Breaking news:

Ohio State tops UConn, snapping Lady Huskies' streak of 14 straight Final Fours

How to watch NASCAR at Fontana: TV info, weather, odds for Auto Club

4
Logan Reardon
·5 min read

How to watch NASCAR at Fontana: TV info, weather, odds originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The 2023 NASCAR season is off and running after an exciting Daytona 500.

After 16 cars crashed out of the race, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. officially scored his third career victory (first since 2017) and first Daytona 500.

Now the series heads across the country for the annual “West Coast Swing,” with upcoming races at Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, Calif.), Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. It all starts in Southern California this weekend, where plenty of drivers will be looking to change their fortune after Daytona.

Here’s everything you need to know for the race at Auto Club Speedway:

What is the Fontana entry list?

There are 36 drivers on the entry list for Fontana. Since up to 40 drivers can qualify for a race, all 36 teams are guaranteed a starting spot.

Here’s the full entry list:

  • No. 1, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing

  • No. 2, Austin Cindric, Team Penske

  • No. 3, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing

  • No. 4, Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing

  • No. 5, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

  • No. 6, Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing

  • No. 7, Corey LaJoie, Spire Motorsports

  • No. 8, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing

  • No. 9, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

  • No. 10, Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing

  • No. 11, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

  • No. 12, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

  • No. 14, Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing

  • No. 15, J.J. Yeley, Rick Ware Racing

  • No. 16, A.J. Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing

  • No. 17, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing

  • No. 19, Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing

  • No. 20, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing

  • No. 21, Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing

  • No. 22, Joey Logano, Team Penske

  • No. 23, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

  • No. 24, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports

  • No. 31, Justin Haley, Kaulig Racing

  • No. 34, Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports

  • No. 38, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports

  • No. 41, Ryan Preece, Stewart-Haas Racing

  • No. 42, Noah Gragson, Legacy Motor Club

  • No. 43, Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club

  • No. 45, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

  • No. 47, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., JTG Daugherty Racing

  • No. 48, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports

  • No. 51, Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing

  • No. 54, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing

  • No. 77, Ty Dillon, Spire Motorsports

  • No. 78, B.J. McLeod, Live Fast Motorsports

  • No. 99, Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing

When is the Auto Club Speedway race in 2023?

The Pala Casino 400 is set for Sunday, Feb. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Before the race on Sunday, there will be practice and qualifying sessions. The 36-car field will be split into two groups, with each group practicing for 15 minutes on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

Qualifying will start immediately after practice. Each car from the two practice groups will make a single lap, with the five fastest times in each group advancing to the final round. In the final round, the 10 drivers each make a single lap to set the starting order.

What is the NASCAR schedule at Fontana?

Saturday, Feb. 25 (FS1 and streaming)

Sunday, Feb. 26 (FOX and streaming)

Who are the past Auto Club Speedway winners?

Kyle Larson, a California native, won at Fontana last year for his second career victory at the track.

Five other active drivers have won Auto Club: Kyle Busch (2005, 2013, 2014, 2019), Alex Bowman (2020), Martin Truex Jr. (2018), Brad Keselowski (2015) and Kevin Harvick (2011).

Is this the last race at Auto Club Speedway?

As we know it, yes.

There will be no race at the circuit in 2024 as the track owners weigh reconfiguration plans, where they are expected to convert the two-mile oval into a half-mile short track. Dave Allen, the track president, said in January that “it’s possible” there won’t be a race at Auto Club in 2025, either, because of how long the conversion would take.

The only thing we do know for sure is that Sunday will be the final NASCAR race at the current layout. Construction of Auto Club Speedway began in 1995 and the track first hosted a NASCAR race in 1997. It has hosted at least one race annually ever since, with the exception of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who is favored to win NASCAR this weekend?

After a chaotic and volatile race at the superspeedway of Daytona, there should be more normalcy in predicting this weekend’s results.

Busch has been stellar at Auto Club, leading all active drivers in wins (4), top-fives (11), top-10s (16) and average finish (9.8) across 23 career starts. He’s with a new team in Richard Childress Racing this year after 15 years at Joe Gibbs Racing, so this is his first real opportunity to prove that he’s still a contender despite the switch.

Beyond Busch, Erik Jones (10.2 average finish in five starts), Chase Elliott (12.2 in six starts), Joey Logano (12.5 in 15 starts) and Larson (13.0 in eight starts) have been among the best Fontana finishers.

Here are some of the odds for the Pala Casino 400 before qualifying and practice, courtesy of our partner, PointsBet:

  • Kyle Larson, +600

  • Chase Elliott, +750

  • Denny Hamlin, +850

  • Kyle Busch, +850

  • Ryan Blaney, +1100

  • Martin Truex Jr., +1200

  • Joey Logano, +1200

  • Christopher Bell, +1200

  • Tyler Reddick, +1200

  • Ross Chastain, +1400

  • William Byron, +1500

  • Alex Bowman, +2000

  • Kevin Harvick, +2200

  • Erik Jones, +2500

  • Bubba Wallace, +3300

  • Daniel Suarez, +4000

  • Brad Keselowski, +5000

  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr., +7000

How to buy tickets for the Pala Casino 400

Tickets for the Pala Casino 400 – and all events throughout the weekend – are available for purchase online here. Prices are as low as $71 for a ticket.

What’s the weather for NASCAR in Fontana this weekend?

It’s shaping up to be a cold and rainy weekend in Fontana, according to NBC Los Angeles. There is a 100% chance of rain on Saturday, which could cancel practice and qualifying. On Sunday, there’s a 24% chance of rain showers and temperatures in the 40s. Auto Club Speedway does have lights to race at night if rain pushes back the race start time.

Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.

Recommended Stories