6/22/97 Sprint Cup Race Jeff Gordon 155.00
2/27/05 Sprint Cup Qualifying Kyle Busch 188.245
4/28/01 Nationwide Race Hank Parker Jr. 156.00
2/26/05 Nationwide Qualifying Tony Stewart 185.941
9/20/03 Camping World Truck Race Ted Musgrave 146.00
2/24/06 Camping World Truck Qualifying David Reutimann 178.980
Nationwide Series
Upcoming Race Mar 26
Royal Purple 300
Track Facts
Auto Club Speedway
Location: Fontana, CA
Banking/Turns: D-Oval
Distance: 2.00 miles
Shape: D-Oval
Nationwide Camping World Truck Date Race Name Pole Winner Race Winner Make Purse
10/9/10 CampingWorld.com 300 Kyle Busch Kyle Busch Toyota $1,379,459
2/20/10 Stater Bros. 300 Joey Logano Kyle Busch Toyota $1,420,657
10/10/09 Copart 300 Joey Logano Joey Logano Toyota $1,623,337
2/21/09 Stater Bros. 300 Carl Edwards Kyle Busch Toyota $1,646,100
2/25/08 Stater Bros. 300 Jeff Burton Tony Stewart Toyota $1,649,206
8/30/08 Camping World RV Service 300 Kyle Busch Kyle Busch Toyota $1,627,868
9/1/07 Camping World 300 Denny Hamlin Jeff Burton Chevrolet $1,607,454
2/24/07 Stater Bros. 300 Dave Blaney Matt Kenseth Ford $1,626,139
Sprint Cup Series
Upcoming Race Mar 27
Auto Club 400
Sprint Cup Date Race Name Pole Winner Race Winner Make Purse
2/21/10 Auto Club 500 Jamie McMurray Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet $6,004,818
10/10/10 Pepsi MAX 400 Jamie McMurray Tony Stewart Chevrolet $5,270,654
2/22/09 Auto Club 500 Brian Vickers Matt Kenseth Ford $6,192,388
10/11/09 Pepsi 500 Denny Hamlin Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet $6,204,988
2/24/08 Auto Club 500 Jimmie Johnson Carl Edwards Ford $6,144,605
8/31/08 Pepsi 500 Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet $6,165,509
2/25/07 Auto Club 500 Jeff Gordon Matt Kenseth Ford $6,065,926
9/2/07 Sharp AQUOS 500 Kurt Busch Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet $6,097,134
__________________
Rick
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Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes - Inside the Numbers - Auto Club Speedway
FONTANA, Calif. , Mar 22, 2011 - THE NUMBERS for the AUTO CLUB 400
Auto Club Speedway
2 – races won from the front row at Auto Club Speedway; one from the pole
4 – number of drivers that have competed in all 21 races at ACS (Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek)
4 – fewest cautions for a Sprint Cup race at (6/22/97)
8 – number of jet dryers available for track drying during race weekend
9 – most wins by a car owner in previous 21 races (Rick Hendrick)
12 – most cautions (2/24/08)
13 – different winners in previous 21 races
14 – different pole winners
18 – fewest lead changes (twice, most recent 2/26/06)
22 – fewest caution laps (twice, most recent 4/30/00)
33 – most lead changes (2/24/08)
51 – most caution laps (9/5/04)
120 – minutes, the amount of time it takes to dry the .533-mile track after a significant rainfall
188.245 – mph, track qualifying record (Kyle Busch, 1/25/05)
1995 – year track construction began on site of the former Kaiser Steel Mill and completed in 1996
1997 – year first Sprint Cup race held at the track (6/22/97)
2008 – year facility name changed from California Speedway to Auto Club Speedway
2011 Caution Recap
41 – cautions in the first four Sprint Cup races of 2011
24 of 41 – cautions have been for accidents
195 of 1287 laps completed have been under caution
275.881 of 1,499.000 miles completed have been under caution
BONUS: Although only two tracks currently host NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, 15 California tracks have hosted a total of 129 Sprint Cup races over the years. Riverside International Raceway had the most – 48 – with the last event in 1988. Only Riverside, Ontario Motor Speedway (nine) and the two tracks currently on the Sprint Cup schedule – Auto Club Speedway (21) and Infineon Raceway (22) – have hosted more than six Cup races.
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
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Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes - NSCS Race Advance - Auto Club Speedway
March 22, 2011 , FONTANA, Calif. - For Immediate Release
Dodge Motorsports NSCS Race Advance
Auto Club 400
Auto Club Speedway
Sunday, March 27, 2011
DODGE MOTORSPORTS QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“We’ve had a solid start to our 2011 season and I’m so proud of the great job everyone on our ‘Double Deuce’ Dodge team has done. Four races and four top-10 finishes – that’s laying a pretty good foundation – but there’s never any time in our sport to rest on your laurels. It’s always a ‘you snooze and you lose’ situation out there.” Kurt Busch, No. 22 Auto Club Dodge Charger R/T
DODGE NEWS AND NOTES
• Dodge’s Kurt Busch is the only Sprint Cup driver who has recorded top-10 finishes in all four races this season.
• A Dodge driver sits atop the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings for the first time since Kurt Busch held the lead following the 2009 spring event at Talladega Superspeedway.
DODGE AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
• Dodge has one Sprint Cup win at Auto Club Speedway (Kasey Kahne – 2006).
• A Dodge has started from the pole four times at Auto Club Speedway. The most recent came at the fall event in 2007 when Kurt Busch recorded one of his three career poles at the two-mile track. He has started from the pole at ACS more than any other track. He started from the pole at both events in 2006, his first with Penske Racing.
THE DODGE BOYS
• Dodge has 207 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories.
• Dodge’s most recent win came at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kurt Busch led 252 of 400 laps en route to victory in the 2010 Coca-Cola 600.
• Dodge claimed two Sprint Cup victories in 2010.
• Dodge teams have posted 47 wins since the manufacturer’s return to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 after being out of the sport since 1977.
• Dodge has posted wins each season since it’s return in 2001 including seven wins twice (2002 and 2006).
DODGE HISTORICAL DATA
• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Lee Petty, 2/1/53, West Palm, Fla., 100 miles, .5-mile track.
• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Win at Auto Club Speedway: Kasey Kahne, 5/4/04, Sony HD 500, 137.268 mph avg. speed.
FROM THE ENGINEER
"Going from the tight half-mile confines and high banks of Bristol to the wide open and flat spaces of Auto Club Speedway will be a big adjustment for drivers and teams alike this week. From 120 mph laps at Bristol to 190 mph laps at Auto Club Speedway means aerodynamics and engine reliability are going to be major concerns for every team. The wide flat corners mean drivers need maximum aerodynamic downforce to maintain their momentum lap after lap and the long sweeping straight-aways mean that engines will be strained to their breaking point for more than thirty seconds of every lap. Worrying about both problems will likely keep crew chiefs awake at night this weekend." Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering
FROM THE ENGINE DEPARTMENT
"The top RPM is 9800 for five hours. Auto Club Speedway is the most demanding track because of the wide RPM range we experience there. The engine sweeps thru the peak torque point two times every lap and also sustains very high RPM down the front stretch. It is the ultimate test of engine reliability in my opinion." Scott Corriher, Penske Racing
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Dodge’s Kurt Busch leads all Cup drivers with three poles at Auto Club Speedway.
• Dodge’s Brad Keselowski earned his second top 20 of the season last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, finishing 18th in his Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
• Penske Dodges will test at the half-mile oval of Gresham Motorsports Park just outside of Atlanta this week.
DID YOU KNOW
• There have been 129 Sprint Cup races at 15 California tracks over the years. Of the 15, only two continue to host Cup events – Auto Club Speedway and Infineon Raceway. Riverside International Raceway hosted 48 events before the final race in 1988.
• The Sprint Cup champion the last five seasons has averaged 23 (63%) top 10s in the 36 point races.
• Penske Racing has two wins at Auto Club Speedway.
• Only one of the 21 races at Auto Club Speedway has been won from the pole; 10 of the 21 races have been won from starting positions outside the top 10.
2011 SPRINT CUP SERIES SEASON BEST
• Kurt Busch Start: 2nd – Phoenix
Finish: 5th – Daytona
• Brad Keselowski Start: 9th – Phoenix
Finish: 15th – Phoenix
• Robby Gordon Start: 30th – Daytona
Finish: 16th – Daytona
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY BEST
• Kurt Busch Start – Pole (2006 both, 2007 fall)
Finish – Win (2003)
• Brad Keselowski Start – 21st (2010 spring)
Finish – 21st (2010 spring)
• Robby Gordon Start – 12th (2009 spring)
Finish – 9th (2004 fall)
DODGE QUOTES
“When we finished seventh last Sunday at Bristol, that’s pretty much what was going through my head is that yes, it was another top-10 finish, but it should have been better. Like I told them after the race, it was a point-leader type effort and finish. We just have to keep pushing hard and find the ‘mojo’ we need to run up front and compete for the win.” Kurt Busch, No. 22 Auto Club Dodge Charger R/T
“We ran really well with the Nationwide car at Auto Club Speedway last year. That was a huge boost of confidence for me because it has been one of the tougher tracks for me over the years. I’m really looking forward to going back this weekend and having a solid race with the Cup car. The Cup car was a little up and down last year at Fontana, but it was really fast at times. Everyone on the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge is excited about the car we are taking this weekend. There has been a lot of work put into it and I think it will race well.” Brad Keselowski, No 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T
“Heading to California is going to be a fun weekend. Fontana is a track where I grew up from 30 miles away and have a lot of friend and family in the area. We’ve got a local company on board for us – Food 4 Less. It’s going to be an exciting weekend. We need to get a good result and go out and score some points for this SPEED Energy Dodge.” Robby Gordon, No. 7 SPEED Energy Dodge Charger R/T
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
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Written by: Mike Hembree
Date: 03/23/2011 -
Location: Charlotte, NC
Kurt Busch will be a little harder to spot in the garage area at Auto Club Speedway this weekend.
For the first time this season, Busch won’t be wearing the garish yellow and red colors of sponsor Pennzoil, and the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge won’t be in its bold yellow livery. Instead, Busch and his car will be wrapped in the more sedate blue, red and white colors of sponsor Auto Club.
There should be little trouble finding Busch, however.
He’s right there at the top of the point standings.
Four races into the Sprint Cup season, Busch stands as the only driver who has recorded top-10 finishes in every race, and that level of consistency is what the point system loves. Entering Sunday’s Auto Club 400 in Fontana, Calif., Busch leads second-place Carl Edwards by a point and Stewart-Haas teammates Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman by 12 points.
“We’ve had a solid start to our 2011 season, and I’m so proud of the great job everyone on our ‘Double Deuce’ Dodge team has done,” said Busch. “Four races and four top-10 finishes – that’s laying a pretty good foundation, but there’s never any time in our sport to rest on your laurels. It’s always a ‘you snooze and you lose’ situation out there.
“When we finished seventh last Sunday at Bristol, that’s pretty much what was going through my head is that, yes, it was another top-10 finish, but it should have been better. Like I told them after the race, it was a point-leader type effort and finish. We just have to keep pushing hard and find the ‘mojo’ we need to run up front and compete for the win.”
Busch said the run of races beginning with Sunday’s Fontana event and stretching through the April 17 race at Talladega should reveal much about the rest of the season.
“It’s a stretch of races that give a little preview of what to expect when we get into what I call the ‘core’ part of our series,” Busch said. “We have the two-mile Fontana track and the 1.5-mile Texas track, with the Martinsville short track and Talladega big speedway thrown into the mix.
“I’ve always thought that you can take a look back after the Talladega race in the spring and see where you stand. You can get a good reading on where you are strong and where you need to focus more effort in getting better overall.”
Busch owns one win and eight top-10 runs at Auto Club Speedway.
“We’ve had some success there through the years but have struggled there a bit recently,” he said. “We certainly know what we’re up against this weekend. Just as it’s been over the last few years there, the tire maintenance situation will be critical.
“The track has worn to the point that you can get a fresh set of tires and be Superman for the first few laps. The fall-off rate will see you lose up to four-10ths after one lap on fresh tires. It can get pretty hairy out there under any long green-flag runs.”
Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes - NNS Race Advance - Auto Club Speedway
March 23, 2011 , FONTANA, Calif. - For Immediate Release
Dodge Motorsports NNS Race Advance
Royal Purple 300
Auto Club Speedway
Saturday, March 26, 2011
DODGE IN THE NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
• Dodge won its first Nationwide championship last year with Brad Keselowski claiming the driver’s title. It was the first NASCAR title for Penske Racing.
• Dodge has 34 NASCAR Nationwide Series wins since 2002.
BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 22 America’s Tire Dodge Challenger R/T
Career Starts: 143
Wins: 12
Top Fives: 60
Top 10s: 84
Poles: 8
Career Highlights:
• Last NASCAR Nationwide Series win came at Gateway last fall (six races).
• The defending NASCAR Nationwide Series champion
• Earned Penske Racing its first NASCAR champion last season.
• Set career-best results in 2010 in wins (6), top fives (26), top 10s (29) and poles (5).
• Set a NASCAR record 102 consecutive Nationwide Series races without a DNF (Did Not Finish) that ended at this year’s season-opening race at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
• First Nationwide victory came at Nashville Superspeedway (2008).
BRAD KESELOWSKI AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
• Will be making his 10th-career Nationwide Series start at Auto Club Speedway.
• Highest starting position: Third – October 2010
• Highest finishing position: Win – August 2008
• Average starting position: 18.7
• Average finishing position: 22.9
• Laps Led: 53
DID YOU KNOW
• Dodge’s Brad Keselowski is seeking his first Nationwide Series win at Auto Club Speedway. In nine career starts, Keselowski has tallied three consecutive top-five finishes.
• Dodge’s Brad Keselowski’s last win came at Gateway in October (seven races). His last pole came at Michigan in August (16 races).
STAT OF THE WEEK
• Dodge’s Brad Keselowski posted his best Auto Club Speedway finish of second at last fall’s event.
DODGE QUOTES: ROYAL PURPLE 300
“Auto Club Speedway was a really good track for us last year in the Nationwide Series. To come out of there with a second- and third-place finish in the two races was very critical to our run to the championship. I’d never considered it to be one of my better tracks, but now I’m confident we can go there and win the race. It’s really all about momentum at Fontana. With the carburetor spacer that we run on these Nationwide cars, you want to be able to roll the center of the turns quickly so that you can carry momentum off the corner and down the long straightaways. If we can do that, I feel good about our chances with the No. 22 America’s Tire Dodge Challenger.” Brad Keselowski, No. 22 America’s Tire Dodge Challenger R/T
FROM THE PITBOX
“Fontana is a track that is very aero sensitive. You need to keep the car ‘clean’ if you want to have a chance to win. We know that we have a driver that will give us everything he has and we’re going out there with one thing on our mind – winning the race. We haven’t started the season like we wanted to and a lot of that has just been bad luck. There is one thing that can cure all of that and that is to go to Victory Lane.” Todd Gordon
Crew Chief, No. 22 America’s Tire Dodge Challenger R/T
__________________
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Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – Kurt Busch Open Interview – Auto Club Speedway
Published on March 25, 2011 by Official Release
Friday, March 25, 2011
Dodge Motorsports PR
Auto Club Speedway
Auto Club 400
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
KURT BUSCH (No. 22 Auto Club Dodge Charger R/T)
YOU ARE LEADING THE POINTS, THE ONLY DRIVER WITH FOUR TOP 10S; ARE YOU IN BETTER POSITION THAT YOU THOUGHT YOU’D BE? “I think that we’re right on par. It’s been a good start to our season. We haven’t had anything seriously go wrong other than the spin that I had at Las Vegas. We were running in the top-five at that point and (the spin) put us in the back at the halfway mark in that race. I had to charge up through there and our car was good enough and get back up in the top 10. We’re just looking for a good, smooth race again this weekend. You have to win if you want to build on the points lead; you just can’t maintain top-10 finishes. So that’s what we hope to do and go get a win.”
WHAT IS THE TRACK LIKE? HAVE YOU SEEN ANY WEEPERS? “I haven’t ventured down to the bottom on either end just to be on the safe side. Do I feel safe? Yes, I feel very safe. You’re taking the cautionary road plus the race track is bumpier on the low groove so it seems to benefit it you run a little bit higher. Just make sure that you don’t find any moisture.”
IS THE TRACK DRY AND HOW HAVE THE SHORTENED PRACTICES BEEN FOR YOU? “From what I can tell, the track is dry. It’s just a matter of having the confidence to venture into the bottom lane. For qualifying, we’re just trying to pick off a lap as fast as we can make it. You’re not necessarily worried about handling; we just have to get the speed out of it. The track seems to me to be safe. Tomorrow will provide more of an indication of how the car is. I expect the sun to be out and the track to be dry.”
FROM WHEN YOU STARTED IN THE SPORT TO NOW, HOW HAS PHYSICAL FITNESS CHANGED FOR THE DRIVERS? “It’s good that we wear driver’s suits; it good to cover up if we’re fit or not. You have to get out there and do the cardiovascular and do the strength training just to make sure that you’re not falling behind. Every part of the car is gone over with a fine-toothed comb these days to find hundredths of a second and driver fatigue can fit into that. I think drivers know that they need to be their best and a nutritional regiment as well as physical training and cardiovascular is key as well. It’s different from years past as the fun factor was definitely higher in the 70s and 80s with guys going out and having beers all night long and coming to the track the next day and focusing through it. You don’t see that as much anymore. The group is very committed. Everybody is trying to be their best in the race car at all times.”
IN GENERAL, DO YOU FAVOR SHORTENING THE RACES FROM 500 TO 400 MILES? “Yes, it seems to be a good fit. The way that information travels these days, people’s attention spans on how they want their information just seems like it’s tougher and tougher for a four-and-a-half hour audience to maintain that same channel the same day. It’s amazing how people can get their information through the Internet and through social media. Everybody’s mind just works quicker. I think 400 miles is a welcome addition to what we’re doing here at Auto Club Speedway. Other race tracks, you can do it as well. Pocono can be a long 500 miles. Would it make a difference if we went to 400? Sure. Let’s try it out and see how it works.”
WHAT NASCAR DATES DO YOU “CIRCLE” ON YOUR CALENDAR? “You’re pumped up no matter where you go. You have to be ready to race. Bristol is a race that I always circle. Las Vegas, Daytona and a place like Indianapolis is always circled. The weeks in-between, there are important races every week. We’re going to Martinsville next week. It’s not one of my favorite tracks, but they’re handing out 48 points if you have a perfect day. That’s what we have to do each and every week.”
IS THERE ANYTHING NEW IN THE PIPELINE FOR DODGE MOTORSPORTS COMING ALONG? “Not that I know. We’ve got a great group with Bryan Viger (Head of Dodge Motorsports) and Ralph Gilles (President and CEO of Dodge) that are very committed to the racing program. We’ve got the Dodge Challenger that’s over on the Nationwide side that I’d love to see here in the Cup series. We’ve got to have the pony cars over there in the Nationwide, which is a good way to sell cars. And then we have to have the sedans over in the Cup series with our Dodge Charger. We’re trying to sell as many vehicles as we can for Dodge. I know that 2013 is a target date to see the new cars out on the track and I know that all the auto manufacturers are working close together with NASCAR to make that happen.”
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
Nitro Model: R/T 4X4 Stone White
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Last Updated: Friday, Mar 25, 2011 10:06 pm, EDT
Auto Club 400
Auto Club Speedway
Order Driver (No.) Car Qualifying Speed
1 Juan Pablo Montoya (42) Chevrolet 184.653
2 Denny Hamlin (11) Toyota 184.270
3 Joey Logano (20) Toyota 184.134
4 Regan Smith (78) Chevrolet 184.030
5 Tony Stewart (14) Chevrolet 183.988
6 David Ragan (6) Ford 183.692
7 Jeff Burton (31) Chevrolet 183.622
8 Kyle Busch (18) Toyota 183.482
9 Ryan Newman (39) Chevrolet 183.463
10 Mark Martin (5) Chevrolet 183.449
11 Matt Kenseth (17) Ford 183.407
12 Jamie McMurray (1) Chevrolet 183.243
13 Marcos Ambrose (9) Ford 183.127
14 David Reutimann (00) Toyota 183.113
15 Paul Menard (27) Chevrolet 182.950
16 Jimmie Johnson (48) Chevrolet 182.931
17 Clint Bowyer (33) Chevrolet 182.899
18 Carl Edwards (99) Ford 182.797
19 Brian Vickers (83) Toyota 182.658
20 A J Allmendinger (43) Ford 182.519 21 Brad Keselowski (2) Dodge 182.510
22 Kasey Kahne (4) Toyota 182.366 23 Kurt Busch (22) Dodge 182.039
24 Kevin Harvick (29) Chevrolet 181.910
25 Casey Mears (13) Toyota 181.855
26 Martin Truex Jr. (56) Toyota 181.809
27 Trevor Bayne (21) Ford 181.804
28 Landon Cassill (09) Chevrolet 181.694
29 Jeff Gordon (24) Chevrolet 181.671
30 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) Chevrolet 181.534
31 Dave Blaney (36) Chevrolet 180.936
32 Greg Biffle (16) Ford 180.786
33 Michael McDowell (66) Toyota 180.605
34 Bobby Labonte (47) Toyota 180.338 35 Robby Gordon (7) Dodge 180.279
36 Travis Kvapil (38) Ford 180.014
37 David Gilliland (34) Ford 179.699
38 Andy Lally (71) Chevrolet 178.958
39 Ken Schrader (32) Ford 177.940
40 Joe Nemechek (87) Toyota 177.659
41 Todd Bodine (60) Toyota 176.557
42 Tony Raines (37) Ford 175.653
43 J.J. Yeley (46) Chevrolet -
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
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Last Updated: Saturday, Mar 26, 2011 8:05 pm, EDT
Royal Purple 300
Auto Club Speedway
Order Driver (No.) Car Pts/Bonus Laps Laps Led Winnings Lap Progress
1 Kyle Busch (18) Toyota 47/4 150 18 $61,445 Chart
2 Carl Edwards (60) Ford 43/1 150 48 $57,675 Chart
3 Kevin Harvick (33) Chevrolet 43/2 150 64 $44,700 Chart
4 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6) Ford 41/1 150 10 $35,793 Chart
5 Elliott Sadler (2) Chevrolet 39/0 150 0 $26,125 Chart
6 Trevor Bayne (16) Ford 38/0 150 0 $29,218 Chart
7 Joey Logano (20) Toyota 37/0 150 0 $20,275 Chart
8 Mark Martin (32) Chevrolet 37/1 150 5 $18,800 Chart
9 Aric Almirola (88) Chevrolet 36/1 150 2 $25,478 Chart 10 Brad Keselowski (22) Dodge 34/0 150 0 $19,900 Chart
11 Jason Leffler (38) Chevrolet 33/0 150 0 $26,893 Chart
12 Justin Allgaier (31) Chevrolet 32/0 150 0 $24,068 Chart
13 Brian Scott (11) Toyota 31/0 150 0 $24,268 Chart
14 Reed Sorenson (30) Chevrolet 30/0 149 0 $26,033 Chart
15 Kenny Wallace (09) Toyota 29/0 149 0 $24,823 Chart
16 Josh Wise (7) Chevrolet 28/0 149 0 $23,638 Chart
17 Ryan Truex (99) Toyota 27/0 149 0 $24,178 Chart
18 Michael Annett (62) Toyota 26/0 149 0 $23,043 Chart
19 Mike Bliss (19) Chevrolet 25/0 149 0 $24,433 Chart
20 J.R. Fitzpatrick (27) Ford 24/0 147 0 $24,298 Chart
21 Eric McClure (14) Chevrolet 23/0 146 0 $22,713 Chart
22 Kevin Conway (87) Toyota 22/0 146 0 $16,085 Chart
23 Morgan Shepherd (89) Chevrolet 21/0 146 0 $22,468 Chart
24 Mike Wallace (01) Chevrolet 20/0 145 0 $22,708 Chart
25 Charles Lewandoski (39) Ford 20/1 145 2 $22,798 Chart
26 Tony Raines (52) Chevrolet 18/0 144 0 $15,595 Chart
27 Steve Wallace (66) Toyota 17/0 143 0 $21,928 Chart
28 Kevin Lepage (24) Ford 17/1 143 1 $21,808 Chart 29 Robert Richardson Jr. (23) Dodge 15/0 143 0 $22,058 Chart
30 Tim Andrews (79) Ford 14/0 142 0 $15,380 Chart
31 Derrike Cope (28) Chevrolet 13/0 140 0 $21,438 Chart
32 Timmy Hill (15) Toyota 12/0 139 0 $21,328 Chart 33 Blake Koch (81) Dodge 11/0 128 0 $21,218 Chart
34 Scott Wimmer (40) Chevrolet 10/0 115 0 $21,108 Chart
35 Jeremy Clements (51) Chevrolet 9/0 91 0 $14,530 Chart 36 Dennis Setzer (70) Dodge 8/0 86 0 $20,888 Chart
37 Jeff Green (44) Chevrolet 7/0 41 0 $14,300 Chart
38 Jennifer Jo Cobb (141) Ford 6/0 38 0 $14,190 Chart
39 Joe Nemechek (97) Chevrolet 5/0 31 0 $14,115 Chart 40 Alex Kennedy (103) Dodge 4/0 21 0 $14,080 Chart
41 Carl Long (168) Chevrolet 3/0 12 0 $14,020 Chart
42 Brett Rowe (55) Chevrolet 2/0 3 0 $13,940 Chart
43 Mike Harmon (213) Chevrolet 1/0 3 0 $13,907 Chart
Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – NNS Race Final – Auto Club Speedway
Published on March 26, 2011 by Official Release
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Dodge Motorsports PR
Auto Club Speedway
Royal Purple 300 Post-Race Quotes NASCAR Nationwide Series
BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 22 America’s Tire Dodge Challenger R/T) Finished 10th “We just didn’t unload our America’s Tire Dodge Challenger like we needed to and got behind early on in the weekend. We worked on it and made the car a little bit better. We started to make a move late in the race and worked our way up to fifth, but just stalled. I’m not sure what we were missing; just a little bit frustrated. I fought hard. My team fought hard. We just have to get our cars better.”
YOU WORKED YOUR WAY UP TO FIFTH AND THEN SLID BACK LATE IN THE RACE. WAS IT A MATTER OF JUST RUNNING THE TIRES OFF THE CAR? “It was just a matter of me driving 20 times over my head trying to get track position back. You just can’t ask the car to run that hard and expect the tires to stay on the thing. I had to take a shot and get some track position back and we didn’t catch a caution at the right time.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS TRICKY TRACK? “It’s tough right now. Trying to work your way over these bumps and over the seams is tough. We’re just trying to understand this tire a little bit better. I think I learned some things about what lines to run and not run for tomorrow. It’s certainly not an easy place to get around, that’s for sure.”
TODD GORDON, (Crew Chief, No. 22 America’s Tire Dodge Challenger) “A bit of a struggle for us today with our America’s Tire Dodge Challenger. The bumps here are really tough to get through. I just felt like we didn’t find the balance that we needed to be faster. It was a step in the right direction. We’ve been conservative on some things, but I think today was a positive for this team. With some of the bad luck that we’ve had this year, it’s nice to get a top-10 finish. We’re just trying to build off of what we learn every week and apply (it) to the next race.”
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
Nitro Model: R/T 4X4 Stone White
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Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes - Keys for Success - Auto Club 400
March 26, 2011 , FONTANA, Calif.
FONTANA, Calif., (March 26, 2011) – Each race weekend, selected Dodge Motorsports engineers, Penske Racing crew chiefs, engineers, drivers or engine specialists give their insight on the ‘Keys for Success’ for the upcoming race. This week, the green flag drops at Auto Club Speedway and the Auto Club 400.
Track: Auto Club Speedway (race 5 of 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup point events)
Race: Auto Club 400
Track Length: 2-mile (200 laps/400miles)
Trivia Question: California has hosted 129 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events. What driver posted Dodge’s first Sprint Cup Series win in the Golden State?
HOWARD COMSTOCK (Dodge Motorsports Engineering – NASCAR Program Manager)
Spring Race Date: “Cooler weather and a clean track surface provide plenty of grip. It’s going to be much cooler this weekend than recent races here at Fontana and if the track will hold that grip throughout the entire weekend, we’re going to see some fast speeds. That will mean prolonged periods of high RPM for the engines, and that could lead to durability problems.”
400 vs. 500: “The race is 100 miles shorter and nobody has a book for a 400-mile spring race at Auto Club Speedway. It will be different for the teams to run 400 miles in the spring compared to 400 miles in the fall. Although I don’t think we’ll see fuel mileage problems, there is concern about tire wear. With a cool and clean track surface providing the extra grip and fast speeds, you tend to get concerned about tires.”
Feel the Force: “Because Auto Club Speedway is a big fast track, common thinking is you need to have the slickest aerodynamics. The fact of the matter is you’ve got to have the most downforce that you can create. You could run a Daytona-style car here that’s very slick and never be able to get around the track because when you go off into that corner at over 200 mph, with little banking, you need downforce.”
Answer to trivia question: John Soares – 1954 Dodge at Carrell Speedway, Gardena, California
__________________
Rick
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