The NASCAR west coast swing will come to an end after this Sunday’s Cup series race at Auto Club Speedway.
The drivers will have the chance to go wide open around the two-mile track during the Auto Club 400. There is enough room for not only two and three-wide racing, but even four, five or possibly more in some places on the track.
The 200 lap (400 mile) race will have two 60 lap segments to start with and end with an 80 lap third segment. That will add a sense of urgency for all of the drivers to get to the front and remain there to claim the most points possible throughout the race.
That could lead to some very exciting racing for fans to watch. However, it could also lead to some drivers having a premature end to their day should they make a mistake while being too aggressive or get caught up by another driver that does.
Pit road will also play a major role in what drivers are in position to be successful in the race. The drivers cannot get caught speeding (though I feel many will) and the crews will need to be nearly flawless when they service the cars and make changes to improve the handling. I feel like this week possibly more than so far this year, pit strategy could play a pivotal role in deciding who wins the race.
So, let’s take a look at what active drivers have performed well during their careers at this track.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Auto Club
- Jimmie Johnson – 119.7
- Kyle Busch – 109.0
- Chase Elliott – 105.1
- Matt Kenseth – 105.0
- Kevin Harvick – 99.4
- Denny Hamlin – 92.3
- Kurt Busch – 90.0
- Kasey Kahne – 88.6
- Clint Bowyer – 88.3
- Joey Logano – 84.0
*NOTE: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 races (18 total) among active drivers at Auto Club Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson is not only the highest driver on the list above, he has the most wins all-time at the track and is the 2016 defending winner of this race. Keeping an eye on the #48 Chevrolet throughout the Auto Club 400 would be a good idea.
There are two other active drivers that have won more than once at the track. Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth each has three wins at the track. You can bet that both drivers will be doing everything they can to move one win closer to Jimmie on the list of winners at Auto Club Speedway. You should keep watching the #18 Toyota because Kyle has the reputation to be very aggressive (especially on re-starts) and that can either payoff or cause calamity for himself and others around him.
Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski have a single win a piece at Auto Club Speedway.
All of the drivers will battle with all they and their cars have to capture the checkered flag at the end of the race. That will all but guarantee their place in NASCAR’s playoffs at the end of the season.
When the green flag waives we will see which drivers and crews have the plan and execution to be there in the end with a chance to win. The Auto Club 400 gets started at 2:30 PM central time (3:30 PM eastern time) live from Auto Club Speedway Sunday, March 26th.
By: Buck Stevens
