2019 Auto Club 400

The **2019 Auto Club 400** was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on March 17, 2019, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Contested over 200 laps on the 2-mile (3.2 km)\* D-shaped oval, it was the fifth race of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. The race was won by Kyle Busch, his 200th win across all three of NASCAR's national divisions.

## Report

### Background

**Auto Club Speedway** (formerly California Speedway) is a 2 miles (3.2 km), low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1997. It is also used for open wheel racing events. The racetrack is located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and Riverside International Raceway. The track is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation and is the only track owned by ISC to have naming rights sold. The speedway is served by the nearby Interstate 10 and Interstate 15 freeways as well as a Metrolink station located behind the backstretch.

## First practice

Jimmie Johnson was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 40.137 seconds and a speed of 179.386 mph (288.694 km/h).

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## Qualifying

Austin Dillon scored the pole for the race with a time of 39.982 and a speed of 180.081 mph (289.812 km/h) after no drivers completed a lap in the final round of qualifying.

## Practice (post-qualifying)

### Second practice

Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 40.940 seconds and a speed of 175.867 mph (283.031 km/h).

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### Final practice

Brad Keselowski was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 40.759 seconds and a speed of 176.648 mph (284.287 km/h).

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## Race

### First stage

As expected the field quickly fanned out 5-wide, Denny Hamlin led the first lap from the 6th starting position. Position battles continued through the pack. Lead changes occurred multiple time per lap. Official lead changes are only recorded at the start/finish line. Aric Almirola led for a while, trailed by Hamlin and Kyle Busch, It did not take long for the fastest car on the track, Kyle Busch, to move to the front.

Busch dominated the first Stage taking the green and white checkered flag on what could be a momentous day for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

### Second stage

At the start of Stage 2, the three Team Penske cars got together in an attempt to run down Kyle Busch. The hottest team on the circuit could not catch the leader. Green flag pitstops started at lap 31 for the race leaders. Just as in Stage 1, Kyle Busch was the last of the lead cars to pit. He lost no time on pit road, exited with the lead, even picked a second on 2nd place Brad Keselowski. Michigan’s Erik Jones jumped up into the mix with the Penske drivers sitting in 3rd after his pit stop. Ryan Blaney ran 4th and Joey Logano 5th when everyone returned to the track.

Jones seems to fade at the end of a 25-30 lap run. If he is near the front with a late caution, he may have a shot at the win. Kyle Busch continued to dominate as he swept both stages for the 3rd time in his career.

### Final Stage

Kyle Busch again was the first out of the pits. However, he was too fast exiting pit road. Will driver error ruin Kyle’s day? After returning to the pits to serve his penalty, Busch will start deep in the field. Brad Keselowski inherited the lead, with Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Almirola set to lead the pack into the restart. Busch took the green flag in 17th with 73 laps to go.

With 63 laps to go, Kyle Busch worked his way back to the top 10. At 41 laps to go, Kyle passed his brother Kurt Busch and moved to 5th. Pit stops began with 40 laps to go, giving the lead back to Kyle Busch, Darrell Wallace Jr. blew a left front tire and exploded the fender. The debris from Bubba’s car brought out the caution with 38 to go.

With the caution coming out during green flag pit stops, 14 lead lap cars had already pitted and were a lap down. Seven cars remained on the lead lap. Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Brad Keselowski, Blaney, Logano, Harvick, and Kurt Busch. As the leaders pitted, the cars one lap down took the wave around to get back on the lead lap. Blaney opted to stay out and was the leader when the race went green with 31 to go. Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Harvick, and Logano rounded out the top 5.

The Ford Mustangs of Keselowski, Logano, and Harvick teamed up and moved to the front. While the Busch brothers fought it out for 4th. But as soon as Kyle established the position he made short work of returning to the lead.

Kyle Busch drives away for his 53rd Cup Series win and 200th career victory combined in NASCAR’s top 3 series. An accomplishment that is sure to bring comparisons to Richard Petty’s 200 Cup Series victories.

### Stage Results

**Stage One**
*Laps:* 60

**Stage Two**
*Laps:* 60

### Final Stage Results

**Stage Three**
*Laps:* 80

### Race statistics

* Lead changes: 18 among 9 different drivers
* Cautions/Laps: 4 for 22
* Red flags: 0
* Time of race: 2 hours, 47 minutes and 42 seconds
* Average speed: 143.113 miles per hour (230.318 km/h)

## Media

### Television

The race was the 19th race Fox Sports covered at the Auto Club Speedway. Mike Joy, three-time Auto Club winner Jeff Gordon and Darrell Waltrip called the race in the booth for Fox. Jamie Little, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum handled the pit road duties for the television side.

### Radio

MRN had the radio call for the race which was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle and 2001 race winner Rusty Wallace called the race from the booth when the field raced their way down the front stretch. Kyle Rickey called the race from a billboard outside turn 2 when the field raced their way through turns 1 and 2 & Dan Hubbard called the race from a billboard outside turn 3 when the field raced their way through turns 3 and 4. Winston Kelley, Steve Post and Dillon Welch had the pit road duties for MRN.

 **Lead announcer:** Alex Hayden**Announcer:** Jeff Striegle**Announcer:** Rusty Wallace | **Turns 1 & 2:** Kyle Rickey**Turns 3 & 4:** Dan Hubbard | Winston KelleySteve PostDillon Welch

## References

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