March 25 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

March 25, 2011

• • • Montoya wins Auto Club pole: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya won the Coors Light pole for the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway with a speed of 184.653mph. It is his 1st pole of the season and the 6th of his career. #11-Hamlin starts 2nd followed by
      #20-Logano, #78-Smith, #14-Stewart, #6-Ragan, #31-Burton, #18-Busch, #39-Newman, and #5-Martin.
      The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #13-Mears, #09-Cassill, #26-Blaney, #66-McDowell, #32-Schrader, #87-Nemechek, #60-Bodine, and #46-Yeley.
      The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (0): none
      See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Auto Club Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.
      (3-25-2011)
    • Qualifying Fast Facts – Auto Club:
      Juan Pablo Montoya won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 15th Annual Auto Club 400 with a lap of 38.992 seconds, 184.653 mph.
      This is his sixth pole in 150 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. His last pole was at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2010.
      This is his first pole and first top-10 start in 2011.
      This is his first pole in nine races at Auto Club Speedway. He has four consecutive top-5 starts including second for last year’s spring race.
      Denny Hamlin (second) posted his first top-10 start of 2011 and his fifth in 11 races at Auto Club Speedway.
      Joey Logano (third) posted his third top-10 start at Auto Club Speedway. It is his third in five races this season.
      Andy Lally (38th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
      (NASCAR Statistics)(3-25-2011)
    • Coverage of Qualifying for the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway is scheduled for Friday, March 25, 2011 at 8:10pm/et.
      Television (TV): SPEED, 8:00pm/et
      Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 128, via nascar.com only
      Jayski.com: Jayski’s Auto lLub Qualifying Page
      Qualifying Re-Air: on SPEED at 10:30pm/et
    • Qualifying Order for the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway is posted. 43 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers will qualify at the end of the session, once the top-35 drivers are done.
      The first of the top-35 drivers scheduled to go out is #37-Raines.
      The final top-35 driver scheduled to go out is #00-Reutimann.
      The first go-or-go homer scheduled to qualify [36th] is #60-Bodine with the final driver scheduled to qualify being #09-Cassill.
      Qualifying order is set by practice speeds, with the top 35 drivers going out from slowest to fastest, then the non-top 35 drivers go out, slowest to fastest from practice.
      See the full qualifying order on the Auto Club Qualifying Page.(3-25-2011)
    • Friday practice for the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway is over, the top five and some notes:
      #00-Reutimann 186.143
      #11-Hamlin 184.886
      #16-Biffle 184.658
      #2-Keselowski 184.625
      #1-McMurray 183.983
      slowest: #60-Bodine 177.000 & #37-Raines 175.743
      incident: #18-Busch wrecked off turn 4 after hitting some water on the track and will have to go to a backup car.
      notes: the beginning of practice was delayed for 2 hours after morning rain and “weepers” in turn 1 & 2 had to be dried. The practice lasted 45 minutes.
      qualifying order: qualifying order will be set how a driver practices, the top 35 first, slowest first to fastest, then the go-or-go homers after, slowest to fastest.
      See fastest speeds, average speeds, laps run on the Auto Club Practice Speeds Page.(3-25-2011)
    • Practice rank for the non top-35 drivers:
      if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
      #09-Landon Cassill, 23rd
      #13-Casey Mears, 37th
      #32-Mike Skinner, 38th
      #36-Dave Blaney, 33rd
      #46-J.J. Yeley, 34th
      #60-Landon Cassill, 41st
      #66-Michael McDowell, 42nd
      #87-Joe Nemechek, 40th
    • Gunselman managing #37 team: From the Front Row Motorsports Facebook page, “The #37 car is now managed by Larry Gunselman in a partnership between Front Row Motorsports and Larry’s Max Q Motorsports team. The team will have a more formal announcement coming with more information about plans moving forward.”(3-25-2011)
    • Marine to Serve as Honorary Pit Crew Member for Kenseth: As race fans gear up for the first and only NASCAR race in Fontana this season at Auto Club Speedway, the drivers aren’t the only famous faces to keep an eye on. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Matthew Hansen will get his first shot at NASCAR fame as he serves as an honorary pit crew member of the # 17 Crown Royal Ford driven by Matt Kenseth. Crown Royal and Kenseth will roll out the purple carpet for the local California Marine who was recently awarded naming rights to the Sprint Cup Series race in Richmond, Va. The April 30th race will be named Crown Royal Presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 in honor of Matthew and his fallen twin brother Daniel – also a Marine. Daniel was killed while serving in Afghanistan on Feb. 14, 2009. The brothers enlisted within weeks of each other and despite losing his brother in service; Matthew continues to proudly serve our country. Since Matthew was unable to attend the unveiling ceremony in Daytona, he will experience royal treatment for his first-ever NASCAR experience at his hometown race.(Roush Fenway)(3-25-2011)
    • Sad News – Ben Arnold: Ben Arnold, 74, passed away March 20, 2011. He was a member of Numerous Automobile Clubs. He was a former Grand National Stock Car Driver [Now Sprint Cup], and part of the Alabama Gang. He retired from Dana Automotive. He still holds the Track Record at Talladega International Speedway for qualifying backward at 178 mph. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Tabbie Arnold; special sons, Rooster Killian and Mike Capps and numerous friends. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Edgewater Baptist Church (Birmingham News). Arnold ran 132 Cup races from 1968-1973 with 21 Top-10’s his best were three 6th place finishes.(3-25-2011)
    • Howie Mandel named Grand Marshal for Fontana NNS race: Howie Mandel, judge of “America’s Got Talent” and host of game-show “Deal or No Deal” will serve as Grand Marshal for NASCAR’s NNS Series race – the Royal Purple 300 – at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, March 26. As Grand Marshal, Mandel will give the most famous command in racing, “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.” Mandel is the host and executive producer of the upcoming Fox special MOBBED, an unscripted show that puts a hidden-camera spin on the “flash mob” concept. And, this summer he returns as a judge on NBC’s hit talent competition series “America’s Got Talent” alongside Sharon Osborne and Piers Morgan. Mandel recently received an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Reality/Competition Host” for “Deal or No Deal” and a Daytime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Game Show Host” for the syndicated version of the show.(ACS)(3-25-2011)
    • David Archuleta performing National Anthem at Fontana NNS race: Auto Club Speedway announced that American Idol Season 7 finalist David Archuleta will perform the National Anthem prior to the start of the Royal Purple 300 NNS race at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, March 26. Archuleta’s rendition of the National Anthem and the Royal Purple 300 will broadcast live on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. PT. Following American Idol, Archuleta released “Crush,” the first single from his self-titled debut album, which charted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of its 2008 release and has since sold over two million downloads.(ACS)(3-25-2011)
    • Molly Ringwald named Honorary Starter of California Nationwide Race: Actress Molly Ringwald will serve as Honorary Starter for the Royal Purple 300 NNS race at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, March 26. As Honorary Starter, Ringwald will wave the green flag to get the Royal Purple 300 underway. Race fans can also watch Ringwald on the breakout hit “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”, which airs on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC Family. In addition to being an actress and author, Ringwald recently finished recording her first album with her jazz band which they hope to release in 2011.(ACS)(3-25-2011)

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