Auto Club 500
Who Will Win?
Johnson
Jerry Bonkowski:Jimmie Johnson. He's won at Fontana before, and having grown up about 90 miles away, this is his "home" track. Johnson should be able to continue the Hendrick Motorsports dominance that started this past Sunday with teammate Jeff Gordon's win at Daytona. Other drivers to watch include Elliott Sadler, who won at Fontana in September, and Rusty Wallace, who won here three years ago.
Bob Margolis: Jeff Gordon, who is a California native, is the defending race winner, and he leads all drivers with three California Speedway Cup victories. No other driver has won more than once. Gordon is on a mission to win this year's championship.
Jon Baum: Kurt Busch. The reigning champ got going quickly with a runner-up finish at Daytona. Now he hits Fontana, where he already has one Cup win and another runner-up in five starts, has completed 1249 of 1250 laps, has led 136 laps and finished worse than 13th just once. Gordon and Greg Biffle (two Fontana Busch wins last year) also are worth watching.
Tim Paciolla: Kasey Kahne's much-publicized quest for his first Cup win could end Sunday. With a pole and a top-five finish at Fontana last year, Kahne has a great chance to win this race if he can keep out of harm's way.
Top Storyline
Jerry Bonkowski: There are two storylines to watch this weekend. First, all eyes will be on the weather and whether the rains that have inundated Southern California for the past week will subside by race day on Sunday. Also, this weekend marks the first time NASCAR puts into effect its new rule to impound all Cup cars after qualifying until race day.
Kenseth
Bob Margolis: With Daytona out of the way, focus turns to the next three races. If teams don't get it right by Atlanta, it will be a long season. Watch for runners like Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth to rebound from mediocre outings in Daytona. The spotlight will continue to shine on the money players – Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Johnson and Busch. They'll all be there at the end. The new impound rule, meanwhile, won't affect the big teams.
Jon Baum: While the impound rules might not impact the big teams, don't be shocked to see a surprise car on the pole a handful of times this year. With most teams shifting focus to race day setups, smaller teams could steal the spotlight – and some exposure for sponsors – by gunning for the pole rather than setting themselves up for a good run on Sunday.
Tim Paciolla: It seems that despite NASCAR's effort to clean up racing and keep its drivers in check, the likes of Stewart and Johnson are still going to trade some paint. Fontana will be a litmus test of sorts to see if NASCAR can rein these guys in.
From The Source
Rusty Wallace: "After all the preseason testing and hoopla the teams go through and then spending two weeks with the stress and emotions peaking at Daytona, this weekend's race at Fontana could be the most pivotal deal of the whole season. ... You either keep the Daytona energy rolling, you get out there and get your deal turned around or you get everybody all bummed out before the season has really even started."
