NASCAR Sprint Cup Heads To California: Who Will Win?

He’s been racy so far this season with a win just two weeks ago.  Kenseth has three wins at Fontana and all those wins were this time of year.  He had a string of eight top sevens in-a-row from ’06 to ’09.  The reason he isn’t the choice to win is inconsistencies both in his recent travails at Auto Club Speedway and his finishes this season with his new team at Joe Gibbs Racing.  Still, I suspect Kenseth should be contending for the win on Sunday.To put it mildly, this isn’t Brad K’s favorite track.  He’s never finished in the top 15 and neither has he had fast cars because he’s never qualified in the top 15 either.  So why is he chosen to be on this list?  There are a few different reasons.  First off, he’s had two top threes in the last couple years at Fontana’s sister track, Michigan.  Secondly, he’s the points leader and has shown strength at every kind of track so far this year.  And finally, Keselowski is the current Sprint Cup champion and proved last year that he’s a threat every time he’s racing.  Anticipate him charging to the front.This is essentially Harvick’s home track too, having grown up in Bakersfield, which is 150 miles to the northwest.  He won an exciting race in 2011 (source: NASCAR) and has five straight Top 10s at Fontana.  However, the lame duck driver has not had a strong start to 2013 and only has one Top 10 so far.  Yet, if you throw out his crash at the season-opener at Daytona, he’s been solid and competitive.  Expect Harvick to be in the lead group of cars most of the day.View the list »
Auto Club Speedway

Motorsports newsletter

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup season zigzags across the country, the teams find themselves on the West Coast and sunshine of Southern California. Accordingly, which five drivers have the best chance to win at the Auto Club 400 in Fontana, California?

Related topics

Advertisement

The year has started with four different winners, yet finds many of the same contenders from last season once more battling effectively as the Cup teams work through the first part of the schedule.

Where we stand entering California

Brad Keselowski is the reigning champion and also currently leads the point standings on the strength of being four-for-four with top five results. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson round out the top three. Tony Stewart won the rain shortened event last season (source: ESPN) and in fact, has won two of the last three at the big two-mile D-shaped oval known officially as Auto Club Speedway. Johnson has won the most at what is considered his home track (El Cajon is less than two hours away), with five victories notched on his belt.

This is the only trip that NASCAR will make to Southern California all year, along with being one of only two Cup events in the Golden State. With all this said, who will take a trip to Victory Lane this Sunday at California Speedway? Here’s a list of the top five prospects.

Related articles:

NASCAR’s Top Five nastiest drivers on the track

NHRA Sponsorships Keep Rolling In: Former Champ Tony Pedregon Partners With WIX

View the list
  • This is essentially Harvick’s home track too, having grown up in Bakersfield, which is 150 miles to the northwest.  He won an exciting race in 2011 (source: NASCAR) and has five straight Top 10s at Fontana.  However, the lame duck driver has not had a strong start to 2013 and only has one Top 10 so far.  Yet, if you throw out his crash at the season-opener at Daytona, he’s been solid and competitive.  Expect Harvick to be in the lead group of cars most of the day.
  • To put it mildly, this isn’t Brad K’s favorite track.  He’s never finished in the top 15 and neither has he had fast cars because he’s never qualified in the top 15 either.  So why is he chosen to be on this list?  There are a few different reasons.  First off, he’s had two top threes in the last couple years at Fontana’s sister track, Michigan.  Secondly, he’s the points leader and has shown strength at every kind of track so far this year.  And finally, Keselowski is the current Sprint Cup champion and proved last year that he’s a threat every time he’s racing.  Anticipate him charging to the front.
  • He’s been racy so far this season with a win just two weeks ago.  Kenseth has three wins at Fontana and all those wins were this time of year.  He had a string of eight top sevens in-a-row from ’06 to ’09.  The reason he isn’t the choice to win is inconsistencies both in his recent travails at Auto Club Speedway and his finishes this season with his new team at Joe Gibbs Racing.  Still, I suspect Kenseth should be contending for the win on Sunday.
  •  As mentioned before, ‘Smoke’ has won two of the last three races in Southern California.  Other than a 13th place in the 2011 event, he has five Top 10s at Fontana from ’09 until present.  Stewart should be the favorite heading into the Auto Club 400 but a poor start this year gives pause to whether Stewart and his team have things figured out yet with the new Gen 6 car.  He, like Keselowski, does well at the similar layout of Michigan's track and deduction says Smoke will likely be at the front at Fontana when it matters in 2013.
  • ‘Five-time’ has won five times at Fontana and hasn’t finished outside the Top 10 since ’06 – that’s 10 straight events at the wide two-mile progressively banked track.  Until last season, Johnson had four straight top threes.  Five-time looks strong this year and if not for a tire failure, he would have challenged for a win at Bristol and probably would be the current points leader.  Regardless, he and his crew chief Chad Knaus appear to be ready for a sixth title … both for the championship and here at Fontana.
View the list

, Paso Robles Motorsports Examiner

Daryle Hier has been involved in business as an owner for 30 years with many of them involving the auto industry. He also has been a sports fanatic with motorsports and football as his true loves. Other interests include Hawaii and the California Central Coast. He is a Top 100 writer for...

Advertisement

Today's top buzz...