dirty
EOG Master
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=440 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>Mike Harmon / FOXSports.com
<!-- Meta Tag For Search --><!-- meta name="author" content="Mike Harmon"--><!-- meta name="source" content="FS"--><!-- meta name="eventId" content=""--><!-- meta name="contentTypeCode" content="1"--><!-- meta name="editorContentCode" content="1"--><!-- meta name="blurb" content="Mike Harmon says Ryan Newman may be motivated by his Daytona exchange to make noise at the Auto Club 500."--><!-- meta name="modDate" content="February 23, 2006 21:26:05 GMT"-->Posted: 4 hours ago<SCRIPT> // front-end hack to remove postedTime from Rumors page until a better way can be determined if (document.URL.indexOf("/name/FS/rumors") != -1) document.getElementById("postedTime").style.display = 'none'; </SCRIPT> </TD><TD width=10> </TD><TD align=right><!--this is for sponsorships or brandings--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- workingCategoryId: 2192--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=10></TD><TD width=440><!-- search:</noindex> --><SCRIPT> if(fanid.length > 0 && typeof(nflDefaultLeague)!= "undefined") { leagueId = nflDefaultLeague; //find teamId of default league (if exists) for(var i=0; i < teamsInfo.length; i++){ if(teamsInfo[4] == leagueId){ defaultTeamId = teamsInfo[0]; } } var fantasyLeaguePlayerJsPath = 'http://msnfantasy.foxsports.com' + '/nugget/200002_' + leagueId + '|||' + fanid; } </SCRIPT>Can't get a season started with any more fireworks than that, can you?
Jimmie Johnson battled through the suspension of his crew chief and slings and arrows from a multitude of drivers to capture the Daytona 500. It wasn't a pretty race, and it certainly hasn't pretty in the aftermath, with barbs still being exchanged. Either way, Johnson is still the Daytona 500 winner.
With the big kickoff event for the year now fading in the rearview, although the Chad Knaus story and Tony Stewart frenzy keep us all occupied, we shift our focus to the California Speedway. Eight active drivers have captured the flag at Fontana during their careers, with Jeff Gordon as the only driver to roll through victory lane multiple times (thrice).
Gordon and Johnson are in the upper class of drivers to watch this weekend. Let's review some of the top options for the Auto Club 500 this weekend and several drivers who may surprise.
Top Drivers
Greg Biffle finished a disappointing 31st at Daytona after finding the wall on the last lap. He's back on a track that he positively tore up a year ago, finishing first and second in the two events. Biffle is the defending champion of this race and stays near the front of the pack at this event. He was strong in qualifying with an average starting position of 4.5, so look for some extra bonus points here.
Jamie McMurray ran well for the majority of Daytona, hanging in the top 10 virtually all day ahead of a late wreck. McMurray has been stellar in his five Fontana starts, with four top-10 performances and three in the top five. And, he did it without the support of the Roush team and from the middle of the pack, starting in the 27th position on average and powering to an average sixth-place finish. McMurray has to be among the favorites to capture the flag this week.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>Carl Edwards is familiar with the track at Fontana, and he's finished well every time he's been on it. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Carl Edwards has started three races at Fontana, and he's run in the top 10 in all three events with two top-five finishes. Edwards also started from the front of the pack (10th) and captured one pole. We didn't get a chance to watch this new media star work his magic at Daytona, as his car gave out before the midpoint of the race. Edwards makes a great start this week on the rebound from last week.
Jeff Gordon owns three victories in the last 10 years at Fontana with one pole and five top-5 finishes. Gordon was shut out of the top 10 in two events last year, averaging a disappointing 25th-place finish. Forget the last two events. He'd been dominant at this track prior to 2005 with a win in 2004.
Jimmie Johnson got the year started with a bang on and off the track. The Daytona winner looks to carry that success over to Fontana, where he's had tremendous success in the past. Johnson has finished in the top 10 on three occasions in six starts, capturing a win during the 2002 season. He's raced near the top of the pack in each start here, averaging a 12th-position start and accruing the fifth-most laps led. Naturally, the team answered a lot of questions about racing without the crew chief last week, so start him with confidence if you missed the last run.
I just had to follow the Johnson write-up with a few lines about Ryan Newman after their exchanges this week. Newman finished third at Daytona and has been questioning Johnson's ride in the press, with Johnson firing back later this week. It should make for another great NASCAR rivalry between these top performers. Newman has raced very well at Fontana, capturing one pole and three top-10 finishes in six starts. Look for a strong qualifying position out of Newman and a top-10 finish.
Veteran driver Mark Martin raced well at Daytona, staying in the hunt throughout the race. Martin has been an elite performer at Fontana, racking up five top-10 finishes and a victory in 11 starts. He's also been a frontrunner on the track, routinely qualifying in the top 10 as well.
Matt Kenseth has been a top performer at Fontana during his career, placing two top fives and four top-10 finishes on his resume. Kenseth hasn't fared particularly well in qualifying, typically beginning his run from the middle of the pack. However, he's strong down the stretch, boosting his average finish position by eight spots.
Kurt Busch has been one of the strongest performers on the circuit at Fontana over the last five years, capturing a win and three top-five finishes in his seven starts. Most impressive is that he's averaged a top-10 finish (ninth) in those starts. Those numbers are eclipsed by only three drivers, Carl Edwards (three starts), Jamie McMurray (five starts), and Jimmie Johnson (six starts). Look for another strong ride on Sunday.
Kyle Busch has raced at Fontana on three occasions and captured the flag on his third time out last September as a rookie. Busch also ran last season's Auto Club 500 from the pole position and led 97 laps in his two Fontana starts in '05, so those looking to bonus points have a candidate here.
Kasey Kahne races aggressively and will always push to the front of the pack. In his four runs at Fontana in the Nextel Series, he's twice finished in the top-10 with a pole and a top-five finish to his credit. Including runs in the Busch Series, he's tallied six top-10 finishes in nine races. Kahne's aggressive style will result in multiple DNF before the season ends, but he's in the hunt if his car holds.
Bobby Labonte has been a solid driver at the California Speedway in the last five years, twice finishing in the top 5 and earning one pole. Labonte finished 13th in last year's event. But, looking at his strong ride in the second event at Fontana in '05 (the Sony HD 500), Labonte might be primed for another big ride this week. Labonte finished 20th in that race after starting from the 42nd position.
Flops
This is one of the few tracks on which Tony Stewart hasn't been dominant. In fact, he's never won at Fontana. After the events of the past week, drivers will be gunning to contain him all day. That's not to say that winning the title in 2005 wasn't enough to prompt that type of activity. In his seven runs at Daytona, Stewart has had two top-five finishes and has been shut out of the top 10 in five others. I'd save his starts for other events.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>Plenty of fantasy racing owners will put Dale Earnhardt, Jr. into their lineups this weekend, but his past history indicates it will be a mistake. (Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Because of his popularity and overall record, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will undoubtedly be selected for many lineups this week. However, the California Speedway would not be listed as one of his favorite tracks based on his history there. In seven races, Junior has placed in the top-10 only twice, with a single top-five finish. He averaged a 35th place finish in two events last season. Save those starts for another race.
Surprises
And a few to keep an eye on ...
Rookie Clint Bowyer avoided the wrecks and bumps at Daytona to bring home a surprising sixth place finish. More impressive is that Bowyer started from the 37th position. Bowyer finished in the top five in his Busch Series run here in 2005.
Dale Jarrett has finished in the top 10 on four occasions in nine starts at the California Speedway with one top-five finish. Though the overall performance is solid, Jarrett hasn't been a contender at the track of late, offering a single top-10 run in the last five years with an average 20th-place finish.
Brian Vickers qualifies in the top tier at Fontana, averaging a fourth-place qualifying position in his two starts. He hasn't been able to finish though, falling to the middle of the pack with a 25th-place average. That qualifying total will keep him at the front of the pack eventually. Is this the run?
Bill Elliott certainly doesn't leap off the page after his 43rd and 40th place finishes in two Fontana races last season. However, go back to his first four runs on the track, and you find that he placed twice in the top five. Elliott's strong finish at Daytona, rising 14 places from his 33rd place start, makes him one to watch.
Sterling Marlin raced in the middle of the pack for the majority of the Daytona run before dropping sharply in the final quarter of the race. He's placed in the top 10 on three occasions in seven runs at the California Speedway and should be able to make a little noise on this track. More of a longshot pick this week.
Remember, the deadline for getting your roster selected for this race is earlier than the Daytona 500 because normal qualifying bonus point scoring now applies. To receive scoring for this race, you need to have your roster entered by 6:25 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 24. Good luck with your selections this weekend, and don't forget to check out your drivers' performances with FOX Sports' coverage of the race on Sunday afternoon!
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<!-- Meta Tag For Search --><!-- meta name="author" content="Mike Harmon"--><!-- meta name="source" content="FS"--><!-- meta name="eventId" content=""--><!-- meta name="contentTypeCode" content="1"--><!-- meta name="editorContentCode" content="1"--><!-- meta name="blurb" content="Mike Harmon says Ryan Newman may be motivated by his Daytona exchange to make noise at the Auto Club 500."--><!-- meta name="modDate" content="February 23, 2006 21:26:05 GMT"-->Posted: 4 hours ago<SCRIPT> // front-end hack to remove postedTime from Rumors page until a better way can be determined if (document.URL.indexOf("/name/FS/rumors") != -1) document.getElementById("postedTime").style.display = 'none'; </SCRIPT> </TD><TD width=10> </TD><TD align=right><!--this is for sponsorships or brandings--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- workingCategoryId: 2192--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=10></TD><TD width=440><!-- search:</noindex> --><SCRIPT> if(fanid.length > 0 && typeof(nflDefaultLeague)!= "undefined") { leagueId = nflDefaultLeague; //find teamId of default league (if exists) for(var i=0; i < teamsInfo.length; i++){ if(teamsInfo[4] == leagueId){ defaultTeamId = teamsInfo[0]; } } var fantasyLeaguePlayerJsPath = 'http://msnfantasy.foxsports.com' + '/nugget/200002_' + leagueId + '|||' + fanid; } </SCRIPT>Can't get a season started with any more fireworks than that, can you?
Jimmie Johnson battled through the suspension of his crew chief and slings and arrows from a multitude of drivers to capture the Daytona 500. It wasn't a pretty race, and it certainly hasn't pretty in the aftermath, with barbs still being exchanged. Either way, Johnson is still the Daytona 500 winner.
With the big kickoff event for the year now fading in the rearview, although the Chad Knaus story and Tony Stewart frenzy keep us all occupied, we shift our focus to the California Speedway. Eight active drivers have captured the flag at Fontana during their careers, with Jeff Gordon as the only driver to roll through victory lane multiple times (thrice).
Gordon and Johnson are in the upper class of drivers to watch this weekend. Let's review some of the top options for the Auto Club 500 this weekend and several drivers who may surprise.
Top Drivers
Greg Biffle finished a disappointing 31st at Daytona after finding the wall on the last lap. He's back on a track that he positively tore up a year ago, finishing first and second in the two events. Biffle is the defending champion of this race and stays near the front of the pack at this event. He was strong in qualifying with an average starting position of 4.5, so look for some extra bonus points here.
Jamie McMurray ran well for the majority of Daytona, hanging in the top 10 virtually all day ahead of a late wreck. McMurray has been stellar in his five Fontana starts, with four top-10 performances and three in the top five. And, he did it without the support of the Roush team and from the middle of the pack, starting in the 27th position on average and powering to an average sixth-place finish. McMurray has to be among the favorites to capture the flag this week.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=213 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>Carl Edwards is familiar with the track at Fontana, and he's finished well every time he's been on it. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Carl Edwards has started three races at Fontana, and he's run in the top 10 in all three events with two top-five finishes. Edwards also started from the front of the pack (10th) and captured one pole. We didn't get a chance to watch this new media star work his magic at Daytona, as his car gave out before the midpoint of the race. Edwards makes a great start this week on the rebound from last week.
Jeff Gordon owns three victories in the last 10 years at Fontana with one pole and five top-5 finishes. Gordon was shut out of the top 10 in two events last year, averaging a disappointing 25th-place finish. Forget the last two events. He'd been dominant at this track prior to 2005 with a win in 2004.
Jimmie Johnson got the year started with a bang on and off the track. The Daytona winner looks to carry that success over to Fontana, where he's had tremendous success in the past. Johnson has finished in the top 10 on three occasions in six starts, capturing a win during the 2002 season. He's raced near the top of the pack in each start here, averaging a 12th-position start and accruing the fifth-most laps led. Naturally, the team answered a lot of questions about racing without the crew chief last week, so start him with confidence if you missed the last run.
I just had to follow the Johnson write-up with a few lines about Ryan Newman after their exchanges this week. Newman finished third at Daytona and has been questioning Johnson's ride in the press, with Johnson firing back later this week. It should make for another great NASCAR rivalry between these top performers. Newman has raced very well at Fontana, capturing one pole and three top-10 finishes in six starts. Look for a strong qualifying position out of Newman and a top-10 finish.
Veteran driver Mark Martin raced well at Daytona, staying in the hunt throughout the race. Martin has been an elite performer at Fontana, racking up five top-10 finishes and a victory in 11 starts. He's also been a frontrunner on the track, routinely qualifying in the top 10 as well.
Matt Kenseth has been a top performer at Fontana during his career, placing two top fives and four top-10 finishes on his resume. Kenseth hasn't fared particularly well in qualifying, typically beginning his run from the middle of the pack. However, he's strong down the stretch, boosting his average finish position by eight spots.
Kurt Busch has been one of the strongest performers on the circuit at Fontana over the last five years, capturing a win and three top-five finishes in his seven starts. Most impressive is that he's averaged a top-10 finish (ninth) in those starts. Those numbers are eclipsed by only three drivers, Carl Edwards (three starts), Jamie McMurray (five starts), and Jimmie Johnson (six starts). Look for another strong ride on Sunday.
Kyle Busch has raced at Fontana on three occasions and captured the flag on his third time out last September as a rookie. Busch also ran last season's Auto Club 500 from the pole position and led 97 laps in his two Fontana starts in '05, so those looking to bonus points have a candidate here.
Kasey Kahne races aggressively and will always push to the front of the pack. In his four runs at Fontana in the Nextel Series, he's twice finished in the top-10 with a pole and a top-five finish to his credit. Including runs in the Busch Series, he's tallied six top-10 finishes in nine races. Kahne's aggressive style will result in multiple DNF before the season ends, but he's in the hunt if his car holds.
Bobby Labonte has been a solid driver at the California Speedway in the last five years, twice finishing in the top 5 and earning one pole. Labonte finished 13th in last year's event. But, looking at his strong ride in the second event at Fontana in '05 (the Sony HD 500), Labonte might be primed for another big ride this week. Labonte finished 20th in that race after starting from the 42nd position.
Flops
This is one of the few tracks on which Tony Stewart hasn't been dominant. In fact, he's never won at Fontana. After the events of the past week, drivers will be gunning to contain him all day. That's not to say that winning the title in 2005 wasn't enough to prompt that type of activity. In his seven runs at Daytona, Stewart has had two top-five finishes and has been shut out of the top 10 in five others. I'd save his starts for other events.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=255 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>Plenty of fantasy racing owners will put Dale Earnhardt, Jr. into their lineups this weekend, but his past history indicates it will be a mistake. (Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Because of his popularity and overall record, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will undoubtedly be selected for many lineups this week. However, the California Speedway would not be listed as one of his favorite tracks based on his history there. In seven races, Junior has placed in the top-10 only twice, with a single top-five finish. He averaged a 35th place finish in two events last season. Save those starts for another race.
Surprises
And a few to keep an eye on ...
Rookie Clint Bowyer avoided the wrecks and bumps at Daytona to bring home a surprising sixth place finish. More impressive is that Bowyer started from the 37th position. Bowyer finished in the top five in his Busch Series run here in 2005.
Dale Jarrett has finished in the top 10 on four occasions in nine starts at the California Speedway with one top-five finish. Though the overall performance is solid, Jarrett hasn't been a contender at the track of late, offering a single top-10 run in the last five years with an average 20th-place finish.
Brian Vickers qualifies in the top tier at Fontana, averaging a fourth-place qualifying position in his two starts. He hasn't been able to finish though, falling to the middle of the pack with a 25th-place average. That qualifying total will keep him at the front of the pack eventually. Is this the run?
Bill Elliott certainly doesn't leap off the page after his 43rd and 40th place finishes in two Fontana races last season. However, go back to his first four runs on the track, and you find that he placed twice in the top five. Elliott's strong finish at Daytona, rising 14 places from his 33rd place start, makes him one to watch.
Sterling Marlin raced in the middle of the pack for the majority of the Daytona run before dropping sharply in the final quarter of the race. He's placed in the top 10 on three occasions in seven runs at the California Speedway and should be able to make a little noise on this track. More of a longshot pick this week.
Remember, the deadline for getting your roster selected for this race is earlier than the Daytona 500 because normal qualifying bonus point scoring now applies. To receive scoring for this race, you need to have your roster entered by 6:25 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 24. Good luck with your selections this weekend, and don't forget to check out your drivers' performances with FOX Sports' coverage of the race on Sunday afternoon!
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