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Power Rankings: ISM Raceway to Auto Club Speedway
By Pat DeCola | Published: March 12, 2019 21
Cindy Gonzalez | NASCAR Digital Media
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Cindy Gonzalez | NASCAR Digital Media
NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers following ISM Raceway and before the race at Auto Club Speedway.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Driver: Chris Buescher
Rank: 20
Change: -1
Comment: Buescher is on track for a career year, and would probably be even higher if not for getting caught up in a wreck at Daytona. That could come to a halt this weekend, however, as Buescher has yet to finish in the top 10 at Auto Club in four starts. He's finished on the lead lap in just one of those races, as well.
Rank: 20
Change: -1
Comment: Buescher is on track for a career year, and would probably be even higher if not for getting caught up in a wreck at Daytona. That could come to a halt this weekend, however, as Buescher has yet to finish in the top 10 at Auto Club in four starts. He's finished on the lead lap in just one of those races, as well.
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David Becker | Getty Images
Driver: Paul Menard
Rank: 19
Change: (Not ranked last week)
Comment: Paul Menard tends to find more success on the bigger tracks NASCAR runs, so it wasn't a giant surprise to see him roll off three straight top 10s at Auto Club from 2013-15. Those are his only top 10s at the track, however, though he should have a good shot at success this weekend in Team Penske-affiliated equipment.
Rank: 19
Change: (Not ranked last week)
Comment: Paul Menard tends to find more success on the bigger tracks NASCAR runs, so it wasn't a giant surprise to see him roll off three straight top 10s at Auto Club from 2013-15. Those are his only top 10s at the track, however, though he should have a good shot at success this weekend in Team Penske-affiliated equipment.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Driver: William Byron
Rank: 18
Change: -2
Comment: The preseason buzz surrounding Byron has quickly subsided, though it could just as easily return if Hendrick starts to find its way. The young driver also nearly cut his starting/finishing position in half in last year's race, going from 29th to 15th.
Rank: 18
Change: -2
Comment: The preseason buzz surrounding Byron has quickly subsided, though it could just as easily return if Hendrick starts to find its way. The young driver also nearly cut his starting/finishing position in half in last year's race, going from 29th to 15th.
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Driver: Alex Bowman
Rank: 17
Change: -4
Comment: Bowman's 35th-place result at Phoenix in front of his home crowd was definitely a bummer for him, but there are signs of encouragement. His 8.8 average starting spot in 2019 ranks fourth in the series, and sooner or later he'll be picking up top-10 finishes.
Rank: 17
Change: -4
Comment: Bowman's 35th-place result at Phoenix in front of his home crowd was definitely a bummer for him, but there are signs of encouragement. His 8.8 average starting spot in 2019 ranks fourth in the series, and sooner or later he'll be picking up top-10 finishes.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Driver: Ryan Newman
Rank: 16
Change: +4
Comment: Newman's 24 starts at Auto Club are most in the series without a win. He's also seen his finishes over the past four seasons dwindle from fifth, to 14th, to 15th to 21st last year -- despite starting ninth or better in each of them.
Rank: 16
Change: +4
Comment: Newman's 24 starts at Auto Club are most in the series without a win. He's also seen his finishes over the past four seasons dwindle from fifth, to 14th, to 15th to 21st last year -- despite starting ninth or better in each of them.
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Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 15
Change: +3
Comment: Auto Club presents a pretty unique scenario for Johnson, the track's all-time leader in just about every measure. The 2016 win for "Seven-Time" was his sixth there -- most in the series -- and he's got the most top fives (13) and top 10s (27). Not having raced up to his standards thus far in 2019, if Johnson can't build off his eighth-place finish at ISM, he could be further off than we thought.
Rank: 15
Change: +3
Comment: Auto Club presents a pretty unique scenario for Johnson, the track's all-time leader in just about every measure. The 2016 win for "Seven-Time" was his sixth there -- most in the series -- and he's got the most top fives (13) and top 10s (27). Not having raced up to his standards thus far in 2019, if Johnson can't build off his eighth-place finish at ISM, he could be further off than we thought.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Erik Jones
Rank: 14
Change: -6
Comment: So far, so good at Auto Club for Jones through his first two Cup starts there. Both his starting and finishing positions improved from year to year, culminating in last season's seventh-place effort. The third-year driver makes for a good dark horse pick for the win.
Rank: 14
Change: -6
Comment: So far, so good at Auto Club for Jones through his first two Cup starts there. Both his starting and finishing positions improved from year to year, culminating in last season's seventh-place effort. The third-year driver makes for a good dark horse pick for the win.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Chase Elliott
Rank: 13
Change: -1
Comment: Hendrick Motorsports has stumbled out of the gate a bit to start the season and even Elliott hasn't been immune. That could turn around at Auto Club, where he's nearly averaged a top 10 through his first three starts (10.7). That said, it's slightly concerning his finishing position has gotten worse in each race (sixth to 10th to 16th).
Rank: 13
Change: -1
Comment: Hendrick Motorsports has stumbled out of the gate a bit to start the season and even Elliott hasn't been immune. That could turn around at Auto Club, where he's nearly averaged a top 10 through his first three starts (10.7). That said, it's slightly concerning his finishing position has gotten worse in each race (sixth to 10th to 16th).
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Clint Bowyer
Rank: 12
Change: +2
Comment: Bowyer has yet to lead a lap this season, but has quietly put together a solid start to the year, compiling a 12.5 average finish despite a crash at Daytona. His Auto Club stats thus far with Stewart-Haas Racing are encouraging (third place in 2017, 7.0 avg. fin.) and another top 10 this weekend is a reasonable expectation.
Rank: 12
Change: +2
Comment: Bowyer has yet to lead a lap this season, but has quietly put together a solid start to the year, compiling a 12.5 average finish despite a crash at Daytona. His Auto Club stats thus far with Stewart-Haas Racing are encouraging (third place in 2017, 7.0 avg. fin.) and another top 10 this weekend is a reasonable expectation.
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Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Rank: 11
Change: -1
Comment: Stenhouse Jr. has just one top 10 at Fontana in his career, though it was a top-five (2016). A savvy speedway racer who's picked up the pace this year, I have a feeling Stenhouse could reach his way into the top 10 on Sunday.
Rank: 11
Change: -1
Comment: Stenhouse Jr. has just one top 10 at Fontana in his career, though it was a top-five (2016). A savvy speedway racer who's picked up the pace this year, I have a feeling Stenhouse could reach his way into the top 10 on Sunday.
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Driver: Ryan Blaney
Rank: 10
Change: +5
Comment: Save for a crash that left him in 35th place in 2016 Blaney has been pretty great in his short history at Auto Club, notching a pair of top-nine finishes the past two seasons. With the speed Team Penske has shown this year -- and the fact that the Roger Penske-built Fontana track always seems to play into his cars' wheelhouse -- Blaney will be a threat to win on Sunday.
Rank: 10
Change: +5
Comment: Save for a crash that left him in 35th place in 2016 Blaney has been pretty great in his short history at Auto Club, notching a pair of top-nine finishes the past two seasons. With the speed Team Penske has shown this year -- and the fact that the Roger Penske-built Fontana track always seems to play into his cars' wheelhouse -- Blaney will be a threat to win on Sunday.
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Driver: Kurt Busch
Rank: 9
Change: -2
Comment: Despite some mixed results over the past three years (22.66 average finish), Auto Club has been a pretty good track for Busch throughout his career. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver still owns a respectable overall average finish of 12.8 with one win and a series-best four poles. No reason to think he won't keep it rolling Sunday.
Rank: 9
Change: -2
Comment: Despite some mixed results over the past three years (22.66 average finish), Auto Club has been a pretty good track for Busch throughout his career. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver still owns a respectable overall average finish of 12.8 with one win and a series-best four poles. No reason to think he won't keep it rolling Sunday.
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Driver: Aric Almirola
Rank: 8
Change: +3
Comment: Almirola's history at Auto Club isn't super favorable with no top 10s or laps led in his career there, but one of 2019's strongest drivers could have a good showing on Sunday. He's increased his finishing position from 21st to 19th to 12th over the past three years -- kind of a trend for him at most tracks, it seems -- and a top 10 in Fontana wouldn't surprise.
Rank: 8
Change: +3
Comment: Almirola's history at Auto Club isn't super favorable with no top 10s or laps led in his career there, but one of 2019's strongest drivers could have a good showing on Sunday. He's increased his finishing position from 21st to 19th to 12th over the past three years -- kind of a trend for him at most tracks, it seems -- and a top 10 in Fontana wouldn't surprise.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Larson
Rank: 7
Change: +2
Comment: Larson is just a tick off from having a winning car so far in 2019 -- all his finishes thus far fall in the sixth-to-12th range -- but all of that could change on Sunday. One could argue that Auto Club is his best track, and the 2017 winner of this race should find the front of the field this weekend.
Rank: 7
Change: +2
Comment: Larson is just a tick off from having a winning car so far in 2019 -- all his finishes thus far fall in the sixth-to-12th range -- but all of that could change on Sunday. One could argue that Auto Club is his best track, and the 2017 winner of this race should find the front of the field this weekend.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Rank: 6
Change: -3
Comment: Keselowski's Auto Club stats are quite interesting, as he clearly seems to have found something the past few years. After finishing 18th or worse in his first six races there, the 2012 champ has averaged a finish of 4.0 over the last four with a win in 2015.
Rank: 6
Change: -3
Comment: Keselowski's Auto Club stats are quite interesting, as he clearly seems to have found something the past few years. After finishing 18th or worse in his first six races there, the 2012 champ has averaged a finish of 4.0 over the last four with a win in 2015.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Rank: 5
Change: +1
Comment: Predicting now that Truex is the next new winner in the series this year, though I'm not exactly going out on a limb, here. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is the defending winner at Auto Club, taking the checkered from the pole. While I'm at it -- keep a lookout for Friday's pole winner, as the last two victors have each done so from P1.
Rank: 5
Change: +1
Comment: Predicting now that Truex is the next new winner in the series this year, though I'm not exactly going out on a limb, here. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is the defending winner at Auto Club, taking the checkered from the pole. While I'm at it -- keep a lookout for Friday's pole winner, as the last two victors have each done so from P1.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Rank: 4
Change: --
Comment: Phoenix disappointment aside, Harvick is going to be in the conversation for the win week-in and week-out this year and Fontana is no exception. Though his last two results there were outside the top 10, they were preceded by a pair of runner-up finishes and 176 laps led.
Rank: 4
Change: --
Comment: Phoenix disappointment aside, Harvick is going to be in the conversation for the win week-in and week-out this year and Fontana is no exception. Though his last two results there were outside the top 10, they were preceded by a pair of runner-up finishes and 176 laps led.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Denny Hamlin
Rank: 3
Change: +2
Comment: Hamlin's three poles at Auto Club are second-most in the series, but it's been a bit of a painful track for the Daytona 500 champ -- both literally and figuratively. A crash there a few years ago left him with a fractured back and his great starting positions have never resulted in a win. He has had his bright spots there, though, as evidenced by his two top-six finishes in the past three years.
Rank: 3
Change: +2
Comment: Hamlin's three poles at Auto Club are second-most in the series, but it's been a bit of a painful track for the Daytona 500 champ -- both literally and figuratively. A crash there a few years ago left him with a fractured back and his great starting positions have never resulted in a win. He has had his bright spots there, though, as evidenced by his two top-six finishes in the past three years.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Joey Logano
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Logano's average finish in the six Auto Club races he's finished outside the top 10 stands at a paltry 23.17. His six finishes inside the top 10 mark a pristine 4.83. Hey, here's a prediction: Logano lowers that even further on Sunday.
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Logano's average finish in the six Auto Club races he's finished outside the top 10 stands at a paltry 23.17. His six finishes inside the top 10 mark a pristine 4.83. Hey, here's a prediction: Logano lowers that even further on Sunday.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Busch
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: Busch goes into every single race he enters right now as the favorite to win, and Auto Club is no exception. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver won consecutive starts there from 2013-14 and with how good he has looked this year it would be an absolute shock to see him stumble on Sunday.
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: Busch goes into every single race he enters right now as the favorite to win, and Auto Club is no exception. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver won consecutive starts there from 2013-14 and with how good he has looked this year it would be an absolute shock to see him stumble on Sunday.