See where your favorite driver will pit in Sunday’s third race of the NASCAR Cup Series season, the Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
FONTANA, Calif. — It’s far too early to be thinking about Christmas, but Clint Bowyer was the Grinch whole stole the thunder from local favorite Jimmie Johnson during Saturday’s time trials at Auto Club Speedway.
With a stronger run off Turn 4 on his qualifying lap, Bowyer edged Johnson by .007 seconds to earn the pole position for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The last driver to turn a lap, Johnson had the edge at the exit from Turn 4, but in a comparison with FOX Sports’ “ghost car” (representing Bowyer), the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion ran wider off the final corner and lost the top starting spot by roughly two feet.
RELATED: No. 19 misses qualifying after multiple inspection failures
“I was freaking out that the sun kept coming out,” said Bowyer, who claimed his first Busch Pole Award at Fontana, his first of the season and the fourth of his career. “You know the track’s building temperature. Everybody — you could see the data — kept getting looser and looser down in (Turns) 1 and 2.
“I knew coming to the green was important, tried to stay out high, try to get up through the gear box as good as you can, but that’s what it was. It stuck down there (in Turns 1 and 2), and everybody else had to kind of chase it up the track and lost speed and momentum.
“Then (Johnson), I’m thinking, ‘Man, if it comes down and I get beat by the last car on the race track, I’m going to freak out.’ I got a pole, baby! Looking forward to tomorrow. It’s going to be a hell of a race.”
Bowyer covered the two-mile distance in 40.086 seconds (179.614 mph) in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.
Johnson (179.582 mph) is facing his last race at Auto Club as a full-time driver, and his wife Chandra and daughters Genevieve and Lydia send him on his way from the flag stand above the start/finish line.
“I wish we were one spot further ahead, and clearly, off of Turn 4 there, I ran a little more distance to the start/finish,” said Johnson, who grew up in El Cajon near San Diego. “Such a fine balance trying to understand how much you can open the wheel and let the engine run. Clearly, I did a little too much.
“That’s just the competitor in me. But a very special weekend for me, and I can’t wait to see my girls up in the flag stand waving that green flag.”
Alex Bowman, who led both Friday practices, qualified third, followed by Kurt Busch, as Chevrolets claimed the second, third and fourth starting spots for Sunday’s race. Kyle Busch was 17th in the fastest Toyota.
Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Martin Truex Jr., will start last (38th) on Sunday, having been barred from making a qualifying run after his No. 19 Camry failed inspection three times.
Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola will line up fifth and sixth, respectively, for the third NASCAR Cup Series race of the season, followed by Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Kyle Larson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota failed pre-qualifying inspection three times Saturday at Auto Club Speedway while the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet failed twice, as confirmed by a NASCAR spokesperson. As a result, the No. 19 team of Martin Truex Jr. was not permitted to qualify for the race and will start from the back.
The team also loses a crew member (car chief Blake Harris) for the duration of the weekend and will serve a 15-minute practice penalty at the next NASCAR Cup Series event (Phoenix Raceway). The car passed on the fourth time through inspection. Truex was the 2018 winner of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club.
RELATED: Auto Club schedule
For his part, Truex is not concerned about having to come from the back of the field and his 38th-starting spot. He placed third in the 10- and 15-lap averages in final practice.
“I’m always optimistic,” Truex said. “I did feel good about our car. It seemed like long runs we were pretty strong. Hopefully, we will have a lot of those tomorrow and be able to use them to our advantage.”
For the No. 1 team and Kurt Busch, who is the 2003 Auto Club winner, they will be without car chief Nick Case this weekend and will serve a 15-minute practice penalty at the next event.
Contributing: RJ Kraft
The biggest offseason question mark was answered this week:
Who will Doug Coby race for in his chase for a seventh NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship?
In the end, the 40-year-old Coby found the answer by looking in the mirror.
“This is a good thing going forward,” Coby told RaceDayCT.com in an exclusive interview. “Becoming a driver/owner wasn‘t necessarily what I expected to have happen. But the fact that I see how it‘s unfolding makes me really excited for the team‘s potential and what we‘re able to provide for the sponsors that will help us out.”
RELATED: Doug Coby Career Stats |Sixth Title Adds Coby To Historic NASCAR List
Coby announced that he had purchased one of his race winning Whelen Modified Tour cars from retiring owner Mike Smeriglio III, and start his own team in pursuit of defense of his 2019 crown.
Dynasty Rebirth: Doug Coby To Run Full-Time As Owner/Driver On Whelen Modified Tour https://t.co/g2Wqbvzy45 pic.twitter.com/sBVGPoIlo6
— RaceDayCT (@RaceDayCT) February 28, 2020
Coby also confirmed that he was again pairing with longtime crew chief Phil Moran, and they would keep the rest of his former team together. The Milford, Connecticut, driver confirmed he would again pair with primary sponsor Mayhew Tools, associate sponsors Reynold‘s Auto Wrecking and Modzelewski‘s Towing, and additional sponsors would be announced.
RELATED: Family Time: Mike Smeriglio III Retiring As Car Owner on NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
It isn’t the first time Coby has been looking for a ride following a successful season. He parted ways with car owner Wayne Darling after winning the 2012 title and finishing second in 2013. He paired with Smeriglio in 2014, and together they won 19 races and five drivers championships.
His sixth championship last year made him just he 13th driver all-time to to win six or more NASCAR national or regional/international series champions. It put his name on a list that includes the likes of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Richie Evans and Mike Stefanik.
Justin Bonsignore is the #SunocoWorldSeries winner ud83cudfc1
And Doug Coby wins his SIXTH #NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour ud83cudfc6 pic.twitter.com/9f105LUbcQ
— NASCAR Roots (@NASCARRoots) October 13, 2019
“I always try to remember that my last win could be my last win, and my last championship could be my last championship,” Coby said after the 2019 finale.
Coby appeared prophetic when news broke that Smeriglio committed to selling a pair of cars to the family driver Tyler Rypkema and selling the team hauler to Kevin Stuart Motorsports.
Friday, though, Coby confirmed exclusively to RaceDayCT his new team, Doug Coby Racing, will make its debut at the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener on March 21 at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway. He also told the outlet the team is committed to running the full season and chase title No. 7.
There is no better welcome to Fontana, California, than a behind-the-scenes look at the speedway. In true Hollywood fashion, NASCAR will bring you some lights, camera and racing action.
NASCAR.com is set to go live from the garage and red carpet at Auto Club Speedway at 1:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, as host Alex Weaver takes in the sights and sounds from Southern California. Be sure to check out the action in the garage and hear from drivers about what to expect Sunday on the track.
Check back at NASCAR.com for the full show, which also will air on its YouTube, Facebook and Twitter handles.
RELATED: Full Fontana at-track schedule
FONTANA, Calif. — The speed Alex Bowman had at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has him feeling confident and comfortable heading into Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
At Las Vegas, Bowman was catching then-race leader Ryan Blaney in the closing laps before an untimely caution flag came out and the ensuing pit strategies left him with a 13th-place finish.
“Nobody knows what everybody has until you get to that first downforce track,” Bowman told NASCAR.com on Friday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway. “We started the last few years pretty poorly so to start one off on a good note was good. Obviously, bummed we didn’t get a win but at the same time it was nice to have a lot of speed and at least have a shot at it.”
PHOTOS: Career highlights for Alex Bowman
Crew chief Greg Ives made the call for Bowman to follow Blaney down pit road on Lap 263. Eventual race winner Joey Logano stayed out along with Matt DiBenedetto and Bowman’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, William Byron. Monday-morning quarterbacking the finish may not bring solace, but Bowman views it as a learning opportunity.
“We’ve talked about it quite a bit,” Bowman said. “Obviously, it didn’t end up working out for us, but if the whole field pits behind us and we stay out, you’re screwed at that point. It could have gone either way. Looking back, we definitely should have stayed out, but it is what it is. You can’t go back and change it. You can just learn from it moving forward.”
The 26-year-old’s success at 1.5-mile tracks in the last year-plus has led the No. 88 team to identify and dissect that approach and attempt to bring it to other tracks. That plan appeared to pay dividends Friday as Bowman led both 50-minute practice sessions. The California track hasn’t been too kind to him, with a best finish in four starts of 13th in 2018.
RELATED: Bowman tops practices at Fontana
“Fontana is a place that we’ve really struggled at in the past,” Bowman said. “It’s such a fun race track. I really enjoy coming here. We’ve just been really bad the last two years here. Hopefully starting the year a little stronger this year, the new race car, will help us out.”
While there have been no points-paying race wins for the Hendrick camp to open the year, there have been plenty of positives with a new-look Chevrolet Camaro to boot. Chase Elliott has three stage wins, while Byron won one of the Bluegreen Vacations Duel races and was in the top four for the last restart at Las Vegas. Jimmie Johnson finished in the top five at Las Vegas and seems to have an extra edge as he embarks on his final full-time season.
Those good vibes extend to Bowman in his third full season with Hendrick and his pairing with Ives. The driver of the No. 88 is focused on not only maintaining his intermediate strength but making improvements on tracks that have been a bugaboo for him and the team.
“Anywhere we go, I feel like we have a shot,” Bowman said. “We have the places that we struggled at — Phoenix (Raceway) being one of them — that we really need to improve on. Last year (at Phoenix) was embarrassing quite honestly. Those places bring a little bit more stress just trying to improve on some pretty poor runs. At the same time, I feel like every week we go anywhere with Hendrick Motorsports, we have the resources and tools we need to run well. We just have to do our job.”
FONTANA, Calif. – Eighteen years ago, Jimmie Johnson came to Auto Club Speedway with no job security.
This weekend, Johnson returns to the 2-mile track for his last ride as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver with 83 victories, seven championships and nothing left to prove.
RELATED: Auto Club weekend schedule
That wasn’t the case in 2002 in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. Despite assurances to the contrary, Johnson thought he was on a short leash with the organization — even though he had won the pole for the Daytona 500 as a rookie and followed with another pole at Talladega in the ninth race of the season.
A week later, Johnson came to Fontana and qualified fourth for the NAPA Auto Parts 500. He led three times for 62 laps, the final stint a 14-lap run to the checkered flag after the final caution. In the 10th start of his rookie season — and his 13th Cup start overall — Johnson earned his first victory at the speedway closest to his childhood home in El Cajon.
“That’s the day I knew I was going to be employed,” Johnson quipped during a Friday visit to the media center at the speedway, site of Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“Jeff Gordon handed me all of his championship equipment from the year before, and they told me they’d be patient and I had time, but in my heart I didn’t think that was the case, and I knew I needed to win. So to leave here with a trophy meant that I’d have a job for a few years, and I was pretty stoked about that.”
MORE: Memorable moments at Fontana
To honor Johnson on his “farewell tour,” the speedway commissioned a mural of the seven-time champ, and wife Chandra and daughters Genevieve and Lydia will wave the green flag to start the race after a five-wide salute to the driver.
“Just really excited for it,” Johnson said. “This year, we’re really trying hard to enjoy as much as we can and really take any opportunity that comes our way. This is certainly a different one for us and my family. I’m very thankful that the track came to us with that suggestion to get my family up there in the stands.
“I think prerace will be full of emotions. They will have a chance to come across the stage with me and be introduced with their responsibilities. Being a part of the five-wide salute at the front of the field, and then see those hands up there in that flagstand is going to be cool.”
See the order that the NASCAR Cup Series cars will go out for Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at Auto Club Speedway (2:35 p.m. ET on FS1). You can view the order by clicking the printer icon above or by clicking here.
Alex Bowman surged to snag the fastest lap in final NASCAR Cup Series practice at Auto Club Speedway, sweeping the top spot of both Friday sessions.
Bowman backed up his opening practice performance with a 176.626 mph in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He was just ahead of Ryan Blaney, who posted the second-best speed at 176.186 mph in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford.
RELATED: Final practice results | Weekend schedule
Bubba Wallace logged a 176.177 mph lap in the Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 Chevrolet to place third on the leaderboard in the final tune-up for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Kurt Busch and rookie Christopher Bell filled out the top five in that order in the 50-minute final run.
Kyle Busch, a four-time Auto Club winner, was 10th fastest, but his Joe Gibbs Racing crew was forced into repair mode after the No. 18 Toyota scraped the outside retaining wall roughly 15 minutes into the final session. He returned to the track with minimal right-side damage.
Ross Chastain, making his second straight substitute start in place of the injured Ryan Newman, notched the 11th-best lap in the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. He was 14th fastest in first practice.
Busch Pole Qualifying is set for Saturday at 2:35 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Four teams served penalties in final practice because of inspection issues during last weekend’s event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The following teams sat out the final 15 minutes of practice: No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for driver Chase Elliott, the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford of Michael McDowell and the No. 52 Rick Ware Racing Ford of JJ Yeley. The No. 51 Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet for driver Garrett Smithley missed the final 30 minutes of final practice.
Bowman also swift in opening practice
Alex Bowman swooped to the top of the NASCAR Cup Series leaderboard Friday in opening practice at Auto Club Speedway.
A top-of-the-heap lap of 179.439 mph around the 2-mile California track put Bowman’s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet atop the early speed chart. Sunday’s Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will mark his fifth start at the track, with Bowman still seeking his first top-10 finish.
RELATED: Practice 1 results
Former Auto Club winner Kyle Larson posted the second-fastest lap at 177.703 mph in Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42 Chevrolet. Rookie Tyler Reddick, Kurt Busch and Matt DiBenedetto completed the top five in order in the 50-minute tune-up. The top four were all in Chevrolets.
Daytona 500 champ Denny Hamlin was 12th fastest in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Ross Chastain, making his second straight substitute start in place of the injured Ryan Newman, notched the 14th-best lap in the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
FONTANA, Calif. — When a crew chief shows up to the track in a sling, it naturally begs the question — what happened?
For Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for Chase Elliott, that was the reality he was confronted with Friday at Auto Club Speedway after a mountain biking accident.
California is known for its outdoor adventures, and Gustafson is an active person and enjoys riding his mountain bike whenever he can. He had no idea a solo mountain bike ride around Laguna Beach, California, would turn into an urgent care visit and a new accessory to his crew chief uniform.
“I wrecked my mountain bike while riding in Laguna,” Gustafson told NASCAR.com. “It was pretty gnarly. I have a torn AC joint and a hairline fracture in my clavicle, along with no skin left on my arms and elbows.”
RELATED: Full schedule for Auto Club weekend
After the spill, Gustafson was forced to walk the 2.5 miles back off of the trail, carrying the bike. His next stop was urgent care — and then some sleep.
“Getting dressed this morning was pretty hard, and don’t get me started on the shower,” Gustafson said.
The injuries didn’t prohibit the crew chief from being here first thing Friday morning when the garage opened. It is a normal business weekend and an opportunity to get the No. 9 into Victory Lane for the first time in 2020.
“Not much they can do for it,” Gustafson said. “Surgery, or leave it alone and it can heal itself. It’s a race weekend so here I am, and I’ll be fine.”