NASCAR 2018 Race 5: Fontana Auto Club 500 Schedule, Starting Order and Picks

[dara]

Schedule: Times in Eastern

Friday, March 16
2:35-3:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, FS1
3:35-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, FS1
5:35-6:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS1
7:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, FS1

Saturday, March 17
12:35-1:25p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series second practice, FS1
1:35 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1
3:30-4:20p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1
5 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Auto Club (150 laps, 300 miles), FS1

Sunday, March 18
3:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 (200 laps, 4oo miles), FOX

Stage 1 60 laps
Stage 2 120 laps

Facts:


Track Specs:
Track/Race Length: 2.0 mile D-shaped oval, 200 laps, 400 miles
Superspeedway: 2.0-mile oval 75 feet wide with a 15 foot apron
Banking: turns: 14°; front stretch 11°; backstretch 3°
Front Stretch: 3,100feet
Back Stretch: 2,500feet
Pit Road: 2,200 feet long with 44 individual pit stalls
Garages: Three garages with 100 spaces
Pit Road Speed: 55mph
Pace Car Speed: 60mph
Approx: 1,800 Infield RV spaces
Grandstand seating capacity: 68,000 [was 81,000 and 92,000]
Opened: 1997

Pit Stalls:
Length: 42 feet
Width: 20 feet


Track Records & Stats

March 2017 Race Winner: #42-Kyle Larson, 136.359mph, started 1st
The Final October 2010 Race Winner: #14-Tony Stewart, 131.953, started 22nd
Track Race Record: #14-Tony Stewart, 3/25/2012, 160.166mph
Slowest Race Record: #38-Elliott Sadler, Sept 2004, 128.324mph
Oldest Winner: #2-Rusty Wallace, 44 years, 8 months, 15 days, 4/29/2001
Youngest Winner: #5-Kyle Busch, 20 years, 4 months, 2 days, 9/4/2005
Worst Starting Spot to Win: #17-Matt Kenseth, 2/26/2006, started 31st

March 2017 Pole Winner: #42-Kyle Larson, 187.047, finished 1st
The Final October 2010 Pole Winner: #1-Jamie McMurray, 185.285, finished 17th
Track Qualifying Record: Denny Hamlin, March 2016, 188.511mph
Oldest Pole Winner: Mike Skinner, 42 years, 10 months, 2 days, 4/30/2000
Youngest Pole Winner: Kyle Busch, 19 years, 9 months, 25 days, 2/27/2005

Most Races: 26 - Jeff Gordon
Most Wins: 6 - Jimmie Johnson
Most Poles: 4 - Kurt Busch; 3 - Denny Hamlin
Most Top 5s: 13 - Jimmie Johnson
Most Top 10s: 16 - Jimmie Johnson; 15 - Carl Edwards & Matt Kenseth

Weather: Projected Partly Cloudy on Sunday. Rain on Saturday.

[dara]

Starting Order:

1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Kyle Busch
3. Kyle Larson
4. Erik Jones
5. Austin Dillon
6. Joey Logano
7. Kurt Busch
8. Ryan Blaney
9. Ryan Newman
10. Kevin Harvick
11. Brad Keselowski
12. Chris Buescher
13. Trevor Bayne
14. Paul Menard
15. Jamie McMurray
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
17. Ty Dillon
18. Matt DiBenedetto
19. Darrell Wallace Jr.
20. Gray Gaulding
21. David Ragan
22. Michael McDowell
23. Jeffrey Earnhardt
24. Reed Sorenson
25. Denny Hamlin
26. Clint Bowyer
27. Aric Almirola
28. Alex Bowman
29. William Byron
30. Daniel Suarez
31. Chase Elliott
32. AJ Allmendinger
33. Jimmie Johnson
34. Kasey Kahne
35. Timmy Hill
36. Ross Chastain
37. Cole Whitt


Martin Truex Jr. has this qualifying thing down. The driver of the No. 78 car won his second straight pole Friday posting a time of 38.59 seconds to earn the front spot at the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Sunday.

"First time ever," Truex told FS1 after qualifying. "It's definitely really cool, just proud of everybody."

Kyle Busch qualified second as he will pursue his fourth victory in Fontana while Kyle Larson was third.

Kevin Harvick, who will go for his fourth straight win to start the year managed to break the course record in the first round with a time of 38.147 seconds, but will start 10th after he struggled on his final qualifying lap.

Chase Elliott was not so lucky. As good as he was last week finishing third in Phoenix, the 22-year-old failed to pass tech and was unable to put out a time on the track. He is one of the favorites to win the race, but if he does so it will have to be a come-from-behind effort.

Failing inspection was a theme of the day, though, as 13 drivers failed to record a time. Jimmie Johnson, who is the all-time win leader in Fontana, did not record a time. In fact, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers failed to pass inspection.

[4me2c]

Larson Won Last Year...!

1)...Kyle Busch
2)...Kevin Harvick
3)...Jimmie Johnson

Good Luck To All Who Enter...!

[Orziz]

Kyle Larson*
Kevin Harvick
Kyle Busch

[Ryu]

***Kevin Harvick***
Kyle Busch
Martin Truex Jr.

[Marley]

Kevin Harvick *****
Kyle Busch
Martin Truex, Jr.
but will change maybe

[4me2c]

For those wanting to watch the trials today on FS1[150], if it isn't coming thru, One can Always try FOX HD[134] as FS1 has been taking over recently every so often...! Lol...!

[carlosman]

*Martin Truex Jr
Kevin Harvick
Brad Keselowski

[Capt.Kangaroo]

Brad Keselowski***
Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Busch

[4me2c]

Gamblers Palace is giving Johnson the Win with 6-1 Odds...!