California, the native of El Cajon, Calif. has six top-five finishes, including wins last September and in his first race here in 2002 -- which actually was his first career win. No one has spent more laps in the top 15 and has a better average finish (5.8) than Johnson in the last six California races. He starts up front and stays there. It is important for Johnson to do well in his backyard, and it shows in his results.

Carl Edwards. Though he hasn't led many laps here, Edwards has finished sixth or better in six of his seven California races. Only Roush Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth and Johnson have accumulated more points the past six California races than Edwards.

Matt Kenseth. Eight top-10 finishes in 12 California races resonates loudly. He has won this event twice and has failed to lead at least one lap in only four career California races.

MIDDLE TIER

Kasey Kahne. His California driver rating of 96.5 is seventh among all competitors. His 10th place finish in the race here last September should signal that his strength at intermediate and superspeedway tracks is back.

Clint Bowyer. His driver rating isn't great (86.3), but remember that he didn't start leading laps and being a frontrunner until he got to the Chase. California was the final race before last year's Chase. Bowyer has two top-10 finishes here, including a sixth-place run in this race last season.

BOTTOM TIER

Brian Vickers. He's one of the go-or-go-home guys, but he's not as big of a risk as you'd think. Vickers comfortably qualified for both California races last year with Red Bull Racing and finished in the top 10 in each event. Credit all the lessons he learned with Hendrick Motorsports as the reason for his success here.

Robby Gordon. Engine reliability was typically a problem for Gordon in the past at this track, but his deal with Gillett Evernham Motorsports should help in that regard. He's another California native that would love to show off in front of his friends and family -- and get back some of the 100 points he lost at Daytona.

DON'T YOU DARE USE ...

Jamie McMurray. McMurray ranks 11th in points accumulated in the past six California races, but he has not finished better than 16th in his last three races there. Most of his good finishes at this track were with Ganassi Racing.

Ryan Newman. The Daytona 500 champion will be on a big high, but he has finished no better than 12th in the past five California races. His fourth-place qualifying effort last September is a sign of hope, but I still think you'll end up being disappointed if you use him here.

Kevin Harvick. Not all California natives do well at this track. Harvick is the most apparent example. In 11 career races, Harvick has two top-10 finishes. He may have won last year's race here if a flat tire didn't take him out of contention, but I'm not convinced he's for real here because he finished only 14th in September.

sportingnews.com

Kenseth, Johnson Look to Have Edge at The Auto Club 500 At California Speedway

500 winner Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards May Have Other Ideas

The “new car” raced at 10 of the 22 different NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tracks last season, meaning the drivers had 12 new lessons to learn coming into the 2008 season. What would the competition hold? How would the new car fare?

Lesson 1 - Daytona International Speedway - is complete and the new car offered some of the most competitive racing ever seen at a Daytona 500. There were 42 lead changes among 16 drivers. Only five times since 1972 has a Daytona 500 seen that many lead changes, and the 16 different leaders is the second-most ever.
The new car competes at another new track this Sunday - California Speedway. The series tested there from Jan. 31-Feb. 1 with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman posting times at or near the top of the charts.

Also faring well at the test was Matt Kenseth, who is a juggernaut at California. He has two wins and five top 10s in the last five races. Plus, for all the superstitious handicappers out there, Kenseth has a “numbers game” advantage this Sunday. A quirky coincidental sequence has him heading to Victory Lane — his last five finishes at California go like this: 7th, 1st, 7th, 1st, 7th.
But more logical prognosticators might want to go with the Loop Data. Kenseth leads in a number of categories including the key Driver Rating (113.9) and Average Running Position (7.2) statistics.
One result is likely at California — the winner of Sunday’s race will be a proven one. Each of the 11 different winners in the 15 races at California has at least one appearance in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

60 Years Of NASCAR, 1948-2008: Plenty of California Tradition

NASCAR’s 60th anniversary season continues this week with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returning to California Speedway for Sunday’s Auto Club 500, renewing a tradition that has long preceded the 2-mile Fontana oval.

NASCAR has a rich, varied history in California that is worth remembering and cherishing. California events in NASCAR’s premier series — a total of 119 heading into Sunday — have played a vital role in building the sport’s popularity. Twenty-three of those 119 events were held in the 1950s.

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are two of seven California natives currently competing in NASCAR Sprint Cup. Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears, Robby Gordon, David Gilliland and AJ Allmendinger are the others
No other state has that many NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers these days.

And that situation surely owes some sort of debt to the “old days” of NASCAR in California that began with NASCAR’s third season of existence, 1951.

California Speedway Data
Race # 2 of 36 (2-24-08)
Track Size: 2 miles
Race Length: 250 laps/500 miles
Banking/Corners: 14 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 11 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 3 degrees

Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Jeff Gordon (185.735 mph, 38.765 seconds)
2007 race winner: Matt Kenseth (138.451 mph, 2-25-07)
Track qualifying record: Kyle Busch (188.425 mph, 38.248 seconds,
2-25-05)
Track race record: Jeff Gordon (155.012 mph, 6-22-97)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 40-44 laps, based on fuel mileage

Driver Rating at California
Matt Kenseth 113.9
Jimmie Johnson 111.3
Kyle Busch 109.3
Mark Martin 103.6
Tony Stewart 101.2
Carl Edwards 100.6
Kasey Kahne 96.5
Greg Biffle 95.4
Kurt Busch 95.1
Jeff Burton 92.8
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2007 races (6 total) at California.

Loop Stats:

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
Two wins, four top fives, eight top 10s
Average finish of 16.7
Series-best Average Running Position of 7.2
Series-best Driver Rating of 113.9
89 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 172.195 mph, second-best
1,332 Laps in the Top 15 (88.5%), second-most
256 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe�s Chevrolet)
Two wins, six top fives
Average finish of 6.8
Average Running Position of 7.7, second-best
Driver Rating of 111.3, second-best
99 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
Series-fastest Average Green Flag Speed of 172.261
Series-high 1,381 Laps in the Top 15 (91.8%)
325 Quality Passes, third-most

Can’t forget about these drivers:

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M�s Toyota)
One win, two top fives, five top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 11.1
Average Running Position of 9.4, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 109.3, third-best
102 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
Green Flag Speed of 171.985 mph, fifth-fastest
1,259 Laps in the Top 15 (83.7%), third-most
294 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
One win, three top fives, five top 10s; three poles
Average finish of 11.3
Average Running Position of 11.5, sixth-best
Driver Rating of 95.1, ninth-best
70 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
1,136 Laps in the Top 15 (75.5%), third-most
259 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
One win, two top fives
Average finish of 20.1
Average Running Position of 13.5, 11th-best
Driver Rating of 95.4, eighth-best
Series-high 134 Fastest Laps Run
464 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 171.810 mph, eighth-fastest