November 2nd - November 6th, 2009
Don't miss this week's edition!
Frontstretch Podcast: Just how good is Jimmie Johnson?
Check in with Matt and Jay on their site at CareyandCoffey.com.
- 2008 Driver Review Schedule
Miss out on your favorite driver's report card / season preview? Just click the link above and you can find them all archived together! - This week on the Frontstretch!
Looking to see when and where your favorite columns (and columnists) pop up every week? Click here to find out all the details! - Advertise With Us!
Want your products and services to be a part of one of the fastest growing racing website on the net? Get all your questions answered about advertising here. - Write for Us
Think you have what it takes to write for the Frontstretch? Follow this link for more information on how you can become a weekly columnist for the site! - Driver Diary Schedule
Want to know when your favorite drivers are telling their latest stories to the Frontstretch? Check out the schedule link to figure out when Scott Speed, David Starr, James Buescher, and Kenny Wallace are stopping by.
|
| Subscribe to The Frontstretch Newsletter |
| Visit this group |
The Nextel Cup Series heads to Fontana this weekend for a star studded event at the California Speedway. The Auto Club 500 is the second race of the 2007 Nextel Cup season and will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 25th at 3 pm ET on Fox, with radio coverage by MRN affiliates nationwide. Competitors will make 250 circuits for 500 miles around the 2 mile D-shaped oval in their quest for the checkered flag.
Records and Facts
Ryan Newman holds the record for the fastest lap at California Speedway, posting a qualifying lap with a time of 38.414 seconds and a speed of 187.432 mph to win the pole for the 2002 running of the NAPA Auto Parts 500. Kurt Busch is the only repeat pole winner at the track, earning both just last year.
Jeff Gordon holds the record for the most victories at California Speedway with three. He won the inaugural event in 1997, 1999, and again in 2004.
Gordon also holds the record for the fastest race at Fontana. He attained the record of 3 hours, 13 minutes, 32 seconds with an average speed of 155.012 mph on June 22, 1997.
Rusty Wallace is the oldest driver to grace California Speedway's victory lane. He was 44 years, 8 months, 15 days old when he won the NAPA Auto Parts 500 on April 29, 2001. The youngest winner was Kyle Busch, who was 20 years, 4 months, 2 days old when he won the Auto Club 500 on September 4, 2005.
More Incentive To Win
The total purse for the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway is $6,065,926, a $136,622 increase from last year.
Race Festivities
Grand Marshal (Gives the command to start engines): Actor Kevin Costner
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: Actor Rick Schroeder
National Anthem: Bob McKnight
Quotable
“I'm very proud of my team. We're ready for California. All three Evernham Motorsports cars should be very competitive this weekend, as our speedway program is solid. We had a great test at Las Vegas and will be taking that same car to California. Getting off to a good start this season was a priority for our team. Just like last week, we'll all pull together and utilize our strengths - determination and dedication." -Elliott Sadler
"One down and four to go.” -Joe Nemechek, referring to the number of races before he hopefully finds himself in position to have an automatic qualifying berth
"It's a great track for racing, and we're obviously anxious to get there and see where we are with our downforce program. Going into this year, we knew we had a lot of work to get ready and that the downforce program was going to be important for this team because it is a new team.” -Dale Jarrett
Do you want the chance to win a free Frontstretch T-Shirt, and are you really good at talking about NASCAR? Well, we have the perfect opportunity for you. Our staff will be giving away a free T-Shirt to the reader who makes the best post in our Frontstretch Forum between now and the end of the season. So, what makes a good post? It’s pretty hard to impress us, but here are some things we are looking for:
Does your post spark passionate reactions from other readers? Are you commenting on meaningful NASCAR-related events? Do your posts have substance? In other words, “Dale Jr. is the best driver ever” or “Danica Patrick is hot” will not cut it.
So go to the Frontstretch Forums, post early, post often, and post well! We’ll announce the winner following the final race of the season at Homestead.
©2000 - 2008 Kim DeHaven and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!
