SPRINT Auto Club 500
Final
for this game
Auto Club 500 Preview
Feb 21, 2008 - 11:26 AMFebruary 24, 2008
California Speedway
Fontana, California
Race 2 of 37 on Nextel Cup circuit
TV: FOX, 3:30 p.m. EST
Laps: 250 laps
Track length: 2 miles
Race length: 500 miles
Qualifying Record: Ryan Newman, 187.432 mph, 2002
Race Record: Jeff Gordon, 155.012 mph, 1997
DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------
Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 07 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $324,545
Finished 24th in the Daytona after being involved in a
late-race crash; is looking to build on breakthrough 2007
campaign when he finished third in the final standings after
qualifying for his first Chase for the Championship; started his
first Chase in grand fashion, winning his first career Cup race at
New Hampshire; finished with 17 top-10s and five top-fives in 36
races last season, including two poles; placed sixth in this event
last year.
Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $323,496
One of the circuit's most consistent drivers finished 13th in
the Daytona 500; finished eighth in last season's standings, one
year after placing seventh; finished in the top-10 in half of
the races last season, including nine top-fives; lone win of the
season came in April at Texas; finished the season strong with
five top-10s over the final six races; finished fourth here in
February last year.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing South
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2008 Earnings: $1,099,770
Pushed teammate Ryan Newman across the finish line to give
Penske Racing a 1-2 finish in the Daytona 500; bounced back from
an inconsistent first season with Penske to finish seventh in the
standings last year; won at Michigan and Pocono and posted 14
top-10 finishes; also had four finishes of 30th or worse; won the
championship in 2004 but was released from his contract at Roush
Racing after the following season, when he finished 10th in the
standings but was suspended for the final two races after an
incident with the Phoenix police; finished seventh in this event
last season; in 11 starts at California has one win, three poles
and five top-10s.
Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $652,938
Had the dominant car and led the most laps at the Daytona 500,
but had to settle for a fourth-place finish; is looking to build
off a sensational run at Hendrick Motorsports as he moves to Joe
Gibbs Racing and Toyota; finished fifth in the final standings
after qualifying for the Chase for the second consecutive season;
had 20 top-10 finishes in 36 races last season, including 11
top-fives; lone win came during the first Bristol race - the
inaugural Car of Tomorrow event; finished ninth in this race last
season; has five top-10 finished in seven starts here, including a
win.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $567,920
The circuit's most popular driver was the top finishing Hendrick
car at the Daytona with a ninth-place showing; made the move from
his father's Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he won 17 Cup events, to
Hendrick Motorsports; got off to a good start with his new team
by winning the Bud Shootout; has not won a points race since
Richmond in May 2006; suffered through a tough final season at
DEI, finishing 16th in the standings; had 12 top-10's last
season, but also posted 11 finishes of 25th or worse; has
struggled at California with four top-10s and four DNFs in 12
starts here; finished 40th at this race in February, 2007.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $363,520
Ran 19th in the Daytona 500; qualified for the Chase last year
and won at Dover after finishing 12th at New Hampshire, but
failed post-race inspection and was docked 25 points and fined;
penalty dropped him from third to sixth in the standings and he
never recovered; won the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series championship;
finished with 11 top-fives and 15 top-10s last year; also won at
Michigan and Bristol; ran 19th here last year.
Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $387,416
Started off his third season with a 17th at the Daytona 500;
avoided the sophomore slump last year after enjoying a
breakthrough rookie campaign in 2006, posting 12 top-five and 18
top-10 finishes; won his only race of the season at New
Hampshire in July, but could manage only a 15th-place finish at
Loudon to start the Chase en route to finishing 12th and last
among Chase competitors; followed up the win at New Hampshire by
finishing dead last at Daytona after wrecking early in the race
with teammate Tony Stewart; ran 11th in this race last year.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $374,099
Opened his 2008 season with a disappointing 39th at the Daytona
500 after leaving the race with 14 laps to go with suspension
issues; only a dominant finish by teammate Jimmie Johnson kept
him from capturing a fifth championship last season; finished
with 10 top-10 finishes in the final 11 races - the other finish
in that span was an 11th at Dover; totaled a remarkable 30
top-10 finishes and 21 top-fives in 36 races last year; spun
with less than two laps remaining at Watkins Glen while leading,
costing him another potential win - still managed to finish
ninth; had six checkered flags last season and 81 career, just
two shy of tying Cale Yarborough for fifth place all-time;
reached a landmark milestone at the first Talladega race,
recording his 77th career victory to pass the late Dale Earnhardt
for sixth all-time; had 10 poles last season - double that of
Ryan Newman who had five; finished second in this race last year
and has three wins, seven top fives and two poles at this track.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $394,106
Two-time defending series champion started this campaign with a
27th after starting on the pole for Sunday's Daytona 500;
battled teammate Gordon for the top spot in the Chase early on,
last season, then took off - winning four straight races over
the second half of the Chase; suffered through an up-and-down
season before the Chase, finishing 39th at the Brickyard after a
fiery crash on the heels of a 37th at Chicago; finished the
season with 10 wins, 20 top-fives, 24 top-10s and failed to
finish four races; has two wins and six top fives at California,
including a third in this race last season.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $308,129
Heads to California where he is the two-time defending winner of
this race, fresh off a disappointing 35th place finish at the
Daytona 500; last season had a late-Chase surge with a win at
the season-ending race at Homestead, following a third at
Phoenix and a second at Texas; finished fourth in the final
standings; captured his only other victory of the season in this
race; had 13 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s last season;
won the series championship in 2003 despite capturing only one
checkered flag, prompting NASCAR to change to its current Chase
format; enters this season without longtime crew chief Robbie
Reiser who has been replaced by Chip Bolin.
Ryan Newman
Team: Penske Racing
Car: No. 12 Dodge Charger
2008 Earnings: $1,543,045
Snapped an 81-race winless streak by winning the Daytona 500;
last win came at the September race at New Hampshire in 2005;
got a huge push from teammate Kurt Busch to earn the win, giving
Penske Racing its first-ever Daytona 500 victory; known as a top
qualifier; earned the nickname "Rocketman" after winning a
series-high 11 poles in 2003; finished 13th in the final
standings last year - his second straight season out of the
Chase after dropping to 18th in 2006; finished 12th at this race
last year.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $986,049
Suffered another disappointment at Daytona, finishing third
despite having the lead with one lap to go; moved within two
points of the lead after the first two Chase races last year,
but could not keep pace with Johnson and Gordon and faded to
sixth in the final standings; finished second at Richmond to
enter the Chase on a hot streak; pre-Chase surge included fourth
at Bristol as well as running 10th at Michigan on the heels of
winning at Watkins Glen - his third win; captured back-to-back
victories at Chicagoland and at the Brickyard; won three races in
total to go along with 23 top-10s; ran eighth here last February
and has never won at California.
2007 Top 10
-----------
1. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
2. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
3. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
4. Jeff Burton (31), Chevrolet
5. Mark Martin (01), Chevrolet
6. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
7. Kurt Busch (2), Dodge
8. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
9. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
10. Brian Vickers (83), Toyota
Past Champions
--------------
2007 Matt Kenseth, Ford, 138.451 mph
2006 Matt Kenseth, Ford, 147.852 mph
2005 Greg Biffle, Chevrolet, 139.697 mph
2004 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 137.268 mph
2003 Kurt Busch, Ford, 140.111 mph
2002 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 150.088 mph
2001 Rusty Wallace, Ford, 143.118 mph
2000 Jeremy Mayfield, Ford, 149.378 mph
1999 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 150.890 mph
1998 Mark Martin, Ford, 140.22 mph
1997 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 155.012 mph
