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  • NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings – Auto Club Speedway

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings – Auto Club Speedway

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series continued their West Coast Swing this past weekend by visiting the 2-mile track of Auto Club Speedway. Rising NASCAR star, Harrison Burton, scored his first career NASCAR win after holding off challengers Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric, and one last charge from Riley Herbst out of Turn 4 to the checkered flag.

    With that in mind, some other drivers had a great race going before getting caught up in some kind of incident.

    Here are this week’s Power Rankings following the Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway.

    1. Harrison Burton – It took 12 races in the Xfinity Series for Burton to finally get that first elusive win. Prior to this win, the 19-year-old was having a great break out season by finishing runner up at Daytona and fifth last week at Las Vegas. This week was a little different for Burton who quite possibly had one of his best races to date. He qualified second, finished third in both stages and led multiple times before taking the win. The first indication that he had a car capable of winning came on Lap 78 when Burton led eight laps. He would lead again from Lap 118-129 for 12 laps before leading the last 20 after a caution on Lap 127. Despite getting caught in lap traffic, Burton managed his way through it and held on for the lead. It might be too early to predict, but the youngster may be a dark horse for the Playoffs down the road.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    2. Austin Cindric – It was a quiet run for Cindric who followed up with another top-five finish, placing third after starting seventh. He didn’t lead any laps but challenged for the win late before having a battle with Herbst. The Team Penske driver finished eighth in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage. Cindric currently sits third in points, 18 points behind the leader.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
    3. Chase Briscoe – The results won’t show it, but Chase Briscoe had a great finish and a chance at the win late Saturday afternoon at Auto Club. The Indiana native started third, led 16 laps and was able to finish second in Stage 1 and fourth in Stage 2. Briscoe was chasing down Burton for the lead before spinning himself on Lap 127, which ultimately took him out of contention for the win and relegated him to a 19th place finish, two laps down. It was a tough break for Briscoe who was looking to continue his consistency in 2020.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    4. Ryan Sieg – Another week, another great finish for Ryan Sieg’s No. 39 team out of Georgia. Sieg started eighth and contended for a top-five finish and at times, a top-three finish. He finished seventh in Stage 1 and ninth in Stage 2. While Sieg didn’t lead any laps, the RSS Racing driver continues to have great runs early in the 2020 Xfinity Series season by finishing fourth. It wouldn’t be surprising if Sieg can get a win before the Playoffs.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    5. Brandon Jones – Speaking of heartbreakers, Brandon Jones and the No. 19 were class of the field through the first two stages. Jones qualified on the pole to earn his third pole in just 140 starts. He swept both the stages by winning them and leading the first 73 laps. Though after the stages, cautions were breeding cautions, and Jones’ car started to go away and was not quite as dominant on the short runs as he was for the long runs. Then, unfortunately, Jones got caught up in someone’s incident and was set back to a 30th place finish after having a winning car early on.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked

    Fell Out

    1. Noah Gragson – The JR Motorsports driver had a car capable of finishing in the top-10 or five, however, Gragson got a little bit of air on the backstretch on Lap 98 from Ross Chastain. The Las Vegas native finished 26th, four laps down after running consistently in the top-10 and scored a ninth-place finish in Stage 1.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
  • Episode 7: Bowman dominates, Fontana ranting, and I need more coffee

    Episode 7: Bowman dominates, Fontana ranting, and I need more coffee

    On this episode of News and Views from SpeedwayMedia.com, we discuss the results from the weekend, the appearance of Auto Club Speedway in literally every television show/movie about racing imaginable, and I seriously NEED MORE COFFEE!

  • Alex Bowman dominates at Auto Club

    Alex Bowman dominates at Auto Club

    After showcasing a ton of speed at Las Vegas, Alex Bowman struck gold Sunday afternoon as he found himself celebrating in victory lane at Auto Club Speedway.

    “We’ve been so good to start this season,” Bowman said. “We started the season very poorly really over the last two years, and it just means the world to show up at the racetrack and have the first run on the racetrack really be almost perfect and just be able to really fine-tune the race car. Greg Ives has made the right calls.  So, we’ve got to go win a bunch more, but man, it feels good to have one this early.”

    It was Bowman’s second win of his NASCAR Cup Series career. The Arizona native led 110 laps in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to cruise toward victory.

    Stage 1:

    Before the field took the green flag, Auto Club Speedway commemorated seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson as he led the field in a five-wide salute during the pace laps in what could be his final start at the two-mile oval.

    As the field formed back to double-file formation, it was Clint Bowyer leading the way, with Johnson starting second as the green flag waved.

    Johnson was looking for the race lead early on but would fall back as teammate Bowman would inherit the runner-up spot behind leader Bowyer.

    Bowman would also take a lunge at Bowyer but would be unable to capitalize, resulting in Kurt Busch and Johnson swiftly passing the No. 88. The three of them would spar back and forth for the second position, with Bowman holding off the two Chevrolets.

    Bowyer’s early lead would be short-lived as Bowman’s No. 88 would take the top spot, with teammate Johnson immediately following behind in second as Bowyer gradually began to fade.

    Ryan Blaney slowly marched his way forward and by the halfway point of Stage 1, he was up to the second position.

    Pit stops would ensue on Lap 27 as Martin Truex Jr. would ignite the cycle. By the end of it, Bowman would be the leader.

    Kyle Larson would find trouble after Denny Hamlin gave the No. 42 a push into Turn 1, putting the McDonald’s Chevrolet into the outside wall. It would put Larson two laps down.

    Bowman would remain unchallenged after the cycle and would win Stage 1.

    Blaney, Johnson, Aric Almirola, Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Busch would round out the top 10.

    Stage 2:

    It initially looked as though Kurt Busch was the first one off after everybody came down pit lane. However, the No. 1 missed his pit stall, putting him toward the back. As a result, it transferred the lead over to Johnson.

    Johnson took the lead on the restart but Blaney and Bowman would make it three-wide on the seven-time champ, allowing Blaney’s No. 12 to take first place.

    The two Hendrick Motorsports cars would put up a fight against the Team Penske car, but Blaney would fend off the duo and pull away.

    Christopher Bell suffered mechanical issues during the green flag run, knocking the No. 95 Toyota out of the race.

    Pole-sitter Bowyer had a left front tire go down on Lap 93, bringing out a yellow shortly after pit stops.

    Blaney would be in charge of the restart, and while he was able to pull away, his other competitors were duking it out. Bowman and Keselowski made aggressive moves around Logano and William Byron to gain some track position, and Elliott would march his way towards the Top 5.

    Blaney’s lead would remain unchallenged as he would cruise on to win Stage 2.

    Bowman, Johnson, Keselowski, Truex, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Erik Jones, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the Top 10 for stage points.

    Stage 3:

    Johnson was the leader at the beginning of the stage but was quickly hounded by Bowman as he passed the No. 48 off of Turn 2. Blaney and Truex were in hot pursuit, making it four wide among the leaders.

    Truex would briefly hold the lead, but Bowman would fight back. The two would swap back and forth, but Truex would fend off Bowman. But as the laps wound down, Bowman would reclaim the lead over the No. 19 and would pull a gap over the opposition.

    Another pit cycle would begin as everyone came in for some fresh rubber and fuel.

    Frontrunner Truex had issues during his stop, as the pit gun would malfunction when tending to the right rear tire, costing him valuable track position.

    Bowman and Blaney would be the leaders after the cycle, giving themselves plenty of distance between the fourth through sixth place drivers of Johnson, Elliott, and Kurt Busch.

    The three Chevrolets would battle for the fourth position, with Elliott edging out Kurt Busch for the spot while Johnson’s car began to fade. Truex’s day would continue to go downward when he slapped the Turn 4 wall trying to overtake Hamlin, allowing Keselowski to overtake the No. 19.

    Near the closing stages of the race, Blaney would have to come down pit lane due to a corded tire with only three laps to go, giving up a second-place run at the time.

    For Bowman, redemption was sweet as he crossed the line to secure the win. It provided a statement as he showcased his muscle around the California track.

    “You know, we started this year so strong,” Bowman said. “I feel like I’ve got a lot on my side that I’m doing better.  My life is kind of a lot more organized than it was back then, and Greg and all the guys, they’re just on point. We’ve unloaded the last two weeks, I don’t think we’ve had to make a change in the race car from how it came off the truck. That makes my job a heck of a lot easier. I’m just so proud of this team, Hendrick Motorsports, Hendrick horsepower under the hood, the whole shop back home. They work their butts off. We put a lot of effort into this new car, and it’s obviously working well.”

    There were 16 lead changes among eight different drivers and only three cautions for 13 laps.

    Blaney retains the points lead by 11, over Logano.

    1. Alex Bowman – 110 laps led, Stage 1 Winner
    2. Kyle Busch
    3. Kurt Busch
    4. Chase Elliott
    5. Brad Keselowski – six laps led
    6. Denny Hamlin
    7. Jimmie Johnson – ten laps led
    8. Aric Almirola
    9. Kevin Harvick
    10. Erik Jones
    11. Tyler Reddick
    12. Joey Logano
    13. Matt DiBenedetto
    14. Martin Truex Jr. – three laps led
    15. William Byron – one lap led
    16. Chris Buescher
    17. Ross Chastain
    18. Cole Custer – one lap down
    19. Ryan Blaney – one lap down, 54 laps led, Stage 2 winner
    20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – one lap down, 6 laps led
    21. Kyle Larson – one lap down
    22. Michael McDowell – one lap down
    23. Clint Bowyer – one lap down, ten laps led
    24. Austin Dillon – one lap down
    25. John Hunter Nemechek – one lap down
    26. Ty Dillon – one lap down
    27. Bubba Wallace – two laps down
    28. Daniel Suarez – two laps down
    29. Corey Lajoie – three laps down
    30. Ryan Preece – three laps down
    31. JJ Yeley – three laps down
    32. Brennan Poole – five laps down
    33. Joey Gase – seven laps down
    34. Garrett Smithley – seven laps down
    35. Quin Houff – eight laps down
    36. Reed Sorenson – nine laps down
    37. Timmy Hill – 16 laps down
    38. Christopher Bell – OUT
  • Harrison Burton gets first win at Auto Club Speedway

    Harrison Burton gets first win at Auto Club Speedway

    It was a beautiful day for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Auto Club Speedway for the Production Alliance Group 300. For one driver it was even more special as he is one of the few who can say he won his very first Xfinity Series race on Leap Day. Who is the lucky driver? It was Harrison Burton in only his 12th start. Burton, who drives the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, took the checkered flag after a caution filled final stage.

    “It’s awesome!” Burton exclaimed, “I’m so proud of our guys, it’s really awesome, it feels so good to win.” He further stated, “When you go through a little bit of a drought, you doubt yourself especially after last year, we struggled a little bit.”

    Stage 1 went caution free with Brandon Jones taking the stage win.

    Stage 2 went pretty much the same as stage one. There weren’t any cautions and Jones won the second stage too. It was looking as if no one would be able to touch Jones, until the third stage.

    The final stage of the race was the exact opposite of the first two. They say that cautions breed cautions and this stage was proof of that. There were several drivers vying up front including Chase Briscoe and Daniel Hemric. The cautions flew fast mostly for cut tires and a couple of spins. There was a mini big one that a few drivers like Brandon Brown and Michael Annett got caught up in but most cars were able to continue the race.

    The two drivers who could get the closest to Jones were Riley Herbst who took second in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and Austin Cindric who placed third in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

    When asked what he needed at the end to catch Burton, Herbst commented,” A few more laps. This Monster Energy Supra was really fast. I’m really proud of Harrison, me and him have worked so hard this off season.”

    Austin Cindric said, “Obviously it is great to continue the consistency. I think we had a car capable of winning, especially with some of the attrition there at the end. Execution kind of bit us today. I had to get brave on some restarts. We were better than the 20 and 18 there at the end but you just need track position sometimes. Overall, I couldn’t be prouder of my Odyssey Battery Ford Mustang team for where we came from after unloading to being a race winning car. Just not enough laps in the race for us.”

    Rounding out the top five were Ryan Sieg and Justin Haley. Anthony Alfredo, Daniel Hemric, Ross Chastain, Jeremy Clements, and Josh Williams finished sixth through 10, respectively.

    Harrrison Burton has the points lead with 136 points over second place Chase Briscoe with 126 points.
    The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads next to Phoenix Raceway on March 7.

  • Bowyer notches fourth career Cup Series pole at Auto Club Speedway

    Bowyer notches fourth career Cup Series pole at Auto Club Speedway

    With a time of 40.086 seconds and a speed of 179.614 mph, Kansas native Clint Bowyer qualified on the pole for this Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Raceway. Bowyer narrowly edged out fan-favorite Jimmie Johnson for the pole by 0.007 seconds. However, the qualifying run surprised the Stewart-Haas Racing driver.

    “Certainly that is where you want to be,” Bowyer said. “Honestly, I didn’t really see that in the car. We didn’t run a qualifying lap yesterday. We made some changes in happy hour and the car kind of woke up and showed some speed but honestly, we were kind of focused on downforce and doing what we needed to do in traffic.”

    “That being said, that thing rocketed to the top there and he told me the lap time and I was like, ‘Damn, I think that is on the pole.’ Again, the sun was coming out and that changed the qualifying day quite a bit as the sun came out and it was right before us. I was watching the Gibbs cars go and you could see on SMT with the data we have now you can visibly see everyone starting to really jerk on the wheel in the middle of one and two and get loose. I was like, ‘Oh damn, here I go. I am fixing to see the same thing.’ Sure enough, I got in there and she just kind of slid in the slot and I didn’t have to chase it up the track.”

    “I just gave it one big catch and it pointed and shot off the corner and I was able to keep the throttle down. Then you see the 48 car, the last car out, the story of his last race at home. I figured there was no way we were going to win. I was better coming to the green and then better through one and two but then all of a sudden off of two he had a really good run and got ahead of me into three and four. Honestly, he was ahead of me off of four even, but I just pulled it down just a little bit more than he did down the front straightaway and just barely got him. That is what qualifying is all about with this product where you are all but wide open. It comes down to your balance and how the car is trimmed out and things like that. It makes it interesting and nerve-wracking as well because it is all so close.”

    For now, this will be Jimmie Johnson’s last race at his hometown racetrack in Southern California. The California native just almost knocked out Bowyer for the pole but had to settle for second. Despite not getting the pole, Sunday’s race will be just as special for Johnson, as his kids will get to wave the green flag to start the race.

    “It will be super special,” Johnson said. “I wish we were one spot further ahead and clearly off turn four there I ran a little more distance to the start-finish. It is such a fine balance to try to understand how much you can open up and let the engine run. Clearly I did too much, but that’s just the competitor in me. Very special weekend for me and I can’t wait to see my girls up in the flag stand waving the green flag.”

    There was more qualifying news as both Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. failed inspection. Busch failed twice and was still able to do a qualifying lap, while Truex failed three times and did not get to post a lap. Both Busch and Truex will be starting from the rear tomorrow.

    Tomorrow’s race can be seen on FOX with a start time of 3:30 p.m. ET.

    Starting lineup:

    1. Clint Bowyer
    2. Jimmie Johnson
    3. Alex Bowman
    4. Kurt Busch, will start in the rear
    5. Kevin Harvick
    6. Aric Almirola
    7. Joey Logano
    8. Michael McDowell
    9. Kyle Larson
    10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    11. Chris Buescher
    12. Matt DiBenedetto
    13. Chase Elliott
    14. Bubba Wallace
    15. Brad Keselowski
    16. Ryan Blaney
    17. Kyle Busch
    18. Cole Custer
    19. Tyler Reddick
    20. Ryan Preece
    21. William Byron
    22. Christopher Bell
    23. John Hunter Nemechek
    24. Ty Dillon
    25. Austin Dillon
    26. Corey LaJoie
    27. Ross Chastain
    28. Denny Hamlin
    29. Erik Jones
    30. J.J. Yeley
    31. Daniel Suarez
    32. Brennan Poole
    33. Reed Sorenson
    34. Joey Gase
    35. Quin Houff
    36. Garrett Smithley
    37. Timmy Hill
    38. Martin Truex Jr. – did not make a qualifying run due to inspection failures

  • Weekend schedule for Auto Club Speedway

    Weekend schedule for Auto Club Speedway

    This week the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Auto Club Speedway. The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series has two weeks off and will return to competition at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 14.

    The last five Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway have been won by five different drivers: Kyle Busch (2019), Martin Truex Jr. (2018), Kyle Larson (2017), Jimmie Johnson (2016) and Brad Keselowski (2015). Cole Custer won last year’s Xfinity Series race at the 2-mile track.

    There are 36 cars on the Xfinity Series preliminary entry list and 38 cars on the Cup Series preliminary entry list.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, February 28

    3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice – FS1

    4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Practice – FS1/MRN

    5:02 p.m. – 5:27 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice – FS1

    5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – FS1/MRN

    Saturday, February 29

    1:05 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) FS1

    2:35 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) FS1/MRN

    4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Production Alliance Group 300 race (Stages 35/70/150 Laps = 300 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio


    Sunday, March 1

    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Auto Club 400 Cup Series race (Stages 60/120/200 Laps = 400 Miles) FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

  • NASCAR announces updates to qualifying procedure for Texas

    NASCAR announces updates to qualifying procedure for Texas

    After what most considered to be an awkward qualifying session at Auto Club Speedway, NASCAR promised two things: qualifying rule changes coming before Texas, and not going back to single car qualifying. Both were fulfilled on Monday when NASCAR officially announced changes moving forward.

    During the final round of qualifying at California, none of the 12 drivers made it to the line in time to begin an officially timed lap. NASCAR’s response? Any drivers that fail to run a timed lap in any of the qualifying rounds will have all times disallowed and start at the rear of the field. This includes those that advance into a further round of qualifying. For example, if a driver makes it to Round 3 of qualifying, yet fails to post a lap time, they would start 12th for the race under previous rules. Now, they would be moved to the rear of the entire field for the start of the race.

    Another frustrating situation for some drivers was the congestion at the end of pit road, blocking some drivers from entering the track if they desired to leave the pits for their timed lap. At the judgment of NASCAR officials, teams could face severe penalties if they end up prohibiting other drivers from exiting pit road.

    “The inherent problem (at Auto Club) was obviously everybody waiting to the end, and it being unorderly on the end of pit road with people blocking and playing all kinds of games,” NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller told NASCAR.com. “So really, we want to retake control and make order out of pit road and the way that drivers leave.

    “We want to allow every competitor the chance to leave pit road when they want to leave and not be at the mercy of somebody else.”

    The current structure of qualifying will stay as is: three rounds of qualifying with the first round being 10 minutes, and the last two rounds at five minutes.

    According to NASCAR’s official statement from their website, Scott Miller, Senior Vice President of Competition, shared that they collaborated “with teams and others in the industry, and there were a few options considered.” Returning to single-car qualifying however was not considered, which was what he initially shared with the media at Auto Club Speedway immediately after qualifying.

    “One of the things we wanted to hold true to is not to go back to single-car qualifying,” Miller said. “Single-car qualifying is two things – it’s boring and it’s expensive. It also doesn’t create a good show.

    “Anytime we go on the track it should be a show. Certainly, we are in, first and foremost, the racing business. But we’re also in show business. We definitely have to provide our fans with something that’s intriguing to watch and gets them excited about coming back and watching the race.”

    Busch Pole Qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway is scheduled for Friday, March 29 at 7:40 p.m. ET.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch overcame a pit road speeding penalty to capture the Auto Club 500 at Fontana, scoring his 200th NASCAR victory to tie Richard Petty.

    “This day couldn’t have gone any better for me,” Busch said. “First, Mötley Crüe gave the ‘Start your engines’ command. Then, I won the race. And my fans were even more excited. If you’re a Kyle Busch fan, then I’m your ‘Dr. Feelgood.’”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished second at Fontana and is second in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 15 behind Kyle Busch.

    “Kyle blew by Brad Keselowski and I like we weren’t even moving,” Logano said. “And Roger Penske is not happy, because his company is all about‘ moving.’”

    3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex came home eighth at Fontana and is seventh in the points standings, 68 out of first.

    “Kyle Busch’s first Cup win came at California,” Truex said, “and now his 200th NASCAR win took place in the state. Let’s not forget the other 198 winssandwiched between those two. I know Jimmie Spencer won’t, because he just heard ‘sandwich.’”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished third at Fontana.

    “It’s always tough to watch Kyle Busch win,” Keselowski said. “But let’s face it—Petty’s 200 wins all came in the Cup series. Kyle needed three series to equal the King’s feat. So, Kyle Busch will have an ‘ass‘-terisk beside that record.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led some early laps at Fontana and posted a solid seventh at Fontana.

    “Fans were booing us at qualifying,” Hamlin said. “But NASCAR shouldn’t be too concerned. Why? Because fans were at qualifying.”

    6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started second and finished fourth in the Auto Club 500.

    “My car co-owner Tony Stewart is a nominee for the NASCAR Hall Of Fame,” Harvick said. “I doubt induction really means that much to Tony, mostly because he only gets to punch a ticket, and not Kurt Busch’s face.”

    7. Aric Almirola: Almirola continued his strong start to the season with a ninth at Fontana.

    “Our West Coast swing is over,” Almirola said. “Now it’s time for racing at Martinsville, where an ‘East coast swing’ means a driver you bumped and wrecked on Martinsville’s half-mile track just tried to punch you.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished sixth in the Auto Club 500, posting his fourth top 10 of the season.

    “Congratulations to my little brother Kyle for tying Richard Petty’s record of 200 wins,” Busch said. “I guess that makes Kyle ‘King’ for a day. And the Busch family must be royalty, because many people have labeled me ‘queen for life.’”

    9. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 12th in the Auto Club 500 and is now eighth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

    “The members of Mötley Crüe served as grand marshals for the race,” Larson said. “The Crüe, more than anyone, wants to see a female driver prosper in NASCAR, mostly because they love a little ‘heroine.’”

    10. Ryan Blaney: Blaney took fifth at Fontana and is now 10th in the points standings.

    “Tony Stewart is nominated for the Hall Of Fame,” Blaney said. “In the same week, Mötley Crüe are grand marshals at Fontana. If there’s a song that encapsulates all of that, it’s ‘Smoke In The Boys’ Room.’”

  • Kurt Busch quietly finishes strong in California

    Kurt Busch quietly finishes strong in California

    When drivers change teams, usually performance changes briefly before leveling out. The chemistry between the driver and their team, crew members and sponsors take time to wedge their way into a comforting blend to begin running smoothly.

    Rarely do you see a driver switch to a new team and constantly run and finish up front, that is unless a driver gets a big change in a high tier team. Case in point, Ross Chastain at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last year driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, grabbing the win and getting to smash the watermelon to lay out a new tradition for himself as a Florida watermelon farmer.

    The start of the 2019 season brought a change of face for Kurt Busch. The 2004 champion left Stewart Haas Racing to join Chip Ganassi Racing, replacing Jamie McMurray in the No. 1. He also left the blue oval Fords and joined the Chevrolet bow ties. Despite his talent and competitive nature, most expected him to take a couple of months into the year before finding his groove and competing strongly once again.

    However, the new face behind the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro has had strong success after the first five races. He quietly has been leading the Chevrolet camp, is the only driver with multiple top five finishes, and teammate Kyle Larson has been right alongside. The two Ganassi drivers are currently eighth and ninth in points, with Larson only three points ahead in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings, and Busch holding yet another strong run at California finishing sixth.

    “We had a good day. I was just hoping to get a top five and came home just a bit short,” Kurt shared as he was one spot short of his third top five finish of the season. “But the growth rate of us at Ganassi and the adjustments we’re making, I couldn’t be happier. I’m smiling as I’m driving the car. It’s so much fun to toss it down in there with all this downforce and the horsepower, you just pitch it sideways and see if it’s going to stick. But, we know we’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s awesome to run up front. I’m smiling. But, we know at our growth rate, we’re not on a plateau yet. I’ve got to keep going.”

    The Las Vegas native got to witness his brother’s milestone in history at the end of Sunday’s race when Kyle Busch won his 53rd career Cup Series victory. It was also his 200th win across all three series, including the Xfinity Series and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series.

    “Yeah, I thought he was done,” Busch reflected when his brother received the uncontrolled tire penalty on pit road. “But, this is a big day. For my little brother to have 200 wins, they’re all added up through his hard work and his dedication to perfection. Not bad for two kids with an attitude from Vegas.”

    Kurt Busch talks about his sixth place run after the 2019 Auto Club 400. Photo courtesy of Rachel Schuoler from Speedway Media.

    The media joked about the history of the Busch brothers having “hotheads” as kids, but as the two have matured throughout the years, everyone acknowledged their footprint in the sport.

    “As far as attitudes and winning? I’ve got to hold up my end of the bargain,” Kurt laughed as he discussed his and his brother racing in NASCAR throughout the years. “I’ve gotten too nice and I’m not winning enough; but I’m having fun. I love the Ganassi guys. Matt McCall (crew chief) wants more. I know he does. I want more. I was hoping for a top five today but we’ll take it. All in all, we’re running where we need to be running.”

    Kurt knows his team still has work ahead of them, but he sounded very optimistic heading into Martinsville Speedway next weekend.

    “I want to see more Bowties up there all around me.”

  • Win #200: Kyle Busch Rebounds from Penalty to Win the Auto Club 400

    Win #200: Kyle Busch Rebounds from Penalty to Win the Auto Club 400

    Kyle Busch breaks 200 wins across NASCAR by winning the Auto Club 400 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Auto Club Speedway.

    “I cherish every minute of it,” Busch mentioned when asked to recollect the memories of all his victories.

    In case you haven’t heard, Kyle Busch has been on debate as one of the greatest of all time, especially with the comparison of Richard Petty’s 200 victories in NASCAR. No matter what side you choose, it’s undeniable his accomplishments are nothing short of legendary.

    “It’s something that I don’t necessarily pay attention to,” Busch declared shaking his head. “As long as you’re successful and doing a good job and doing your job about what you know how to do and you’re winning those races, then you’re going to be eclipsing a lot of milestones and certainly it’s been pretty awesome so far.”

    Joey Logano was one position of earning back to back victories on the west coast, but led his Team Penske teammates as the three Fords finished in the top 5.

    “[Brad and I] only raced for about two laps before the No. 18 blew our doors off,” Logano said of Busch. “The fastest car won the race. We just didn’t have nothing for that green car. We held strong today with the Auto Club Mustang. You want to win at the home track of your sponsor. We gave it a solid run. We have a lot of momentum on this race team right now.”

    The Toyota camp mentioned all weekend that the Fords were fast. Busch’s was faster, but with Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Blaney completing the top 5, they were right there to capitalize if the No. 18 made a mistake.

    “We just weren’t very good the first run, but we got a lot better,” Blaney said. “We had a lap-and-a-half on our tires when the caution came out (on Lap 165). I thought if I could control the race from the front row and be the leader that I might be able to hold on because I thought our car was pretty good at the time.

    “I was fourth by the time we got to Turn 1. I got no push. It took 10 laps for it to come in, and we were eighth and drove back to fifth. We had a really fast PPG Ford Mustang, we just never got the lead or track position with equal tires and that hurt us, but overall not a bad day.”

    Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola and Austin Dillon completed the top 10.

    “It was just an uphill battle to reclaim track position,” said Dillon who faced an illness all race long. “Through hard work, we were able to finish 10th. I’m so proud of this team.”

    Stages Swept by Kyle Busch for the Third Time

    Before the cars left pit road, Austin Dillon began the day on pole after yesterday’s awkward qualifying session, but was on standby for an illness from the previous night. Cole Custer, yesterday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series winner in the Production Alliance Group 300, was the only eligible driver as a replacement. Because he races with a Ford team, he had to sign an exemption so he could be on standby in case Dillon needed to exit the car. Two cars went to the rear for the start for the race. Michael McDowell’s team failed inspection twice, and Matt Tifft had an engine change. The car chief of McDowell was ejected for the rest of the weekend due to the failed inspections per the NASCAR rule book.

    In a press release, Auto Club Speedway announced they were going to run a Five Wide Salute to the fans during the opening laps. Saluting the fans has been a long tradition in racing and short track racing, and this weekend celebrated Auto Club Speedway’s signature racing style of flat out and five wide.

    “This five wide salute will be an impressive sight and is a nod to both our race fans and the grassroots of the sport,” said Dave Allen, President of Auto Club Speedway. “I grew up going to and racing at dirt tracks, and I am very passionate about the community because at the end of the day, we’re all family. I look forward to seeing everyone’s reaction in the grandstands, infield and along pit road.”

    Early in the race, it appeared the No. 14 Ford of Clint Bowyer lost a cylinder. During the final stage, his engine looked to finally let go and ended his disappointing weekend. At the end of the first stage, Dillon lost a tire and the yellow was put out for debris. The field was restarted with one lap to go, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun in Turns 1 and 2 in the middle of the pack. Luckily, no one crashed into him, but a few drivers such as Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman either scrapped the wall or bumped into another competitor trying to get around the wreck.

    One big potential game changer was Kyle Busch’s speeding penalty. Kyle also received a penalty in yesterday’s Xfinity race when a crew member appeared to lose control of a tire, and as it rolled into the next pit stall, Busch had to climb his way up through the field. The same was true in Sunday’s race as he was put at the rear of the field after the penalty during pit stops at the conclusion of Stage 2.

    “That thought definitely certainly crosses your mind,” Busch reflected on the penalty that put him in an uphill battle. “I knew we had a great racecar all day long. I wasn’t sure how well we were going to be able to come through the field, get back in traffic, get our way worked back up to the lead. Fortunately, we were in the Interstate Batteries green today with being St. Patty’s day. It certainly is a monumental moment for all of us, including M&M’s, Skittles, and Snickers.”

    In the final stage during green flag pit stops, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace had a flat tire and the debris caused a yellow flag. This trapped some drivers a lap down as roughly six drivers were left on the lead lap. This played into Kyle Busch’s favor since he was leading at the time but had not yet made his pit stop.

    Most of the field took the wave around, and Kyle Busch took what would be the final restart alongside Ryan Blaney. Blaney was the control car as he elected to stay out, but quickly dropped back on the initial start. Busch had a short battle with Logano, Keselowski and Harvick, but would soon reclaim the lead with 26 laps to go and hold it for the rest of the race.

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competes at the first short track of the season at Martinsville Speedway on March 24.