Auto Club Speedway:

History

·         Groundbreaking for California Speedway, as Auto Club Speedway was originally known, took place in November 1995.

·         The first race at Auto Club Speedway was a NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 22, 1997 and won by Jeff Gordon.

·         September 2004 was the first night race at Auto Club Speedway and that also was the first year both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series ran two races in a season there.

·         The track name was changed to Auto Club Speedway in February 2008.

 

Notebook

·         There have been 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Auto Club Speedway since the track opened in 1997.

·         Four drivers have competed in all 22 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek.

·         Joe Nemechek won the pole for the inaugural race in 1997.

·         There have been 15 different pole winners, led by Kurt Busch (three). Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gordon each have two poles.

·         Fifteen different drivers have posted victories. Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with five wins. Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth each have won three races.

·         Hendrick Motorsports has won nine races, more than any other team.

·         Eleven of the 22 races were won from starting positions outside the top 10; only one has been won from the pole (Jimmie Johnson in 2008). The most prolific two starting positions are third and 24th, with three victories each.

·         Matt Kenseth won the 2006 spring race from the 31st starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started.

·         Three active drivers have averaged a top-10 finish: Jimmie Johnson (5.1), Carl Edwards (9.0) and Matt Kenseth (9.9).

·         Jimmie Johnson (9.0) is the only active driver to have an average starting position in the top 10 at Auto Club Speedway.

·         Kyle Busch won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole (2/05) and first race (9/05) at Auto Club Speedway.

·         Jimmie Johnson won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at ASC on April 28, 2002.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (9/5/2005 – 20 years, 4 months, 2 days). This was Busch’s first career NASCAR Sprint Cup victory.

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club Speedway winner: Rusty Wallace (4/29/2001 – 44 years, 8 months, 15 days)