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With Auto Club Speedway reconfiguring to their 2-mile track to a short track, the upcoming race weekend will be the last on the current surface. Let’s take a Look back at the top 5 races from the polarizing track.
This race was the first drop in the bucket of a storied career. 19-year-old Kyle Busch qualified 25th, but found his way to the front and lead 95 laps on his way to his first career win in the Cup Series. He finished ahead of spring race winner Greg Biffle on his way to becoming the youngest driver to win at the top level of NASCAR.
You only have to lead one lap of a race, as long as it’s the last one. That’s exactly what Kevin Harvick in Fontana in 2011, outracing Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch on his way to the checkered flag. MRN had the call. Follow the last nine laps:
The Fall 2006 edition of the Auto Club Speedway event was rife with drama as Kasey Kahne overcame a mid-race penalty to grab the win. Reed Sorenson was leading when he ran out of gas with only two laps to go. The closing laps had fans on the edge of their seats:
After a COVID hiatus, 2022 was NASCAR’s return to the California track. And the sport returned with a bang! The race featured 33 lead changes among 9 different drivers while Tyler Reddick lead the field at the end of the first two stages. The defending 2021 Cup Champion, Kyle Larson took the checkered flag, outdueling Austin Dillon. With so many lead changes, the radio chatter is always a fan favorite.
Joey Logano took the lead after a battle with former JGR teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin with seven laps to go. Hamlin and Logano were already feuding due to a prior incident at Bristol so tension was high. Hamlin battled back on Logano and they raced the final lap side-by-side until Logano attempted to block Hamlin in the final turn.
Logano careened up into the outside wall, while Hamlin came slid off the banking at high speed, slamming head-on into the inside concrete wall. Hamlin would have to be airlifted with a compression fracture in his lower back. He would miss the next four races.
Tempers then boiled over on pit road between Logano and Tony Stewart as “Smoke” was on the receiving end of a water bottle chunk from Joey. With all that drama, Kyle Busch came away with the checkered flag and the trophy. YouTuber Alan Bailey has the highlights.
For more on the ups and downs of Auto Club Speedway, The Iceberg shares his thoughts.
