Is it time to say goodbye to Auto Club Speedway?
Well, it’s the day after the Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway—a day that has come since 1997. That means, its time to ask the question: “Is it time to say goodbye to Auto Club Speedway?”
The track held its 20th race on Sunday, to which Jimmie Johnson recorded a 1.5-second margin of victory. NASCAR estimates that 72,000 fans were on hand for the event. However, that number has received just as much scrutiny from the media, who seems to estimate around 50,000 fans attended the race, as their claims of 75 million NASCAR fans.
However, to track President Gillian Zucker, selling out one race isn’t crucial to the track.
“I really don’t know that selling out one race is better than having two that are almost there and on their way,” Zucker said.
Although, even if the 72,000 figure is correct, that leaves a total of 18,000 empty seats—or 20-percent of the track’s 90,000 seats.
However, attendance at the track that has not sold out one of its 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races isn’t even its biggest problem. The track’s level of competition pales in comparison to tracks like Bristol, Daytona and Talladega. In fact, it’s not even close. This fact becomes all the more apparent since NASCAR visits Fontana, Calif. the week after the Daytona 500—which is traditionally one of the best races of the season, even more so this year.
One plus, however, is that fans have only seen a race end under caution once in 20 races. However, that can be attributed largely to six-lane wide track and the long green flag runs that begin to spread the field out around the 2 mile facility originally built by Roger Penske.
| Year | Margin of Victory |
| 1997 | 1.074 |
| 1998 | 1.287 |
| 1999 | 4.492 |
| 2000 | 0.300 |
| 2001 | 0.270 |
| 2002 | 0.620 |
| 2003 | 2.294 |
| 2004 | 0.263 |
| spring 2005 | 0.231 |
| fall 2005 | 0.554 |
| spring 2006 | 0.338 |
| fall 2006 | 3.427 |
| spring 2007 | 0.679 |
| fall 2007 | 1.868 |
| spring 2008 | Caution |
| fall 2008 | 2.076 |
| spring 2009 | 1.463 |
| fall 2009 | 1.603 |
| spring 2010 | 1.523 |
* in seconds
Excluding the 2008 spring race at the track, Auto Club Speedway holds an average finish of 1.28-seconds in the 19 races that have ended under green. That being said, the track has had its fair share of close finishes—the closest being in 2001 when the race was won by a mere .27-seconds. However, the track hasn’t seen a margin of victory under a half-of-a-second since the spring of 2006. Half of the track’s events have ended with a margin of victory of more than a second. Five races have been won by more than two seconds.
With all of that, it may be time for the Sprint Cup Series to take one or both of the races away and move them to other tracks. NASCAR already has a track out west in Las Vegas Motor Speedway while there are no tracks in the upper west region of the United States, such as the states of Montana, Oregon and Idaho.
Currently, the International Speedway Corporation, which is looking to add a second race at Kansas Speedway, is pondering that same question: “Is it time to say goodbye to Auto Club Speedway?” Since NASCAR is set on a 36-race schedule, the ISC would have to move a race from one of its other tracks in order to make a second race at Kansas a reality.
Other tracks owned by the ISC with two races each year are Martinsville, Phoenix, Michigan, Richmond, Daytona and Talladega. Those races traditionally sell out, or come within a couple of thousand of doing so. Michigan is the only exception to this but it has 121,000 seats and is located in the heart of one of the worst economic areas in the country.
“I think every track has to be concerned that it could come from them,” Zucker said. “And I will be out there kicking and screaming and clawing and scratching for two dates.
“I know what we bring to the economy in California. That’s something we’re proud of and something that they need. And I also believe there is great opportunity for NASCAR here. There are a lot of fans out there and we need to keep delivering a great product out on that race track.”
While it’s a proven fact that NASCAR allows local communities to generate more than a million dollars for each Sprint Cup Series race, it’s not a good business decision to keep Auto Club Speedway on the schedule—especially when the sport itself is going through a down swing.
While no decision has been made yet, there will be one less race at one of ISC’s tracks next year. The question is will it and should it be Auto Club Speedway?
Auto Club Speedway was added to the schedule in 1997 with one event before receiving a second event in 2005. Both times were from realignment by NASCAR to become friendlier with new fans. However, tracks like Rockingham were lost during the phase.
Fantasy Pick’Em: 2010 Auto Club 500
One race down, 35 to go, as the Sprint Cup Series heads to Auto Club Speedway for the Auto Club 500. Jamie McMurray will look to repeat Matt Kenseth’s 2009 feat of sweeping the first two races of the season, at a track where he has an average finish of 16.4. California is McMurray’s fifth best track of those on the current schedule.
My pick for Daytona, Tony Stewart, finished 22nd, leaving me with 97 points on the weekend. My dark horse, John Andretti, slapped the wall and ended up 38th. As for my other three suggestions, only Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a strong run, finishing second; Mark Martin faltered to finish 12th and Marcos Ambrose blew a motor after 79 laps to wind up 41st. Not a great start to my year, but that’s Daytona.
If you’re looking for a sure bet at California, don’t just go by who won the 500; since Fontana assumed the second race of the season in 2005, only Kenseth has done the double. Jimmie Johnson finished second at the track in 2006, but in none of the other cases has the Daytona winner finished better than double digits. Daytona winners’ average finish at California over the past five years is an even 12, mostly brought up by those two.
The winners at California usually come from the middle of the pack at Daytona. Ignoring Kenseth’s win last year, the average finish of California winners at Daytona between 2005 and 2008 was 21.5.
Regardless of all that, my pick for California is Matt Kenseth. This one seems like an easy call. Roush Fenway Racing Fords have won the past five spring races at California, as well as 10 of 19 races at the track overall. Kenseth won this race in 2006, 2007, and last year. His average finish of 9.2 is third best among active drivers. A victory could propel Kenseth into the points lead.
As for a dark horse, I’m picking David Ragan. We can call him a dark horse, right? He still hasn’t won a Sprint Cup race, and he had a generally horrible season in 2009. But his seventh place in the fall California race was his second best finish of 2009. He’s also never failed to finish below 17th at the track, which is either a really good omen for Sunday or a hint that he’s overdue for a bad finish.
Per tradition, three other suggestions:
Jimmie Johnson’s an easy pick. You don’t just stumble into a 5.8 average finish in the Sprint Cup Series at any given track – you’ve gotta be good. Johnson’s obviously good, as his four Sprint Cups attest to. He’s even better at California, with no finishes worse than 16th, no DNFs, zero finishes off of the lead lap, and at least 31 laps led in the past six races at his home track. I only pick against him because none of his four wins at the track came in February.
Kyle Busch is a solid, yet interesting, choice if you’re looking to spice things up. He’s not as easy of a pick as the Roush or Hendrick drivers, but he did have a streak of eight California top-10s before last fall’s 24th-place finish, and not even Jimmie Johnson (six and counting) can say that.
I’m going to give Jamie McMurray the benefit of the doubt and my final pick. The past four years have been pretty abysmal for the Daytona 500 winner, especially at California, where a sixth place finish in his second race with Roush was the lone high point; since then, he’s never been better than 16th at the track. But McMurray was never worse than 15th when he drove for Chip Ganassi, his current owner, with an average finish of 7.2 in five starts between 2003 and 2005.
California Chase race shortened to 400 miles
Changes in the Sprint Cup Series in 2010 will not be limited to driver movement or anticipated changes to the racecar. The lengths of two races are changing.
Auto Club Speedway announced Wednesday its second race, which falls during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, will be shortened to 400 miles. And Phoenix International Raceway announced its race in April would increase to 375 miles.
Last October, Jimmie Johnson won the Pepsi 500, the fourth race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, at 2-mile Auto Club Speedway. This year’s race, rebranded the Pepsi Max 400, is scheduled for Oct. 10.
“As fans well know, conversations with NASCAR in regard to making Auto Club Speedway the most competitive track possible for NASCAR racing have been ongoing,” Auto Club president Gillian Zucker said. “The results of some changes made by NASCAR, such as double-file restarts and tire changes, were seen at our inaugural Chase race, arguably one of the best races ever at the Speedway.
“This additional rules change to 400 miles is further evidence of NASCAR’s commitment to racing excitement and to Southern California race fans.”
A schedule change in 2009 moved a race at Fontana into the Chase for the first time since the introduction of NASCAR’s playoff system in 2004. The 2009 Pepsi 500 took the place of the fall race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which moved outside the Chase to Labor Day weekend.
Phoenix, like Auto Club Speedway, is the site of two Cup races each year. The change at 1-mile PIR is for only the first race, the Subway Fresh Fit 600 on April 10. Last year’s race was 500 kilometers, or 312 miles.
“Racing is as much about strategy as it is about pure speed,” PIR president Bryan Sperber said. “This new distance ushers in a whole new race at PIR and will likely jumble the conventional wisdom about who can win at Phoenix.”
Lesa France Kennedy says new ticket prices attracting many new buyers
While the economy’s outlook is still bleak on the surface and NASCAR’s attendance is still on a slight drop after the 2009 NASCAR season, the race tracks have spent much of this year, and the offseason, lowering ticket prices, among other things, to help boost attendance and fan interaction.
- Lesa France Kennedy. (Photo by NASCAR)
Lesa France Kennedy, CEO and Vice Chairwoman of the International Speedway Corporation, was a speaker at the inaugural Motor Sport Business Forum North America on Wednesday and addressed the issues that has faced ISC over the past two years and how the company has handled them.
From a company-wide standpoint, France Kennedy said that ISC has re-priced over a million of their race tracks’ tickets for this season. This coupled with a new array of bundles in which to purchase tickets was a somewhat obvious way to deal with an economic downturn. However, it has not only kept attendance in the Sprint Cup Series to a level just under that of years before, it has brought some new fans to the stands. In fact, two out of every three fans that purchased a ticket this year were a new customer to ISC tracks.
“First of all, there’s no doubt that all businesses have been challenged by the economy and we are not immune to it,” France Kennedy said. “Whenever there is a situation like this, it has also provided an opportunity for us. We’ve taken over a half a million of our tickets and re-priced or restructured them. We’ve taken some of the tickets that were previously bundled and created new packages where the bundling wasn’t as prominent. We find that about 2/3 of the people that are buying our newly structured tickets are brand-new buyers.”
From there, the tracks rely on the hope, and research, that if you go to one NASCAR event you have to go to another one. However, the challenge is getting a fan to that first event.
“Our history tells us that if we can get them to that one event, that the product sells itself,” France Kennedy said. “Our challenge is getting them to that first event, and then it goes from there. We’re accomplishing that through different opportunities and value pricing.”
Prices aren’t the only way these tracks are trying to attract a new breed of fan. Things such as social networking and creating a “green” initiative around the track and the sport are cause for keeping attendance just below average even in these rough economic times.
Many of the ISC tracks have accounts across the most popular social networks in the United States, such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. With tracks placing more interest on the younger demographic, social content has become a key marketing strategy and a cause for their overall success.
“People are consuming our sport in different ways now, like NASCAR.com for instance,” France Kennedy said. “Social media, I know especially for the younger folks, that is how they communicate. All of our tracks now have social media outlets where they communicate with potential fans and new fans, as well as the younger audience. We always have to be refilling the pipeline.”
A Chinook helicopter flies in the pace car driven by Lt. Col. Doug Hurley during prerace ceremonies prior to the start of the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 8, 2009. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
It’s not just ISC tracks that are making these changes, however. Speedway Motorsports Inc. tracks have to keep up as well. While SMI and ISC have both done similar things, Texas Motor Speedway’s Eddie Gossage, who was also at the motorsports forum on Wednesday, said that while track promoters can’t guarantee the race will always be a nail-bitter, they have to ensure their events are surrounded with activity, such as pre-race festivities at the track.
“The race is the race, and it could be an extremely close nail-biter,” Gossage said. “Or it could be a runaway and it falls on us as promoters to make the day exciting before the green flag drops and perhaps for awhile after the checkered flag drops. We try to do those kinds of things, our pre-race show for our Cup race was an hour-long concert by ZZ Top, we had a Chinook helicopter land on the front straightaway and in the pace car was a season ticket holder who was also the pilot of the Space Shuttle back in July. The fans loved that. So it’s giving them the ‘wow’ factor long before the green flag drops.”
ZZ Top performs prior to the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 8, 2009. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey)
With the recent approval of a casino being built near to Kansas Speedway, the ISC is looking forward to new chances to raise ticket sales within their company. Nonetheless, France Kennedy and the ISC knows it’s going to be a slow process to get back where they were pre-recession period.
“We’re going to be braced for a slow recovery but we’re also looking at some new opportunities,” France Kennedy said. “At Kansas, next to the Kansas Speedway, we’re looking at building a casino and a hotel with our gaming partner. It’s a little bit of a departure from our core business, but it’s also an enhancement if you look at the fans coming to the Kansas Speedway and extending their stay. It becomes more of a destination, bringing more tourists in than it already does. We’re doing the same in Daytona, where we’re looking at some other guest amenities across the street that would be complementary to the track. Over time we would like to develop some retail and dining.”
Regardless of the roughly nine-percent attendance drop this season, NASCAR is still considered America’s No. 1 spectator sport, with many events drawing upwards of a 120,000 people or more. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events claim 17 of the nation’s top-20 most attended events every year.
The ISC operates Auto Club Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Phoenix International Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway and Watkins Glen International. SMI owns eight tracks: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.
With 29 Weeks Down, The Excitement Continues With Seven To Go
After 29 weeks of watching battle after battle, with each driver and team encountering some of the most historic race tracks in all the Motorsports world.
The excitement that is NASCAR racing will touch down in a land that is known for its mind blowing star power, while bringing its own unique form of highly energized entertainment this coming weekend.
As NASCAR’s own superstars get ready to invade a land that is rich with its own form of entertainment, nothing compares to the pageantry of watching 43 of the most famous cars in all of auto racing, as they take center stage on the two mile oval known as Auto Club Speedway.
And since Southern California is no stranger to hosting some of sports biggest playoff games, especially when the Lakers just won the NBA championship this year, and the Angels and Dodgers are in the middle of their own playoff battle.
NASCAR has also decided to bring the excitement of their own version of the playoffs to the sunny skies of Southern California, known as the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.
The chase is not some scripted made for T.V. program filmed out here in the streets of Hollywood, and its far from the make believe world that make up, “The Happiest Place on Earth” known as Disneyland.
But instead its about ten weeks of gut wrenching, heart pounding, non-scripted, and real life side by side racing action.
The chase is also about 12 hungry drivers, who are driven for the sole purpose of being crowned NASCAR’s champion for the 2009 season for three plus hours each week.
Aggression, as well as a strong desire to put all fears aside to reign as the king of the mountain, is what drives these weekend warriors to push the limits beyond any boundary that may get in their way.
So as the excitement slowly begins to fill the air, along with the smell of the 98 octane fuel that it takes to feed the 850 hungry ponies who are waiting to be unleashed once the green flag drops.
It is a time that each driver knew was near as they reach the point of no return, where there is no turning back.
The atmosphere that surrounds the track, is unlike any other sport once the rumbling begins from the sound of each car, as they meticulously hum a tune that is sweet music to the ears.
So as NASCAR racing once again invades the deepest part of the soul, it will surely go unmatched as one the most energetic, vigorous, vivacious, dynamic, and effervescent sports known to man.
Sprint Cup Series Events Moving To Earlier, Uniform Start Times For 2010 Season
NASCAR PR
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Continuing the sport’s “back to basics” approach, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and its television broadcast partners today announced earlier, uniform start times for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2010.
NASCAR worked closely with FOX, Turner, ESPN/ABC and the tracks on this project for the fans. The race start times for NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2010 in the Eastern and Central regions of the country will begin at 1 p.m. ET, West Coast events will begin at 3 p.m. ET, and night races will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. (The one exception is NASCAR’s longest night race, the Coca-Cola 600, which will have the same 5:45 p.m. ET start time.) Following the invocation and national anthem, the green flag will drop at approximately 15-20 minutes past the hour after each listed race start time.
“NASCAR fans have been asking for earlier and more consistent start times, and we are making this change for our fans, beginning with the Daytona 500 next February,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “We are revisiting our sport’s tradition of earlier green flags, and the added consistency will make it easier for fans to know exactly when the races are being televised. Additionally, the new start times will help track operators get fans in and out of the track earlier in the evening. Many fans heading home from the race earlier will be able to eliminate the costs of an extra travel day.”
A total of 28 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2010 will be held at an earlier time compared to 2009, with 20 races moved to 1 p.m. ET, including the Daytona 500. Moving up the start of “The Great American Race” two-and-a-half hours will produce the earliest start time for the Daytona 500 since 2003, when the race was also scheduled for 1 p.m. Five races move earlier to a 3 p.m. ET start and three races start earlier at 7:30 p.m. ET.
In making the decision for earlier, more uniform start times, NASCAR consulted its Fan Council, comprised of 12,000 avid fans who serve as a sounding board on important topics. Half of NASCAR avid fans said they are often unclear about what time NASCAR races actually start. When given the chance to choose a start time, more than two-thirds of avid NASCAR fans preferred early Sunday afternoon.
“It’s become clear to us that traditional, early Sunday afternoon, start times are favored by NASCAR fans who both attend races and watch on television,” said FOX Sports Chairman David Hill. “NASCAR, perhaps more than any other sport, belongs to the generations of fans who have passed on their passion, father to son, mother to daughter, so whatever we can do to make them feel better connected to the sport they love should be done.”
“Many fans have been interested in standard start times for NASCAR’s television partners. In the long term, we believe this change will make the viewing experience better for everyone,” said David Levy, president of Turner Broadcasting’s distribution, sales and sports. “NASCAR races continue to deliver solid, consistent ratings for TNT. When you combine TV ratings with the number of people who visit NASCAR.COM, the sport clearly remains very healthy and popular.”
“We enthusiastically support consistent start times and are happy to have worked with NASCAR on this move,” said John Skipper, ESPN’s executive vice president, content. “We are thrilled about our position with NASCAR and bullish about the long-term prospects.”
“An earlier starting time for the Daytona 500 is great news for our race fans,” Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. “In recent years, race fans made their desire very clear for an earlier starting time. With the help of our partners in the sport at NASCAR and FOX Sports, we’re proud to deliver an earlier starting time for the 2010 Daytona 500.”
“This is a very positive move for our fans,” said Jerry Gappens, executive vice president and general manager for New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “For example, it allows us another hour of daylight to run our races and to get traffic out before nightfall. Based on the letters I receive from fans, I know they will appreciate NASCAR making this change. For years, the NFL has been very successful with its standardized start times of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. You never have to guess when their games start on Sunday. I think that same template will help our sport as well.”
“We believe this will be well-received by NASCAR fans who attend races in Dover, especially those traveling long distances,” said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “A large percentage of our fans come from the Northeast, and some drive great distances to get here. Consistent, earlier start times is great news for both fans headed to the track and those watching at home.”
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races will be seen on either FOX, TNT, ESPN or ABC. The 2010 television schedule for points races is below.
2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule With Start Times (All Times Eastern)
Date Day RaceSite Network Start Time
Feb 14 Sun. Daytona 500 FOX 1:00 PM
Feb 21 Sun. Auto Club Speedway FOX 3:00 PM
Feb 28 Sun. Las Vegas Motor Speedway FOX 3:00 PM
Mar 7 Sun. Atlanta Motor Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
Mar 21 Sun. Bristol Motor Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
Mar 28 Sun. Martinsville Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
Apr 10 Sat. Phoenix International Raceway FOX 7:30 PM
Apr 18 Sun. Texas Motor Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
Apr 25 Sun. Talladega Superspeedway FOX 1:00 PM
May 1 Sat. Richmond International Raceway FOX 7:30 PM
May 8 Sat. Darlington Raceway FOX 7:30 PM
May 16 Sun. Dover International Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
May 30 Sun. Lowe’s Motor Speedway FOX 5:45 PM
Jun 6 Sun. Pocono Raceway TNT 1:00 PM
Jun 13 Sun. Michigan International Speedway TNT 1:00 PM
Jun 20 Sun. Infineon Raceway TNT 3:00 PM
Jun 27 Sun. New Hampshire Motor Speedway TNT 1:00 PM
Jul 3 Sat. Daytona International Speedway TNT 7:30 PM
Jul 10 Sat. Chicagoland Speedway TNT 7:30 PM
Jul 25 Sun. Indianapolis Motor Speedway ESPN 1:00 PM
Aug 1 Sun. Pocono Raceway ESPN 1:00 PM
Aug 8 Sun. Watkins Glen International ESPN 1:00 PM
Aug 15 Sun. Michigan International Speedway ESPN 1:00 PM
Aug 21 Sat. Bristol Motor Speedway ESPN 7:30 PM
Sep 5 Sun. Atlanta Motor Speedway ESPN 7:30 PM
Sep 11 Sat. Richmond International Raceway ABC 7:30 PM
Sep 19 Sun. New Hampshire Motor Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Sep 26 Sun. Dover International Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Oct 3 Sun. Kansas Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Oct 10 Sun. Auto Club Speedway ABC 3:00 PM
Oct 16 Sat. Lowe’s Motor Speedway ABC 7:30 PM
Oct 24 Sun. Martinsville Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Oct 31 Sun. Talladega Superspeedway ABC 1:00 PM
Nov 7 Sun. Texas Motor Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Nov 14 Sun. Phoenix International Raceway ABC 3:00 PM
Nov 21 Sun. Homestead-Miami Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Johnson Fastest In Final Sprint Cup Practice
Kyle Ocker, FanZone Sports
FONTANA, CA. — Jimmie Johnson in the Lowe’s Chevrolet paces practice once again in Fontana, posting a 40.093-second circuit on his second lap of his 51-lap run. Johnson will start second on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin in the FedEx Toyota was second to Johnson, posting a lap of 40.386-seconds. Hamlin will start Sunday’s race 23rd.
Jamie McMurray, Mark Martin, and Greg Biffle rounded out the top five. Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Juan Pablo Montoya were the remaining top-ten fastest drivers.
Busch ran the most laps in the practice session, posting a total of 59 laps. Joe Nemechek ran the least amount of laps in the session, running 11 total and finishing the session 69th fastest.
Dave Blaney, driving for Prism Motorsports, was the slowest car in the session. Blaney’s lap of 41.628-seconds was 1.535-seconds behind Johnson’s lap.
Reed Sorenson will go to a backup after crashing before completing even completing a lap, and will forfeit his 17th starting position and go to the rear of the field before Sunday’s race.
Busch smokes field in Fontana truck race
By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
FONTANA, Calif. — It wasn’t even close.
With a No. 51 Toyota truck that absolutely dominated the competition Saturday at Auto Club Speedway, polesitter Kyle Busch streaked to a 9.023-second victory over Todd Bodine, last week’s winner at Daytona, in the San Bernardino County 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.
In claiming his 10th win in the series and his second in two starts at the 2-mile California track, Busch led three times for 95 of the 100 laps and led all but two of the 92 green-flag circuits.
After a gas-and-go under green on Lap 91 — thanks to new pit rules that prohibit truck series teams from taking both fuel and tires on the same stop — Busch quickly overtook Colin Braun, who tried to stretch his fuel mileage but ran out of gas and rolled onto pit road with three laps remaining. Braun finished 20th.
Chad McCumbee came home third, followed by David Starr and T.J. Bell. Ron Hornaday Jr., Matt Crafton, Ricky Carmichael, Timothy Peters and Max Papis completed the top 10 in the series’ second event of the season.
“This thing was just flawless,” Busch said of his No. 51 Toyota, which was serviced through a cooperative effort with James Finch’s Nationwide Series crew. “The guys did flawless. They worked so well and made this truck drive so well. . .
“It’s really a lot fun to come out here and win two years in a row, and hopefully we can do some more.”
Busch is the only driver doing triple duty at Auto Club Speedway. He also was scheduled to compete in Saturday evening’s Nationwide race, as well as the Sprint Cup race on Sunday.
Though still unsponsored, Bodine had an excellent truck, too, but his No. 30 Toyota was no match for Busch’s ride.
“It’s a little disappointing to have a Tundra that’s that good and finish second,” Bodine said. “That tells you how good Kyle was. Once the tires got heated up — got a little slick — we were just a little tight through the center of the corner. I couldn’t quite hold it wide open.”
Notes: Busch’s win was also Doug George’s first as a crew chief… Gabi Dicarlo finished 19th in her truck series debut… Busch leads Bodine by five points in the series standings after two races. Crafton is third, 77 points behind Busch.
Kvapil Gets Sponsor for California
Kyle Ocker, FanZone Sports
Travis Kvapil will have a sponsor as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads into California for the Auto Club 500 at the Auto Club Speedway. Today, Yates Racing announced that Farmers Insurance Group of Companies will sponsor the No. 28 Ford.
“It’s another great opportunity for the No. 28 team and Yates Racing to have Farmers Insurance on board for next weekend’s race at Fontana,” said Kvapil. “Yates and Ford Racing have a great intermediate track program which gives us a lot to look forward to next weekend at Fontana.”
“This is an exciting first for Farmers and we are pleased to sponsor Travis Kvapil in next Sunday’s Sprint Cup race,” commented Kevin Kelso, Farmers Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “The Farmers Insurance family of 21,000 employees and 26,000 agents from coast-to-coast are long time fans of NASCAR. We will all be cheering for Yates Racing and a big win for Travis Kvapil.”
Kvapil has posted six top-ten finishes and has one carrer pole in the Sprint Cup Series. At Auto Club Speedway, he has five career starts with an average finish of 31.0.
Little Big Town to perform National Anthem at Auto Club Speedway in February
Auto Club Speedway PR
San Bernardino County, Calif. — Grammy-nominated Little Big Town will kick off NASCAR’s West Coast Premiere – the Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 22 by performing the National Anthem before thousands of fans and a national television audience.
The band’s latest album A Place To Land, features the hits “I’m With The Band,” “Fine Line” and their brand new single “Good Lord Willing.” The country sensation has charted numerous singles on the country charts including: “Boondocks” and “Bring It On Home” as well as 2008 success “Life in a Northern Town” (a collaboration with Sugarland and Jake Owen).
They have shared stage with the likes of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Martina McBride and have earned numerous nominations including 2008 CMA Vocal Group of the Year; 2008 CMA Musical Event of the Year for “Life in a Northern Town” with Sugarland & Jake Owen; 2008 ACM Top Vocal Group; and 2008 CMT Music Video Awards Group Video of the Year for “A Little More You.”
In 2007 they were named ACM Top New Vocal Group and in 2006 Billboard Magazine’s Independent Artist of the Year (all genres) and Billboard Magazine’s Independent Album of the Year for The Road To Here (all genres).
Billy Ray Cyrus Named Grand Marshal for Stater Bros. 300
Auto Club Speedway PR
San Bernardino County, CA — Multi-platinum singer/songwriter and country superstar Billy Ray Cyrus, whose new studio album “Back to Tennessee” hits stores on March 31, will serve as Grand Marshal for the Stater Bros. 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race as well as perform the National Anthem prior to the start of the San Bernardino County 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, both scheduled for February 21 at Auto Club Speedway.
In addition to his new album which includes his newest single ‘Real Gone’, Cyrus produces and co-stars in the Walt Disney Pictures film “Hannah Montana The Movie,” which debuts nationwide on April 10. Currently, Cyrus co-stars with daughter Miley on the Emmy-nominated hit Disney Channel series “Hannah Montana,” now in its third season.
Cyrus has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, and earned nearly thirty chart singles, including 15 Top 40 charts hits, while at the same time establishing himself as a successful and respected actor in film and television. Cyrus’ most recent album — 2007’s Home At Last — entered in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200, hitting #3 on the Top Country Album chart, while “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” — the moving duet with daughter Miley Cyrus — became a Top 5 country smash.
Most recently, Cyrus and daughter Miley performed “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” at the “Kids’ Inaugural: We Are the Future” event, a Disney Channel concert special honoring military families.
