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Auto Club Speedway
Fantasy Racing Tip:
When looking at how well a driver does at Auto Club Speedway, also consider their performance at Kansas, Michigan & Chicago because of their moderate banking & length.
Auto Club Speedway
The California Speedway is a two-mile, low-banked, D-shaped oval speedway in Fontana, California, similar to that of Michigan International Speedway, approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill.
It is a relatively new race track, opening in early 1997, and has additional configurations and facilities to accommodate "road" races, motorcycle races, vehicle testing, and drag races (Auto Club Dragway), even though the track cannot host NHRA national events, because of International Speedway Corporation's corporatewide deal with Pepsi. (The NHRA has a policy prohibiting certain Pepsi brands to be advertised anywhere at their national events as part of a deal with Coca-Cola.)
This racetrack is a stones throw from the old Ontario Motor Speedway and the old Riverside International Raceway.
After Riverside's closure in 1988, Southern California did not host a NASCAR race from 1988 to 1997, when the new California Speedway was opened.
Trivia
June 22, 1997: Jeff Gordon christens the new California Speedway with a win in the California 500, the inaugural event on the two-mile oval. Terry Labonte takes second, giving Hendrick Motorsports another 1-2 finish.
April 28, 2002: Rookie Jimmie Johnson surges into the lead with 13 laps remaining and outruns Kurt Busch to win the California 500. Johnson's first NASCAR Winston Cup victory comes in his 13th career start.
Top Drivers
| Top Active Drivers at Auto Club Speedway | |||
| Name | Race Starts | Average Start | Average Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmie Johnson | 12 | 9.8 | 5.9 |
| Carl Edwards | 9 | 17.8 | 6.7 |
| Matt Kenseth | 14 | 22.6 | 9.6 |
| Kyle Busch | 9 | 12.3 | 9.9 |
| Jeff Gordon | 17 | 10.9 | 11.5 |
| Clint Bowyer | 6 | 16.5 | 12.0 |
| Kasey Kahne | 10 | 8.1 | 13.1 |
| Mark Martin | 15 | 13.7 | 13.3 |
| Kurt Busch | 13 | 12.6 | 13.5 |
| David Ragan | 4 | 29.5 | 13.8 |
| Jamie McMurray | 11 | 25.0 | 14.6 |
| Denny Hamlin | 6 | 12.0 | 15.3 |
| Jeff Burton | 17 | 18.4 | 15.8 |
| AJ Allmendinger | 2 | 10.0 | 16.0 |
| Tony Stewart | 15 | 15.2 | 16.4 |
| Brian Vickers | 10 | 13.8 | 16.6 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 6 | 10.2 | 17.7 |
| Kevin Harvick | 13 | 20.0 | 17.9 |
| Patrick Carpentier | 1 | 5.0 | 18.0 |
| Bobby Labonte | 17 | 21.6 | 18.1 |
| Greg Biffle | 12 | 13.9 | 18.2 |
| Ryan Newman | 12 | 11.6 | 18.4 |
| Ward Burton | 9 | 22.3 | 19.3 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr | 14 | 17.6 | 20.6 |
| Sterling Marlin | 14 | 22.7 | 21.9 |
| Elliott Sadler | 15 | 20.5 | 23.3 |
| Casey Mears | 11 | 16.5 | 23.6 |
| David Reutimann | 4 | 28.3 | 24.3 |
| David Gilliland | 5 | 29.6 | 24.4 |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | 4 | 23.8 | 24.8 |
| Scott Riggs | 9 | 17.0 | 24.9 |
| JJ Yeley | 7 | 20.0 | 25.4 |
| Bill Elliott | 13 | 21.5 | 25.9 |
| Michael Waltrip | 16 | 25.4 | 26.3 |
| Joe Nemechek | 17 | 18.0 | 26.6 |
| Robby Gordon | 13 | 30.9 | 26.8 |
| Paul Menard | 4 | 25.0 | 27.0 |
| Dave Blaney | 12 | 24.7 | 28.3 |
| Reed Sorenson | 6 | 29.7 | 28.3 |
| Boris Said | 2 | 31.0 | 30.0 |
| Aric Almirola | 2 | 25.0 | 30.5 |
| Kyle Petty | 17 | 30.6 | 30.8 |
| Travis Kvapil | 5 | 34.2 | 31.0 |
Race Winners
| Races Winners at Auto Club Speedway | |||||
| Date | Race | Pole Winner | Race Winner | Laps Led | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/31/2008 | Pepsi 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | 228 | 1st |
| 02/24/2008 | Auto Club 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Carl Edwards | 64 | 9th |
| 09/02/2007 | Sharp AQUOS 500 | Kurt Busch | Jimmie Johnson | 84 | 2nd |
| 02/25/2007 | Auto Club 500 | Jeff Gordon | Matt Kenseth | 133 | 25th |
| 09/06/2006 | Sony HD 500 | Kurt Busch | Kasey Kahne | 130 | 9th |
| 02/26/2006 | Auto Club 500 | Kurt Busch | Matt Kenseth | 40 | 31st |
| 09/04/2005 | Sony HD 500 | Carl Edwards | Kyle Busch | 95 | 25th |
| 02/27/2005 | Auto Club 500 | Kyle Busch | Greg Biffle | 46 | 5th |
| 09/05/2004 | Pop Secret 500 | Brian Vickers | Elliott Sadler | 59 | 17th |
| 05/02/2004 | Auto Club 500 | Kasey Kahne | Jeff Gordon | 81 | 16th |
| 04/27/2003 | Auto Club 500 | Steve Park | Kurt Busch | 27 | 16th |
| 04/28/2002 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Ryan Newman | Jimmie Johnson | 62 | 4th |
| 04/29/2001 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Bobby Labonte | Rusty Wallace | 95 | 19th |
| 04/30/2000 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Mike Skinner | Jeremy Mayfield | 26 | 24th |
| 05/02/1999 | California 500 | Jeff Burton | Jeff Gordon | 151 | 5th |
| 05/03/1998 | California 500 | Jeff Gordon | Mark Martin | 165 | 3rd |
| 06/22/1997 | California 500 | Joe Nemechek | Jeff Gordon | 113 | 3rd |













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