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Last Updated Wednesday, Jul 20, 2005 5:27 pm, EDT

Auto Club 500

Status: Final California Speedway

Race Capsule

Auto Club Speedway
  • What:

    Race 10 of 36 on Sprint Cup circuit

  • Where:

    California Speedway, Fontana, CA

  • When:

    May 2, 2004 3:00 pm EDT

  • Laps:

    250

  • Track Length:

    2. miles

  • Race Length:

    500.00 miles

  • Purse:

    $5,785,656

Drivers to Watch

Ryan Newman Returns to the NEXTEL Cup standings top 10 at No. 9 after finishing 11th last week at Talladega; has three top-five finishes this season and five top-10s; won the Bud Pole at the California Speedway in 2002 and started fourth last year, but has yet to record a top-10 result in the race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Holds a 94-point advantage over Jimmie Johnson in the NEXTEL Cup standings after a runner-up finish in last week's Aaron's 499 at Talladega; recorded his sixth top-five performance of the season and third in a row; one of four drivers to be ranked in the top 10 for the entire season and has been among the first 10 for 41 consecutive weeks dating to last season; owns a pair of top-10 results in four career starts at California Speedway.
Tony Stewart Came in 22nd last week at Talladega to fall to seventh place in the NEXTEL Cup standings, his lowest ranking of the season; has three top-10 finishes in five career starts at California Speedway; best results were a fourth in 1999 and 2001; did not finish this race last season due to an engine problem after leading 100 laps; has qualified among the top 10 four times in five starts at California Speedway.
Jeff Gordon Coming off his first win of the season and 65th of his career last week at the Aaron's 499 at Talladega; had not won since Atlanta in October of last season, a span of 12 races; is the seventh different winner in nine races this season; owns fourth straight top-10 finishes and seventh this season; moved into third place in the NEXTEL Cup standings, 111 points out of first; is the only driver in the seven-year history of this event to win at the 2-mile oval more than once; claimed the inaugural event in 1997 and added his second victory in 1999; has four top-five finishes in seven career starts at California Speedway; was runner-up at the track in 2001; has led 329 at the California Speedway, which ranks first among drivers, but has not led a lap in his last two appearances.
Jimmie Johnson Came in fourth at Talladega for his second straight top-five performance and fourth in the last six races; moved up two spots in the NEXTEL Cup Series standings to a season-high No. 2 - 94 points behind Dale Earnhardt Jr.; the El Cajon, California native returns to his home this week and the site of his first career NASCAR victory; started fourth and led for 62 laps en route to the win in April, 2001.
Kurt Busch Is the defending champion of the Auto Club 500 and has two top-3 results in three career starts at the California Speedway; started and finished second in the event in 2002 and has led 129 laps in his last two appearances; sits fourth in the NEXTEL Cup standings after finishing 36th last week at Talladega; had an accident and recorded his first finish in nine starts outside the top 16.
Kevin Harvick Rose four places to No. 6 in the NEXTEL Cup standings after matching a season-best with a third-place finish last week at Talladega; sits just 19 points in back of No. 5 Matt Kenseth; has three top-five finishes this season, with two coming in his last four starts; the Bakersfield, California native has not performed strongly in his home state, crossing no better than 25th in 2001 in three appearances at the California Speedway.
Matt Kenseth The defending series champion is one of four drivers ranked among the NEXTEL Cup Series top 10 all season and has been among the first 10 in the championship for 43 race weeks in a row dating to last season - a streak that ranks first among active drivers in the series; dropped to fifth in the NEXTEL Cup standings; finished a season-worst 42nd last week at Talladega due to engine problems, marking only the second time this season he came in outside the top 16 and just the third time outside the first 10; owns two top-10 finishes in four career starts at California Speedway, with his best performance a third-place in 2000.
Bobby Labonte Owns four top-10 finishes this season, including a 10th-place finish last week at Talladega to return to the NEXTEL Cup top 10 at No. 10 after a three-race absence; owns four top-10 finishes in seven career starts at California Speedway, including three top-three results in his last five appearances; was runner-up to Kurt Busch last season.