2007 Auto Club 500:
Now that the hype of the Daytona 500 is behind us it is time for NASCAR drivers to get down to the business of winning the Championship. The 2007 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway is the first regular race of the season.
Races on California's fast, wide 2-mile D-shaped oval put a lot of pressure on the crew chief. The track doesn't generate a lot of caution flags so the Auto Club 500 is likely to come down to pit strategy and fuel mileage. The crew chief is going to have to make solid decisions all day long in order to guide his driver to Victory Lane.
Tickets:
Speedway ticket office (800) 944-7223 or 1-800-PITSHOP
Buy online from TicketsNow (direct link)
The Track:
California is a fast and wide two mile "D" oval with 14 degrees of banking in the turns and 11 degrees in the front D. Due to the wide racing surface most races in California have very few cautions. As a result many NEXTEL Cup races have come down to fuel mileage battles
Race Distance:
250 laps = 500 miles
The Big Picture:
This is just week two of the season so it is possible for teams to make huge gains (or losses) in the points. Based on his win last week ,and the fact that his team was not penalized, Kevin Harvick leads the points heading into California.
Top Ten
- Kevin Harvick -0
- Mark Martin -15
- Jeff Burton -25
- Mike Wallace -30
- David Ragan -35
- David Gilliland -43
- Joe Nemechek -52
- Jeff Gordon -56
- David Stremme -60
- J.J. Yeley -63
Storylines:
The fallout from last week's Daytona 500 is still not complete. Expect to hear directly from one of NASCAR's top dogs explaining the decision to not throw the caution at the end of the race until after the leaders had crossed the finish line.
The main focus of the weekend will be on the future though. No more beating Daytona into the ground it is time to move on.
Media Coverage:
TV: Fox Sunday February 25th 3:00PM Eastern.
Radio: MRN and Sirius Satellite
Actual Race: 3:30PM Eastern
Posted Awards:
$6,065,926
Previously...:
Last year blown engines were a big problem late in the race. Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle both went up in smoke after leading the race. Greg Biffle had lead 168 laps and was running away with the race before his engine woes struck.
It all came down to a green-white-checkers finish. Matt Kenseth was out front for the restart and was able to hold off a hard-charging Jimmie Johnson to take the win.
Predictions:
The Roush Fenway Fords dominated this event in 2006. Greg Biffle lead over half of the event before dropping out with motor problems. His teammate Matt Kenseth then went on to take the win. For my primary pick this week I am going with Biffle to score a big victory in the 2007 Auto Club 500.
For my backup pick this week I am going with a driver that lead here last year, had the car to beat last week in Daytona and finished out the 2006 season strong. Tony Stewart will be a force again this week in California.
