This Sunday brings the final week of the West Coast swing in the NASCAR early-season schedule with the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway (formerly Fontana) out in California. It’s just the fifth race of the season but already we are on the fourth different track distance/type with the 2.0-mile circuit that comprises Auto Club. A sister to the circuit at Michigan International Speedway, it provides a lot more wide open racing than we’ve seen in the past couple of weeks, though the speeds aren’t quite as high as what they hit in Michigan.
Track Data
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Avg. | Difference | Laps Led | Laps Led | ||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Top 20's | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Rating | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Jimmie Johnson | 16.5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 116.4 | 11.5 | 6.25 | 3.13 |
| Brad Keselowski | 11.5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 101.8 | 6.5 | 0.25 | 0.13 |
| Kevin Harvick | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 176 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 136.7 | 0 | 44 | 22.00 |
| Joey Logano | 11 | 5.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 107.5 | 5.5 | 0.75 | 0.38 |
| Ryan Newman | 6.5 | 9.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 88.5 | -3 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Paul Menard | 12 | 9.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 85.2 | 2.5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 22.5 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 76.6 | 12.5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kurt Busch | 13.5 | 16.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 65 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 85.7 | -3 | 16.25 | 8.13 |
| Denny Hamlin | 4.5 | 15.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 58 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 102.4 | -11 | 14.5 | 7.25 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 22 | 8.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 89.9 | 13.5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 14.5 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 32 | 0 | 97.5 | -5.5 | 6.5 | 3.25 |
| Chase Elliott | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 105.1 | 2 | 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Jamie McMurray | 18 | 15.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 68.7 | 2.5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | 14.5 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 34 | 0 | 66.2 | -6.5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Matt Kenseth | 11.5 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 0 | 19 | 31 | 0 | 95.1 | -13.5 | 11.25 | 5.63 |
| Austin Dillon | 11 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 24 | 0 | 78.5 | -9 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Aric Almirola | 24 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 21 | 0 | 74.7 | 8 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kasey Kahne | 15.5 | 22.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 65.8 | -7 | 0 | 0.00 |
| David Ragan | 19.5 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 22 | 0 | 63 | -0.5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Clint Bowyer | 19.5 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 30 | 0 | 61.7 | -4.5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Danica Patrick | 26.5 | 28.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 38 | 1 | 61.5 | -2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Trevor Bayne | 21.5 | 24.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 29 | 0 | 56.7 | -3 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Chris Buescher | 24.5 | 26.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 33 | 0 | 54.2 | -2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Landon Cassill | 37 | 20.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 25 | 0 | 49.5 | 16.5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kyle Busch | 6 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 92 | -19 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ryan Blaney | 14 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 35 | 1 | 67.7 | -21 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kyle Larson | 18.5 | 32.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 39 | 1 | 56.3 | -14 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Cole Whitt | 34 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 26 | 0 | 46.3 | 9 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Michael McDowell | 30 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 40.2 | -1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Michael Annett | 31 | 33.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 38 | 0 | 33.9 | -2.5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 37.5 | 34.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 42 | 0 | 33.9 | 3 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Jeffrey Earnhardt | 39 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 28.3 | 5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Reed Sorenson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Derrike Cope | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Timmy Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Gray Gaulding | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Corey Lajoie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Erik Jones | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Daniel Suarez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Top Drivers at Auto Club Speedway Historically
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Difference | Laps Led | Laps Led | ||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Top 20's | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Jimmie Johnson | 9.9 | 6.5 | 22 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 21 | 980 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 3.4 | 245 | 11.14 |
| Matt Kenseth | 18.2 | 11.08 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 20 | 571 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 7.12 | 142.75 | 5.95 |
| Kyle Busch | 11.1 | 10.94 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 604 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 1 | 0.16 | 151 | 8.39 |
| Kurt Busch | 14.9 | 12.3 | 23 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 18 | 298 | 4 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 2.6 | 74.5 | 3.24 |
| Kevin Harvick | 15.9 | 15.13 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 237 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 2 | 0.77 | 59.25 | 2.58 |
| Kasey Kahne | 11.9 | 16.65 | 20 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 268 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 3 | -4.75 | 67 | 3.35 |
| Brad Keselowski | 14 | 18.75 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 0 | -4.75 | 9.75 | 1.22 |
| Ryan Newman | 13.6 | 16.64 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 42 | 3 | -3.04 | 5.5 | 0.25 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 19.7 | 18.63 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 5 | 1.07 | 7 | 0.29 |
| Jamie McMurray | 19.8 | 17.05 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 57 | 2 | 4 | 37 | 0 | 2.75 | 14.25 | 0.68 |
| Joey Logano | 11.5 | 15.8 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 44 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 0 | -4.3 | 11 | 1.10 |
| Clint Bowyer | 14.3 | 14.31 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 47 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 1 | -0.01 | 11.75 | 0.73 |
| Denny Hamlin | 11.2 | 18.53 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 134 | 2 | 3 | 41 | 3 | -7.33 | 33.5 | 2.23 |
| Paul Menard | 25.1 | 20.21 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 37 | 0 | 4.89 | 0.75 | 0.05 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 24.5 | 18.5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 |
Top-15 at 2-mile Tracks
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Difference | Laps Led | Laps Led | |||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Top 20's | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Rating | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Joey Logano | 7.5 | 5.67 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 172 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 111.1 | 1.83 | 43 | 7.17 |
| Brad Keselowski | 12.2 | 5.33 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 104 | 6.87 | 7.75 | 1.29 |
| Kurt Busch | 17.2 | 12.67 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 71 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 88 | 4.53 | 17.75 | 2.96 |
| Matt Kenseth | 11.3 | 13.67 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 202 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 102.9 | -2.37 | 50.5 | 8.42 |
| Kyle Larson | 17.7 | 16.5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 49 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 88.9 | 1.2 | 12.25 | 2.04 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 11.2 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 66 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 97.2 | -3.8 | 16.5 | 2.75 |
| Kevin Harvick | 7.7 | 7.5 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 287 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 120.9 | 0.2 | 71.75 | 11.96 |
| Chase Elliott | 7.7 | 3.33 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 67 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 118.5 | 4.37 | 16.75 | 5.58 |
| Denny Hamlin | 5.2 | 14.83 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 58 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 1 | 97 | -9.63 | 14.5 | 2.42 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 12.7 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 43 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 0 | 101.5 | -0.3 | 10.75 | 1.79 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 18.8 | 13.6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 1 | 85.5 | 5.2 | 0.25 | 0.05 |
| Austin Dillon | 9.7 | 14.67 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 86.4 | -4.97 | 5 | 0.83 |
| Ryan Newman | 11.5 | 12.17 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 85.9 | -0.67 | 0.5 | 0.08 |
| Paul Menard | 19.5 | 12.5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 81.4 | 7 | 0.25 | 0.04 |
| Ryan Blaney | 10 | 20.8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 35 | 1 | 81.2 | -10.8 | 0 | 0.00 |
Drivers to watch this week
Kevin Harvick: Yes I know big surprise that Harvick is on the list again, but guess what it’s another track that he has preformed well on. In the last two races he has finished 
twice both times after starting second and led 176 laps out of the 400 total run between both contests. He will be without his Crew Chief, Rodney Childres, this week stemming from penalties following the Phoenix race.
Brad Keselowski: Keselowski has nearly the same stats as JJ has over the past two races including a win and two top-tens. His career here is a little spottier as those are the only top-ten finishes he’s had here in eight tries. Keselowski however is the second best driver in the field at the 2.0-mile distance though. At slightly more than Johnson he should slot in nicely into lineups, but like Harvick, will be without his Crew Chief for at least this week.
Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has been the king of this track in recent memory and over his career. He has a win and two top-ten finishes in the last two races here despite only leading 25 laps. Overall he has six wins and 13 top-fives, including five runner-up finishes, in 22 career races here. He looked closer to his old self last week and isn’t as expensive as one would think this week. He is practically a must-own.
Erik Jones: Jones doesn’t have any experience on this track in the Monster Energy Cup cars but does have experience at the Xfinity Series level. He finished third and 15th in the last two years here and has one pole to his credit. Jones proved he can hang with the big boys last week at Phoenix and could be in the running again this week.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Stenhouse Jr. has had his share of incidents on the track this season but heads to a venue that he has shown well at the last couple of seasons. He has the second best positional differential in the field at +12.5 over the last two races going from a 22.5 starting spot to a top-10 finish. Further down the price list, he represents an upside play that if he has the speed, like in the past, could pay big dividends come Sunday.