Auto Club 400 NASCAR Qualifications Format Renders A Stubbed Toe To Series

He was undefeated in each round of qualifying - @austindillon3 wins the #BuschPole! Image Credit: @ACSupdates (2019)

Auto Club 400 NASCAR Qualifications Format Renders A Stubbed Toe To Series

NASCAR fans who took Friday off from work were treated to a bone-headed display of over-reaching gamesmanship by all of the teams fielding the 38 cars (especially the top 12) set to participate in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Southern California's only NASCAR race of the 2019 season.

NASCAR reset the template of what propels these custom made representations of stock cars that adhere to a formula designed to equalise the competition in the field and reduce the overall costs associated with the equipment needed to participate in a 41 race 2019 season. This 2019 reset effectively reduced the horsepower while increasing the downforce which has the effect of keeping the cars glued to the track at lower speeds. The other effect that, at some tracks has missed the prediction, effects competition is some felt this would increase "pack racing" where the lead car punches through the air having the cars behind the lead car work less hard to achieve full speed until a group of cars pull out and around the lead car, passing at a greater speed overall thus having an advantage of having ones car squarely in the pack for a higher average speed.

With this background knowledge, and having the qualifications for NASCAR be the fastest speed achieved by the top 12 previous fast times during the third qualification round/session shootout to set the field (as opposed to having each car take to the track for a singular three lap try at a top speed as how it is done in IndyCar at oval track races), all of the teams waited until the last minute or so to attempt to put in a lap to be scored.

Consequently, no team was able to actually register a lap time at a race speed before the time of Qualification 3 round ran out causing the race director staff at NASCAR to make the call that the order would be set from the fastest lap times set during Qualification 2 round.

Fans were never treated to the race off by the 38 drivers - and the top 12 who will compete in the Auto Club 400 to see who will start at the most coveted positions at the head of the "PACK" ... which is exactly why many who follow motorsports competition would never become an embedded fan of NASCAR, ever.

This type of tepid race management and competition thinking is a blight on what it means to actually be in competition as a professional pursuit. If this were the only time this type of strategy (lay in wait and reduce the damage) were employed, then Friday's odd call to use the times achieved in Qualification 2 round in order to fill the top 12 of the field would amount to a stubbed toe in the landscape of professional stock car racing ... but this points to a much larger problem - over regulated over management of a racing template placed on formula racing.

Here's what others are observing from this somewhat unusual NASCAR Race Control call to set the top 12 of the field on Qualification 2 round track times achieved.

STARTING ORDER FOR AUTO CLUB 400 >>>

Penske Racing #22 AAA Southern California Ford Mustang of Joey Logano being pushed from Tech with the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains including Mt. Baldy in the background during Qualifications at Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: Tom Stahler (2019)

This excerpted and edited from Crash.net -

Austin Dillon claims ACS pole after no one makes a time
By Josh Farmer

Austin Dillon takes pole in wacky qualifying session

Austin Dillon proved that you have to be lucky and good in qualifying for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at the Auto Club Speedway.

The driver of the No. 3 Dow Chemical Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing led the first two 10-minute qualifying session on his way to his fourth career Busch Pole award. NASCAR reverted to the Q2 times when no driver posted an official time in the five-minute pole shootout.

With drafting key to a fast lap at the 2.0-mile superspeedway, drivers hesitated to make runs in all three sessions. The final group was the most extreme with no one taking off until less than a minute to go, which was too late for anyone to cross the start/finish line in time to turn a lap.

Every session featured a last-minute dash with nearly all drivers waiting until just over a minute to go to attempt their qualifying lap. Kurt Busch was the only driver to break the trend in Q2 and logged a lap of 40.644 seconds by himself.

The rest of the field took their laps with just over a minute and 15 seconds to go. When it was all said and done, Dillon was the man on top being the only driver in the 39-second bracket (39.982s).

Dillon, who also won the pole at ACS in 2016, noted that finding an open hole in the pack made all the difference in session two.

“That goes back to round two with Andy Houston (Dillon’s spotter), getting us a hole,” said Dillon. “Our Dow car has been good the whole day, I felt that it was the fastest car here. It feels good to get that pole.

The pole is Dillon's the fourth of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career.
[Reference Here]

As the Monster Energy Cup cars of NASCAR line up at the pit end line waiting for a good time to take the track and set a time for Qualifying, it looks like the traffic on the I-10 during rush hour. Image Credit: Image Credit: @ACSupdates (2019)

This excerpted and edited from Racer -

Boos send a message about the current state of NASCAR qualifying
By Kelly Crandall

NASCAR will look to have “something different in the queue” by the time Monster Energy Cup Series drivers show up to qualify at Texas Motor Speedway in two weeks.

After all 12 drivers advancing to the third and final round of qualifying at Auto Club Speedway on Friday failed to post even a single qualifying lap, Scott Miller, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, suggested tweaks would have to be made.

Ultimately, the top 12 for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 were determined based on second-round speeds, giving RCR’s Austin Dillon the pole.

“I saw obviously what our fans don’t want,” said Miller outside the NASCAR hauler after an all but silent final qualifying session. “Having the fastest 12 cars wait until they couldn’t get a time posted on the board, making kind of a mockery out of qualifying, is not what our fans expect.

“It’s a little bit on us in that we hoped things would go better than that. It’s an exciting show when they’re all out there on the race track, but obviously, there’s work to do [with the format] on our part so things like that don’t happen. We want to provide our fans with what they deserve, and we and the teams didn’t do a very good job of that today. We’re all really disappointed.”

In both the first and second rounds of qualifying, drivers sat at the end of pit road until late in the session. Then, charging onto the track, drivers tried to position themselves where they felt would be best in line to get a draft.

No one wanted to be the driver pulling the line and in the final round, no one was willing to leave the pits first.

Texas will be the next time the series qualifies at a track where a draft could come into play. Next weekend, the series visits the Martinsville short track.

“We will definitely make some tweaks to [qualifying], not quite sure what,” said Miller. “We don’t want to go back to single-car qualifying. There may not be another way, but we want to exhaust every possibility before we [go back] because that’s not as much fun, not as much of a show as the group situation.

“We’ll try to figure out a way to adjust the group qualifying thing and not go back to single car; but we got some work to do on that.”

Chase Elliott acknowledged no one wanted to be first out on the big Fontana track today. The Hendrick Motorsports driver doesn’t know what the fix should be, but said it was certainly entertaining to see drivers drafting and battling to set up the right gap to benefit from in the first two rounds.

Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, who will start second and ninth respectively, said the fans in the grandstands clearly voiced their displeasure.

“We got booed,” said Bowyer. “It’s disappointing for everybody involved. I don’t know — I saw this coming three weeks ago. I think we all did. Unfortunately, we are going to have to be reactive instead of proactive.

“It’s a learning process, the whole package is. Everybody knew that going in, and everybody has been patient, but I am a little bit out of patience now with Fridays.

“There is so much hard work and dedication by so many teams to go out there and build the fastest car known to mankind inside the walls of their organization, and it just doesn’t matter. That is not racing.

“I feel like we are capable, as an industry, of putting on a better show than this. I know [NASCAR] will take the right [steps] to correct things, but unfortunately, it took something like today to [force] adjustment.”

“I think the crowd booing tells the story,” said Harvick, who deferred to NASCAR about whether a change in the format is necessary. “We do the best that we can, though, to try to put ourselves in the best position; and it was just a handful today.”

Fifth-place qualifier Joey Logano said his No. 22 Team Penske team blew it in the final round, but so did everyone else.

“That’s the game,” he said.

Ryan Newman qualified seventh but was another driver unhappy about how qualifying has played out recently.

“I don’t think that was a very successful use of TV time for our sponsors,” he said. “I told you all back in Vegas that I am still a big fan of single-car qualifying. That is all I need to say, really. That is the way qualifying should be.

“The gamesmanship that goes on now, the lack of giving it 100 percent — that’s not what qualifying is all about.

“But that is the program that NASCAR set forth, the rules they laid down and the box they put us in. Shame on us for not getting a lap in today.”
[Reference Here]

BOOS, Shame, and a less than satisfying Fan Experience was what NASCAR treated the crowd gathered for the only race scheduled for one of the largest concentration of humans a series could have and engage with - at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Toe stubbed in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time - thanks for nuttin', NASCAR.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: @ACSUpdates, Austin Dillon, Auto Club 400, Auto Club Speedway, Monster Energy Cup, NASCAR, No. 3 Dow Chemical Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing, The EDJE, Tom Stahler,

The Monster Energy NASCAR Series Auto Club 400 2018 Gets Kicked Off With Dave Allen

Chip Ganassi Racing's Kyle Larson wins the 20th Anniversary celebration checkered flag of the Auto Club 400. Image Credit: Getty Images via ACS (2017)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Series Auto Club 400 2018 Gets Kicked Off With Dave Allen

Dave Allen serves as President of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. In this role, Mr. Allen is responsible for the management and operations of the ISC facility including Auto Club Dragway.

Mr. Allen has been with the Speedway since 1999 after spending one year at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca.  From 2002-2006, Mr. Allen served as Senior Director of Sales and Marketing.  In 2006, Mr. Allen was named Vice President of Sales and Marketing with oversight of all sponsorship, hospitality, suite and consumer sales.

Mr. Allen’s leadership skills have enabled the track to grow with the addition of new events. Today, California’s premier motorsports facility, hosts over 320 days of track activity including a quarter-mile championship dragstrip at Auto Club Dragway, full-service karting facilities and various racing schools and experiences. The track is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation (ISC).

BEGIN
Welcome, DAVE ALLEN, President Auto Club Speedway ...

After last year's Auto Club Speedway celebrating 20 years of racing with a ‘Track Reunion’ theme - NASCAR returns for it's only swing through the LA Basin marketplace in 2018. The Monster Energy NASCAR Series Auto Club 400 is scheduled for the weekend beginning with the Fan Fest Hauler Parade on Thursday, March 15 and concludes with the race being run with the Green Flag dropping at 12:30pm PT.

Auto Club Speedway is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit and the oval has aged to perfection for incredible 4 to 5-wide racing, at times. Fans attending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 race weekend can park free of charge, making race weekend an incredible value full of fun and entertainment.


1)
Auto Club Speedway, again, is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit - over the most recent years, the racing has improved in a steady progression ... beginning with race stage points enhancements - How do you see the Monster Energy NASCAR Series Auto Club 400 play out over last year?

2)
Tell us a little bit on how the 20th year reunion went and how is this going to go forward into this year?

3)
Overall, given what you have seen last year, what has the viewership & attendance been like? Give us a feel what that has been like?

4)
Event Weekend schedule - what do fans need to be looking for? I've noticed in a brief review of the schedule it really has some nice high-points, what do you see as some of the most important pieces that fans should be looking for?

----

The NASCAR Auto Club 400 is scheduled for Sunday, March 18, 2018 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Schedule Overview: 

Thursday, March 15: FanFest and NASCAR Hauler Parade
? Free Community Event
? Gates open at 5:00 pm / Event ends at 8 p.m. 
? Hauler Parade at 6:45 pm
? NASCAR Driver Appearances – Q&A

Friday, March 16: NASCAR Qualifying Day and 5.11 Tactical Pole Day
? General admission tickets are $20.00. Kids under 12 are free with a Lefty’s Kids Club membership with paid adult general admission ticket.
Gates open at 10:30 am
? Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying at 4:15 pm 
? Walk of Fame Ceremony: 2017 Auto Club 400 Winner - Kyle Larson at 10 a.m. outside Gate B 

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series leader and Elk Grove, Calif. native Kyle Larson (No. 42, Target Chevrolet) made Auto Club Speedway home sweet home this weekend in 2017 and atoned for runner-up finishes in each of his previous three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts by pulling into victory lane at the 21st Annual Auto Club 400. Image Credit: Getty Images via ACS (2017)

Saturday, March 17: NASCAR Xfinity 300 race
** General admission tickets start at $30.00. Kids under 12 are free with a Lefty’s Kids Club membership with paid adult general admission ticket.
** Gates open at 9:00 am 
** NXS 300 starts at 2:00 pm
** National Anthem and Pre-Race Concert: Temecula Road

Sunday, March 18:  Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 
** Tickets start at $50.00
** Gates open at 7:00 am
** Auto Club 400 starts at 12:30 pm 
** Grand Marshals: The Cast from Super Trooper 2
** National Anthem: Grammy-nominated hitmaker Cassadee Pope 

Cassadee Blake Pope is an American singer, songwriter, and musician whio took part in the third season of The Voice and became the first female winner on December 18, 2012. Her debut solo country album, Frame by Frame, was released on October 8, 2013 to a top 10 Billboard 200 charting. It debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, with 43,000 copies sold in its first week. Pope and her duet partner Chris Young were nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their hit song "Think of You", making her first contestant from The Voice to receive a Grammy nomination. When it comes to Pope's influences - Natalie Imbruglia's Left of the Middle and old Shania Twain, Michelle Branch, Avril, Blink 182 … "I’m kind of all over the board." And then more recently I’m into the new Blake Shelton album, Not Gonna Lie, Hunter Hayes, and Taylor Swift. Pope also mentions Martina McBride as one of her influences. Image Credit: ACS (2018)

Preview YouTube Auto Club 400 >>>
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Jimmy Johnson participates in a Q&A while standing next to the surfboard Richter's Trophy. Image Credit: ACS (2017)

** Tickets for the Auto Club 400 start at $50
** Extended special packages for fans through March 9
** Q&A Session with Six-Time Auto Club 400 winner – Jimmie Johnson includes a ticket to the Auto Club 400, pre-race pit pass and more! Only  $118
** Q&A Session with Chase Elliott – 2-day ticket package includes tix to Auto Club 400 and NXS 300 Only $69.00 
** Drivers Meeting Red Carpet: Get an up-close view of your favorite NASCAR Drivers as they walk down the red carpet to the Drivers Meeting. Plus, Tix to the Auto Club 400 – only $99.50

** To purchase tickets, call 800-944-RACE (7223) or visit ? www.autoclubspeedway.com 

Chase Elliott is scheduled to participate in a fan Q&A session on race day. Image Credit: ACS (2017)

5)
I am aware that winning drivers get to have their hand and footprints placed in cement - are you going to have this ceremony for Chip Ganassi Racing's Kyle Larson?
ENDS

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Auto Club 400, Auto Club Speedway, NASCAR, Monster Energy, @JimmieJohnson,  @NASCAR, #NASCARThrowback, #ACSLove, @KyleLarsonRacin @ChaseElliott, #PitPass, #AutoClub400, @CassadeePope, The EDJE

KYLE LARSON SWEEPS AUTO CLUB 400 RACE WEEKEND

Minutes before the end. (Photo by: Dicken Wear)

The Happy Crew. (Photo by: Dicken Wear)

After the Checker. (Photo by: Dicken Wear)

A Very Happy Chip Ganassi. (Photo by: Dicken Wear)

Only time I saw Chad Johnston smile. (Photo by: Dicken Wear)

One Happy Race Driver. (Photo by: Dicken Wear)

FONTANA, Calif. – Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series leader and Elk Grove, Calif. native Kyle Larson (No. 42, Target Chevrolet) made Auto Club Speedway home sweet home this weekend and atoned for runner-up finishes in each of his previous three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts by pulling into victory lane at the 21^st Annual Auto Club 400 Sunday.

Larson’s second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in 116 starts comes on the heels of winning the pole position for the race on Friday and winning Saturday’s XFINITY Series Service King 300 race. He is the first driver to win both races and the Cup Series qualifying run in one weekend at Auto Club Speedway.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary throughout 2017, Auto Club Speedway hosted its 28^th NASCAR Cup Series race – second all-time among active California racetracks – and crowned its 16^th winning NASCAR Cup Series driver.

“Lots of fun to be Kyle Larson right now,” Larson said. “Our race cars are really fast in XFINITY and Cup. Our cars are, by far, the best they’ve ever been. I feel I have a shot to win at every race track. I came out of (Turn) 4 (on the final lap) and I told them (the crew team) on the radio to put the bridesmaid’s dress back in the closet. I don’t want to wear that ever again. It was a solid weekend. Definitely the best of my NASCAR career.”

Larson, 24, is the fourth driver to sweep the weekend of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY races at Auto Club Speedway, following the lead of Kyle Busch (2013), Matt Kenseth (2007) and Kasey Kahne (2006).

Larson, who finished second at Auto Club Speedway during his rookie year in 2014, led for 110 laps overall and increased his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season points lead to 29 over Chase Elliott.

2015 Auto Club 400 champion Brad Keselowski (No. 2, Wurth Ford) endured a battle of attrition as his car was hit four laps into the race and on another occasion. Yet, he gradually worked his way back to a runner-up finish.

Recording his eighth top-10 finish in 17 career Auto Club Speedway starts and his fourth top-10 finish on the  Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series circuit this year, Keselowski encountered a fender bender with six-time Auto Club Speedway champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 48, Lowe’s Chevrolet) in Turn 4, leading to the race’s first caution flag.

“I got ran over the back and it did a lot of damage to the car. And then I got ran over again. The car was all torn up,” Keselowski said. “A lot of adversity but we were able to overcome it. We executed after the restarts. It takes a little bit of execution, good work by the team and luck the last few yellows.

“By the time things cleared up, Kyle (Larson) was far gone. It’s impressive to me that he’s been able to sustain it a handful of weeks in a row to start the new season. You knew this was going to be a good track for him, and it’s the type of track that suits his style the best.”

Clint Bowyer (No. 14, Rush Truck Centers Ford) placed third after starting the race from the 17^th position. It was Bowyer’s eighth top-10 finish in 17 races at Auto Club Speedway. Daniel Suarez (No. 19, Subway Toyota) placed as the highest-finishing rookie, in seventh.

The Auto Club 400 featured 17 lead changes among eight different leaders, and seven caution flags for a total of 29 laps. Four of the race’s five caution flags that weren’t related to stage finishes dropped in the last 20 laps.

A caution prompted Larson to pit and further refresh his tires with seven laps to go. Only three cars stayed out of pit row during this caution including Martin Truex Jr. (No. 78, Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota), who was running second at the time. The move paid off for Larson as he restarted third and regained the lead on Lap 197. One more late caution, on Lap 198, pushed the race’s final lap tally to 202.

“I was just trying to stay calm and focused on what was ahead of me and what I needed to do in the restarts,” Larson said. “Seems like every time I get in the lead in one of these NASCAR races, a lot of cautions drop.”

2016 Auto Club 400 winner Johnson began the race in 37^th position (out of 39) and placed 21st. He fell two laps back of the leader in the first half of the race.

The first two 60-lap stages of the Auto Club 400 were won by Larson and Truex Jr. in succession, with Larson winning the final 80-lap stage at Auto Club Speedway’s two-mile oval.  (Story Courtesy of ACS Media Office).

RACING LEGENDS REUNITE AT AUTO CLUB 400

FONTANA, Calif. (March 13, 2017) – Roger Penske, Richard Petty, Michael Waltrip, and Rusty Wallace are reuniting for a “Legends Q&A” session to share their racing stories and memorable moments prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 on Sunday, March 26. Moderated by Jamie Little, NASCAR on FOX Pit Reporter, the Legends Q&A session is open to all ticket holders and scheduled from 9:40 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. on the main stage in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Fan Zone.

“These racing legends have so many great stories,” said Dave Allen, President of Auto Club Speedway. “We are honored to have them as our special guests and can’t wait to share this unique experience with our fans.”

The Legendary Panel includes:

·       Roger Penske: A true visionary and accomplished racing legend that built and created Auto Club Speedway, a world-class motorsports facility in the heart of Southern California.

·       Richard Petty: While he never raced at Auto Club Speedway, “The King” has raced at the former Riverside International Raceway and Ontario Speedway. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty is the most decorated driver in the history of NASCAR racing, winning a record number 200 career races and seven NASCAR Cup championships.

·       Michael Waltrip: The two-time Daytona 500 winner, racing commentator and part-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver, Waltrip made his track debut at Auto Club Speedway in 1997.

·       Rusty Wallace: His 2001 NASCAR Cup victory at Auto Club Speedway was a memorable moment as he held off Jeff Gordon for the win. The NASCAR Hall of Famer is a retired American racing driver and a former NASCAR Cup Champion. 

Auto Club Speedway celebrates its 20^th Anniversary Reunion at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Auto Club 400 race weekend - March 24-26. With a race ticket, fans have access to 20^th Anniversary celebrations in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Fan Zone including the special Q&A, historic show cars on display, and musical entertainment.

To purchase tickets or upgrade ticket packages to NASCAR’s Auto Club 400 Weekend at Auto Club Speedway, call 1-800-944-RACE (7223), shop online at www.autoclubspeedway.com.  

(News Release Courtesy: Hillary Angel of ACS)

Keselowski and Busch to be Honored at Auto Club Speedway Walk of Fame.

NASCAR DRIVERS, BRAD KESELOWSKI AND KYLE BUSCH, TO BE HONORED AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY’S WALK OF FAME

What:           Brad Keselowski, winner of the 2015 NASCAR Auto Club 400, and Kyle Busch, winner of the 2014 Auto Club 400, will be inducted into the Speedway’s Walk of Fame.

Ticket holders are welcome to watch the Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony.

When:          Friday, March 18, 2016

                    9:40 a.m. – Kyle Busch

                    1:00 p.m. – Brad Keselowski

Where:         Auto Club Speedway

Outside the O’Reilly Auto Parts Fan Zone at Gate B

                    9300 Cherry Ave. Fontana, CA 92335

                  1-800-944-RACE (7223)

                    www.autoclubspeedway.com

Info:             To purchase tickets to NASCAR Auto Club 400 race weekend, call 800-944-RACE (7223), or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com

About Auto Club Speedway:
Located 50 miles east of Los Angeles in Fontana, Auto Club Speedway is California’s premier motorsports facility, hosting over 320 days of track activity each year including the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 weekend March 18-20, 2016.  The two-mile D-shaped oval is one of the fastest tracks on the circuit.  The Speedway is also home to numerous movies, television and commercial productions, photo shoots, new car testing, club racing and a variety of racing schools. For more information on events at Auto Club Speedway call 1-800-944-RACE (7223) or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com.

KAITLIN OLSON, STAR OF FOX’S HIT ‘THE MICK’ WILL LEAD THE FIELD TO START AUTO CLUB 400

KAITLIN OLSON, STAR OF FOX’S HIT ‘THE MICK’ WILL LEAD THE FIELD TO START AUTO CLUB 400.

FONTANA, Calif. (March 6, 2017) – Auto Club Speedway announced today that Kaitlin Olson, star of FOX’s hit comedy, THE MICK, will be behind the wheel of the Official NASCAR 2017 Toyota Camry Pace Car as she leads the field before the start of the Auto Club 400 airing Sunday, March 26, at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET, on FOX. 

As the official pace car driver, Olson will lead the top Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers to the green flag to kick off the Auto Club 400.

THE MICK, airing Tuesdays (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX and has been renewed for a second season. Olson also stars on the critically acclaimed cult hit “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” which entered its 11th season in January 2016.  Additionally, Olson was seen in Pixar Animation’s “Finding Dory,” in which she voiced the role of “Destiny,” a whale shark that taught “Dory” to speak whale. 

Olson also appeared in FOX’s hit feature comedy, “The Heat,” opposite Melissa McCarthy and Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock, and directed by Paul Feig. Additional feature credits include Universal’s romantic comedy, “Leap Year,” with five-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams; and the festival darling “Weather Girl,” alongside Jane Lynch and Mark Harmon.

To see Olson during pre-race ceremonies and drive the Toyota Camry Pace Car, purchase tickets by calling 800-944-RACE (7223) or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com. (Story and Photo Courtesy ACS)

Jimmie Johnson gets 6th Plaque at ACS Walk of Fame.

HOMETOWN HERO, AUTO CLUB 400 WINNER JIMMIE JOHNSON TO GET RECORD 6th PLAQUE ON AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY’S WALK OF FAME

What:  El Cajon, Calif. native Jimmie Johnson, winner of the 2016 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400, will be inducted into the Speedway’s Walk of Fame.

Johnson won his first NASCAR Cup race in his career at Auto Club Speedway in 2002, and grabbed his other four wins on Auto Club Speedway’s two-mile oval in a six-race stretch from 2007-10. His five runner-up finishes at ACS are also a record.

Ticket holders are welcome to watch the Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony.

When:             Friday, March 24, 2017

                        9:20 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. PT

Where:            Auto Club Speedway 

Outside the O’Reilly Auto Parts Fan Zone at Gate B

                        9300 Cherry Ave. Fontana, CA 92335

                        1-800-944-RACE (7223)

                        www.autoclubspeedway.com

Press release courtesy of ACS.

Auto Club Speedway Fan Fest in Fontana, CA.

NEW HAULER PARADE ROUTE AND FANFEST RETURNS ON 

THURSDAY NIGHT TO KICK OFF NASCAR AUTO CLUB 400

What:   Back by popular demand, FanFest welcomes the community to celebrate Auto Club Speedway’s 20^th Anniversary and to kick-off the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 race weekend.  The signature parade of over 40 NASCAR Haulers has a new route throughout the facility where fans can wave, take photos and cheer for their favorite NASCAR driver and race team.  

The free community event features NASCAR driver appearances on the main stage, live music, vendors and family-friendly entertainment in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Fan Zone at Auto Club Speedway.

In the spirit of the Speedway’s 20^th Anniversary “Track Reunion” theme, two lucky Infield fans will be crowned Homecoming King & Queen by NASCAR Hall of Fame driver, Darrell Waltrip. 

4:00 pm. – 6:00 p.m. NASCAR Haulers Staged in Lot 1 – Viewing Area

5 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Last Call Performance on Main Stage

6 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.             Q&A: NASCAR XFINITY Driver Darrell Wallace Jr.

6:30 p.m. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hauler Parade 

7:20 p.m. – 7:40 p.m. Q&A: Austin Dillon Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver

7:40 p.m. – 8 p.m. Q&A: Darrell Waltrip, NASCAR Hall of Fame Driver,

8 p.m. Announcement of Fan Homecoming King & Queen 

8 p.m. – 9 p.m. No Duh (No Doubt tribute band) on Main Stage   

When:  Thursday, March 23, 2017 from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. 

Where: Auto Club Speedway, 9300 Cherry Avenue, Fontana, CA 92359

Cost: Free to Public and Parking is Free

Info: For more information about FanFest, Hauler Parade and to purchase tickets to the Auto Club 400, call 800-944-RACE (7223), or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com/FanFest 

Press release courtesy,Hillary Angel of ACS.

RICHARD PETTY “THE KING” PUTS ICING ON CAKE FOR

RICHARD PETTY “THE KING” PUTS ICING ON CAKE FOR
NASCAR AUTO CLUB 400 FANS
Auto Club Speedway Announces Richard Petty Ticket Package 

FONTANA, Calif. (Feb. 8, 2017) – Richard Petty is giving Southern California race fans a birthday present!  To celebrate the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and owner’s upcoming 80th Birthday, race fans can purchase a Richard Petty Ticket Package that includes a Q&A at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 race weekend – March 25-26, 2017.  The first 80 ticket packages purchased will receive an exclusive autograph session with “The King.”

 “We are both celebrating major milestones and this is a definitely a one-of-a-kind experience for fans,” said Dave Allen, President of Auto Club Speedway. “This is our first time offering a ticket package with ‘The King’. We know it will be very popular.” 

Richard Petty’s 80^th Birthday Ticket Package is $99.00 and must be purchased before March 10. 

Reserved ticket to the Auto Club 400 – Sunday

GA ticket to the NXS 300 – Saturday

Pre-Race Pit Pass

Q&A on race weekend for ticket purchases. The first 80 purchased also receive an autograph session.

$10 donation to the Petty Family Foundation/Victory Junction

To purchase the Richard Petty 80^th Birthday ticket package and tickets to NASCAR’s Auto Club 400 Weekend at Auto Club Speedway, call 1-800-944-RACE (7223), shop online at www.autoclubspeedway.com, or stop by the Auto Club Speedway ticket office at 9300 Cherry Ave. in Fontana. Ticket office hours are Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

About Auto Club Speedway:
Located 50 miles east of Los Angeles in Fontana, Auto Club Speedway is California’s premier motorsports facility, hosting over 320 days of track activity each year including the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 weekend, March 24-26, 2017. The two-mile D-shaped oval is one of the fastest tracks on the circuit.  The Speedway is also home to numerous movies, television and commercial productions, photo shoots, new car testing, club racing and a variety of racing schools. For more information on events at Auto Club Speedway call 1-800-944-RACE (7223) or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com.

Press Release courtesy, Hillary Angel

Interview - Dave Allen President Of Auto Club Speedway Before Auto Club 400

Interview - Dave Allen President Of Auto Club Speedway Before Auto Club 400

Dave Allen serves as President of Auto Club Speedway.

Allen, 41, a 17-year veteran in the sports marketing industry, is responsible for all operations of Auto Club Speedway and Auto Club Dragway.

He was named president of the Speedway in December, 2014. Allen has served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Speedway since 2006. As Vice President, Allen oversaw the marketing, sales and ticketing departments.

From his early childhood karting days at Laguna Seca to Crew Chief of a World of Outlaws Sprint car team to his rise as the President of Auto Club Speedway, Dave Allen has grown up in the motorsports world and is a race fan at heart. Coming from a racing family, Allen has seen the sport grow from both the competition side and the business side and has applied his knowledge and know-how to move up motorsports’ executive ladder.

Welcome, DAVE ALLEN, President Auto Club Speedway ...

We find ourselves at the beginning of a NASCAR season that has seen some changes in the aerodynamics to a lower downforce set up in the hopes of increasing the competition on the track.

1)
Auto Club Speedway is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit - over the most recent years, the racing, especially NASCAR Racing, has improved in a steady progression ... How do you see a race play out with this lower downforce set up?

2)
Today, we are presently experiencing a second round of El Nino weather activity - what are the weather forecasts telling you as to what to expect for the Auto Club 400 activities between March 17th when the transporter roll in and set up, to the race itself on March 20th?

3)
What kind of questions are you hearing from NASCAR on FOX and what do you think they are expecting from the races at Auto Club Speedway?

4)
Starting with St. Patrick's day, March 17th and working through the event weekend, what should fans look for?

The NASCAR Auto Club 400 is scheduled for Sunday, March 20, 2016 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Weekend Schedule:

Thursday, March 17: St. Paddy’s Day FanFest presented by Bubba Burger and NASCAR Sprint Cup Hauler Parade

Friday, March 18: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. PT.

Saturday, March 19: NASCAR Xfinity Race: 1 p.m. PT  on FS1.

Sunday, March 20: NASCAR Sprint Cup Auto Club 400: 12:30 PT on FOX.

----

Tickets for the Auto Club 400 start at $41.

After March 11– tickets start at $46.

To purchase call 800-944-RACE or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com

The Auto Club 400 race is NASCAR’S only stop in Southern California and is a part of the NASCAR Goes West campaign.

Fans attending the Auto Club 400 weekend can park free of charge, making race weekend an incredible value full of fun and entertainment.

5)
I am aware that winning IndyCar drivers get to have their hand and footprints placed in cement - are you going to have this ceremony for these NASCAR drivers?
ENDS

... notes from The EDJE


TAGS: Auto Club Speedway, ACS,  NASCAR, Xfinity, Sprint Cup, St. Paddy’s Day FanFest, Bubba Burger, NASCAR Sprint Cup Hauler Parade, FOX Sports, The EDJE

Naughty Or Nice For 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Placed Under The Tree

Scott Dixon on 'pit-out' at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach ... a race he finally won for the first time in his IndyCar career. This race win helped Dixon to achieve his fourth American Open-Wheel Racing championship secured on lap 51 by never giving up the lead for the win of the final race, GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma held at Sonoma Raceway. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Naughty Or Nice For 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Placed Under The Tree

To many who have followed professional American open-wheel automobile racing over these last fifty plus years, in terms of talent in the paddocks on both teams and drivers, the 2015 season would easily rank in the top five all-time seasons.

The 2015 season was the first season that featured the new rules governing aerodynamic body panels manufactured by Dallara but utilizing input and designs dictated/negotiated by the manufacturer of the engines used by each team - Chevrolet or Honda. Once each team was given the solution of body and wing parts to use on the racing platform, within limits, the teams could decide upon the configurations and settings allowed.

One million possible adjustment combinations with the Honda/Dallara aero-package. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Early in the season, the cars that ran Honda seemed to be a bit behind Chevrolet on in and out cornering speed ... to wit Honda put forth, (paraphrased) our wing and body panels can be configured in about a million different ways given all of the options available. The problem with this potential breadth of choice options, once a proper engineering set up has become competitive with the more simple approach settled on by Chevrolet, about 999,000 options for adjustment become useless or irrelevant.

So on this issue ... who's Nice or Naughty?

The manufacturer, the engineering staff who figured out the best set-ups?, or the overall rules package crafted by the Verizon IndyCar Management?

In an effort to place the gifts of this season under the tree, Josh Farmer's Championship Racing Radio in show #4, with Edmund Jenks, seeks to discuss the Best (Nice) and Worst (Naughty) of this 2015 breakout season that began with an out of country race cancellation in Brazil without having a make-up race be run at any time for the balance of the season.

The discussion in show #4, however, will not focus on Verizon IndyCar Management but, rather, the races run, teams, and drivers.

Management, for the most part, may qualify for a lump of coal beginning with their policy of "Race Control By Committee" which had the person who was in charge of this policy - Derrick Walker - resign from the position after 2/3ds of the season had been put to bed ... with cookies and milk.

Championship Racing Radio 4: Naughty or Nice?

Time of show: (45 minutes at the maximum)
Intro: (Less than 5 minutes) introduce ourselves.
Rest of show: Best/worst of the 2015 IndyCar season in the theme of Naughty or Nice list. We both talk about who we think is the best driver


●    Nice List

○    Best Driver – Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon - The driver from Auckland, New Zealand kept his cool and capitalized on an unbelievable mistake by Team Penske midway through the race. That allowed Dixon to win his fourth Verizon IndyCar Series championship with a victory in season finale's Go Pro Grand Prix of Sonoma race (ht: Bruce Martin)

○    Best Race – Farmer - MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway | Jenks - Honda Indy Grand Prix Of Alabama, Barber Motorsports Park (road/street course) - MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway (superspeedway, oval course)

○    Best Rookie – Farmer - Bryan Herta Autosport's Gabby Chaves | Jenks - Bryan Herta Autosport's Gabby Chaves – Total Laps was 2nd best after Ryan Hunter Reay (2211 – RHR 2218) - Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Sage Karam - Honorable Mention 12 races – 2 Top 5 / 2 top 10 – excitement generated – No ride this season with 3 seats open – SPM / KV Racing / Dale Coyne

○    Best Move –  Penske Racing's Will Power – Sonoma for the Verizon P1 Pole Award - Will Power saw the performance CFH Racing's Josef Newgarden was able to do by placing Black sidewall tires on his Dallara so Will ordered up a set be placed on his Chevy and with the last seconds of qualifications winding down, snatched the Verizon P1 Pole Award away from Newgarden.

○    Most Improved driver – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal – He improved so much as a driver, it made him marriageable – Courtney Force and Graham got married Nov. 21, 2015 and are honeymooning in Fiji and New Zealand.

Ryan Briscoe before he took to the track at the MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: Ken Manfred (2015)

○    Best underdog – Farmer - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' Conor Daly (points for Detroit) - Dale Coyne Racing's Tristan Vautier (showed great promise behind substitution runs) | Jenks - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' Ryan Briscoe – 8 Races – ½ season – 1 Top 5 / 4 Top 10 / 2 DNF … one DNF at ACS on last lap caused by Ryan Hunter Reay


●    Naughty List

○    Worst Driver – Farmer - Dale Coyne Racing's Francesco Dracone (never finished in the Top 20) | Jenks - KV Racing Technology's Stefano Colitti – 16 Races with 5 DNF / Dale Coyne Racing's Francesco Dracone – 5 Races with 2 DNF - Josh Farmer compared Francesco Dracone as being "as slow as Milka Duno." Edmund Jenks asked Josh, "So you believe that Dracone is Milka Duno without the mascara? ... as far as we know, right?

○    Worst Race – Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana "NOLA"

Penske Racing's Simon Pagenaud leaves the track after contesting space with Ryan Hunter-Reay and take a mud ride. This image, with Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti in the foreground, was taken at the beginning of an accident that colored the late stages of the shortened race at NOLA. Image Credit: Bret Kelley - VICS (2015)

○    Worst Move - Farmer - Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay (2015 P6) - The final full course YELLOW Flag came from a massive incident between Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Hunter-Reay (RHR), and Simon Pageneud (on the outside) as the drivers attempted to go three-wide in turn 3. RHR ended up pushing Pagenaud off of the track | Jenks - Penske Racing's Will Power - Diving move in Turn 10 at St. Petersburg on teammate Juan Pablo Montoya with many laps remaining in the race. It turns out that these two drivers got together during the final race of the season at Sonoma Raceway. Given that both drivers were in the hunt for the championship, one wonders if these points were able to be retained, would Scott Dixon have his 4th IndyCar crown.

Pageneud slid off the track into the mud, and then back on the track in the next right-hand corner 4, collecting Hunter-Reay and Bourdais sending all three cars across the grass.

Bourdais slides to the tire wall and hits broadsides cracking the hull of his No. 11 Dallara (all preceding crash images by Bret Kelley for IndyCar)

Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves in the pits at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Qualified well at many 2015 venues but just could not make the performances stick. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

○    Most disappointing driver - Farmer - Penske Racing's Simon Pagenaud (high hopes not realized - 2015 P11) - CFH Racing's Ed Carpenter (better set up with Conway last year - 2015 P27) | Jenks - Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves (2015 P5) - What was more surprising: Helio going without a win for only the second time in the past 16 IndyCar seasons, or his comparative disappearance at Indianapolis, where he's always expected to vie for the win? It's probably his not visiting Victory Lane, especially considering it was one of Helio's best-ever seasons in terms of qualifying. His four poles were complemented by the fact he never started worse than fifth through the first 11 races and his average starting spot was a dazzling fourth for 16 races. He lost Long Beach only because of a long pit stop to avoid contact. As for Indianapolis, other than his thrilling duel with RHR in 2014, the three-time winner has not been a factor at IMS the past few Mays but this year was more puzzling because of Chevy's obvious advantage. Finishing seventh and leading only two laps is not what three-time Indy kings are made of and it was the only oval he never really looked like a factor (ht: Racer, Robin Miller)

●    Anything else that we might want to cover - If anyone finds themselves in the Los Angeles area over the holidays, make a special trip to the newly renovated and re-opened Petersen Automotive Museum which resumed operations December 7, 2015.

Named 10 best automotive museums in the world by CNN.

Precious Metal display room at the Petersen Museum. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

The Petersen Automotive Museum

EVERYDAY 10AM - 6PM

6060 WILSHIRE BLVD
LOS ANGELES, CA 90036

(323) 930-CARS (2277)

Here's hoping that all who happen to follow Verizon IndyCar Series never see a lump of coal and are always thought of by Santa Claus as ... Nice!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.


... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Verizon IndyCar Series, Graham Rahal, Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Stefano Colitti, Francesco Dracone, Will Power, Verizon P1 Pole Award, Barber Motorsports Park, Auto Club Speedway, Derrick Walker, Josh Farmer, Championship Racing Radio, Edmund Jenks, Petersen Automotive Museum,