Anxious for Sunday's race at Auto Club? You're not alone
The transformation of Auto Club Speedway can seem incomprehensible.
Hell, make that transformations. Multiple of them. The track opened in 1997 to record crowds. Jeff Gordon won the first race there. Because NASCAR has a tendency to believe there can never be too much of a good thing, the track got a second race date in 2004. Through the seven years of two races per season the crowds decreased. Many, many reasons were given for that decline. We won't attempt to list them all here.
But now, five years into having just a sole race per season -- a race that's 400 miles, 100 shorter than races through 2010 -- the former California Speedway is back atop the NASCAR heap.
"I think there’s obviously a lot of notes that have been gathered [through the first four weeks] and from a driver’s standpoint, I think this is the race we’ve all been looking forward to the most just because of the fact that you have some high speeds and lots of racing lanes and the cars are going to slide all over the place," Kevin Harvick said.
Auto Club Speedway has become the perfect non-short track. The asphalt, unchanged since the track's opening, is old. The banking isn't too high either. The track is wide too, so not only do drivers have to get off the gas considerably in the corners, they have a multitude of driving lines to choose from.
Add in the (relative) lack of downforce on the Sprint Cup cars compared to previous seasons, and you've got drivers who can't wait to get to Sunday.
"With this package and this race track, I think it’s gonna be a very, very exciting race and probably one of the better ones we’ve had all the way throughout the race.” Ricky Stenhouse said.
The anticipation isn't manufactured, either. Since races were shortened by 100 miles in 2010, they've had excitement, especially at the end. Harvick passed Jimmie Johnson for the win on lap 200 in 2011. Kyle Busch passed both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin (who crashed into a concrete wall and broke his back) on the final lap in 2013. Busch got the win on the final lap again in 2014, passing his brother Kurt and holding off Kyle Larson.
Oh, and Brad Keselowski won on the final lap a year ago. There's substance behind all of the waving spotlights beckoning you to watch the race.
In this year of close finishes, it'd be a bit ironic of the track that's become known for last-lap passes doesn't have one on Sunday. But if it doesn't, don't let it cloud your judgment of the quality of the show.
Instead, savor a race that will once again focus on tire management, speed and handling rather than clean air and track position. And enjoy it because of that anticipation. In the backloaded world that is the Chase era of the Cup Series, it's fun to have a race circled on the calendar so early in the season.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
