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The Auto Club 500
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series stops at California Speedway's two mile oval for the second race of the 2008 season, the Auto Club 500. Race Preview looked at past performances and season trends to predict how the field might finish during Sunday's race.
When: Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 4:00 p.m./et
Weather: Partly cloudy with high around 63; wind out of the WSW at 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 10%.
The Track: California Speedway
California is a 2 mile long D-shaped oval. It has intermediate (14 degree) banking on the corners which allows for drivers to run their cars nearly wide-open the entire way around the track. The aerodynamic package in the car is very important.
Key to Race: AERODYNAMIC PACKAGE RULES???
This is a race that used to be won or lost in the wind tunnel, but the Car of Tomorrow isn't as dependent on aerodynamic packages as the Car of Yesterday. Judging from the Daytona 500 this race should be very competitive, but as is the case with most races, expect the multi-car teams like Roush, Gibb, Hendrick, and RCR to have a big advantage.
Qualifying Procedures:
51 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, February 22 at 6:40 pm/et. Cars that were in the top 35 in owner's points during the 2007 season are guaranteed a spot in the race.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet:
Top 5
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: It is tough not to pick the native Californian. Johnson won the last race at Fontana and posted top three finishes in three of the last five races at the facility.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has three career wins at Fontana and had one of the best cars on the track during last year's edition of the Auto Club 500. He is a great pick again this weekend.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has won two of the last four races at Fontana. He is a lock to finish in the top five again this weekend.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards has finished sixth or better in six of his seven Cup starts at Fontana. This is one of his favorite tracks and we like his chances on Sunday.
No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior overruled his crew chief during the Daytona 500 and was passed by cars with fresh tires during the final laps of the race. Fontana is a track he has had decent success at in the past and if he learns to listen to the advice of his crew at Hendrick Motorsports he will be a great pick to crack the top five.
6 to 10
No. 18 Kyle Busch: Busch has finished in the top 10 in the past five races at Fontana. After being dismissed by Hendrick Motorsports, he is driving with a chip on his shoulder and is a great fantasy pick.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch has been fairly strong at CIS during his career. He could notch the second win of the 2008 season for Penske Racing
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne has been great at Fontana during his career. He has four top 10 finishes, including a win, in eight career starts at the track. We look for him to have the Bud car out on Sunday.
No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart has never won in 13 career starts at Fontana. His Toyota was strong at Daytona, but we don't expect it to be quite as good this weekend.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has been consistently good at Fontana in his career. He is a lock to post a solid finish.
11 to 20
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr: Truex looked great at Fontana last September. He could threaten to crack the top 10 again this weekend.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton has finished well the past four races at CIS. We think he is a lock to finish in the top 15 again this weekend.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has never finished worse than 20th in four career starts at Fontana. He is a great third driver on any fantasy team this weekend.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has five top 10 finishes in nine career starts at Fontana. He is a decent pick as a third or fourth fantasy driver on Sunday.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has struggled during the past five races at Fontana. He will be lucky to crack the top 15 on Sunday.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears is just a middle-of-the-pack driver. We don't recommend using him as anything but a fourth or fifth member of fantasy teams.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle slumped during the past four races at Fontana, but he has had decent success at the track in the past. There are much better tracks to use him.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: We hope Sorenson will use his fifth place finish at Daytona to build some momentum for his season. He is a very talented driver and this is a make-or-break season for him.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers has been very successful during his career at Fontana. He will have to make Sunday's race during qualifying, but he is a definite solid sleeper pick.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: The 2008 Daytona 500 champion has been awful the past few races at Fontana. Don't let Sunday's win fool you into choosing him this weekend.
21 to 30
No. 8 Mark Martin: Martin is always worth having on your fantasy team as a fourth or fifth driver. The guy is just so consistent.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte led four laps on his way to an 11th place finish at Fontana during last September's race. He is a sleeper pick this weekend.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya didn't do much at Fontana in 2007. There are far better options this weekend.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler had a strong finish at Daytona, but Fontana hasn't been good to him since 2005. We wouldn't use him as anything but a fourth or fifth fantasy driver.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan finished 12th and 16th last year at Fontana. He is one of our sleeper picks this weekend.
No. 77 Sam Hornish Jr.: Hornish Jr. was impressive at Daytona. He will face a tougher challenge this weekend at Fontana, but he is a very talented driver.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard has cracked the top 25 in both of his career starts at Fontana. He isn't a bad choice as a fifth driver on your fantasy team.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney hasn't cracked the top 20 in the past six races at Fontana. He isn't a fantasy option.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon is a California native, but this is a track he would be better off skipping. Avoid him like the plague.
No. 66 Scott Riggs: Riggs has been abysmal at Fontana since his seventh place finish in 2004. He is guaranteed to make the race, but we can't recommend him.
31 to 40
No. 40 Dario Franchitti: The Flying Scotsman was decent at Daytona, but we expect he will have a more difficult time with his car's roll entering Fontana's corners.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett had a nice run at Daytona, but should fall back into the mid-30's this weekend.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty has led a lap in each of the past two races at Fontana. That doesn't make him worthy of a fantasy pick.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland has never finished better than 25th at Fontana in his career. We don't see him ending that streak this weekend.
No. 96 J.J. Yeley: Yeley won't match his career average finish of 21.3 at Fontana in his Hall of Fame Racing Toyota.
No. 00 David Reutimann: Reutimann will have to make Sunday's race during qualifying, but that is the case every weekend and he doesn't seem to be intimidated by it.
No. 70 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield wasn't awful at Daytona, but he is a back-of-the-pack driver and isn't a fantasy option.
No. 01 Regan Smith: Smith was a back-of-the-packer during the Daytona 500 and should struggle again this weekend.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Waltrip has been just awful the past three races at Fontana. Stay away from him.
No. 28 Travis Kvapil: Kvapil is guaranteed to make the field, but that doesn't mean he won't get lapped very quickly.
Field Fillers
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger missed the Daytona 500 and will struggle to make the field this weekend.
No. 78 Joe Nemechek: We expect "Front-Row Joe" will make plenty of races then get lapped very quickly this season.
No. 49 Ken Schrader: If it has wheels, Schrader can drive it...unfortunately he has to qualify it to drive it in Sunday's race.
No. 27 Mike Skinner: Skinner can drive a truck, but he will be challenged trying to get the No. 27 car into Sunday's field.
No. 21 Bill Elliott: Elliott should have the No. 21 Wood Brothers car in the field, but we don't like his chances
No. 60 Boris Said: Said missed the Daytona 500 and isn't worth taking a chance on this weekend.
No. 10 Patrick Carpentier: Carpentier missed the Daytona 500 and it won't surprise us if he misses this weekend's race too.
No. 87 Kenny Wallace: Wallace won't be in Sunday's starting 43.
No. 34 John Andretti: Andretti has no chance.
No. 37 Kevin Lepage: It is a long trip from Lepage's home state of Vermont to California. To bad he has no chance to make Sunday's race.
No. 08 Burney Lamar: Would take a miracle.
Brownie's Picks
Top Four:
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Carl Edwards
Sleepers:
1. Kasey Kahne
2. Brian Vickers
Busts:
1. Greg Biffle
2. Ryan Newman
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series stops at California Speedway's two mile oval for the second race of the 2008 season, the Auto Club 500. Race Preview looked at past performances and season trends to predict how the field might finish during Sunday's race.
When: Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 4:00 p.m./et
Weather: Partly cloudy with high around 63; wind out of the WSW at 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 10%.
The Track: California Speedway
California is a 2 mile long D-shaped oval. It has intermediate (14 degree) banking on the corners which allows for drivers to run their cars nearly wide-open the entire way around the track. The aerodynamic package in the car is very important.
Key to Race: AERODYNAMIC PACKAGE RULES???
This is a race that used to be won or lost in the wind tunnel, but the Car of Tomorrow isn't as dependent on aerodynamic packages as the Car of Yesterday. Judging from the Daytona 500 this race should be very competitive, but as is the case with most races, expect the multi-car teams like Roush, Gibb, Hendrick, and RCR to have a big advantage.
Qualifying Procedures:
51 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, February 22 at 6:40 pm/et. Cars that were in the top 35 in owner's points during the 2007 season are guaranteed a spot in the race.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet:
Top 5
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: It is tough not to pick the native Californian. Johnson won the last race at Fontana and posted top three finishes in three of the last five races at the facility.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has three career wins at Fontana and had one of the best cars on the track during last year's edition of the Auto Club 500. He is a great pick again this weekend.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has won two of the last four races at Fontana. He is a lock to finish in the top five again this weekend.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards has finished sixth or better in six of his seven Cup starts at Fontana. This is one of his favorite tracks and we like his chances on Sunday.
No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior overruled his crew chief during the Daytona 500 and was passed by cars with fresh tires during the final laps of the race. Fontana is a track he has had decent success at in the past and if he learns to listen to the advice of his crew at Hendrick Motorsports he will be a great pick to crack the top five.
6 to 10
No. 18 Kyle Busch: Busch has finished in the top 10 in the past five races at Fontana. After being dismissed by Hendrick Motorsports, he is driving with a chip on his shoulder and is a great fantasy pick.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch has been fairly strong at CIS during his career. He could notch the second win of the 2008 season for Penske Racing
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne has been great at Fontana during his career. He has four top 10 finishes, including a win, in eight career starts at the track. We look for him to have the Bud car out on Sunday.
No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart has never won in 13 career starts at Fontana. His Toyota was strong at Daytona, but we don't expect it to be quite as good this weekend.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has been consistently good at Fontana in his career. He is a lock to post a solid finish.
11 to 20
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr: Truex looked great at Fontana last September. He could threaten to crack the top 10 again this weekend.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton has finished well the past four races at CIS. We think he is a lock to finish in the top 15 again this weekend.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has never finished worse than 20th in four career starts at Fontana. He is a great third driver on any fantasy team this weekend.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has five top 10 finishes in nine career starts at Fontana. He is a decent pick as a third or fourth fantasy driver on Sunday.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has struggled during the past five races at Fontana. He will be lucky to crack the top 15 on Sunday.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears is just a middle-of-the-pack driver. We don't recommend using him as anything but a fourth or fifth member of fantasy teams.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle slumped during the past four races at Fontana, but he has had decent success at the track in the past. There are much better tracks to use him.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: We hope Sorenson will use his fifth place finish at Daytona to build some momentum for his season. He is a very talented driver and this is a make-or-break season for him.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers has been very successful during his career at Fontana. He will have to make Sunday's race during qualifying, but he is a definite solid sleeper pick.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: The 2008 Daytona 500 champion has been awful the past few races at Fontana. Don't let Sunday's win fool you into choosing him this weekend.
21 to 30
No. 8 Mark Martin: Martin is always worth having on your fantasy team as a fourth or fifth driver. The guy is just so consistent.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte led four laps on his way to an 11th place finish at Fontana during last September's race. He is a sleeper pick this weekend.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya didn't do much at Fontana in 2007. There are far better options this weekend.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler had a strong finish at Daytona, but Fontana hasn't been good to him since 2005. We wouldn't use him as anything but a fourth or fifth fantasy driver.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan finished 12th and 16th last year at Fontana. He is one of our sleeper picks this weekend.
No. 77 Sam Hornish Jr.: Hornish Jr. was impressive at Daytona. He will face a tougher challenge this weekend at Fontana, but he is a very talented driver.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard has cracked the top 25 in both of his career starts at Fontana. He isn't a bad choice as a fifth driver on your fantasy team.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney hasn't cracked the top 20 in the past six races at Fontana. He isn't a fantasy option.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon is a California native, but this is a track he would be better off skipping. Avoid him like the plague.
No. 66 Scott Riggs: Riggs has been abysmal at Fontana since his seventh place finish in 2004. He is guaranteed to make the race, but we can't recommend him.
31 to 40
No. 40 Dario Franchitti: The Flying Scotsman was decent at Daytona, but we expect he will have a more difficult time with his car's roll entering Fontana's corners.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett had a nice run at Daytona, but should fall back into the mid-30's this weekend.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty has led a lap in each of the past two races at Fontana. That doesn't make him worthy of a fantasy pick.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland has never finished better than 25th at Fontana in his career. We don't see him ending that streak this weekend.
No. 96 J.J. Yeley: Yeley won't match his career average finish of 21.3 at Fontana in his Hall of Fame Racing Toyota.
No. 00 David Reutimann: Reutimann will have to make Sunday's race during qualifying, but that is the case every weekend and he doesn't seem to be intimidated by it.
No. 70 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield wasn't awful at Daytona, but he is a back-of-the-pack driver and isn't a fantasy option.
No. 01 Regan Smith: Smith was a back-of-the-packer during the Daytona 500 and should struggle again this weekend.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Waltrip has been just awful the past three races at Fontana. Stay away from him.
No. 28 Travis Kvapil: Kvapil is guaranteed to make the field, but that doesn't mean he won't get lapped very quickly.
Field Fillers
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger missed the Daytona 500 and will struggle to make the field this weekend.
No. 78 Joe Nemechek: We expect "Front-Row Joe" will make plenty of races then get lapped very quickly this season.
No. 49 Ken Schrader: If it has wheels, Schrader can drive it...unfortunately he has to qualify it to drive it in Sunday's race.
No. 27 Mike Skinner: Skinner can drive a truck, but he will be challenged trying to get the No. 27 car into Sunday's field.
No. 21 Bill Elliott: Elliott should have the No. 21 Wood Brothers car in the field, but we don't like his chances
No. 60 Boris Said: Said missed the Daytona 500 and isn't worth taking a chance on this weekend.
No. 10 Patrick Carpentier: Carpentier missed the Daytona 500 and it won't surprise us if he misses this weekend's race too.
No. 87 Kenny Wallace: Wallace won't be in Sunday's starting 43.
No. 34 John Andretti: Andretti has no chance.
No. 37 Kevin Lepage: It is a long trip from Lepage's home state of Vermont to California. To bad he has no chance to make Sunday's race.
No. 08 Burney Lamar: Would take a miracle.
Brownie's Picks
Top Four:
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Carl Edwards
Sleepers:
1. Kasey Kahne
2. Brian Vickers
Busts:
1. Greg Biffle
2. Ryan Newman