March 27, 2011
- Kevin Harvick wins at Auto Club Speedway: #29-Kevin Harvick won the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway for his 1st win of 2010 and the 15th of his career. He came from 3rd place with 3 laps remaining and passed #48-Jimmie Johnson for the win coming off turn 4 on the final lap. Johnson held on for second. #18-Busch, who led 151 laps on the day finished 3rd, followed by #17-Kenseth, #39-Newman, #99-Edwards, #33-Bowyer, #83-Vickers, #4-Kahne, and pole sitter #42-Montoya. Points leader going in to the race, #22-Busch finished 17th.
There were 18 lead changes among 10 drivers; 4 cautions for 16 yellow flag laps and the attendance is listed as 88,000 up from last year’s 72,000 at the February race and 70,000 at the October race.
Scheduled Race Re-Air on SPEED, Wednesday, March 30 at 12:00pm/et.
See race results, awards, laps led and more on Jayski’s Auto Club Race Results/Awards page.
(3-20-2011) - Race Fast Facts – Auto Club Speedway:
Kevin Harvick won the 15th Annual Auto Club 400, his 15th victory in 363 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in 2011. He led just one lap – the last
This is his first victory and eighth top-10 finish in 18 races at Auto Club Speedway. This is his first national series victory at this track. This also is the first Sprint Cup victory at the track for Richard Childress Racing.
Jimmie Johnson (second) posted his 13th top-10 finish in 17 races at Auto Club Speedway. It is his third top-10 finish in 2011.
Kyle Busch (third) posted his ninth top-10 finish in 14 races at Auto Club Speedway.
Andy Lally (32nd) was the highest finishing rookie.
Carl Edwards leads the point standings by 9 points over Ryan Newman.
(NASCAR Statistics)(3-27-2011) - 2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Auto Club Speedway, race 5 of 36]:
rank, car#, driver, points, behind
1) #99-Carl Edwards 187 [1 win]
2. Ryan Newman178 -9
3) #22-Kurt Busch 177 -10
4) #18-Kyle Busch 176 -11 [1 win]
5) #48-Jimmie Johnson 173 -14
6) #14-Tony Stewart 170 -17
7) #27-Paul Menard 164 -23
8) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya 161 -26
9) #29-Kevin Harvick 157 -30 [1 win]
10) #17-Matt Kenseth 157 -30
11) #4-Kasey Kahne 157 -30
12) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 156 -31
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski’s Drivers Points Standings page.(3-27-2011) - Top-35 in Owner Points: with 2011 points to be used at Martinsville:
30) #1-McMurray/EGR, 97, +36
31) #20-Logano/JGR, 93, +32
32) #78-Smith/FRR, 92, +31
33) #32-Schrader/FAS Lane, 77, +16
34) #7-RGordon/RGM, 69, +8
35) #13-Mears/Germain, 67, 6 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #71-Lally/TRG, 61, -6 out of top 35
37) #36-Blaney/TBR, 58, -9
38) #37-Raines/Front Row, 58, -9
39) #38-Kvapil/Front Row, 55, -12
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(3-27-2011) - Austin Dillion to make Cup debut: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation’s Centennial Celebration and the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma will be the primary sponsors when Austin Dillon makes his Sprint Cup Series debut later this season in the #98 Curb-Agajanian Performance Group Chevy.
The Ronald Reagan Centennial is a historic, year-long celebration to commemorate the 100th birthday of the 40th President of the United States of America. A series of substantive and celebratory events, partnerships, and initiatives sponsored by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation are planned throughout 2011.
The specific race will be announced at a later date.(RCR)(3-27-2011) - Earnhardt Jr. has no plans to tweet: Many NASCAR drivers have gotten involved with Twitter, some extensively, tweeting practically from the moment they wake up in the morning. #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t one of them. Certainly, he understands Twitter’s usefulness and his team’s use of it, but he just can’t get into it. “I used to have a Myspace.com page and I used to have a Facebook page, (but) I don’t anymore because it was just too much responsibility,” he said. “I felt like you had to plug in and be involved with it so much and I thought personally I don’t need to do it. I understand we use it on the business side of it and how it works for JRM, but personally, you know, it would be fun for about a month and then I would start to feel like it was a job where people expected me to do it.”(Associated Press)(3-27-2011)
- Gretchen Wilson to Perform Saturday Night Infield Concert at Talladega: The party continues as Grammy Award-winning artist Gretchen Wilson performs a free Saturday night infield concert for Talladega Superspeedway race fans. The April 16th concert will be open to all infield guests and any race fan presenting a Sunday Aaron’s 499 race ticket. With the release of her fourth studio album, I Got Your Country Right Here, Gretchen Wilson solidifies her position as one of contemporary country’s most original and multi-faceted female artists.To purchase or for more information on tickets to Talladega Superspeedway, please visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA.(3-27-2011)
- Talladega and NASCAR Hall of Fame offer Bobby Allison Ticket Offer:Talladega Superspeedway and the NASCAR Hall of Fame are offering an exclusive ticket package to commemorate Bobby Allison’s 2011 Induction to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The $69 package includes seating in the Allison Grandstands at Talladega Superspeedway for the Aaron’s 312 and Aaron’s 499, access to a Q&A with Allison on Saturday and Sunday of race weekend, admission to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega Superspeedway and an admission to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. The Bobby Allison Hall of Fame offer also presents a great savings for families. Kid’s 12 and under will receive all the same amenities as their parents for only $15. All-You -Can-Eat packages for Saturday and Sunday can be added to both Bobby Allison Hall of Fame offers for an additional $40. To purchase or for more information on tickets to Talladega Superspeedway or this event, please visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA.(3-27-2011)
- Dillon expected to run full 2012 Nationwide Season: Austin Dillon will make his Sprint Cup debut later this year at either Kansas in October or Phoenix in November in a car built by his grandfather’s Richard Childress Racing. Childress said this is not in preparation for Dillon to jump to Cup next year. He said the plan is for Dillon to compete in the Nationwide Series in 2012 while Ty Dillon, Austin’s younger brother, competes in trucks next year.(Scene Daily)(3-27-2011)
- Dillon to make Cup debut: UPDATE: debut late in season: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation’s Centennial Celebration and the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma will be the primary sponsors when Austin Dillon makes his Sprint Cup Series debut later this season in the #98 Curb-Agajanian Performance Group Chevy. The Ronald Reagan Centennial is a historic, year-long celebration to commemorate the 100th birthday of the 40th President of the United States of America. A series of substantive and celebratory events, partnerships, and initiatives sponsored by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation are planned throughout 2011. The specific race will be announced at a later date.(Richard Childress Racing PR)(3-27-2011)
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