Pepsi Max 400 News and Notes

Driver Highlights - California

1 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's/Johns Manville Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.9

2010 Rundown

# Six wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 13.9
# Led 19 races for 1,274 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# Five wins, 10 top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 5.5 in 15 races
# Series-best Average Running Position of 5.3
# Series-best Driver Rating of 124.0
# Series-high 413 Fastest Laps Run
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 172.095 mph
# Series-high 2,623 Laps in the Top 15 (95.2%)
# 547 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), sixth-most

2 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.3

2010 Rundown

# Six wins, 11 top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 14.4
# Led 15 races for 918 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# One top five, three top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 18.2 in nine races
# Average Running Position of 15.2, 14th-best
# Driver Rating of 87.6, 12th-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 170.958 mph, 10th-fastest
# 381 Quality Passes, 13th-most

3 - Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.8

2010 Rundown

# Three wins, 13 top fives, 19 top 10s
# Average finish of 9.6
# Led 12 races for 246 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# Two top fives, six top 10s
# Average finish of 17.7 in 16 races
# Average Running Position of 12.9, ninth-best
# Driver Rating of 91.5, 11th-best
# 821 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 170.951 mph, 11th-fastest
# 1,963 Laps in the Top 15 (71.3%), ninth-most

4 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.8

2010 Rundown

# Seven top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 11.4
# Led 9 races for 141 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# One win, six top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 7.2 in 12 races
# Average Running Position of 11.1, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 102.3, fourth-best
# 825 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.450 mph, second-fastest
# 2,148 Laps in the Top 15 (78.0%), fourth-most

5 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.8

2010 Rundown

# 11 top fives, 15 top 10s
# Average finish of 11.6
# Led 16 races for 844 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# Three wins, 10 top fives, 10 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 11.0 in 20 races
# Average Running Position of 9.4, third-best
# Driver Rating of 99.0, sixth-best
# 875 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.340 mph, sixth-fastest
# 2,168 Laps in the Top 15 (78.7%), third-most

6 - Kurt Busch (No. 2 Operation Home Front/Miller Lite Dodge)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.7

2010 Rundown

# Two wins, nine top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 13.9
# Led 15 races for 820 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# One win, four top fives, eight top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 12.2 in 16 races
# Average Running Position of 13.2, 10th-best
# Driver Rating of 94.2, ninth-best
# 838 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.020 mph, ninth-fastest
# 2,012 Laps in the Top 15 (73.0%), sixth-most

7 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.1

2010 Rundown

# Three wins, eight top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 12.4
# Led 15 races for 1,024 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# One win, four top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 10.8 in 12 races
# Average Running Position of 10.6, fifth-best
# Driver Rating of 102.4, third-best
# 821 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.272 mph, seventh-fastest
# 2,144 Laps in the Top 15 (77.8%), fifth-most

8 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/Sherwin Williams Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.0

2010 Rundown

# Two wins, six top fives, 15 top 10s
# Average finish of 15.0
# Led 10 races for 318 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# One win, four top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 16.8 in 15 races
# Average Running Position of 11.1, seventh-best
# Driver Rating of 99.0, seventh-best
# 820 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.358 mph, fourth-fastest
# 1,980 Laps in the Top 15 (71.9%), eighth-most

9 - Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.1

2010 Rundown

# Six top fives, 14 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.6
# Led 13 races for 392 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# Six top fives, seven top 10s
# Average finish of 16.7 in 20 races
# Average Running Position of 14.3, 11th-best
# Driver Rating of 86.7, 14th-best
# Series-high 911 Green Flag Passes
# 1,710 Laps in the Top 15 (62.1%), 12th-most

10 - Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.2

2010 Rundown

# One win, eight top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 13.3
# Led 17 races for 508 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# Four top fives, 10 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.9 in 18 races
# Average Running Position of 11.4, eighth-best
# Driver Rating of 96.8, eighth-best
# 825 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.199 mph, eighth-fastest
# 2,009 Laps in the Top 15 (72.9%), seventh-most

11 - Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 83.9

2010 Rundown

# Five top fives, 11 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.9
# Led 7 races for 61 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# Three wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s
# Average finish of 9.1 in 17 races
# Average Running Position of 9.2, second-best
# Driver Rating of 108.3, second-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 171.435 mph, third-fastest
# 2,236 Laps in the Top 15 (81.2%), second-most

12 - Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.7

2010 Rundown

# One win, five top fives, 15 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.6
# Led 12 races for 340 laps

Auto Club Speedway Outlook:

# One top five, five top 10s
# Average finish of 12.0 in nine races
# Average Running Position of 14.7, 12th-best
# Driver Rating of 86.8, 13th-best

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: Jimmie Johnson

CHASE POINTS: first, 5,503 points

CAR: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 15

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 1st (five times)

LAST WEEK: Drove his way back atop the Chase standings with a strong second-place finish at Kansas. Now heads to a track he's practically owned in recent years. The drive for five is very much alive.

CHASE CHATTER: ``There's still a lot of racing left, but we're doing the right things,'' Johnson said. ``We're making bad weekends good weekends.''

DRIVER: Denny Hamlin

CHASE POINTS: second, 5,495 points

CAR: No. 11 FedEx Toyota

TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 1

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 9

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 3rd (Fall, 2008)

LAST WEEK: Slipped out of the top spot with a 12th-place finish in Kansas, thanks mostly to a car Hamlin deemed too loose. The preseason pick for the title will need to keep Johnson in sight this weekend.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I knew right away we were going to have a long day,'' Hamlin said. ``You've got to make the most of your bad days and, if this is a bad day for us, then we're going to rebound.''

DRIVER: Kevin Harvick

CHASE POINTS: third, 5,473 points

CAR: No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 2

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 16

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 2nd (Spring, 2010)

LAST WEEK: ``Happy'' certainly was after posting his 13th top-5 finish of the year by coming in third at Kansas. Looking to improve on the success he had in California in February, when he came in second.

CHASE CHATTER: ``It took a little longer than we needed to get through traffic after our pit stops,'' he said. ``It was a great day, though. The car was fast all weekend.''

DRIVER: Carl Edwards

CHASE POINTS: fourth, 5,450 points

CAR: No. 99 Aflac Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 2

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 12

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 1st (Spring, 2008)

LAST WEEK: Continued his steady climb up the standings by coming in sixth at Kansas. Remains very much in striking distance despite extensive winless streak.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I was frustrated with sixth, but then I found out we are only 53 points out of the lead, so that is huge,'' Edwards said. ``It was a good day for us from a points perspective.''

DRIVER: Jeff Gordon

CHASE POINTS: fifth, 5,445 points

CAR: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 3

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 20

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 1st (three times)

LAST WEEK: Jumped three spots in the Chase by putting together another solid top-5 finish at Kansas. He led nine laps at Kansas and now heads to a track where he's enjoyed success year after year.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We were hoping for a little bit more than that with the way things went all weekend long,'' he said. ``Good adjustments that brought us back up in the top five so that was a great finish.''

DRIVER: Kurt Busch

CHASE POINTS: sixth, 5,433 points

CAR: No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

TEAM: Penske Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 2

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 16

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 1st (2003)

LAST WEEK: Handling issues cost him in Kansas, where he slipped to 13th, not bad, but not enough to stop him from sliding two spots in the standings.

CHASE CHATTER: ``With so many of the Chase guys finishing in front of us, it certainly wasn't the type of day that we really needed out there,'' Busch said.

DRIVER: Kyle Busch

CHASE POINTS: seventh, 5,423 points

CAR: No. 18 M&Ms Toyota

TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 4

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 12

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 1st (2005)

LAST WEEK: A little nudge from David Reutimann sent Busch into the wall at Kansas and made it somewhat remarkable he was able to finish 21st with a banged-up car.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I have a serious problem with what just happened and I don't think anyone in the (NASCAR) tower is going to do a damn thing about it,'' Busch said over the radio after the incident.

DRIVER: Greg Biffle

CHASE POINTS: eighth, 5,418 points

CAR: No. 16 3M Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 15

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 1st (2005)

LAST WEEK: Umm, where did that come from? The Bif dominated at Kansas, leading 60 laps while picking up his second win of the season. Considering how tight the field is packed at the moment, he's not out of it yet.

CHASE CHATTER: ``Last weekend's race was a pretty big win for this team,'' he said. ``It would be great to make it two in a row this weekend in California.''

DRIVER: Jeff Burton

CHASE POINTS: ninth, 5,402 points

CAR: No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 2

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 20

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 2nd (1999)

LAST WEEK: Ran toward the front for long stretches at Kansas, but had handling issues late and finished 18th.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I don't know what happened,'' Burton said. ``The run before the final caution, we were the fastest car on the race track.''

DRIVER: Tony Stewart

CHASE POINTS: 10th, 5,376 points

CAR: No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet

TEAM: Stewart/Haas Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 18

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 4th (twice)

LAST WEEK: Smoke led a race-high 76 laps in Kansas before ending up fourth behind Biffle, Johnson and Harvick.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We just had bad luck the first race (of the Chase) and then just a bad day the second race,'' he said. ``Hopefully, the upcoming weeks will be like today.''

DRIVER: Matt Kenseth

CHASE POINTS: 11th, 5,354 points

CAR: No. 17 Crown Royal Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 17

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 1st (three times)

LAST WEEK: Part of a solid overall day by Roush-Fenway Racing, finishing seventh at Kansas and now heads to a place where he's won three times. Still, a third of the way through the Chase, he would need a miracle to win the title.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We were pretty good today,'' Kenseth said. ``We just weren't able to keep up with the track well enough towards the end of the race unfortunately.''

DRIVER: Clint Bowyer

CHASE POINTS: 12th, 5,251 points

CAR: No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER AUTO CLUB STARTS: 9

BEST AUTO CLUB FINISH: 3rd (Fall, 2006)

LAST WEEK: Ended another tough week with a 15th-place finish at Kansas. The drama surrounding the penalty he received after winning in New Hampshire has overshadowed everything else that's happened on the track.

CHASE CHATTER: ``A top-15 finish isn't exactly what I had hoped for, but we'll take it and look forward to a strong run at Fontana next weekend,'' Bowyer said.

Pepsi 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts

With seven races to go in NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship, Jimmie Johnson is back in familiar territory as the points leader following last weeks Kansas race. Johnson has a slim eight point lead over second-place Denny Hamlin and is only 85 points ahead of eighth-place, but we’ve seen this story before. This is the third time in four years that Johnson has come into Kansas not leading in points, but leaving with it.

With things being so close and so many candidates looking capable of winning, it’s not a given that things will end like they have the previous four seasons with Johnson hoisting the trophy. This weeks race in California will have a major impact on who the final group of contenders are while weeding out a few.

A lot has happened since the first Fontana race ran in February, but California is a track that usually holds true for most teams year after year. If the trend holds true this week, it could be bad news for everyone trying to catch Johnson. Not only has Johnson won the last two races run there, but he’s taken four of the last six and has five Fontana wins overall. There is really nobody even close to his level on the wide two-mile track which is why his odds to win this week are 2/1 or less.

Even though it’s far fetched to believe Johnson could falter at California, since he never does, there could be some solace taken from those rooting for other drivers because of Johnson’s DNF tendencies this season. I know, it’s a stretch, but I have to give some kind of doubt to Johnson once again dominating and four DNF’s on season by the four time champs through 29 races is a pretty good one. It shows that they are more susceptible to having issues and problems like regular drivers have and not just being this robot of fluidity. Johnson will be driving his winning Las Vegas chassis which could be bad news, but the good news is that the same car also finished 35th at Bristol.

Some of the drivers we can take a look at to topple Johnson ran well last week at Kansas, beginning with the Roush drivers. Kansas can be used as a barometer somewhat for California just because of the similar banking even though California is a half-mile larger. Greg Biffle won last week and will carry that momentum over, but teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards also had good runs with top-10 finishes.

When the February race ran, the Roush team was in a quandary trying to find horsepower. They didn’t find it until Indianapolis and then Biffle finally captured the teams first win of the season a week later at Pocono. At California, Roush has always been King, even with Johnson winning most of the time. This week they’ll be trying to extend a win streak at California that began in 2005 with at least one Roush driver winning there every year.

Matt Kenseth won there last season for his third Fontana win, while Edwards and Biffle have each claimed a win of their own. Roush also has wins on the track with Kurt Busch and Mark Martin.

Kenseth will be using a new car this week while Edwards comes in with his runner-up Atlanta chassis. Biffle is bringing a strong car this week as well, using his fourth-place Michigan ride. I already have wagers on Biffle and Edwards and will be looking to get increased odds on Kenseth after happy hour.

I like how the Childress ran in February along with last week. Kevin Harvick should be just as strong this week as he was for both of those. He’ll be using his winning Michigan car this week. I also like Jeff Gordon to surprise us somewhere with a win. Fontana would be a great place for him to do it since he’s from California and has three career wins there, and well, just because I have a bet on him to win the championship among others.

Ideally, I would love to have all my drivers up there for the final few races where I could be picky on who pays the most, but I have a bad feeling that Johnson isn’t going to let up and all my bets will be flushed. Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards are the drivers I’m rooting in.

As for Denny Hamlin, he’ll be a contender this week using his winning Richmond chassis. There are so many opportunities out there this week with a lot of drivers bringing good cars making me believe that Johnson can be stopped this week. I will take my chances with a bunch of them as I go for broke betting against Johnson, leaving him out of all equations which is like the equivalent of betting the Broncos on the money line in Super Bowl 24 against the 49ers.

Should Johnson win this week, as all past trends say he will, it still doesn’t make my season future bets a loser just yet, but they are getting closer to the toilet. Whether it’s smart or not, I’ll probably find myself pressing existing bets to whoever is closest should their odds increase from what I already have.

Top-5 California Finish Prediction:

1) #17 Matt Kenseth (15/1)
2) #24 Jeff Gordon (9/1)
3) #29 Kevin Harvick (12/1)
4) #11 Denny Hamlin (15/1)
5) #99 Carl Edwards (8/1)

Driver Handicaps: Auto Club
By: Jeff Wackerlin

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Auto Club Speedway for Sunday's Pepsi Max 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, Motor Racing Network brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 200-lap event.

Who's HOT at Auto Club
• Five-time winner Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with a 5.5 average finish
• Three-time winner Jeff Gordon has finished in the top five in five of the last eight races.
• Carl Edwards has one win and a 7.2 average finish in 12 starts.
• Matt Kenseth has the second-best average finish (6.2) in the five races with the COT.
• Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch have each finished in the top 10 in the last three races.
• Mark Martin has posted fourth-place finishes in his last two starts.

Keep an Eye on at Auto Club
• Kevin Harvick, who finished second in February at Auto Club, will return in the same car that he drove to Victory Lane at Michigan.
• Greg Biffle has a 7.7 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010.
• Joey Logano posted his first top five at Auto Club in February.
• Juan Pablo Montoya led 78 laps in this event last year and 29 in February before an engine failue.
• Auto Club is David Ragan's best non-restrictor plate track based on his 14.6 average finish.
• Clint Bowyer has finished in the top 10 in his last two Auto Club starts.
• Denny Hamlin has led the most laps (141) on 2-mile speedways in 2010.
• Jeff Burton led 46 laps and finished third at Auto Club in February.

Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings

(All stats/notes are in regards to Auto Club Speedway unless noted)

1. Jimmie Johnson: Won in February after leading 101 laps; Winner of the last three fall races; 5.5 average finish and 11 top 10s in 15 starts; 2.8 average finish in the five races with the COT; Best average finish (6.3) and second in laps led (115) in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 580) that he won with at Las Vegas; This car most recently finished 35th at Bristol.

2. Denny Hamlin: 23.2 average finish in five races with the COT; Won the pole last fall, but finished 37th after a crash; Only top five (third) came in the 2008 Labor Day weekend race; Finished 29th in February to raise his average finish to 18.2 in nine starts; Leads all drivers with 141 laps led in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; Eighth-best average finish (10.7) on 2-mile speedways this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 276) that he won with at Richmond last month.

3. Kevin Harvick: Coming off best finish in 16 starts after leading 27 laps in February; Second-place finish lowered his finishing average to 12.4 in the five races with the COT; Third in average finish (7.3) and laps led (115) in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 288) that he won with at Michigan in August.

4. Carl Edwards: 6.6 average finish in the five races with the COT; 13th-place finish in February ended a streak of five consecutive top 10s; Won the 2008 February race after leading 64 laps; Seventh-best average finish (9.3) on 2-mile speedways this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 702) that he finished second with at Atlanta in September.

5. Jeff Gordon: Three-time Auto Club winner; Last win came in 2004; Second in laps led with 608; Fourth-best average finish (8.4) in the five races with the COT; 20th-place finish in February ended a streak of two consecutive runner-up finishes; 17.0 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010.

6. Kurt Busch: 14.2 average finish in the five race with the COT; Has finished ninth or better in five of his nine starts with Penske Racing, including the last three races; Fifth in laps led (61) in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; 16.3 average finish on 2-mile speedway.

7. Kyle Busch: 10.4 average finish in the five races with the COT; Led 11 laps and finished 14th in February; Best finish in five starts with Joe Gibbs Racing came in the 2009 February race in third; Won the 2005 Labor Day weekend race with Hendrick Motorsports; 17.3 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 280) that he finished 18th with at Michigan in August.

8. Greg Biffle: Winner of the 2005 spring race; Finished 10th in February for fifth top 10 in 15 starts; Fifth-best average finish (10.2) in the five races with the COT; Fourth-best average finish (7.7) and fourth in laps led (66) in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 571) that he finished fourth with at Michigan.

9. Jeff Burton: Finished third in February to lower his average finish in the five races with the COT to 18.8; 46 laps led in that event are his only laps led on 2-mile speedways this season; Ninth-best average finish (11.7) in the three races on 2-mile speedways this year; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 317) that he finished eighth with at Pocono last month.

10. Tony Stewart: 10.2 average finish in the four races with the COT; 7.3 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas; Best finish is a pair of fourth-place finishes with Joe Gibbs Racing back in 1999 and 2001; Second-best average finish (6.7) in the three races on 2-mile speedways this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 564) that he most recently finished sixth with at Michigan in August.

11. Matt Kenseth: Best track on the circuit based on wins (3); Third in laps led with 468; Second-best average finish (6.2) in the five races with the COT; Sixth-best average finish (8.7) in the three races on 2-mile speedways this season; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 707) in the Pepsi Max 400.

12. Clint Bowyer: 13.0 average finish in the five races with the COT; Coming off second consecutive top 10; Has yet to finish outside the top 20 in nine starts; 14.3 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 324) in the Pepsi Max 400.

13. Ryan Newman: 21.0 average in the five races with the COT; Engine failure in February raised his finishing average to 26.3 in three starts with Stewart-Haas; 30.3 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010.

14. Jamie McMurray: 23.0 average in the five races with the COT; Won the pole and finished 17th in first track start in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet in February; 20.3 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1016) that he finished 15th with at Atlanta last month.

15. Mark Martin: 1998 win was one of six top fives in 18 starts; Finished 40th in his track debut with Hendrick Motorsports after engine failure; Finished fourth in last two races to give him an average finish of 16.0 in four starts with the COT; 16.0 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 595) in the Pepsi Max 400.

16. Juan Pablo Montoya: 18.2 average finish in the five races with the COT; Led 78 laps in this event last year en route to a third-place finish; Finish was only top 10 in seven starts; Engine failure in February raised his overall average finish to 21.4; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1003) that he last finished ninth with at Atlanta.

17. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 29.4 average finish in the five races with the COT and Hendrick Motorsports; Posted four top fives in previous 12 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; 19.3 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 612) that he finished 22nd with at Atlanta.

18. David Reutimann: 15.8 average finish in the five races with the COT; Only top 10 in seven starts came in the 2008 Labor Day weekend race; 16.3 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010.

19. AJ Allmendinger: 25.2 average finish in four starts with the COT; 17.7 average finish in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010.

20. Joey Logano: Coming off first top 10 (fifth) in three starts; 15.0 average finish; Fifth-best average finish (8.3) in the three races on 2-mile speedways in 2010.

Pepsi Max 400 Preview

Week four in the Chase Race continues in California this week, as new leader Jimmie Johnson returns to the friendly confines of Auto Club Speedway. Johnson, who overtook Denny Hamlin with his runner-up finish last week in Kansas, has dominated the Fontana track in recent years, winning the last three races. It won't be easy to four-peat, as the points battle in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship has tightened significantly, with just 101 points separating leader Johnson from ninth-place Jeff Burton. Johnson, who hails from nearby El Cajon, CA, has been dominant at his home track, as he leads all drivers with five wins here. The four-time defending series champion has finished no worse than 11th in the previous nine races at California, including victories in the last three fall events. He also won here in February. Johnson's first Sprint Cup victory came at California during his rookie season in 2002. His 53 Sprint Cup titles ranks 10th, just one behind Lee Petty. Last season, Johnson moved underneath Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon and took the lead with six laps remaining. Just after Johnson made the pass, an eight-car pile ensued in turn one, which halted the race for 22 minutes. After the final restart with three laps to go, Johnson easily held off Gordon to score his fifth victory of 2009. Domination was the order of the day in 2008, as Johnson captured this race for the second consecutive year. Johnson led 228 of the 250 laps, as he defeated Greg Biffle by over two seconds. Johnson recorded the 28th of his 53 career wins at this race in 2007, as he clipped Carl Edwards by just under two seconds. Johnson, who led four times for 84 laps, took the checkered flag 1.868 seconds ahead of Edwards. Pole sitter Kurt Busch finished ninth after leading for 21 laps. Kyle Busch, who placed third, led seven times for a race-high 97 laps. In 2006, Kasey Kahne completed a weekend sweep, as he crossed the finish line 3.427 seconds ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr for his sixth career Sprint Cup title. Kahne, who registered victory at the Nationwide Series race the night before, dominated this race, leading eight times for a race-high 130 laps. In front of an estimated 102,000, Kahne reclaimed the lead with just two laps remaining for the win. Pole sitter Kurt Busch, who led for the first 11 laps, faded to a 27th-place finish. California Speedway opened in 1997, marking the first time NASCAR's premier series competed on a California oval in nearly 17 years, the last time being the Los Angeles Times 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1980. However, at least one road race was held each year in California during that span. There have been 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the track opened in 1997. In 2005, Kyle Busch recorded the first win of his career, as he clipped Greg Biffle by 0.554 of a second. In front of 100,000 fans, Busch reclaimed the lead on lap 244 of the 254-lap event and held on for the checkered flag. Busch, who started 25th on the grid, led five separate times for a race-high 95 laps. Pole sitter Carl Edwards finished 4th, leading twice for 21 laps. The 2004 race saw Elliott Sadler battling the elements and the rest of the field to post his third career Sprint Cup victory. In 99-degree temperatures, Sadler, who started 17th on the grid, outlasted Kasey Kahne by 0.263 of a second for his second 2004 win. With his win in 2008, Johnson became the first pole sitter to capture this race. In 20 previous races at the Auto Club, the pole winner is 1-for-19. When Kyle Busch won in 2005, he came for the 25th spot on the grid to win this race, the furthest a driver has started and captured the checkered flag. Tony Stewart will attempt to get off the schneid at Auto Club Speedway, a track where he is 0-for-18 in his career. His best finish is 4th in 1999 and 2001. The other two tracks where Stewart has failed to capture the checkered flag are Las Vegas (0-for-12) and Darlington (0-for-18).

Jimmie Johnson 2-to-1 favorite in Fontana
By: StatFox

The fourth leg of NASCAR Sprint Series Chase for the Cup will take place Sunday at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. This will be the last year that this track will hold two Sprint Series races. Starting in 2011, Auto Club Speedway will hold only one race and will not hold a Chase race. The race will also be shortened from 500 miles to 400. Qualifying may not be that important at California, as only one polesitter has won at California in 20 all-time races -- Jimmie Johnson in 2008. That’s the lowest win percentage by a polesitter at any active NSCS track. Furthermore, the Lap 1 leader at California has never gone on to win the race.

CURRENT STANDINGS (Through 3 races)
Jimmie Johnson took the lead from Denny Hamlin last week and is eight points ahead of Hamlin heading into this weekend. Greg Biffle was the winner last week at Kansas, and jumped to 8th in the Chase standings, 85 points behind Johnson. It was Biffle’s 7th career Chase race win, the 2nd most in Chase history behind Johnson’s 19.

1. Jimmie Johnson 5303
2. Denny Hamlin 5495 (-8)
3. Kevin Harvick 5473 (-30)
4. Carl Edwards 5450 (-53)
5. Jeff Gordon 5445 (-58)
6. Kurt Busch 5433 (-70)
7. Kyle Busch 5423 (-80)
8. Greg Biffle 5418 (-85)
9. Jeff Burton 5402 (-101)
10. Tony Stewart 5376 (-127)
11. Matt Kenseth 5354 (-149)
12. Clint Bowyer 5251 (-252)

DRIVERS TO WATCH FOR

Jimmie Johnson 2/1
Johnson is the three-time defending champion in this race. In 15 races at Fontana, he has finished no worse than 11th and has an average finish of 5.5, which leads all drivers. Johnson has finished in the top-3 in four of the last five races this season.

Carl Edwards 8/1
Edwards has been running well the last few weeks and he does have the second-best average finish of 7.2 with one win and numerous other victories at tracks similar to this one.

Kyle Busch 12/1
He is fourth on the list with a 10.8 average finish in his 12 races. In his last 10 races at Fontana, he has a so-so finish at 24th and then a 14th earlier this year. The remaining eight of the last 10 races were 1st, 10th, 8th, 9th, 3rd, 4th, 7th and 3rd.

Kevin Harvick 10/1
Harvick has finished in the top-10 in four of his last five races at Fontana. The other race he had engine failure and smashed into the wall, so that gives Harvick a 6.0 average in races that he has finished in the last two years at Fontana. He has raced very well lately, finishing in the top-10 in three of his last four races.

Matt Kenseth 15/1
In his 17 career races at Fontana, Kenseth has finished in the top-7 in 12 of them, winning three times. After finishing no better than 14th in his previous three races, Kenseth placed a strong seventh last week.

NON-CHASE DRIVERS TO AVOID

Joe Gibbs Racing: only active NSCS track where they’ve never won
Denny Hamlin: finished 29th and 37th in last two California races
Jeff Burton: 1 top-10 finish in last five California races.

Several Chase drivers well back in Fontana

FONTANA, Calif. (AP) - Jamie McMurray has just missed the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship several times, including an oh-so-close 14th-place finish this season.

On a fast-but-slick track in California, the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 champion was able to find more speed than any of the Chase drivers.

McMurray earned his fourth pole of the season Friday, posting a fast lap of 185.285 mph around Auto Club Speedway's two-mile oval while many of the Chase drivers struggled.

``I feel like the media makes a bigger deal about the guys who aren't in the Chase and what they're using the Chase for,'' said McMurray, who had three career poles before this season. ``We're not really doing anything different than we would have if we were in the Chase.''

Elliott Sadler, another non-qualifier for the Chase, was just behind McMurray and will start on the front row Sunday in the 400-mile race.

Matt Kenseth, 11th in the Chase standings, qualified third, and Greg Biffle was seventh after entering eighth in the Chase. Points leader Jimmie Johnson was in solid position, too, qualifying eighth.

After that, there'll be a lot of chasing by the Chasers.

Nine drivers enter the weekend within 101 points of the Chase lead, but that could change quickly if a few don't do a whole lot of passing in the wide lanes at Auto Club Speedway.

Five of the top six spots for Sunday's race will be non-Chase drivers and five drivers who made it into for the final 10-race run toward the championship qualified 20th or worse, including two who'll be near the back of the pack.

Carl Edwards, fourth in the Chase standings, qualified 20th. Kevin Harvick, who's just ahead of Edwards in the title race, was 21st. Tony Stewart, 10th in the Chase, was 22nd.

They're still well ahead of Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch.

Busch, 70 points behind Johnson in sixth, labored through qualifying and will start back near the owner's points qualifiers in 38th.

Hamlin entered the weekend eight points behind Johnson and had another rough day, running nearly 5 mph slower than McMurray to qualify 34th. He lost the points lead after struggling in Kansas last week and could be tightening his grip on the steering wheel like he did with Johnson in his rearview mirror a year ago.

``If I come here and don't think we can win, then we're in trouble,'' Hamlin said. ``I do have a number in my head, but I keep it to myself and say first-place is all that matters this weekend.''

Kenseth had a nice run at a good time.

He's well back in the Chase standings (149 points behind Johnson) and hasn't been particularly strong at qualifying this season. Kenseth and his team seemed to find something Kansas, where he qualified eighth and it carried over into California.

``It was a good lap for us,'' Kenseth said. ``Obviously, I'm usually not the best qualifier, but we made some adjustments and fixed the things I was complaining about in practice and got a good lap out of it.''

Johnson is in good position to pad his lead as he races toward a fifth straight Sprint Cup championship.

He rallied from a poor qualifying session in Kansas last week and worked his way through the crowd to finish 12th and move past Hamlin in the season race. Johnson likes racing in California, too, with four of his five titles at Auto Club Speedway coming over the past six races in his home state.

``It's going to be an exciting race and honestly, I'm very excited for what it's going to be like on Sunday,'' Johnson said. ``I think we're going to put on a good show and really race hard for this win.''

So will a lot of other Chase drivers - they'll have to after the way they qualified.

NASCAR Betting: Bull's Eye on Johnson Going Back to Cali
By Greg Engle

For 11 of the 12 drivers in the Chase for the Championship, the goal is clear as the Sprint Cup Series heads to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana California for Sunday’s Pepsi Max 400 - find the chink in Jimmie Johnson’s armor.

Sure, he leads the points by the narrowest of margins, only eight markers, but following a somewhat slow start, Johnson is hot and getting hotter. After taking over the points lead with a second-place finish last week, the El Cajon California native heads to the track he counts among his favorites. And that spells bad news for the rest of the field.

Not only can Johnson talk the talk when comes to California, he has the stats to back it up. He leads all active drivers here with five wins and two of those victories having come in the last two visits here, this past February and this same race last season.

And relaxed? Johnson is about as relaxed as he’s been all season as he heads west.

“It is always good to go home.” Johnson said. “There is a certain feeling about it. I won my first race there. My 48th race there and there are a lot of cool things about that race track for me. Oh yea, fish tacos, lots of lime.”

No question who the favorite is this week. Jimmie Johnson will be the guy to beat.

So then the question becomes, who is in the best position to knock the king of the hill off his perch?

Look no further than one Matt Kenseth. He’s tied with Jeff Gordon for the second most wins among active drivers here with three. And, while Johnson has won the last three out of four races at the 2-mile track, Kenseth is the driver who broke up Johnson’s winning streak here last February. While Kenseth didn’t have a season that set the world on fire, he had a promising run at Kansas and that could set him up to ruin Johnson’s vacation weekend in Cali.

The primetime matchup this week will be between Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. Both have similar records here and both are aggressive and hungry for a win. While it should be a great matchup, give the edge to Edwards as he tends to curb his aggressiveness when he needs to.

The other duo to watch will be Jeff Burton and Tony Stewart. Neither has ever won here, but both are trying to salvage a decent season and move up in the Chase standings. Both these drivers are a bit older than most of the field and have the experience to be a bit more competitive. Burton seems to have a bit more polish lately, so he should have a decent shot at finishing at least in the Top 10 and ahead of Stewart.

The spoiler

Kevin Harvick told me this week that he felt like he had one get away in the February race. He was chasing down Johnson in the closing laps when his Chevy brushed the wall. That effectively squashed any hopes he had of scoring his first win in Fontana. Harvick will be focusing on redemption this week and a focused Harvick is a dangerous thing indeed. Plus, like Johnson, he’s from Southern California and would love to steal Johnson’s thunder in front of their collective hometown crowd.

Picks:

Jimmie Johnson (+120)
Matt Kenseth (+10000)
Kevin Harvick (+350)

Practice Notes - California
By Micah Roberts

Top 8 Driver Ratings Following All Practice Sessions

Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualifying Practice 2 Practice 3

1. Jimmie Johnson 2/1 9th 8th 23rd 1st
Won last three fall Fontana races; five wins overall with 5.5 average finish in 15 starts.

2. Greg Biffle 8/1 3rd 7th 1st 4th
2005 winner with three other top-fives; was the most impressive of all during Saturday practices.

3. Kevin Harvick 10/1 24th 21st 13th 5th
Had best career finish in the spring as runner-up; using winning Michigan chassis this week.

4. Jeff Gordon 8/1 21st 17th 5th 2nd
Three career wins with an average finish of 11.0 in 20 starts; outstanding Saturday practices.

5. Matt Kenseth 15/1 15th 3rd 2nd 10th
Last win came at Fontana in spring of 2009, 64 races ago; three career wins with 9.1 average.

6. Kyle Busch 12/1 4th 16th 14th 6th
2005 winner while with Hendrick Motorsports; 10.8 average finish in 12 starts. Using Michigan car.

7. Jamie McMurray 30/1 1st 1st 4th 3rd
Great practices Saturday, but too inconsistent to be rated higher. 16.4 average finish in 14 starts.

8. Denny Hamlin 15/1 18th 34th 6th 9th
Struggled in last two Fontana starts; using winning chassis from Richmond this week.

Note: California Speedway is the sister track of Michigan Speedway with each having similar traits. The August 15 Michigan race is a good barometer to use for handicapping this weeks race.