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Odds and Ends - California
August 26, 2008
By VI News
VegasInsider.com
Auto Club Speedway
History
Groundbreaking for Auto Club Speedway took place in November 1995.
The first race was a NASCAR West Series race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 22, 1997 and won by Jeff Gordon.
The first NASCAR Nationwide Cup race was held on Oct. 19, 1997, won by Todd Bodine.
The first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race was won by Mike Bliss on Oct. 18, 1997.
September 2004 was the first night race and was also the first year there were two races a year for both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series.
2005 was the first time the first Auto Club Speedway race was a triple-header with all three major NASCAR series competing.
The track name was changed from California Speedway to Auto Club Speedway in February 2008. Notebook
There have been 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Auto Club Speedway since the track opened in 1997.
Five drivers have competed in all 16 Auto Club races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Joe Nemechek and Kyle Petty.
Joe Nemechek won the pole for the inaugural race in 1997. Greg Sacks broke Nemechek’s short-lived, track-qualifying record in the second round of qualifying.
There have been 11 different pole winners, led by Kurt Busch (three) and Jeff Gordon (two) Qualifying was canceled in 1999 and 2008-1.
12 different drivers have posted victories at Auto Club Speedway. Jeff Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth (two) are the only multiple race winners there.
Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing have each won six races, more than any other organization.
Eight of the 16 races were won from outside the top 10 starting positions.
Matt Kenseth won the 2006 sprint race from the 31st starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started.
Martin is so good at Cali, why isn’t he coming?
Mark Martin has seven top-10 finishes, including one victory, in 15 races at California. He also failed to finish three times. One of Martin’s DNFs was his first top-10, when he ran out of gas on the final lap of the inaugural race in 1997, yet still finished 10th. It’s too bad we won’t see him this week. Aric Almirola will once again take over the No. 8 DEI car. His run at both Bristol races this year have to be encouraging for the underperforming organization.
NASCAR in California
There have been 122 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in California:
404 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as California.
There have been 32 race winners from California in NASCAR’s three national series:
Auto Club Speedway Data
Race #: 25 of 36 (8-31-08)
Track Size: 2 miles
Race Length: 250 laps/500 miles
Banking/Corners: 14 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 11 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 3 degrees
Driver Rating at Auto Club Speedway
Jimmie Johnson 114.7
Matt Kenseth 112.7
Kyle Busch 109.9
Carl Edwards 105.6
Tony Stewart 101.0
Mark Martin 98.5
Kasey Kahne 98.4
Jeff Gordon 95.4
Greg Biffle 94.6
Kurt Busch 94.1
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008 races (7 total) at Auto Club Speedway. Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Kurt Busch (182.399 mph, 39.474 seconds)
2007 race winner: Jimmie Johnson (131.502 mph, 9-2-07)
Track qualifying record: Kyle Busch (188.425 mph, 38.248 seconds, 2-25-05)
Track race record: Jeff Gordon (155.012 mph, 6-22-97)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 40-44 laps, based on fuel mileage
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