FONTANA — Why do West Coast drivers win so often at Auto Club Speedway? Perhaps it’s being in a time zone they are accustomed to. Or perhaps it’s the friends and relatives who show up at the closest NASCAR Cup track to their homes.
Of the 28 Cup races at the two-mile superspeedway since its 1997 opening, eight drivers from the West have taken the checkered flag. Jimmie Johnson leads the list with six victories while Kyle Busch, who grew up in Las Vegas, and Jeff Gordon, who spent his formative years in Vallejo, each have three wins.
Other West Coast drivers with Fontana triumphs include Kurt Busch (Las Vegas), the retired Greg Biffle (Vancouver, Wash.), Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, Wash.), Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield) and Kyle Larson (Los Gatos), last year’s winner at ACS.
“If I had to pick one out of the three (Las Vegas, Fontana and Sonoma), I would pick California just because I love the surface and how much the cars wear out the tires and slide around, the multiple grooves all the things that come with ACS,” said Harvick.
But there is no other driver in the field with the history like El Cajon’s Johnson. In addition to his wins (including the first of his 83 career Cup victories in 2002), Johnson has compiled 16 top-10 finishes in his 23 starts.
“I really enjoy racing at Auto Club as I have watched this track age and turn into a facility that puts on one heck of a show,” said Johnson. “It’s one of the racetracks I really look forward to visiting every season. It’s been kind to us, the racing is great and as a driver you never forget the site of your first win.
“I couldn’t have scripted it any better. Being my ‘home’ track it made it even more special. That first win just took so much pressure off my shoulders that I had put on myself.”
Johnson was no stranger to local fans. He had established himself as a standout off-road racer, winning events at Glen Helen Raceway, less than 10 miles north on I-15.
“Back in 2002 coming into the situation I did at Hendrick Motorsports, and following in the footsteps of Jeff Gordon, there was a ton of pressure,” Johnson recalled. “Winning early just was the icing on the cake, it gave me the confidence I needed. One of the best memories as of late was winning in the Superman car in 2016, that was a fun victory lane for sure. It’s awesome seeing all my California friends that come out to the track and it’s just nice to be home for a few days.
“I hope they never have to repave it.”
In a very short period of time, Larson has experienced success at Fontana. In addition to his win in 2017, he was runner-up as a series rookie in 2013.
“It’s always a lot of fun to go to a worn-out surface. Fontana is one of my favorite tracks because there are so many different lanes to choose from and the seams are tricky to drive,” said Larson. “It’s a super-wide race track and you can run anywhere from the bottom to the top. You need to conservative on your tires and be patient against the wall, but also aggressive.
“It’s just an intense race track. Because the race feels so demanding with what you’re fighting in the car, it feels like a long race, but it’s a really fun place to drive.”
Reigning Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. has yet to win in Fontana, but he enjoys competing on the track.
“It has old pavement and it’s a wide race track with lots of racing lanes, high speeds and lots of room,” Truex said. “That’s the biggest thing … you can race all over it, so it’s lots of fun.
“My favorite part is that there are so many lanes to race on. High, low and in the middle. And it changes throughout the day so there’s always a new place to look for speed.
“My least favorite part of the track is it’s so far away. That’s the only thing I don’t like about it.”
Joey Logano has enjoyed success on the track, and has spent a few moments taking a quick look at the infield.
“I would say one of the coolest parts is the infield,” said Logano. “It’s such a family atmosphere, lots of people riding bikes, playing outdoor games and just having a good time.
“They even have a convenience store, so in my opinion, probably the most underrated infield in NASCAR.”
Tire wear is a major concern for all.
“You can abuse your tires on the short run and suffer for the long run, or vice versa, save your tires early and be rewarded later,” said Paul Menard. “The best part is the old surface, opening up options on which line you can run. Least favorite are the seams, if you run across them wrong it will kill your lap time.”
While the majority of the drivers enjoy racing at Fontana, being in the West for three weeks also brings challenges.
“That’s tough on the families of these crew guys” said Clint Bowyer. “They are either staying out on the West Coast, which is a long time to be away from home, or they are flying back and forth and that’s a lot of time in the air.”
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