March 19, 2013
- Smith to run the #51 at Martinsville: Regan Smith will pilot the #51 Phoenix Racing Chevy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on April 7. AJ Allmendinger’s two top-15 performances, at Phoenix and Bristol, helped solidify the team’s early success this season. Allmendinger, who was originally tabbed to drive for team owner James Finch’s Phoenix team at Martinsville, will make his IndyCar Series debut for Roger Penske at Barber Motorsports Park that weekend.(FoxSports), no word who will drive the #51 at Texas or Kansas. Ryan Truex is scheduled to run the #51 at Richmond in April and Dover in June.(3-19-2013)
- Timmy Hill making 2013 debut in California: Timmy Hill will make his first 2013 series start on Sunday, March 24th, in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. He will pilot the FAS Lane Racing #32 OXYwater Ford Fusion. “I’ve had quick success with FAS Lane Racing in the three 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts,” said Hill. “We all gelled right away last year and we are all optimistic on what the 2013 season will bring.” Hill will be racing 18 to 20 races of the 36-race schedule in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, splitting seat time with veteran NASCAR drivers Ken Schrader and Terry Labonte. Hill is a Rookie of the Year contender. “We have our eye on that Rookie of the Year award, but the main thing is for me to continue to grow as a driver and we as a team continue to improve each week. If last year’s starts I had with FAS Lane Racing and this year’s team performance is any indication, we should have a very successful season.”(Hill PR)(3-19-2013)
- Auto Club Speedway Notes & Facts:
• 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 (ACS) in February 2008.
• There have been 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway, the track hosted one NSCS race a season from 1997-2003, then two races per season from 2004-2010. In 2011 Auto Club Speedway returned to a single race season.
• 125 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club; 105 in more than one.
• Three drivers have participated in all 23 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte.
• Joe Nemechek won the inaugural pole with a speed of 183.015 mph (39.341 secs.)
• 15 drivers have poles at ACS, led by Kurt Busch with three.
• Kurt Busch (2006) and Jamie McMurray (2010) are the only two drivers to win consecutive poles at Auto Club Speedway.
• Youngest ACS pole winner: Kyle Busch (2/27/2005 – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days).
• Oldest ACS pole winner: Mike Skinner (4/30/2000 – 42 years, 10 months, 2 days).
• 14 different drivers have won at ACS, led by Jimmie Johnson (five). Three other drivers have multiple wins at Auto Club Speedway: Jeff Gordon and 2012 Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth each have three wins, Tony Stewart has two.
• Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Auto Club Speedway with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with seven.
• California-native Jimmie Johnson became the first and only driver to win from the pole at Auto Club Speedway in 2008.
• Only two ACS races have been won from the front row both by five-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, fall of 2008 (pole); and the fall of 2007 (second-place).
• 12 of the 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Auto Club Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.
• Seven of the 23 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 31st, by Matt Kenseth in the spring of 2006.
• Youngest ACS winner: Kyle Busch (09/04/2005 – 20 years, 4 months, 2 days).
• Oldest ACS winner: Rusty Wallace (04/29/2001 – 44 years, 8 months, 15 days).
See more notes and facts on the Auto Club Speedway race page.(NASCAR)(3-19-2013)
- Stars of GI Joe to serve as Auto Club 400 Grand Marshals: Stars of the upcoming film G.I. Joe: Retaliation, D.J. Cotrona and Adrianne Palicki, will serve as Grand Marshals for the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. As Grand Marshals, Cotrona and Palicki will give the command “Drivers, start your engines” to the 43-car field of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Southern California’s premier motorsports facility. In G.I. Joe: Retaliation, set for release in theaters on March 28, Cotrona plays Flint, a beloved character of the G.I. Joe mythology and a solid and strong-willed soldier who has a bit of a rebellious streak. Palicki plays Lady Jaye, the only female in the squad and never one to back down or be intimidated.(ACS)(3-19-2013)
- Adelitas Way performing in Auto Club Fanzone: Capitol Recording artist Adelitas Way, who’s current single “Alive” is approaching Top 5 at Active Rock will headline Auto Club Speedway’s FanZone main entertainment stage on Saturday, March 23 from Noon – 1pm prior the Royal Purple 300 NNS race. In addition to seeing Adelitas Way perform live, fans will also have the opportunity to take part in all the fun in the FanZone surrounding race morning. The rockers will perform hits from both their self titled debut album as well as their sophomore CD Home School Valedictorian which includes the hit songs “Sick” and “Criticize” – both number one singles on the active rock chart. In keeping with their all-for-one-and-one-for-all outlook, Adelitas Way won’t leave a gig until every waiting AW fan has met the band or gotten autographs. “I mean, we’ve played at festivals for 75,000 people, our first single (“Invincible”) broke top five at active rock, and it’s all because of the people who listen to us,” says DeJesus. “We’ll never forget that. We’re blessed.”(ACS)(3-19-2013)
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