2006 Auto Club 500:
The 2006 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway is the first non-restrictor plate race of the year. This fast and wide two-mile D-oval has plenty of room for racing but drivers will need a fast car that handles well in order to win. The Daytona 500 is quite a show but racing there doesn't resemble the majority of racing on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup schedule. Welcome to the first "normal" race of the 2006 season.
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:
Since this is only the second race of the year the point standings will fluctuate a lot this week. Drivers that are good at Daytona might not also be good at California and someone who had bad luck last week might well win it.
Top Ten
- Jimmie Johnson -0
- Casey Mears -15
- Ryan Newman -15
- Elliott Sadler -20
- Tony Stewart -25
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -33
- Brian Vickers -34
- Clint Bowyer -35
- Ken Schrader -47
- Dale Jarrett -51
Storylines:
Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, has been suspended for three additional races beyond last week's Daytona 500. He is still able to work at the shop all week and can be in contact with the team so the penalty really is not much. Was this penalty severe enough to send a clear message?
Plus, California is not a restrictor plate track so no more bump-drafting necessary. Expect full discussion of the differences (and there are many) between the two types of racing.
Media Coverage:
TV: Fox Sunday February 26th 3:30PM Eastern.
Radio: MRN and XM Satellite
Actual Race: 4:00PM Eastern
Posted Awards:
$5,934,504
Previously...:
Last year Greg Biffle started his spring hot streak off with a win her in California. He was fast all day and held off a hard charging Jimmie Johnson at the end for the win.
Qualifying was another highlight of this weekend if you like Kyle Busch. The 2005 Rookie of the Year scored the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series pole of his career at this race last year.
Predictions:
I'm going with the new Ford Fusion for my two picks this week. The car showed well in preseason testing at Las Vegas and I think it will race well in California as well.
I'm going to start with Carl Edwards. After finishing dead last in the Daytona 500 Carl needs to make a statement and climb back up to the top of the points. This is his kind of track and he has a fast horse that can take him to Victory Lane.
The next Blue Oval driver on my list this week is Greg Biffle. Greg won this race last year and has showed no signs of slowing down. He must be considered one of the favorites for this weekend.
