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NASCAR four-time Sprint Cup Champion, JIMMIE JOHNSON/No.48 Hendrick Chevrolet,  took his first step towards another NASCAR championship by winning the Auto Club Speedway 500 Sunday, with a 1.524 second Margin of Victory. “Whoo Hoo, California Style!” he yelled into his radio while spinning doughnuts on the front straight.

Johnson led more laps than any other drivers, eight times for 101 laps. It’s his fifth win at Auto Club Speedway, and his forty-eighth victory in 293 starts. Johnson promised to take the trophy back to his owner, RICK HENDRICK, who wasn’t at the race.

Crew Chief CHAD KNAUS said “It’s all in the numbers, man. We’ve been saying that for years. We don’t believe a heck of a lot in luck. But, you know, if it’s out there, we’ll take it.”

Johnson said “We won our first race here and our forty-eighth. So it’s a really cool day and all in the numbers. Today fortune came our way. We hit pit road and the caution came out and gave us track position. I’m not going to lie, the fact that we were on pit road gave us track position and I drove my butt off.”

Johnson was dogged at the end by KEVIN HARVICK/No.29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Harvick, also a California guy, led three times for 27 laps. Harvick said “They are good at lucky. They have a golden horse shoe shoved up their ass.”

Harvick leads the Drivers Championship points, nineteen points ahead of his teammate, CLINT BOWYER/No.33, who finished eighth. Their team owner, RICHARD CHILDRESS has the top two cars, and three of the top five in the Owner standings. Johnson is twelfth in the Driver points.

Third place was taken by Harvick’s teammate, JEFF BURTON/No.31, who led three times for 46 laps.

Fourth was Johnson’s teammate, MARK MARTIN/No.5 with JOEY LOGANO/No.20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in fifth – the only non-GM finisher in the top five.

Pole Sitter JAMIE McMURRAY//No.1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet was caught by teammate JUAN PABLO MONTOYA/No.42 at the start. McMurray never led a lap and finished twelfth in the race. McMurray is fourth in the standings. Montoya retired with a blown engine. He led once for 29 laps.

The top (and only) Rookie was KEVIN CONWAY/No.37 Front Row Motorsports Ford, finishing thirty-first, three laps down.

Thirteen drivers swapped the lead 26 times. Although he led for a bit according to TV and the monitor, SAM HORNISH JR./No.77 Penske Racing Dodge wasn’t so credited in the results.

Twenty-three cars finished on the lead lap. Six cautions took 30 laps.

Six engines expired – three Chevy’s and three Toyota’s. Two cars lost rear gear, and two overheated.

The average race speed was 141.911 mph and the race ran 3 hrs, 31 mins, 24 secs.

Threatening weather hovered throughout the race, coming and going with the black clouds, and sprinkles on part of the track caused seven laps of caution two-thirds into the race. But it never really rained.

The reported attendance was 72,000. Several local journalists felt the number was generous.

Johnson was asked about his take on why the actual attendance might have been more sparse than usual. “Global warming. It’s too cold.”

Johnson continued “I don’t know what else we could do. There has been a lot of good racing. People aren’t watching TV as much any more. We put on a great show, our drivers are more accessible than any other sport, the fans get more bang for their buck.  I don’t know why.”

After all was said and done. NASCAR announced that Johnson’s car and Harvick’s engine would be taken back to the NASCAR R&D Center, but because of the next race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, they wouldn’t be expected in North Carolina until after that race.

The next Cup race is Sunday 28 February 2010 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Gillian Zucker Photo by Lynne Huntting

GILLIAN ZUCKER, President of Auto Club Speedway met with the Media mid-point Sunday during the NASCAR  Sprint Cup race. She admitted that the ticket sales were pretty close to flat and blamed it on the bad economy. “Overall, we had similar crowds to the past.” Zucker outlined all the many things the track had some to promote the race. “I can’t imagine what it is we aren’t doing.”

Among some of the more innovative ideas included building special packages around drivers, such as DALE EARNHARDT, Jr and JUAN PABLO MONTOYA. There was an emphasis on reaching the first-time fans, with a personalized Race Fan 101 kind of package so newbies could get acclimated to the 500-acre facility, find their way around and take advantage of everything. There were quite a few new fans this year.

Zucker was proud of the diverse crowd – twenty percent Latino, with a growth in the youth market. She was pleased with the great media support.

Auto Club Speedway marketed all over Southern California, especially San Diego – hometown of the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, JIMMIE JOHNSON/No.48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. In addition to main media, all stops were pulled out for an entire media mix.

NASCAR has done a lot to help ACS in promotion and there has been talk of making the fall race a 400-mile race (rather than 500 miles). This would provide more driver competition and tie in with several other NASCAR 400-mile races.

The so-called “Danica Bump” was credited for bringing a lot of attention to the sport. However, Earnhardt was also a marketing tool. Patrick brought a slight increase in consumer response.  Zucker reminded the media that we haven’t seen a rise in the economy. But there were long lines at the Patrick merchandise trailer.

Zucker talked about attendance. “There is too much emphasis on sellouts. We have 92,000 seats – not everyone does. But again, she admitted “we’re pretty  much flat.”

The track had a wide variety of packages, ranging in price from $35 to $105. The lower priced tickets sold out before the race. The more expensive tickets, often used for corporate sponsorship hospitality, didn’t fare quite as well. But, Zucker added – there is free parking and fans can bring their own food.

If Zucker had her choice for her two race dates, she’d select April and October, two great months for good California weather. “There aren’t many race tracks good for February racing.” One upside of the mid-February date is coming right off the Daytona 500 and the momentum it brings. Last weekend’s victor, JAMIE McMURRAY/No.1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, helped a lot in this weekend’s race promotion and gave a media lift. And Los Angeles fans like winners.

While Zucker would personally prefer a later race start time for ACS, she acknowledged that it helps knowing when the race would start, referring to NASCAR’s new policy of standardized start times.

There was a big Saturday walkup crowd and a lot on Sunday.

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The weather is changeable at Auto Club Speedway Sunday morning. The Saturday night rain had started to dry and the jet dryers were on the track in full, ear-shattering force. The sun shone brightly, the air was fresh and chilly and the breeze brisk. At that point it felt warmer than the 52 degrees F shown on gauges. Then the clouds rolled in, the weather cooled, and the NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chiefs groaned. Once the teams clear

No.88 lining up for Pre-Race Tech Photo by Lynne Huntting

their cars through tech inspection, they aren’t allowed to make any changes to their set ups until after the first pit stop of  the Auto Club 500 race. <span>Auto Club Speedway is two miles long and considered a speedway. NASCAR considers anything over 2 miles a super-speedway. For superspeedways, the teams make extra efforts to give their cars an aerodynamic edge. One way is an exterior clear-coat process. Once the car is painted and decals applied, clear coats are applied. Then the decals are carefully sanded and then more clear coats applied. While ACS is not a superspeedway, the No.99 Roush Fenway Ford raced by CARL EDWARDS has somewhat the same process going.</span> <span> Edwards has one of the in-car cameras for Sunday’s telecast live on FOX, so there are extra decals inside the car, in strategic locations, to be viewed when the camera is used on TV. All cars carry a roof-mounted camera-mounting, either a dummy or the real camera. And the blue fabric flag tag seen floating in the car belongs to the on-board fire extinguisher.</span> <span>The next Cup race is in seven days at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Some teams, including the Joe Gibbs Racing team, have brought a second hauler to Fontana with the Vegas cars and using Sunday morning to swap out the cars, so the ACS cars can trek back to the shops in North Carolina – or wherever, while the Vegas cars are loaded up and driven to Nevada. Other teams, such as Richard Childress Racing,  have their Vegas cars already at that track, and will drive the California hauler to LVMS and swap out there. One of the PR representatives told me that good hauler drivers are hard to find – those who want to do it for the right reasons and have a love of the sport.</span> <span>While some teams are loading up, others are in pre-race physical fitness exercises such as stretches.</span>

<span>For those who are nostalgic for the good old days of stock car racing, there was a large display of Historic Stock Cars out in the FanZone. Check out historicgrandnational.com for Sunday photos. The display was part of the pre-race show with MIKE JOY.</span> <span>Among those cars on display is the Number #11 1966 Ford Fairlane raced by NED JARRETT at Asheville, Darlington and Martinsville. Jarrett was the all time leader in Ford wins. The car is campaigned currently by MARK, LINDA and MARIAH MOUNTANOS of Ukiah.</span> <span>Four of the cars on display Sunday will be going to the Neon Garage at LVMS including Jarrett’s car and No.3 owned by JUNIOR JOHNSON. Jarrett and Johnson are expected to be there in person.</span> <span>Back in the day the stock cars were definitely marque distinguishable.</span> <span> </span>

The only lap that pays is the last one. So KYLE BUSCH/No.18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota won the NASCAR Nationwide Series Stater Bros. 300 Race Saturday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway after leading the last lap of 152. With a late race caution, the race ran two laps into overtime, with a Green-White Checker finish and Busch out-dragged GREG BIFFLE/No.27 Curb Baker Racing Ford to the finish for the tenth closest finish in the NNS – 0.051 seconds.

It was Busch’s thirty-first win in 175 NNS races, and his third at Auto Club Speedway.

In the restart Pole sitter and race dominator, JOEY LOGANO/No.20 Joe Gibbs Racing got shuffled, with Biffle and Logano giving different versions of the scenario. Logano ended up spinning out in front of the checkered flag, and finished fifth, behind BRAD KESELOWSKI/No. 22 Dodge and CARL EDWARDS/No.60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

Busch’s reaction after the race. “That’s crazy, do you believe that. That’s some racing right there. That’s pretty awesome. Whatta race. It was exciting.” Busch admitted he was never going to catch his teammate, Logano, the way the race was going. “I didn’t have a winning car. This race was stole. Joey deserved to win the race. There was no keeping up with the 20 car. We didn’t have the car to win, but we stole it. The guy who races the best wins. I just made that up.”

Edwards leads the points standings by 24 points ahead of Logano.

Joey Logano Photo by Lynne Huntting

Pole sitter Logano led five times for a race-high 130 laps, and was none too happy with Biffle after the race.

Logano’s reaction immediately after the race: “Go figure, huh. I don’t know what (Biffle’s) deal is with me but for some reason in California he feels like putting me in the fence or hitting me towards the end. I know we were racing hard there at the end, but I don’t know, I think he could have done it a little cleaner than that. Oh well, it was a good run for the GameStop Toyota. Obviously we had the dominating car. I should have won it. It’s tough after leading that many laps and you don’t get a victory out of it Oh well. I mean if you keep doing that it’s eventually going to come back and bite you. I always remember that stuff.”

Later, Logano was asked what happened on the last restart. “I got hit. I don’t know. We had an awesome race car that should have won the race. I don’t know — the 27 car (Biffle) decided to hit us again.”

Biffle said “It was a rookie mistake. He spun his tires on the restart and couldn’t get going. I was against him down there and moved to the bottom. He tried to come down and block the bottom and I already had a run in there and wasn’t going to give up. I so happy for this Red Man team.

“The 20 made a rookie mistake and he smoked his tires on the restart. I bumped him. I guess he’s not happy about that. It seems like those guys always have a little better steam than us and he just door drafted me off the bottom He had a good run coming. I got the throttle down as soon as I could from the top there and he came off and door drafted me to the stripe. I knew that it was going to happen and I figured he was going to beat me.”

Top Rookie BRIAN SCOTT/No.11 Braun Racing Toyota finished tenth, but ran as high as tenth. The young driver moved up this season from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and is one of the Go or Go Home Drivers. He qualified third.

For those who follow DANICA PATRICK/No.7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, she started thirty-sixth, and finished thirty-first, three laps down. She stayed out of trouble, gave good feedback on her first pit stop which allowed her team to make helpful adjustments to the car, and finished higher than she started. She got shuffled back to forty first and ran a race high twenty-ninth. She ranks thirty-third in the standings, among 60 drivers.

Patrick got a speeding ticket on each of her two pit stop exits, and was not happy. Patrick marched off after the race, giving no interviews. But the TV viewers certainly should know her 2010 NNS schedule by now. ESPN2 ran it frequently on its bottom screen scroll, interspersed among the sports scores. Patrick’s next race is in a week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and then she’s on hiatus while she runs Indy Cars.

Twelve speeding tickets (of 13 total infractions) were issued, all for exiting pit lane. Maybe the drivers didn’t know where the actual go faster line started.

Twenty three cars finished on the lead lap, with twelve lead changes among seven drivers. There were four cautions for 18 laps and the race ran 2 hrs, 06 mins, 46 secs. The average race speed was 143.886 mph. The record is 155.957 mph set by HANK PARKER, Jr. in April 2001.

One of the cautions was for an accident between JOHN WES TOWNLEY/No.21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and Rookie RICKY STENHOUSE/No.6 Jr Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Townley continued to finish thirtieth after starting sixth. Stenhouse retired to a thirty-ninth place finish.

KEVIN HARVICK/No.33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet, who started eighth, retired with a rare blown engine.

The reported attendance was 36,000. The weather was cloudy, gray and cold with a stiff breeze during the race. After the checkered flag the sun came out, making for a silvery-grey California sunset.

Hendrick Motorsports drivers topped the two Saturday practice sessions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Auto Club Speedway. JIMMIE JOHNSON/No.48 Chevrolet led the first 45-minute session, while MARK MARTIN/No.5 Chevrolet was fastest in the final 65-minute session.

Johnson was followed by Martin; DENNY HAMLIN/No.11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota; and Roush Fenway Ford drivers,  CARL EDWARDS/No.99  and GREG BIFFLE/No.16.

CLINT BOWYER/No.33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet followed Martin in Happy Hour, ahead of Johnson; pole sitter for Sunday’s race, JAMIE McMURRAY/No.1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and JEFF GORDON/No.24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

The weather was changeable. It was alternately sunny and overcast. Threatening clouds ringed the track, and sun glasses weren’t needed. The temperatures ranged in the mid-fifties F, but felt colder. The flags were briskly blowing in the breeze.

Martin is the oldest driver in the field this weekend at 51. “I think RON HORNADAY (51), and JOHN FORCE (60) definitely have given hope to a lot of race car drivers that aren’t ready to give it up yet. It presents its own set of challenges. There’s a physically fit side of it, but there are other challenges that are much tougher like having sponsors behind you who want to make longer term deals with younger up and coming drivers. There are a lot more challenges than just wheeling the car and sometimes that pressure is what gets you.”

Mark Martin's car Photo by Lynne Huntting

Martin shares a sponsor with sometime Nationwide Series driver, DANICA PATRICK/No.7 Chevrolet – GoDaddy.com, known for it’s near-risque, to-be-continued TV commercials. In his Friday hauler chat, Martin’s last question was what had he been asked to do in a commercial for his sponsor, and what did his wife, ARLENE, tell he him couldn’t do. “I haven’t been told that I can’t take my shirt off.”

Indy Car racer ORIOL SERVIA of Spain was under the radar in the pits Saturday afternoon, looking quite anonymous. The veteran road race has been unsuccessful in his winter-long search for sponsorship dollars so he can run this year with Indy Racing League. Although he’s never driven a stock car, Servia said he’d like to try NASCAR. “They slide a lot.”

Large crowds generate lots of garbage. At Auto Club Speedway all trash including food waste  is recycled by Burrtec, no  matter which waste bin is used.

It started out being sunglasses weather Saturday morning at Auto Club Speedway for NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying. It was flag waving breezy with clouds surrounding the track, especially grey ugly ones hovering over the mountains. But for the beginning of Qualifying, it was bright, sunny, and a chilly 52 degrees F at the track. The air was fresh and clean thanks to Friday night’s rain, but the track was dry. At the end of the session with 49 cars vying for 43 slots, the clouds had rolled back in.

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, JOEY LOGANO/No.20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, has the pole for Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Stater Bros. 300 Race. His lap was 30.717/181.283 mph. The Qualifying Track Record on the two-mile super speedway of 38.722 sec/185.941 mph is held by TONY STEWART in a Chevrolet set in February 2005.

This is Logano’s eighth NNS pole in 43 starts, and his second in four races at the Southern California race track.

Logano won last year’s fall race from the pole at Auto Club Speedway, as a Nationwide driver. The previous winners going back seven or more years have been Sprint Cup drivers.

Starting second through fifth: KYLE BUSCH/No.18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota; Rookie BRIAN SCOTT/No.11 Braun Racing Toyota; CARL EDWARDS/No.60 Roush-Fenway Ford; and GREG BIFFLE/No.27 Baker Curb Ford – a Go or Go Home driver in the NNS.

Besides Scott, there are four other declared Rookies in the race: JAMES BUESCHER/No.9 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet-ninth; COLIN BRAUN/No.16 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford-eighteenth; RICKY STENHOUSE Jr/No.6 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford-twenty-sixth; and PARKER KLIGERMAN/No.42 Smith-Penske Racing  Dodge.

DANICA PATRICK/No.7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet will start thirty-sixth, right ahead of another road racer, MICHAEL McDOWELL/No.81 McDonald Motorsports Dodge.

Five drivers got into the race based on Owner Points: JOSH WISE/No.61 Specialty Racing Ford; KENNY WALLACE/No.28 Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet; ROBERT RICHARDSON Jr/No.23 Richardson Racing Chevrolet; BRIAN KESELOWSKI/No.26 K-Automotive Dodge; and MIKE BLISS/No.40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet.

Those drivers who failed to qualify were: MORGAN SHEPHERD/No.89 Faith In Jesus Racing/Faith Motorsports Chevrolet ; DANNY O’QUINN/No.90 D’Hondt Humphrey Motorsports Chevrolet; STEPHEN LEICHT/No.91 D’Hondt Humphrey Motorsports; JOHNNY CHAPMAN/No.92 Dodge; ANDY POINSETTIA/No.02 Stott Racing Chevrolet; and JEREMY CLEMENTS/No.04 Johnny Clements Racing Chevrolet, who spun out during his lap. Clements rear-ended the wall, damaging the rear of the car. What wasn’t damaged was the sponsor logo, Boudreaux Butt Paste.

All the various Auto Club Speedway Nationwide Series records, i.e. most wins, most poles, most top fives and tens, are held by Sprint Cup drivers.

Manufacturer wise, Chevrolet has the most entries in the field; fifteen will start and five will not. Toyota will start all of its eleven drivers, as will Ford with ten. Dodge had seven drivers qualify and one DNQ.

Kate Walsh Photo by Lynne Huntting

KATE WALSH, the Honorary Race Official – Starter for the Nationwide race stopped by the Media Center. Among other questions she fielded concerned her being type-cast as the wife of PATRICK DEMPSEY – she doesn’t think she should play the wife of the race driver character Dempsey will portray in his upcoming movie, “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” She and Dempsey talked about racing a lot on the set of Gray’s Anatomy, and he talked her into buying a vintage Aston Martin. Walsh said she and her boyfriend watch NASCAR, and the actress went through the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Daytona when she was working on the Drew Carey show. DAVE TALLEY, Auto Club Speedway Director of Communications diplomatically advised her that the Petty Experience was also available at his track.

JAMIE McMURRAY/No.1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet has the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Auto Club 500 race at Auto Club Speedway with a lap of 39.18/183.744. He’s fresh off his amazing two-lap dash for cash to win last weekend’s Daytona 500. McMurray started the season’s opening race from lucky thirteenth.

“Honestly, I thought we’d be in the top seven. I’m still amazed by the week I’ve had. It’s pretty awesome.” He thought the earlier qualifiers in the sun had a bit of an advantage. McMurray was twenty-fifth in the qualifying order.

McMurray has had a whirlwind time of it since winning last weekend, including NASCAR/Infineon Raceway generated playtime all-day Wednesday, playing tourist and meeting fans in San Francisco.

The sun wasn’t out long Friday, before the cloud cover took over. It was cold, windy and overcast for the remainder of the session.

Stats wise, this is McMurray’s fourth Cup pole in his 260 races, and first in 14 times at Auto Club Speedway, nee California Speedway.

McMurray’s teammate, JUAN PABLO MONTOYA/No.42 Chevrolet, will start besides him on the front row, a first for the team. Neither driver thought his run was that great. Both said the cars were fast, had lots of speed and good engines. Credit was given to the team and the cars it builds. Montoya said “That is the kind of momentum this team needs. It is huge.”

Third through fifth were CLINT BOWYER/No.33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, KASEY KAHNE/No.9 Petty Motorsports Ford and DAVE BLANEY/No.66 Prism Motorsports Toyota – a new team with year old equipment from Michael Waltrip Racing with Pro-Motor engines. Blaney was “pretty surprised” about his performance. His crew now consists of just three guys. “Our stuff is good – we just don’t have much.”

Top Rookie honors went to KEVIN CONWAY/No.37 Yates Ford, who qualified thirty-eighth. He is the only Rookie in the field.

Despite his car breaking on his qualifying lap, BORIS SAID/No.26 Ford made the field based on Owner Points, starting forty-second. The other two drivers starting the race with the same criteria are ROBBY GORDON/No.7 Toyota in fortieth and DAVID GILLILAND/No.38 Ford in forty-first.

The last of the Go or Go Home drivers to make the field was MAX PAPIS/No.13 Germain Racing Toyota. That means those who enjoy his hospitality will have expresso for the weekend.

The three drivers going home are CASEY MEARS/No.90 Chevrolet, JOHNNY SAUTER/No.35 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet, and the other Rookie, TERRY COOK/No.46 Whitney Motorsports Dodge. This is the second consecutive qualifying failure  for both both Mears and Cook.

Saturday’s Cup schedule consists of two mid-morning practices, one for 45 minutes and the last for 65 minutes. The Nationwide Series qualifies in the morning, and races in the afternoon.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers ran their first fifty-minute session Friday under cloudy skies with flags waving in the strong breeze at Auto Club Speedway. Forty-three of the 49 entries were on track. BRIAN VICKERS/No.32 Braun Racing Toyota was fastest at 44.512/177.725 mph. The top five included two Go or Go Home drivers and a Rookie. If PAUL MENARD/No.98 Richmond/Menards Ford (second) and GREG BIFFLE/No.27 Baker Curb Racing Ford (third) keep it up, they will make the field based on time. JASON LEFFLER/No.38 Braun Racing Toyota was fourth fastest and is guaranteed a starting position. The top Rookie was COLIN BRAUN/No.16 Roush-Fenway Ford, running fifth.

Braun Racing has four cars running in Nationwide, with a revolving driver line-up. Leffler and Rookie BRIAN SCOTT are the regular drivers for the full season – but not always in the same car. The part-time drivers, who also rotate between cars, are KASEY KAHNE, REED SORENSEN, DAVID REUTIMANN, and Vickers. In NASCAR, the driver keeps the points, no matter how many cars driven, whereas the Owner Points remain with the specific car.

DANICA PATRICK/No.7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet took advantage of her first NNS session, turning sixteen laps – more than any other drivers. She was thirty-seventh fastest.

Earlier, during the NASCAR-mandated ‘Hauler Chats’ Patrick’s team owner, DALE EARNHARDT, Jr. said “We’re going to be real patient with her. She’s a lot of fun to be around.”

Patrick contrasted one difference between racing in IRL Indy Car and NASCAR – “There’s a lot more media in NASCAR.”

In the second Nationwide session, the sun continued to play hide and seek. Biffle was on top for the 100-minute session, at 40.794/170.407 mph, followed by Scott, Cup driver JOEY LOGANO/No.20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, STEVE WALLACE/No.66 Rusty Wallace Racing Toyota, and Braun. Again, Patrick turned the most laps – 35, and moved up to twenty-seventh place. Scott missed the first practice as he ran over debris on his out lap, breaking the splitter, radiator and oil cooler. Obviously the repair took.

In the first Sprint Cup practice, MARK MARTIN/No.5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was fastest, at 39.360/182.927 mph. The sun peeked through but the chill remained. Second through fifth were also running the red bow tie: RYAN NEWMAN/No.39 Stewart-Haas Racing, JUAN PABLO MONTOYA/No.42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, and two Richard Childress Racing drivers, JEFF BURTON/No.3 and CLINT BOWYER/No.33. Chevrolet was the marque for eight of the top ten drivers.

All 46 Cup entries were on track.

Friday was a light track day. The Nationwide drivers had two practices, and Sprint Cup ran one practice and qualifying.

The Friday weather started out unexpectedly cool and cloudy for the opening day of the three-day NASCAR weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Ontario California. The forecast had been changing daily, downwardly. But, this being Southern California, the sun could make an appearance.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide are the program for the second NASCAR weekend of the 2010 season. Sprint Cup has 46 entries, including two Rookies and 11 drives required to make the field based on time – Go or Go Home. Nationwide drivers number 49, with 17 Go or Go Home drivers and three Rookies – not including the only female driver this weekend, DANICA PATRICK/No.7 Go Daddy Chevrolet. Diminutive Danica will run selected NNS races this year, after making her stock car debut in the ARCA race during SpeedWeeks.

Grands Marshals, Honorary Race Officials, and Honorary Starters have all been named for the weekend. ANDY GARCIA, actor/producer/director/composer/musician. will be the Grand Marshal for the Auto Club 500 Sprint Cup race. He will be saying “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.” Actress KATE WALSH will be the Grand Marshal for the Stater Bros. 300 Nationwide race, and she will say “Drivers, Start your Engines” as that field includes the only female driver this weekend, DANICA PATRICK/No.7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

Form WWF wrestler, STEVE AUSTIN, will wave the Green Flag Sunday for the Cup race.

Auto Club Speedway is remaining politically neutral in the choices for the Honorary Race Officials. No Democratic candidate has officially filed to run for Governor of California. The two Republican candidates will be Honorary Race Officials.  Current California Insurance Commissioner, STEVE POIZNER will ride in the Official NASCAR Pace Car Sunday which leads the 43-car field to the Green Flag. MEG WHITMAN, former eBay President and CEO, will wave the Green Flag for Saturday’s Stater Bros. 300.

I’m told that the choice for which candidate worked which race had to do with availability. The press releases sent out made no political references, rather focusing on the accomplishments and achievements of each person. The releases were carefully written so they each had the same number of words, and were sent out in the order of the person’s appearance at the track.

The selection process for these positions is done by the Auto Club Speedway staff, and there is an actual employee who heads up these efforts – AARON GIANNINI, Director of Entertainment Integration. For the political choices, there is also input from the Community Affairs staff. Another cool part of Giannini’s job might be getting the military flyovers organized. Sunday it will be the Navy’s Blue Angels – U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. The F/A-18 Hornets Delta formation will occur Sunday right after the National Anthem. These flyovers are said to be done as a recruiting tool.

Saturday’s Nationwide Series Stater Bros. 300 race starts 2:30 PM local time, shown live on ESPN2.

Sunday’s Sprint Cup Auto Club 500 race starts at noon local time, shown live on FOX.