Memorable moments at Auto Club

After the NASCAR Cup Series raced at the current Auto Club configuration for the final time, we take a look back at some of the top moments at the 2-mile track.

1997: California native Jeff Gordon wins the inaugural race at Fontana after topping the leaderboard for 113 of 250 laps. Gordon would go on to finish his career at the track with three wins, 10 top fives, 12 top 10s, two poles and 648 laps led.

1998: Bill Elliott and Dale Earnhardt get caught up in a five-car crash on Lap 87 between Turns 1 and 2. Elliott finished the day in 43rd while 'The Intimidator' rebounded nicely with a ninth-place result.

2001: Rusty Wallace pulls away with the win for the NAPA Auto Parts 500 on what would have been Dale Earnhardt's 50th birthday. Wallace carried the flag of the No. 3, made so famous by Earnhardt, during his victory lap.

2002: California native Jimmie Johnson got his first Cup win in his home state, holding off Kurt Busch and Ricky Rudd among others for the victory. The win marked the first Cup Series win as well for crew chief Chad Knaus.

2004, spring: 2004 marked the first year that NASCAR raced twice at the 2-mile track (until 2011). The spring event was filled with drama, especially when the No. 2 of Rusty Wallace and the No. 97 of Kurt Busch got tangled up on the front stretch, resulting in a crash.

2005, fall: Then-rookie Kyle Busch wins the Sony HD 500 after outracing Greg Biffle. Not only was this Busch's first win in the premier series, but (at the time) he became the youngest winner in NASCAR Cup Series history at the age of 20.

2006, fall: During the thrilling Sony HD 500, Kasey Kahne passes the No. 41 of Reed Sorenson during the final laps to pull away with the win. Sorenson, who ran out of gas with two laps left, finished the day in 21st. This would be Kahne's fifth win (out of six) for the season.

2011: Kevin Harvick only led the final lap and that was all he needed to win the 2011 Auto Club 400. Harvick tracked down Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, passing Johnson in the final turn to get his lone win thus far at the California track.

2013: The 2013 race would be one of the most dramatic to date as Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart all got involved in conflict. Logano and Hamlin had tensions brewing over from the previous Bristol race. A last-lap wreck involving Hamlin and Logano left Hamlin injured and sidelined for the next four races with a L1 compression fracture. 'Smoke' then got involved later after he was blocked by Logano, which led to a post-race confrontation on pit road (pictured). Oh, and Kyle Busch won!

2016: Jimmie Johnson made history when he beat Kevin Harvick to the start/finish line during overtime for his 77th career victory. The win broke a tie with Dale Earnhardt on the all-time wins list in NASCAR's premier series.

2017: Kyle Larson started from the Busch Pole, led 110 laps and claimed his second career NASCAR Cup Series win. More than just getting the checkered flag, the win was a sign of things to come as Larson logged his best season to date in 2017, when he had four wins.

2019: Kyle Busch led 134 laps and won at Auto Club for his 200th career NASCAR national series win. He celebrated, of course, with burnouts, a flag and his family.

2022: As the sign in Victory Lane says, welcome home. It had been 728 days since the Cup Series last raced in Fontana, stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic but rejuvenated by the arrival of the Next Gen car. After missing out on the unique track in 2021, the return did not disappoint. Reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson battled through a race with 33 lead changes to bolster his title defense.

2023: It all ended in a cloud of smoke — for Kyle Busch, that is. Busch put on an electric performance to earn his first victory with Richard Childress Racing and sent the 2-mile configuration out with a bang. It was Busch's fifth career win at the track and extended his streak to 19 consecutive seasons with a win, setting the all-time record. What a finale.