March 24, 2013
- Kyle Busch wins at Auto Club: #18-Kyle Busch won the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway for his 1st win of 2013, 2nd win at ACS and 25th career win. It is the first Sprint Cup Series win for Joe Gibbs Racing at ACS. Busch had a streak of 31 races since his last win. In a wild finish, #22-Logano was leading at the white flag and #11-Hamlin was next to hm a few feet behind the #22. The two drivers raced hard and got into each other in turn 4, sending Logano into the outside wall and #11-Hamlin hard into the inside wall, which has no SAFER (for some reason). After climbing from the car under his own power, Hamlin laid down and was put on a stretcher and then an ambulance and taken to the infield care center. Hamlin was them taken by helicopter to a local hospital. #18 crew chew chief Dave Rogers was interviewed by SPEED’s Kenny Wallace and said that he talked to team owner J.D. Gibbs and supposedly Hamlin has some back pain and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
#88-Earnhardt Jr finished 2nd followed by #22-Logano, #99-Edwards, #78-Busch, #16-Biffle, #20-Kenseth, #27-Menard, #5-Kahne and #39-Newman.
#11-Hamlin, the pole sitter and involved in the last lap wreck, finished 25th.
There were 17 lead changes among 8 drivers and 9 cautions for 35 yellow flag laps. The average speed was 135.351mph.
Starting this season, NASCAR doesn’t release the track attendance.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Auto Club Race Results page (pdf) and check out the Auto Club Penalty Resport (pdf)
And see the Official Race and Points on the Auto Club 400 Official Race and Points Report page (pdf)
- Hamlin injured in last lap wreck at Auto Club UPDATE & Statement: In a wild finish, #22-Joey Logano was leading the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway at the white flag and #11-Denny Hamlin was next to hm a few feet behind the #22. The two drivers raced hard and got into each other on the backstretch, sending Logano into the outside wall and #11-Hamlin hard into the inside wall, which has no SAFER (for some reason). After climbing from the car under his own power, Hamlin laid down and was put on a stretcher and then an ambulance and taken to the infield care center. Hamlin was them taken by helicopter to a local hospital. #18 crew chew chief Dave Rogers was interviewed by SPEED’s Kenny Wallace and said that he talked to team owner J.D. Gibbs and supposedly Hamlin has some back pain and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.(3-24-2013)
UPDATE: #11-Denny Hamlin was airlifted to a hospital after a hard single-car crash at the inside wall on the final lap of Sunday’s Auto Club 400. Hamlin was awake and alert in the infield care center before being transported, but was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. A helicopter was used due to post-race traffic. Hamlin was helped from his car after the hard hit and seemed to collapse outside his car after he had pulled the window net down. He was taken by ambulance to the infield care center, where crew chief Darian Grubb hurried inside to check on the driver. Hamlin’s girlfriend, Jordan Fish, tweeted Sunday night: “Thank u everyone for your messages concerning Denny. Darian is keeping us posted. He’s alert n awake, main concern is his back.(USA Today)
JGR STATEMENT: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver Denny Hamlin was involved in an accident on the final lap of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Hamlin complained of lower back pain at the track’s infield medical center and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. Hamlin will remain at the hospital overnight for observation. No further updates are expected tonight.(JGR)(3-25-2013)
- Race Fast Facts – Auto Club:
#18-Kyle Busch won the 17th Annual Auto Club 400, his 25th victory in 298 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. He ties Matt Kenseth, Jim Paschal and Joe Weatherly for 24th in all-time victories.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in 2013. His last win came at Richmond on April 28, 2012. He breaks a 31-race winless streak.
This is his second victory and 11th top-10 finish in 16 races at Auto Club Speedway. This is Kyle Busch’s 9th weekend sweep, having also won Saturday’s Royal Purple 300.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. (second) posted his sixth top-10 finish in 21 races at Auto Club Speedway. It is his fifth top-10 finish in 2013.
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (19th) was the highest finishing rookie.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the point standings by 11 points over #2-Brad Keselowski.(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(3-24-2013)
- 2013 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Auto Club, race 5 of 36]
1) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 199
2) #2-Brad Keselowski, 187, -12
3) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 183, -16
4) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 164, -35
5) #16-Greg Biffle, 164, -35
6) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 163, -36
7) #5-Kasey Kahne [1 win], 159, -40
8) #27-Paul Menard, 154, -45
9) #22-Joey Logano, 146, -53
10) #11-Denny Hamlin, 145, -54
11) #20-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 141, -58
12) #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 139, -60
2012 Chase drivers out of top 12
#15-Clint Bowyer, 14th in points
#29-Kevin Harvick, 15th
#24-Jeff Gordon, 18th
#56-Martin Truex Jr., 19th
#14-Tony Stewart, 22nd
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf) and the owner points standings on the Owners Points Standings page (pdf).
- #43 to feature Farmland at ACS UPDATE: Aric Almirola will make his ninth NASCAR series start at the Auto Club Speedway this weekend in the #43 Farmland Ford. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver looks to surpass his best California finish of sixth, which he posted in 2010 in the Nationwide Series, in Sunday’s Auto Club 400. As part of their Race to End Hunger, Almirola will join Farmland Foods this week to present a cash and protein donation to Second Harvest Food Bank. The donation will help feed thousands of families, children and seniors in the Inland Empire. The announcement and presentation will be held at the Auto Club Speedway on Friday, March 22 at 9:30am and will include remarks from Farmland, Aric and Second Harvest Food Bank representatives, as well as photo opportunities.(RPM)(3-22-2013)
UPDATE: Farmland Foods presented $20,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties on Friday as part of an expanding effort by the company to raise awareness of hunger issues around the country. Richard Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola joined Farmland in presenting the check. In addition, 43 cases of Farmland’s famous Hickory Smoked Bacon were donated in honor of the legendary #43 Ford made famous by Richard Petty. The bacon donation will help to ensure families, children and seniors in the Inland Empire have access to much-needed protein. Farmland’s “Race to End Hunger” is raising awareness about hunger issues in a growing number of communities in conjunction with race weekends for the famous #43 car, and in partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports,. In 2013, Farmland is expanding their efforts in the “Race to End Hunger” as part of the Helping Hungry Homes initiative of Smithfield Foods, Farmland’s parent company. Farmland is providing cash and protein donations to food banks such as Second Harvest as part of a continued partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports and the No. 43 team. Earlier this month as part of the Race to End Hunger, Farmland donated an additional $20,000 and 43 cases of Oven Perfect to St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix, Ariz., and Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas.(RPM)(3-24-2013)
- Roush feels confident Ford engine woes over: To contend at Auto Club Speedway, #16-Greg Biffle will have to come from the rear of the field due to an engine failure in opening practice on the 2-mile track. And car owner Jack Roush believes his driver has enough under the hood to do it. Roush said Saturday the engine failures suffered by Biffle and Ford stable mate Brad Keselowski appeared to be due to lost bearings, and the No. 16 car’s strength in practice Saturday gave him confidence the issue would not rear its head again in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. “Both of those problems are something we characterize as an infant mortality problem,” Roush said after Biffle topped the first of Saturday’s two practice sessions. “The fact that we’ve gotten the rest of the practice today, that we had one practice today and had no further problems, gives me confidence that we’re going to be OK. We have adequate spare engines, and if we have more trouble in practice, we can make changes. But right now, I’m believing it’s behind us.”(in part from NASCAR.com)(3-24-2013)
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