Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson’s hopes for a home-state victory Sunday faded early with mechanical trouble at Auto Club Speedway.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet slowed on the 13th of 200 laps in Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 for the NASCAR Cup Series. He brought the car to pit road, where his crew raised the hood to assess the issue. Larson eventually returned to the race, but could not keep a competitive pace. After a competition caution period at Lap 15, the No. 5 Chevy was pushed behind the wall to the garage for repairs.

Larson, a two-time Cup Series winner at the 2-mile Fontana, California, track, returned to the track 15 laps down. He finished 29th in the 36-car field, completing 185 laps.

The outcome marked two consecutive subpar finishes to start the 2023 campaign. Larson placed 18th in the season-opening Daytona 500, crashing out in the final lap of an overtime finish.

Larson ranks 24th in the early Cup Series standings.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

FONTANA, Calif. — The 1990 film “Days of Thunder” is etched in both Hollywood lore and the deep memories of racing fans worldwide. It only makes sense then, that actor Michael Rooker often has fans come up to him and address him as his notorious character from the picture — Rowdy Burns.

Rooker, on hand at Auto Club Speedway for grand marshal duties in Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX), was asked before the race how he felt about two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch co-opting the nickname he made famous.

MORE: Pala Casino 400 sold out | Top photos from Auto Club weekend

Turns out he’s cool with it … but also kind of wants to win it back for himself.

“You know what? That’s okay. He’s kept the name alive. Rowdy, what a great name,” said Rooker, who also attended the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum earlier this month. “First of all, great name. And he’s been making it proud as far as I could tell. Although, I just saw him during the race over at the Coliseum. And you know, I posed the challenge. Him and I, one-on-one. Wheelchair race, anywhere, anytime, Mr. Rowdy.”

While Busch has the upper hand in the overall racing experience department, Rooker might get the edge if this fantasy race were to ever happen — he’s the only one with a win (or at least a photo finish) in that particular discipline.

Clearly, the popularity of “Days of Thunder” has not waned over the years and in some respects only seems to be growing. Seeing the major worldwide success of 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick” — a revival of 1986’s “Top Gun,” also starring Tom Cruise and also produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, as “Days of Thunder” was — it only begs the question if Rowdy Burns and Cole Trickle are also due for a reboot.

Is Rooker up for it? You could say so.

“Ching ching,” he said, rubbing his thumb and fingers together in a press conference before the race. “That’s a good answer for you. Of course I would! … But you know, when you do these things, the older guys that were who they were, they always want to get it back. You know, and the fans would want to see me and Tom racing against each other, you know they would.”

Classic Rowdy.

Posted on by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

Speedweeks provided a shockingly profitable start to the NASCAR season for me.

I say “shockingly” because, frankly, that is not usually the case.

And yes, I’d be remiss if I failed to disclose that my wife’s bet on Ricky Stenhouse to win the Daytona 500 at 40-1 NASCAR odds did most of my bankroll’s heavy-lifting.

But remember, #SameBankAccount.

Turning my attention to NASCAR odds for Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM) at Auto Club Speedway, I’m taking a very conservative approach for three key reasons:

  1. The Cup Series visits Auto Club just once per season, meaning teams haven’t raced here in a year — a race that was also the first at an intermediate track in the Next Gen car.
  2. The combination of a new nose and whatever gains teams made over the offseason will not be known until cars go green this afternoon.
  3. Rain and snow washed out practice and qualifying on Saturday, so we have no data to analyze ahead of Sunday’s race.

As a result, I’m essentially sitting out of Sunday’s race at Auto Club except for the following group bet that’s posted at Caesars Sportsbook.

RELATED: Updated odds from BetMGM

NASCAR Odds, Pick for Auto Club

*Odds as of Sunday morning

Here are the drivers and latest NASCAR odds included in Group D at Caesars:

  • Erik Jones: -105
  • Aric Almirola: +500
  • Chris Buescher: +500
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +500
  • Justin Haley: +700

There’s no denying Jones should be the favorite of the group, but his -105 odds are steep.

A price tag of -105 translates to an implied probability of 51.22%, which is way too rich for my blood considering the uncertainty I detailed in the introduction.

I’m instead opting for Almirola’s +500 odds, and here’s why.

Jones was the best driver in 2022 in the four races at Auto Club, Darlington and Homestead, which are universally known for their high tire wear, but it was Almirola who posted the best average finish of the group in these races.

Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suarez and Denny Hamlin were the only full-time Cup Series drivers who bested Almirola’s average finish of 12.3 in these events last year.

In addition, the driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford ranked second in average running position (behind Jones) among drivers in this group at high tire wear races in 2022, which, combined with the best average finish, suggests he should be shorter than the other two drivers listed at +500 and priced closer to Jones.

Again, I believe Jones should be the favorite for the best finish among these five drivers; however, Almirola should easily be the second-most likely to win the group and has better than a 16.67% chance, which is what his +500 odds imply, to do so.

The bet: Almirola (+500) to Win Group D

Posted on by Reid Spencer

FONTANA, Calif. – Heavy rain and a freak California snowstorm forced postponement of Saturday’s Production Alliance Group 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway until Sunday night.

Rescheduled for 8 p.m. ET, the race will follow the Pala Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series race as the second leg of a Sunday doubleheader. The Production Alliance Group 300 will be broadcast on FS2, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

RELATED: Leaderboard | At-track photos

A mid-afternoon lull in the rain allowed driver introductions and opening ceremonies to be completed. After the command to start engines, the Xfinity Series cars took pace laps, but the rain returned, and NASCAR officials brought the cars to pit road.

Continued rain forced NASCAR to announce the postponement at 7:06 p.m. ET.

Qualifying for both races was canceled early Saturday morning as rain pelted the 2-mile track and then turned to snow in the late morning. After snowfall that lasted approximately one hour, the rain returned.

Because of the qualifying rainouts, the fields for both races have been set according to the rule book using a metric that combines owner points rank, finish in the previous race and rank of the fastest lap in the previous race.

Christopher Bell will start from the pole position in Sunday’s Cup race (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM), with Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. beside him. Conversely, adverse circumstances in last Sunday’s DAYTONA 500 have relegated the cars of Chase Briscoe, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones and Tyler Reddick to positions 31 through 35, respectively.

Only once in 32 previous Cup races at Fontana has a driver won from deeper in the field than 25th on the grid. Matt Kenseth won from the 31st starting position in 2006, when the race was scheduled for 500 miles.

The top two finishers from last Saturday’s Xfinity Series season opener will start from the front row in Sunday evening’s race, with Austin Hill on the pole and Daytona runner-up John Hunter Nemechek beside him.

Double-duty drivers Austin Dillon, Reddick and Ross Chastain will start 15th, 24th and 38th, respectively. The 300-mile event is the second of 33 events for the Xfinity Series this season.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Pat DeCola

FONTANA, Calif. — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway in the same place he finished last Sunday’s Daytona 500 — at the front of the field.

The No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet driver and reigning “Great American Race” champion will start alongside pole starter Christopher Bell in Sunday’s final race at the 2-mile facility in Southern California (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM) after practice and qualifying were canceled Saturday with heavy rain pelting the track. The Mississippi native will look to make it two wins in a row but enters the weekend with an alternative mindset — that he’s still winless.

MORE: Rain washes out Saturday sessions | Full Auto Club lineup

“I think, you know, for us as a team we met and we want to run the next 25 races before the playoffs like we don’t have a win,” Stenhouse said Saturday in a video conference with reporters. “We want to average a 14th, 15th place finish (the rest of the regular season). We know that that generally puts you in a good position to make the playoffs based on points over the last few years. And then obviously another win would be, you know, nice to have in your pocket.”

As the only driver provisionally locked into the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Stenhouse and Co. could theoretically spend the next 25 races fortifying their plan to capitalize on his first tentative postseason appearance since 2017. As a single-car operation with coffers that don’t quite go as deep as some of the bigger, four-car teams, however, JTG realizes that its best shot is to keep its foot on the gas, so to speak, and not just run out the clock on the regular season — there are still insights to be learned and trophies to strive for.

“I do feel like there’s race tracks that we’re still capable of winning on, especially with the things that we’ve learned this offseason, the extra support that we’ve gotten from Chevy and our alliance with Hendrick, there’s some really good race tracks for us that we feel like if we were just a little bit better last year then we could have pulled off a win. So we still feel like we can win again. But you know, we definitely feel like we need to average kind of like that 15th-place-finish over the next 25 races.”

RELATED: Full Auto Club preview | Where Stenhouse is projected to finish

It’s likely a wise strategy, as the series nearly saw 20 different winners a season ago and it’s very much in the realm of possibility too many unique winners could squeeze Stenhouse out of postseason contention if his points are lacking. For comparison’s sake, ’17 stands as Stenhouse’s best year to date — with not one, but two wins that year — and he averaged a 17.1 finish across the full season while landing 13th in points.

Still, there’s something to be said about the mojo that comes along with winning the Daytona 500 and at least starting out ahead of everyone else. Don’t go mistaking this as any sort of false confidence, however — it’s been earned through countless hours of dedication and grit. It just finally paid off.

“Yeah, I mean, my confidence is definitely higher right now. Anytime you come off of a win, especially the beginning of the season, is always nice. Try and carry that momentum on,” said Stenhouse, who picked up his second career Fontana top 10 in last year’s race. “For me, it’s confidence in myself that hey, you stuck it out. You kept pushing hard and showed up to the race track, putting your hours in the gym, putting in your hours studying data, you know, rewatching races and then obviously, feeling like we assembled the right group of people around us and here at JTG Daugherty Racing. So, confidence that you know we got things going in the right direction.”

We’ll get back to racing soon enough, and Stenhouse will have his chance to show this wasn’t just a fluke superspeedway win — the No. 47 has a legitimate shot at multiple race wins this year and won’t just be happy to be there come playoff time. For now, even though he and the team are choosing to view last weekend for the life-making moment it was and not necessarily the playoff implications that come along with it, Stenhouse has spent the last week soaking in the limelight of being heralded as the sport’s 500 champion.

Quinn Harris/Getty Images

“I think the coolest thing is just being able to represent our sport all week, all over the country and you know, I take pride in that. I don’t take that lightly,” Stenhouse said. “Going to Chicago … to the Field Museum or the Children’s Hospital, to opening NASDAQ and ringing the bell. I mean, I take that all very seriously and they wanted to promote our race team, our partners at Kroger you know, and then obviously, all of NASCAR and I think that’s just been the coolest thing is being able to celebrate this win all week long.”

MORE: Stenhouse tours Chicago as Daytona 500 champ

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Inclement weather has adjusted the schedule for on-track action at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday.

Rain lingered over the 2-mile speedway in Fontana, California, canceling NASCAR Xfinity Series practice and qualifying for Saturday afternoon’s Production Alliance Group 300. The 300-miler was initially scheduled for a 5 p.m. ET start time (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), but track-drying procedures have pushed driver introductions to 5:40 p.m. ET, with the race scheduled to take the green flag at 6:07 p.m. ET.

RELATED: Full Auto Club schedule | What to watch in Fontana

Per the NASCAR Rule Book, the starting lineup for the Xfinity race will be set by performance metrics based on last week’s season opener at Daytona, a formula that factors driver’s fastest lap time position (15%), driver’s final race position (25%), owner’s final race position (25%) and owner’s points position (35%). With 40 cars entered, two cars will head home following the qualifying cancelation due to the series’ 38-car maximum.

STARTING LINEUPS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series

Additionally, Saturday’s Cup Series practice and qualifying sessions for Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM) were also canceled. The starting lineup will be set using the same metric formula used to set the Xfinity grid, putting Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the top starting spot for Sunday’s 400-miler.

All 36 Cup Series teams entered will race Sunday.

This story will be updated.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

In the late laps of last year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott found themselves jockeying for the lead and potential victory.

It ended with Larson putting Elliott in the wall as the duo ran three-wide with Joey Logano down the frontstretch with 21 laps remaining. Larson darted high, unaware Elliott had a full head of steam heading to the outside lane. Elliott was walled, and his race ruined. Larson went on to win the race.

RELATED: Reliving the late contact | 2023 Auto Club schedule

The collision triggered a meeting of the minds of all four Hendrick drivers and team owner Rick Hendrick himself.

The Cup Series returns to Fontana, California on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), one year since the incident, which left Elliott stewing in the immediate aftermath. Larson says their relationship is in decent shape these days — despite being frayed again in an August battle at Watkins Glen International.

“I think Fontana was easier to get over for him because it was the first time something happened,” Larson said at Daytona 500 Media Day. “I think Watkins Glen was tougher to get over because it happened a second time. But I think since then — I mean, it took weeks, I would say, to get moved on from it. But I feel like we’re in a good, an OK spot right now.

“You know, we both did an appearance together, you know, a few weeks ago in California, and we were playing on a golf simulator together. So I feel like like everything’s OK.”

At Watkins Glen, six months after their Fontana kerfuffle, Larson lined up to Elliott’s right on the front row with five laps to go. Heading into the 90-degree, right-hand first turn, Larson ran Elliott wide to escape with the lead and eventual win. Elliott stumbled to fourth at the checkered flag.

MORE: What happened at Watkins Glen | What to watch at Auto Club

“Fontana was a mistake. Watkins Glen was not a mistake,” Larson said at Daytona. “You know, we were battling for the win. But you don’t want to make those moves, and it was a rough few weeks for me in my seat. So I don’t want to be a part of that ever again. So yeah, I think, I think we’re OK. And our teams continue to work well together, which I think was the most important piece of it.”

Posted on by Press Release

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — The busiest pre-season testing day of the new year at South Boston Speedway ended late Wednesday afternoon with something of a surprise.

Former NASCAR Cup Series star and 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton took a brief turn behind the wheel of a late model stock car co-owned by his son, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Jeb Burton, and H.C. Sellers.

“It was really fun,” the elder Burton said with a smile. “I appreciate Jeb and H.C. Sellers allowing me to play for a moment. It brings back a lot of memories because I was immediately telling them what I need to get myself comfortable and feeling right. I know what I need to go faster.”

Burton, the winner of two of NASCAR’s most prestigious Cup Series races, the 2002 Daytona 500 and the 2001 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, admitted it had been quite awhile since he last piloted a late model stock car.

“I think it was 1991,” he replied when asked when he last drove a late model stock car. “The late ‘Goo’ Fallen had me go to Orange County Speedway with him. Eddie Hatcher was still working for him. He wanted me to drive the car. The car was fine. It was just the motor wouldn’t run.”

Burton explained it was hard to compare the experience of driving a late model stock car years ago with driving one on this afternoon.

“I raced once (NASCAR) Busch Series race here in 1995 when the front pit wall was built,” noted Burton. “The track has been reconfigured a little bit since then.”

It was Burton’s son, Jeb, that persuaded him to climb behind of the wheel of the late model stock car.

“Jeb has been after me pretty hard to get back racing and run some races somewhere,” Burton explained. “We’ll see what it leads to down the road.”

Jeb Burton and Sellers had spent the day at South Boston Speedway working with driver Andrew Patterson. Patterson is scheduled to drive the car in the twin 75-lap Sentara Healthcare Late Model Stock Car Division races that will headline the Danville Toyota ’23 Opener racing program on Saturday afternoon, March 18, at South Boston Speedway.

Patterson is a member of the Jordan Anderson Racing Team, the NASCAR Xfinity Series team for which Jeb Burton is driving this season.

The season-opening event will also include twin 30-lap races for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division. The first race of the day will get the green flag at 2 p.m.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway
(⏰ 3:30 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX, FOX Sports App | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Fontana, the second race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Auto Club 101

Location: Fontana, California
Race purse: $8,484,302
Race distance: 200 laps | 400 miles
Stages: 65 | 130 | 200
Grand marshal: Michael Rooker, actor
Honorary pace car driver: Alfonso Ribeiro, entertainer
Honorary starter: Misty May-Treanor, Three-time Olympic gold medalist (beach volleyball)
UPDATE: Practice and qualifying canceled
Pit stall assignments: Where drivers will pit on Sunday
Starting lineup: Where drivers will start on Sunday
Photos: Weekend scenes from the track

Key things to watch 🔑

Top story line

Sunday’s race will be the final race on the 2-mile template at Auto Club, with a storied history dating back to the track’s inaugural Cup Series race in 1997. While uncertainty surrounds its place in the future, one thing is certain — Sunday’s winner will forever be known as the last to conquer this configuration. It may seem small, but that, on top of a playoff berth, is a lot to race for. The majority of drivers in the current premier series field have never won here, and West Coast drivers like Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch will be eager to add to their impressive legacies in the region. Winning any race is big, but the farewell makes this one that much bigger. | More on Auto Club’s 2-mile finale

History tells us…

Hendrick Motorsports thrives at Auto Club Speedway. The organization has won an astounding 38% (12 of 32) of the races run at the track, including three of the last six dating back to Jimmie Johnson’s win in 2016. Among their active stable, Kyle Larson has two victories (winning last year’s race), and Alex Bowman has one.

Kyle Larson is the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

Aric Almirola. At 50-1 odds, some people may have already written off the Stewart-Haas Racing driver — but you shouldn’t. Though he may not be among the top picks to find Victory Lane on Sunday, Almirola has a strong case for garnering attention. He has three consecutive top-10 finishes at Auto Club, including a career-high sixth-place finish last season. Despite struggling at this track throughout his career, Almirola is trending in the right direction and should have increased confidence after winning the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway. Without practice and qualifying to gauge a setup, if he can start on the right foot, he may very well be in the mix for a statement win on Sunday. | The Action Network: Why Almirola is Sunday’s best bet

Familiar favorites ⭐️

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: New schemes for Auto Club weekend | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Blaney rallies for top 10 at Daytona — is Fontana win next? | Latest driver rankings
• Betting odds: Favorites to win this Sunday at Auto Club | Top bets, underdog picks
• Fantasy Fastlane: NASCAR heads out west | Fantasy tips, sleepers
• Stacking Pennies: Stenhouse joins after Daytona 500 win | Listen to the podcast

💎 NASCAR 75: Check out exclusive NASCAR content throughout the anniversary season | Learn more, explore

Hot off the press 📰

Key stories and breaking news from the week leading up to the race.

• Fontana’s 2-mile finale: Sunday’s upcoming race stirs key memories | Read more
• Kevin Harvick: Veteran to make 750th consecutive start Sunday | See where he ranks
• Hendrick Motorsports: Larson, Elliott return to site of teammate tension | Read more
• History out west: NASCAR western roots almost as deep as south’s | Read more
• NASCAR 75: Creative campaign launched to commemorate anniversary | Read more
• Victory lap: Stenhouse visits Chicago with Harley J. Earl trophy | See the photos
• All-Star update: Look at the construction progress at North Wilkesboro | See the photos
• Back to Daytona: JTG team owner Brad Daugherty reflects on historic win | Read more
• NASCAR Roots: Behind the scenes from 2023 World Series of Asphalt | See the photos

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.

• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more
• Fantasy Live: Still time to get on the leaderboard and win big this season | Tips for 2023
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going all the way: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Two-mile finale in Fontana 🫡

Relive the best memories at Auto Club before the final race on the current configuration.

• Winner, winner: All-time wins at Auto Club | See who has the most
• Pace out front: Top 10 lap leaders in Auto Club’s history | See them here
• Do you remember?: Memorable moments at Auto Club | Relive them here
• There’s a fight!: Tony Stewart and Joey Logano fight at Auto Club in 2013 | Watch the video
• Jimmie looks back: Jimmie Johnson talks about his first Cup Series win | Watch the video
• Race Rewind: Kyle Larson holds off Austin Dillon, Erik Jones | Highlights from 2022

Take some notes 📝

Five hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Kyle Larson and Cliff Daniels are the only current driver/crew chief combo who have won together at Auto Club.
• West Coast drivers won 20 of 32 Auto Club races, including 12 from California.
• Kevin Harvick is making his 750th consecutive Cup Series start, ranking third on the all-time chart.
• Ford only has one Auto Club win in the last 14 races there — Brad Keselowski in 2015.
• Nine teams made up the top 10 finishers at Auto Club in 2022.

🔮 Predicting the winner: Using data to set a projected finishing order

Quote of the week 🎙

A notable quote from one star of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

“When you look at the racetrack’s shape and size, it’s very similar to Michigan – very Penske-ish in how it was built. But for California, I think a lot of people don’t realize how much racing there is in that state. Obviously, it’s been a big hit throughout the years, and when they brought the Cup Series out there, they were probably the biggest moments that the race track will ever have from start to finish. But racing in general, in California, is always well-supported. It’s in its sweet spot right now with one date and getting everybody there.” — Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang