A glance at the 12 drivers in the Chase
A glance at the 12 drivers competing in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship heading into this weekend's race at Auto Club Speedway (in order of points):
DRIVER: Mark Martin
CHASE POINTS: first, 5,551 points
CAR: No. 5 Carquest/Kellogg's Chevrolet
TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 16
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 14.9 (won in 1998)
LAST WEEK: Remained in the lead - and actually extended it by eight points - with a seventh-place at Kansas. Needs to avoid a repeat of his 40th-place finish at California in the spring.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We finished as high as we could,'' Martin said. ``We raced our guts out, and that's what you've got to do in all of them and see how they (points) tally up.''
DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson
CHASE POINTS: second, -18
CAR: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet
TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 13
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 6.2 (won three times)
LAST WEEK: Missed a chance to wrest the points lead from Martin with a so-so ninth-place finish at Kansas. Heading home, however, to a place where he's dominated. His average finish at California is the best among Chase drivers.
CHASE CHATTER: ``Not the finish we were after; we felt like we could have finished better because the first half of the race went so well,'' Johnson said. ``But ninth isn't the end of the world.''
DRIVER: Juan Pablo Montoya
CHASE POINTS: third, -51
CAR: No. 42 Target Chevrolet
TEAM: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 5
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 22.0 (best 11th)
LAST WEEK: Is he for real? Hung tough at Kansas for a second straight fourth-place finish and his consistency in the three Chase races could mean trouble for the rest of the field.
CHASE CHATTER: ``Three top-5 finishes in the first three Chase races is huge, you know,'' Montoya said. ``And it's what we need to do every weekend.''
DRIVER: Tony Stewart
CHASE POINTS: fourth, -67
CAR: No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet
TEAM: Stewart/Haas Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 16
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 15.9
LAST WEEK: What slump? Stewart won for the first time in nearly two months at Kansas to get back into the Chase. Has never really raced well at California, however, but that doesn't mean he won't stumble upon the right formula.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We know what details we're missing now to become a strong championship contending team,'' said crew chief Darian Grubb.
DRIVER: Kurt Busch
CHASE POINTS: fifth, -91
CAR: No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
TEAM: Penske Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Minus 1
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 14
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 12.9 (won in 2003)
LAST WEEK: Slipped a spot in the Chase with an 11th-place finish at Kansas. It could have been worse. He started 39th and fought the car for much of the day.
CHASE CHATTER: ``When you look at the leader board and see 11 out of the top 12 guys Chase drivers, it makes it really tough to gain spots and earn points,'' Busch said. ``We'll take our notes, learn from them and head to California.''
DRIVER: Denny Hamlin
CHASE POINTS: sixth, -99
CAR: No. 11 FedEx Toyota
TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 7
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 14.0 (best 3rd in 2008)
LAST WEEK: Bounced back from a lost weekend at Dover to post his fourth top-five in his last six races. California hasn't been his favorite place, but he was third there last fall and sixth during this year's February race.
CHASE CHATTER: ``It was a solid run. I felt like maybe we could have finished a little better than that,'' Hamlin said. ``It's better than what we usually run here. So, we're going to keep digging.''
DRIVER: Jeff Gordon
CHASE POINTS: seventh, -103
CAR: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet
TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports
POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 18
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 10.9 (won three times)
LAST WEEK: Couldn't quite reel in Stewart over the final 10 laps at Kansas, but now heads to a track he loves and appears to be in sync with crew chief Steve Letarte after Letarte found the right setup midway through Kansas.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We were really far off when the race started, and I thought there is no way we'll ever finish second so that's just what kind of great team that we have and how we never, never give up,'' Gordon said.
DRIVER: Greg Biffle
CHASE POINTS: eighth, -114
CAR: No. 16 3M Scotch Brand Ford
TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 13
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 17.1 (won in 2005)
LAST WEEK: Remains a factor after a third-place finish in Kansas in his best race since June. Ran strong all day, perhaps a sign that Roush Fenway is getting its act together after a disappointing regular season.
CHASE CHATTER: ``Maybe we found out what some of these other guys have been doing that we haven't,'' Biffle said.
DRIVER: Ryan Newman
CHASE POINTS: ninth, -164
CAR: No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet
TEAM: Stewart/Haas Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Minus 2
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 13
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 19.2 (best 3rd in 2004)
LAST WEEK: Goodbye Newman? Struggled in qualifying and struggled during the race, as a pit road penalty and handling issues led to a 22nd-place finish to knock him out of serious Chase contention. Best bet now is to help the boss, Tony Stewart, win the title.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We finally got the car better towards the end, but we were a lap down and (had) nothing to show for it,'' Newman said. ``It was just a struggling day.''
DRIVER: Carl Edwards
CHASE POINTS: 10th, -164
CAR: No. 99 Aflac Ford
TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 10
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 6.7 (won in 2008)
LAST WEEK: Steadily worked his way from the back of the field to a 10th-place finish at Kansas, his first top 10 in a month. More realistic goal, however, is ending winless streak than competing for Chase title.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We have just got to be a little faster, a little better,'' Edwards said. ``With Greg (Biffle) running as good as he did, our car being as fast as it was, there's a lot to look forward to.''
DRIVER: Kasey Kahne
CHASE POINTS: 11th, -190
CAR: No. 9 Budweiser Dodge
TEAM: Richard Petty Motorsports
POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 13
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 11.0 (won in 2006)
LAST WEEK: Finally clawed out of the Chase cellar with a solid sixth-place at Kansas on the heels of RPM owner George Gillett saying he's optimistic about the embattled team's future.
CHASE CHATTER: ``This week, we actually had a good car,'' Kahne said. ``It's just tough battling all those guys, they run so good. California is another good track for us, a track we're pretty good at.''
DRIVER: Brian Vickers
CHASE POINTS: 12th, -250
CAR: No. 83 Red Bull Toyota
TEAM: Red Bull Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Minus 2
CAREER CALIFORNIA STARTS: 11
AVERAGE CALIFORNIA FINISH: 16.0 (best 3rd in 2005)
LAST WEEK: Surest sign you're having a bad week: you're tweeting before the race is actually finished. Vickers' nightmarish weekend - which included a spin thru the infield - ended with a 37th-place finish.
CHASE CHATTER: ``Really glad to be leaving Kansas,'' Vickers posted on his Twitter page. ``This was NOT the weekend we wanted/needed.''
California Pepsi 500 Preview
by Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
The last time we visited the scenic landscape of beautiful Fontana, California for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race was a week after the season opening Daytona 500. At that juncture, Matt Kenseth had won two races in a row and it looked like Roush-Fenway Racing was going to dominate the year and win their third Championship.
Why wouldn’t we think that? The year prior, Carl Edwards had won nine races finishing a close second to Jimmie Johnson for the Championship. Greg Biffle charged hard in the Chase getting two wins and finishing third in points. Kenseth had made his fifth Chase in a row, and setting 2009 a blaze with two straight wins was unheard of. Even the youngster on the team, David Ragan, had a bright future in store because he barely missed the Chase and finished 13th.
Here we are now, 28 races later, and Carl Edwards doesn’t have a single win which would make him the biggest drop off in wins from one season to the next by a full time driver if he doesn’t win at least three more in the next seven races.
Greg Biffle has ran well, but still doesn’t have a win. Matt Kenseth, who started so fast, failed to miss the Chase for the first time in his career. David Ragan, for his climb up the ladder, has turned 2009 into a disaster sitting 31st in points just ahead of Paul Menard and Robby Gordon.
Needless to say, something has gone wrong in the Roush stable and we haven’t even discussed Jamie McMurray.
However, if there is one track that can get the Roush group going, California Speedway is it. Since 1998, Five different Roush drivers have won seven times. Of those drivers, Kenseth leads the way with three wins.
Last week at Kansas, Kenseth had a turnaround despite a DNF. During the final practice sessions for the race on Saturday, he had top-3 times in both practices which was a major change of pace because Kenseth hasn’t been fast in any practice on any track all season. Whatever they did made his car go faster and may be enough reason to think he may be able to duplicate what he did in February in Fontana.
Greg Biffle had a great run last week at Kansas finishing third and in this race last season he finished second. In the first race run there this season, Biffle finished fourth. Despite his good finish last week, he still lost a position in points to Jeff Gordon he finished just ahead of him. However, Biffle still feels pretty confident coming into this weeks race.
"I have always loved racing at California, said Biffle. “I think we could have won the last two races there. We just ran out of time last fall and I made a mistake in the pits earlier this year. The 3M team is at the top of their game and we should have had the win last weekend at Kansas. I made a decision to put on four tires at the end and it didn’t work out for us. I guess the way I’m looking at this weekend is that I owe these guys one, so I’m going to do everything I can to get the 16 car into victory lane."
Biffle has one win and four top-5 finishes at California. Earlier this season at California, Biffle was running the fastest laps on the track in second place and catching the leader when he stopped on the front changer’s air hose during a late-race pit stop. He restarted 11th with 35 laps to go and finished fourth.
Look for Biffle to have similar results this week, if not better.
Carl Edwards is the mystery driver of them all. How he fallen so far while using many of the same chassis’ from last season’s fantastic run is beyond anyone’s estimation. He hasn’t even come close to contending for a win. It’s not as and a fall as Ragan’s, but it could be considered worse just because of what he did last season. All year it seems like Edwards is battling for 11th place.
The winner of this race the last two seasons has been Jimmie Johnson. This is the site of El Cajon, CA native Johnson’s first career win. In 13 career starts, he has won three times. He had a little trouble after the last pit stop last week and saw him finish ninth after leading 53 laps on the day. He ended up losing eight points to current leader Mark Martin, sitting 18 points behind.
This week, Johnson is going to inducted into the California Speedway’s “Walk of Fame”, whatever that is. The honor comes for his excellence on the speedway where his three wins are tied with Kenseth and Jeff Gordon in all-time track wins.
Johnson will look to get win number four this week using the same chassis that he won at Indianapolis with in July.
Jeff Gordon won the first race ever on the track and has three wins overall in his 18 starts. He finished second in the first race there this season, just like he did last week.
"I feel like our mile and a half program has really improved this year," said Gordon.
"California was a track earlier in the year where I felt like we let one slip away. And I'm hoping that we can get that one back the next time we go."
With the way that he has ran on 1.5 and 2-mile tracks this season, Gordon could again be a good choice to win this week.
Juan Pablo Montoya used his third straight brand new chassis in the Chase last week at Kansas and finished fourth. The guy has completely transformed into a rock-solid NASCAR driver along with finally getting some good equipment. He currently sits third in points and with his run last week should be considered a real candidate to win.
"Three top-five finishes in the first three Chase races is huge, you know," Montoya said. "And it's what we need to do every weekend. A championship is beating everybody else. We come here to race and to win races and to win races you've got to beat everyone else. We know that we've got good cars. We know we're in a very good position but at the end of the day it's 10 races."
I’ve always been dismissive about his chances just because of his mediocre past in the series, but I have flip-flopped. When Theresa Earnhardt opens her wallet for the betterment of the team - a first since she took control of the team, I have to change my opinion. Too bad there wasn’t a road course race in the Chase.
TOP 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #16 Greg Biffle (12/1)
2) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
3) #2 Kurt Busch (16/1)
4) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
5) #11 Denny Hamlin (12/1)
Driver Highlights - California
By VI News
Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12 going into the fourth race of the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – the Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 11.
1 - Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.1
2009 Rundown:
# Five wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; seven poles
# Average finish of 14.3
# Led 19 races for 786 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
# Average finish of 14.9 in 16 races
# Average Running Position of 11.7, eighth-best
# Driver Rating of 94.9, ninth-best
# 59 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.103 mph, eighth-fastest
# 1,240 Laps in the Top 15 (70.7%), 13th-most
2 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 112.2
2009 Rundown:
# Four wins, 11 top fives, 18 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 11.9
# Led 24 races for 1,590 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# Three wins, eight top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 6.2 in 13 races
# Series-best Average Running Position of 5.9
# Series-best Driver Rating of 119.4
# Series-high 300 Fastest Laps Run
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 171.960 mph Series-high 2,130 Laps in the Top 15 (94.5%)
# 425 Quality Passes, third-most
3 - Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.8
2009 Rundown:
# Five top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 12.8
# Led 8 races for 270 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# Average finish of 22.0 in five races
# Average Running Position of 20.1, 21st-best
# Driver Rating of 68.4, 23rd-best
4 - Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.4
2009 Rundown:
# Four wins, 14 top fives, 20 top 10s
# Average finish of 9.0
# Led 16 races for 364 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# Three top fives, eight top 10s
# Average finish of 15.9 in 16 races
# Average Running Position of 10.8, fifth-best
# Driver Rating of 98.2, seventh-best
# 132 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.221 mph, seventh-fastest
# 1,736 Laps in the Top 15 (77.0%), sixth-most
# 421 Quality Passes, fourth-most
5 - Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.9
2009 Rundown:
# One win, eight top fives, 16 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.3
# Led 16 races for 525 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# One win, four top fives, six top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 12.9 in 14 races
# Average Running Position of 13.9, 10th-best
# Driver Rating of 93.1, 10th-best
# 85 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
# 626 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
# 1,565 Laps in the Top 15 (69.4%), eighth-most
# 378 Quality Passes, eighth-most
6 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.2
2009 Rundown:
# Two wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.1
# Led 14 races for 1,015 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# One top five, three top 10s
# Average finish of 14.0 in seven races
# Average Running Position of 14.9, 12th-best
# Driver Rating of 90.0, 11th-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 170.924 mph, 10th-fastest
7 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.0
2009 Rundown:
# One win, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s
# Average finish of 10.6
# Led 14 races for 698 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# Three wins, nine top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 10.9 in 18 races
# Average Running Position of 9.8, fourth-best
# Driver Rating of 98.4, sixth-best
# 148 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# 677 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.232 mph, sixth-fastest
# 1,740 Laps in the Top 15 (77.2%), fifth-most
# 449 Quality Passes, second-most
8 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/Sherwin Williams Ford)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.4
2009 Rundown:
# Nine top fives, 14 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.9
# Led 12 races for 545 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# One win, four top fives, four top 10s
# Average finish of 17.1 in 13 races
# Average Running Position of 11.1, seventh-best
# Driver Rating of 100.8, fifth-best
# 206 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.393 mph, fifth-fastest
# 1,583 Laps in the Top 15 (70.2%), seventh-most
9 - Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.1
2009 Rundown:
# Five top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 13.9
# Led 13 races for 187 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# Two top fives, four top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 19.2 in 13 races
# Average Running Position of 18.5, 18th-best
# Driver Rating of 75.1, 17th-best
# 720 Green Flag Passes, second-most
10 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.5
2009 Rundown:
# Seven top fives, 12 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.8
# Led 11 races for 162 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# One win, six top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 6.7 in 10 races
# Average Running Position of 10.8, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 105.0, fourth-best
# 139 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.512 mph, third-fastest
# 1,783 Laps in the Top 15 (79.1%), fourth-most
# 390 Quality Passes, seventh-most
11 - Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.3
2009 Rundown:
# Two wins, five top fives, 12 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.3
# Led 6 races for 180 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# One win, three top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 13.0 in 11 races
# Average Running Position of 13.6, ninth-best
# Driver Rating of 97.3, eighth-best
# 96 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
# 647 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.072 mph, ninth-fastest
# 1,486 Laps in the Top 15 (65.9%), 10th-most
# 400 Quality Passes, sixth-most
12 - Brian Vickers (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.5
2009 Rundown:
# One win, four top fives, 13 top 10s; six poles
# Average finish of 15.6
# Led 10 races for 101 laps
Auto Club Speedway Outlook:
# One top five, four top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 16.0 in 11 races
# Average Running Position of 16.3, 15th-best
# Driver Rating of 85.8, 13th-best
# 674 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
# 1,256 Laps in the Top 15 (55.7%), 12th-most
# 343 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Driver Handicaps: Auto Club
Racingone.com
This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Auto Club Speedway for Sunday's Pepsi 500. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 250-lap event.
Who's HOT at Auto Club
• Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon are the only multiple winners with three wins each.
• Carl Edwards has one win and a 6.7 average finish in 10 starts.
• Kyle Busch, a winner in 2005, has finished in the top 10 in his last eight starts.
• Greg Biffle is coming off consecutive top-five finishes.
• Kasey Kahne, a winner in 2006, has finished 12th or better in seven of his last eight starts.
Keep an Eye on at Auto Club
• Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers have respective average finishes of 6.3 and 6.7 on 2-mile speedways in 2009.
• Tony Stewart has finished in the top 10 in the last three races at Auto Club Speedway with the earlier start time.
• Mark Martin has 36 combined career top 10s at Auto Club and Michigan International Speedway.
• Juan Pablo Montoya has finished in the top five in the three Chase races so far.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Sam Hornish Jr. finished in the top five at Michigan in August.
Track Performers
Jeff Gordon lead all drivers in 2009 on the 2-mile speedways of Auto Club and Michigan with an average finish of 2.0. Other drivers that have a strong average are Carl Edwards (5.0), Denny Hamlin (6.3), Brian Vickers (6.7) and Greg Biffle (9.7). Mark Martin, who has a win at Michigan this season, leads all drivers with 36 top 10s on 2-mile speedways. Jimmie Johnson has led 353 laps in the three races this season.
RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Jeff Gordon
Pete Pistone: Matt Kenseth
Rachael West: Mark Martin
Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings
(All stats/notes are in regards to Auto Club unless noted)
1. Mark Martin: Finished 40th in the spring after an engine failure; February track start marked first with Hendrick Motorsports and third in a Chevrolet; Last top five (fifth) came in 2007 driving the No. 01 Chevrolet for Ginn Racing; Posted six top 10s in previous 13 starts with Roush Racing; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 550) that finished second at Indianapolis in July.
2. Jimmie Johnson: Defending event winner; Win was second in 13 starts; Finished ninth in the spring for ninth top 10; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 553) that won at Indianapolis in July.
3. Juan Pablo Montoya: Coming off best finish in five starts; 11th-place finish in February came in first track start in a Chevrolet; Has posted the eighth best average finish (12.0) on 2-mile tracks in 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 819) that led 116 laps at Indianapolis.
4. Tony Stewart: Finished eighth in first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing in February; Posted seven top 10s in previous 15 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Has the sixth best average finish (10.7) on 2-mile tracks in 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 511) that finished 11th at Atlanta last month.
5. Kurt Busch: Has posted a 16.6 average finish in seven starts with Penske Racing; Finished fifth in the spring; Won the 2003 race with Roush Racing; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 701) in the Pepsi 500.
6. Denny Hamlin: Has posted a 4.5 average finish in last two starts; Has the third best average finish (6.3) on 2-mile tracks in 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 246) that led 299 laps en route to the win at Richmond last month.
7. Jeff Gordon: Three-time winner; Finished second in the spring for ninth top five in 18 starts; Has posted the best average finish (2.0) on 2-mile tracks in 2009.
8. Greg Biffle: Won the spring race in 2005; Coming off two-straight top fives; Has posted the fifth best average finish (9.7) on 2-mile tracks in 2009; Will race the same car (chassis No. 648) that finished 20th at Michigan in August.
9. Ryan Newman: Finished 28th in track debut with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009; Posted four top 10s and one pole in previous 12 starts with Penske Racing; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 485) in the Pepsi 500.
10. Carl Edwards: Has finished seventh or better in nine of his 10 starts; Won the 2008 spring race after leading 64 laps; Has the second best average finish (5.0) on 2-mile tracks in 2009; Will race the same car (chassis No. 669) that finished fourth at Michigan in August.
11. Kasey Kahne: Won this event in 2006; Has finished in the top 10 in seven of his 11 starts; Finished 11th in his last start on a 2-mile track (Michigan).
12. Brian Vickers: Won the pole and finished 10th in February; Finish was fourth top 10 in 11 starts; Won in the series' last trip to a 2-mile speedway (Michigan).
13. Kyle Busch: Has posted a 4.7 average finish in three starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Third-place finish in February was eighth consecutive top 10; Won this event in 2005 with Hendrick Motorsports; Will race the same car (chassis No. 254) that finished 13th in its debut at Atlanta last month.
14. Matt Kenseth: Three-time winner; Win in February was third at the track; Leads all drivers with 11 top 10s and average finish of 3.7 with the COT.
15. David Reutimann: Only top 10 in five starts came in this event last year; Finished ninth at Auto Club's sister track, Michigan, in August.
16. Clint Bowyer: Scored third top 10 in this event last year; Has a 13.0 average finish in seven starts; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 267) that finished 19th at ACS in February.
17. Marcos Ambrose: Has posted a 27.0 average finish in two starts; Best finish on a 2-mile track in 2009 is 22nd at Auto Club in February.
18. Jeff Burton: Has posted a 15.9 average finish in 10 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Best finish with the team is a pair of fourth-place runs in 2007; Recorded three additional top 10s in previous starts with Roush Racing; Will be racing the same car (chassis No. 255) that finished 18th at Richmond last month.
19. Casey Mears: Finished 29th in first track start with Richard Childress Racing in February; Two top 10s in 12 starts came with Ganassi Racing; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 248) that finished 11th and 13th, respectively, at New Hampshire this season.
20. Joey Logano: Finished 26th in Cup debut at the track in February; Has posted a 19.3 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2009; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 258) in the Pepsi 500.
21. Kevin Harvick: Finished 38th in February after a crash took him out of contention; Has recorded four top 10s in 14 starts; Finished fourth in this event last year; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 288) in the Pepsi 500.
22. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Has posted a 30.0 average finish in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Scored four top 10s in previous 12 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Has led six laps and recorded an average finish of 18.7 in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2009.
23. Jamie McMurray: Last top 10 with Roush Fenway came in the 2006 spring race; Four other top 10s in 12 overall starts came with Ganassi Racing; 19.7 average finish on 2-mile tracks in 2009; Will race the same car (chassis No. 670) that finished 32nd at Michigan in August.
24. AJ Allmendinger: Finished 29th in first track start with Richard Petty Motorsports in February; Best finish came in this event last year with Team Red Bull in 14th.
25. Martin Truex Jr.: Two top 10s in seven starts; Finished 27th in February; Will race the same car (chassis No. 803) that finished 18th and 19th, respectively, at Pocono this season.
26. Elliott Sadler: Won this event in 2004 with Yates Racing; Has yet to post a top 10 in six starts with Richard Petty Motorsports (Gillett Evernham): Will pilot a car (chassis No. 270) that AJ Allmendinger last drove to a 29th-place finish at Dover in May.
27. Sam Hornish Jr.: Has a 32.3 average finish in three starts; Finish of 23rd in February is best-to-date; Finished fifth at Auto Club's sister track, Michigan, in August.
28. Reed Sorenson: Has a 27.3 average finish; Finished 21st four times, his best finish in seven starts.
29. David Stremme: Coming off best finish (13th) in five starts; Finish in February came in first track start with Penske Racing; 21.3 average finish on 2-mile tracks in 2009; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 622) in the Pepsi 500
30. Bobby Labonte: Finished 20th in first track start behind the wheel of the No. 96 Ford in February; All five of his top fives came with Joe Gibbs Racing from 1997-2004.
NASCAR heads West
By Brobury Sports
Stewart makes a move
Tony Stewart has moved up the championship odds-board as NASCAR heads to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
Stewart won last week at Kansas Speedway and has seen his title odds go from +6000 to +4000. That moves him ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya and only behind the two significant favorites, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin.
Montoya has two 4th-place finishes and a 3rd in the three Chase races so far. The third-year driver is looking for his first Top 10 finish at Fontana. Matt Kenseth won the last race here in February.
Updated Sprint Cup Title Odds (points in parenthesis)
Jimmie Johnson +160 (5,533)
Mark Martin +225 (5,551)
Tony Stewart +400 (5,484)
Juan Pablo Montoya +500 (5,500)
Jeff Gordon +1000 (5,448)
Denny Hamlin +1500 (5,452)
Kurt Busch +1500 (5,460)
Greg Biffle +4000 (5,437)
Carl Edwards +5000 (5,386)
Ryan Newman +7500 (5,387)
Brian Vickers +10000 (5,301)
Kasey Kahne +10000 (5,361)
Here are the favorites for Sunday’s Pepsi 500. It will be broadcast on ABC at 3:15 pm EST.
Jimmie Johnson (+350)
Johnson has three wins, eight Top 5’s and nine Top 10’s in 13 Auto Club starts. He has an incredible average finish of 6.2 at this track.
Mark Martin (+500)
Martin has one win, four Top 5’s and seven Top 10’s in 16 Auto Club starts. Martin finished 7th last week after Top 5 finishes in his five previous starts.
Jeff Gordon (+700)
Gordon has three wins, nine Top 5’s and nine Top 10’s in 18 Auto Club starts. He last won here in 2004, with the other two wins coming in 1999 and 1997.
Tony Stewart (+1000)
Stewart has no wins, three Top 5’s and eight Top 10’s in 16 Auto Club starts. He may be overvalued at these odds given his relative lack of success here.
More of The Field
Carl Edwards (+1200)
Denny Hamlin (+1200)
Greg Biffle (+1200)
Juan Pablo Montoya (+1200)
Kyle Busch (+1200)
Matt Kenseth (+1500)
Brian Vickers (+2000)
Kasey Kahne (+2000)
Kurt Busch (+2000)
Clint Bowyer (+2500)
Kevin Harvick (+3000)
Ryan Newman (+3000)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+3500)
Hamlin cruises to first pole of the season at California
Fontana, CA (Sports Network) - Chase contender Denny Hamlin turned in the fastest lap in Friday's Sprint Cup Series qualifying at California Speedway to claim the pole for the Pepsi 500.
Hamlin, the third driver to qualify in the 45-car field, lapped the two-mile track at 183.870 m.p.h. (39.158 seconds) for his seventh career pole in the series, but his first since May 2008 at Richmond. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is currently 99 points behind leader Mark Martin heading into the fourth race of the Chase.
"It's been a long time for me, especially on a track like this," Hamlin said. "Our big track program -- mile-and-a-half and two-mile programs -- have been getting better and better. It's kind of our strong suit at this point."
David Reutimann, who is not in the Chase, qualified second, but his time was disallowed after his Toyota failed post-qualifying inspection. NASCAR confiscated Reutimann's rear shocks after the gas level in the shocks were found to be too high. He will start 42nd.
Therefore, Greg Biffle will start second, followed by Jimmie Johnson and Juan Pablo Montoya. All three are Chase drivers. Johnson, a native of nearby El Cajon, CA, won last year's fall race at his hometrack.
"Obviously, we wish we had a little bit more speed, but [Hamlin] put down one heck of a lap," said Johnson, who trails Martin by just 18 points.
Montoya, currently third in points (-33), damaged the right-rear of his car after making slight contact with the wall during his second qualifying lap. He is not expected to use a backup car.
"I just hit the fence a little bit and just ran out of talent I guess," Montoya said.
Martin Truex Jr. completed the top-five.
Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Martin and Jeff Gordon, who is seventh in points, will start sixth through 10th, respectively.
Ryan Newman qualified the worst among the 12 Chase drivers with a disappointing 36th starting position.
The remaining Chase drivers and their starting positions include: Carl Edwards (11th), Tony Stewart (20th), Kurt Busch (24th), Kasey Kahne (25th) and Brian Vickers (32nd).
Tony Raines and Mike Wallace failed to qualify.
Sunday's 400-mile race is scheduled to start just after 3:15 p.m. (et).
Happy Hour Notes - California
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
Saturday’s final practice sessions helped give a little more insight to who may win Sunday’s Pepsi 500 at California Speedway. The usual suspects, who seem to be there every week, are at it again this week.
Hendrick teammates Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson showed off again in practice each leading one the two Saturday sessions. Johnson was fastest in the first session which only ran 18 minutes because the track was running behind on the schedule due to fog on the track.
During Happy Hour, Mark Martin jumped out front early with the fast lap of 180.293 mph and no one could top it for the remainder of the hour. The current points leader and former winner on the track is showing everyone that isn’t going anywhere in this Chase.
Juan Pablo Montoya had a great day of practices and looks to be a contender again this week, not just for points, but for the actual win. He’s been knocking on the door too many times of late having cars nearly as good as the elite. Along with the great individual laps times, he was also fastest in average speeds during Happy Hour that ran at least 19 laps as he did.
What’s kind of strange is that Martin, Johnson, and Montoya all brought their Indy Chassis’ this week as their primary car at California. First, it’s odd that all three who were the dominant drivers in that Indy race would all be thinking the same thing. Secondly, Indy’s is relatively flat with tight turns opposed to California’s sweeping turns with lots of room, yet minimal banking of 14 degrees for a track so big.
At Indy, Johnson won, Martin finished second, and Montoya had the best car of the day leading 116 laps, but was caught speeding on pit row taking what looked to be a sure win away from.
The surprise of the day came with the crew at Richard Childress Racing, They were able to place all four of their drivers within the top-16 during Happy Hour, highlighted by Casey Mears being second fastest and Kevin Harvick fourth.
Perhaps even more of a surprise than the RCR stable doing well in practice was that Roush- Fenway drivers didn’t impress as they always have since the track opened in 1997. Roush has won a total of seven races on the track by five different drivers.
Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth were good in the shortened first session, but in Happy Hour they didn’t show anything at all and were led by a fast lap of Jamie McMurray who was eighth fastest. It’s likely Edwards will be running for a Top-5 in this race, but there’s also lots evidence that suggest maybe he won’t.
Following a series high nine wins in 2008, Edwards still is sitting on zero wins for 2009. After Roush had won the first two races of the season with Kenseth - including California - the entire team has clammed up with an output of zero wins.
It’s just practice, but it’s also a sign - among many - of how far the entire team has fallen by not practicing well on a track they have always done well at.
Pole-sitter Denny Hamlin continued his strong run from Friday into Saturday’s sessions by being second fastest during the limited early practice and followed that up with a third during Happy Hour where he had the top average times among all drivers running at least 30 laps.
Jeff Gordon won the first race ever on this track and has three altogether. He finished second to Kenseth back in February and continues to run strong on these type of tracks, including the 1.5-mile tracks as well. He was ninth fastest in the early practice and sixth best in Happy Hour.
Saturday’s Final Practice (Happy Hour)
1) Mark Martin 180.293 mph - AVG 37 laps @ 174.036
2) Casey Mears 179.897 mph - AVG 40 laps @ 173.661
3) Denny Hamlin 179.252 mph - AVG 39 laps @ 175.034
4) Kevin Harvick 179.131 mph - AVG 33 laps @ 174.327
5) Ryan Newman 178.434 mph - AVG 33 laps @ 173.158
Saturday’s Early Practice (Ran only 18 minutes due to being behind schedule on the day because of early fog at the track):
1) Jimmie Johnson 180.655 mph - AVG 9 laps @ 176.940
2) Denny Hamlin 180.442 mph - AVG 8 laps @ 177.343
3) Juan Pablo Montoya 180.162 mph - AVG 13 laps @ 176.153
4) Kurt Busch 179.969 mph - AVG 18 laps @ 174.651
5) Mark Martin 179.807 mph - AVG 11 laps @ 176.728
TOP 10 Rated Drivers at California based on happy Hour, current state of team, recent past history at Cal, and this seasons performances on 1.5 and 2-mile tracks.
1) Denny Hamlin
2) Jimmie Johnson
3) Mark Martin
4) Jeff Gordon
5) Juan Pablo Montoya
6) Carl Edwards
7) Kurt Busch
8) Tony Stewart
9) Greg Biffle
10) Kevin Harvick
Pepsi 500 Betting Matchups
By NASCAR JACK
"To be honest, I’m just interested in the racing every week. I’m not interested in scoring points. I’m doing this because I love racing and I love winning. To me, winning races is more important than winning a championship.”
Finally, someone said it. He races to win and not for points. That guy is Mark Martin (5-1), leader of the Chase, NASCAR’s playoffs.
Thanks, Mark.
The reason he is leading is because of the five wins he has this season - more than any other driver. And he’s not finished yet. Although winning this weekend’s event at Fontana might not be where he chalks up No. 6.
In the spring race, Martin was 40th and in this race last year he was 16th. But the 2-mile oval is definitely an opportunity for him to lead some laps and gather some extra points. For someone like me, who rants about racing for points instead of wins, Martin’s words are sweet music.
At the other extreme is Juan Pablo Montoya who has surprised a lot of people by finishing in the Top 5 in the first three Chase races. He is third in the Championship run, only 51 points behind Martin.
If Martin were to have a couple of bad finishes and Montoya continues to be consistent, we could see a non-winner of a race win the Championship. To me the contrast between trying to win races and just do well is like the difference between tofu and steak.
Here are my matchups
Greg Biffle (-125) vs Denny Hamlin (-105)
Denny won the pole but it so happens it “don’t mean nuthin’” as my Uncle Frank used to say. In 18 events at Fontana only one winner has come from the pole. However, all he has to do is beat Biffle who finished fourth in the spring and second in this race last year. Biff also has a win here and looks like he is getting geared up for a Chase win. He would have won last week but he guessed wrong about a tire change. This week he will leave that decision up to his crew chief. Biffle will finish ahead of Denny.
Mark Martin (-120) vs Jeff Gordon (-110)
Despite my praise for Martin’s strategy of winning, I think he will have a tough time finishing ahead of Gordon, who is the second favorite behind Jimmie Johnson. I think either Jeffie or Jimmie will win this race. They are both in their home state and they have had huge success at this track. Gordon has three wins, nine top 5s, nine top 10s and an AF of 10.9. Sorry, Mark, I pick Gordon in this matchup.
Juan Pablo Montoya (-125) vs Carl Edwards (-105)
Carl has cast off his cast but not his lack of wins. He is falling further out of the Chase and if he has one more mediocre performance you can stick a fork in him. We already know Montoya will be racing for a non-win but he will finish high. Montoya is my pick.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-130) vs. Ryan Newman (Even)
Junior has had more bad luck this year than the guy who fell head first into a Porta-Pottie. Trying to pick a winner of this matchup is like picking both nostrils at the same time. In his last three trips here, Junior has finished 39th, 40th and 40th. Newman has no wins, two top 5s, four top 10s and an AF of 19.2. I smell a train wreck even though locomotives are not supposed to race here. I don’t see Junior’s luck changing unless it gets worse. Pick Newman.
Pepsi 500 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard
Mark Martin extended his lead by eight points over Jimmie Johnson despite finishing seventh at Kansas last week and this week Martin and Johnson are favorites, but not the most desperate, to win as NASCAR travels to the Golden State and the ill-attended California Speedway for the Pepsi 500, the fourth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Gamblers should note that if you are betting on a manufacturer to win the race keep in mind that Chevrolet has dominated this season with 15 wins and have swept all three Chase races. Also, the top four cars in the Chase are Chevys. Mirroring their parent company’s woes Ford has won only two races in 2009. Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford won at Daytona and Fontana; but those wins seem so long ago.
Who will win the 2009 Pepsi 500?
My pick to win at Kansas last week was Tony Stewart who was 10/1 on the win line. Thanks to a solid race he moved to fourth in the Chase and cut 39 points off Martin’s lead in the Sprint Cup. Stewart’s win was a reminder to NASCAR fans why he was the points-leader for a majority of the season as the No. 14 car held off a hard-charging Jeff Gordon.
Going into Kansas there were only three drivers within 100 points of the leader. However, thanks to Stewart and Gordon finishing first and second with Greg Biffle, JPM, and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top-five, six drivers are within 100 points of Martin and Gordon. Certainly Johnson remains the driver to catch, but as Kansas showed this is why you race each week -- especially during the Chase.
However, all this hope that another driver might challenge for the win might be temporary as team Hendrick Motorsports will field three teams that can win at Fontana. Along with Martin and Johnson there is Gordon, who has finished no worse than third in two of his last three races at California. Gordon finished the Auto Club 500 second behind Matt Kenseth in February. Gordon has also won at California three times in 2004, 1999, 1997.
There is one driver that I am investing in on Sunday and that is No. 48. Perhaps I am drinking from the El Cajon, Calif., Kool-Aid, but in Johnson’s last seven Fontana starts he has an incredible five Top-5 and six Top-10 finishes. Johnson is only eight points behind his teammate Martin, a gap that is only two lead-laps away from changing. In California there are a few things you don’t do; tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don’t mess around with Jim.
Pick! Jimmie Johnson, No. 48, (7/2)
2009 Pepsi 500 - Lucky Dog Long Odds Special
The good news for Kasey Kahne is that due to his second consecutive Top-10 Chase finish; a sixth place finish at Kansas last week, he moved up one position from 12th to 11th in the Sprint Cup standings. The bad news is Kahne is an almost-insurmountable 190 points behind Martin and if Kahne hopes to contend for the Sprint Cup title he’ll need to start winning races and winning fast. This could be a tall order for his team at Richard Petty Motorsports and his Budweiser Dodge that has had a hard time getting going on restarts. Kahne sports three Top-10 finishes in his last four starts at California Speedway and should be able to remain competitive throughout the race. In the Auto Club 500 in February Kahne improved 10 spots from his start position of 22 to finish 12th. If you are looking for a live long-odds play why not grab this Chaser at 24/1?
Pick! Kasey Kahne, No. 9, (24/1)
2009 Pepsi 500 - Odds for Top 3 Finish
Nursing a broken foot isn’t the best way to enter the Chase, but that is what Rousch Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards has had to do. Not that he was running like he did last year when he finished the season in second due in large part to nine wins. This year the back flip hasn’t made an appearance and this is one reason why Edwards is in 10th place and 165 points behind the Sprint Cup leader. Only one driver has overcome a deficit this large and that was Johnson in 2007. The big question is can Edwards make up the difference with only seven races to go? Lost in the brilliance that is Johnson is the fact that when things are clicking Edwards is damned good at Fontana. California is arguably Edwards best track in the NSCS and he is second among active drivers with a 6.89 average finish. Edwards finished seventh in February and I look for him to do something crazy to win this race. Edwards won here in February of 2008 and this is almost a must-win for Edwards if he has any hope to salvage this disappointing season.
Pick! Carl Edwards, No. 99, (7/2)