Auto Club 500 Race Preview

California Speedway -- 02/24/08

Author: Becca Gladden

Published: Tuesday Feb 19 2008 11:12pm

Compared to a track like Daytona, where NASCAR just celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first race there, California Speedway is a relative newcomer on the circuit. The Cup series first visited the two-mile Fontana oval in 1997 and raced there once a year until 2004, when NASCAR awarded a second date to the track. Still, that adds up to just 15 Cup races here total, and even fewer for the second race date in February (3 in all). Interestingly enough, the three previous February Cup races in California were all won by Roush Ford drivers - Greg Biffle (currently at +1450) in 2005 and Matt Kenseth (+785) in 2006 and 2007.

Despite the tendency of fans and pundits to try and extrapolate the likely outcome of the entire season from the results of the Daytona 500 alone, it's critically important to remember that Daytona does not typify NASCAR racing. A 2.5-mile restrictor plate track where drafting is king and everyone needs a dance partner is a far cry from the 1.5 to 2.0 mile downforce tracks that comprise the majority of the NASCAR schedule.

While nearly all of us were caught off-guard to some degree by the 1-2 Penske Racing finish at Daytona, the overall success of the Dodges, the struggles of the Hendrick superstars, and the inability of the Gibbs Toyotas to close the deal, keep in mind that one plate race does not a season make.

That said, it's difficult to discuss California without first mentioning Kenseth. He is not only the reigning two-time winner of the February Cup race, but the all-time leader in NASCAR wins at Fontana if you count his four Busch (Nationwide) victories. He won both the Busch and Cup events here in February of 2007.

"I never thought we'd win two years in a row, but I always feel pretty confident going to California," Kenseth said in his Fontana race preview. "It's been one of our better tracks throughout our time in the Nationwide Series and in the Cup Series, so it's one I certainly look forward to."

Regarding the racing conditions at Fontana, Kenseth notes, “California’s just a real big, wide track. You get a little bit of everything there. You get a lot of speed, especially (since) this new car has less drag, so you really go fast down the straightaways. It's got some pretty big corners where you can run around the bottom or you can run up high and you're always kind of searching for a groove, so it's always a lot of fun."

This is, in fact, the first race for the COT at California, as the previous races were all run with the old Cup car. However, drivers did come here for two days of testing a few weeks ago. Looking at the fastest single lap runs for drivers across the test sessions, Denny Hamlin (+1250) in a Joe Gibbs Toyota topped the chart with a 182.523 mile per hour run in the day one morning test period. The top 10 included three Toyotas, two Dodges, three Chevys, and two Fords. Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman (+2050) had the second-fastest lap time of 181.511, while Kenseth was sixth on the speed chart.

The temperatures will be warmer in Fontana this weekend than they were during testing, creating even slicker conditions on a track already known for its slip-sliding nature.

In terms of Fontana stats covering all previous race dates, Jimmie Johnson (+585) has the best average finish overall with a 6.8. In 10 California starts, Johnson has two wins, six top 5s, and six top 10s. He has also accumulated more points at this track than any other driver over the last ten races and won the most recent race here last fall. Carl Edwards (+750) follows Johnson in the average finish category with a 7.6 and Kenseth is next with a 10.3. Edwards has a pole and six top-10 finishes in seven starts.

A glance at all of the Cup winners at Fontana, though not necessarily in a February race, include Jeff Gordon (+685) with three wins, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth with two each, and the following drivers with one victory a piece: Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Mark Martin.

Kenseth won here last February from a 25th place starting spot and the previous year from 31st.

Neither Tony Stewart (+885) nor Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+855) has ever won a Cup race in Fontana. Stewart's best finish was fourth in 1999 and 2001, while Earnhardt Jr. finished second in the fall of 2006.

Meanwhile, solid race predictions might be hard to come by if you listen to Jeff Gordon, who will be anxious to fight his way back up the point standings from 39th after a disappointing season opener in Daytona. "Tracks like California Speedway present a totally different challenge to us with the new car and we’re looking forward to facing that challenge. I don’t think anyone knows what to expect until we actually get into race conditions."