2008 Auto Club 500:
The 2008 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway is the first non-restrictor plate race of the year. The Daytona 500 is quite a show but the racing there doesn't resemble the majority of racing on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. Welcome to the first "normal" race of the 2008 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 Sprint 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 Ryan Newman leads the points heading into California.
Top Twelve
- Ryan Newman
- Kurt Busch -15
- Tony Stewart -20
- Kyle Busch -20
- Reed Sorenson -30
- Kasey Kahne -39
- Elliott Sadler -40
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -47
- Robby Gordon -48
- Greg Biffle -51
- Bobby Labonte -60
- Jeff Burton -61
Storylines:
The NASCAR Sprint Cup season stars with the biggest race of the year. Although that race was last week the 2008 Daytona 500 will still be a major focus this week. Expect last week's race to be the primary topic of conversation as teams and drivers get ready to race this weekend in California.
Media Coverage:
TV: Fox Sunday February 24th 3:30PM Eastern.
Radio: MRN and Sirius Satellite
Actual Race: 4:00PM Eastern
Fast Last Year:
2007 Winner: Matt Kenseth
2007 Polesitter: Jeff Gordon
Previously...:
California Speedway is not known for great finishes and thrilling racing. The 2007 Auto Club 500 was no different. Some late race cautions added a little drama to the finish but this one was never in doubt as Matt Kenseth drove away for the win.
Predictions:
The Roush Fenway Fords dominated this event for the last three years. Matt Kenseth won this race in 2006 and again in 2007. Before that his teammate Greg Biffle won this race in 2005.
However, Ford drivers have not been near the top of the speed charts in 2008 and did not place well in Daytona. In spite of this I am still going with Matt Kenseth as my top pick this week in California.
For my backup this week I am going with one of he big favorites from Daytona. Both the Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing teams had strong performances in Speed Weeks. Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson won at California in September. He makes a great backup pick for this weekend.
