Labor of Love

August 27, 2008 11:17am CDT

Nice and smooth: that is how to drive Auto Club Speedway. Like its sister track of Michigan International Speedway, the California track is large with easy turns and plenty of room to pass. Some drivers say it feels like a hefty flat track and typically the same ones who run well in Michigan handle California with ease.

Fantasy owners were warned that Michigan could easily turn into a fuel-mileage showdown, and the same can be said for Auto Club Speedway. The two tracks are almost exactly alike, and because of the wide lanes and smooth driving, there are not usually many cautions. So be forewarned once more that Saturday’s race may be less about who is the fastest and more about who can conserve the most gasoline.

Claim Jumpers

Friday was not a good night for Carl Edwards. Just as he was making ground in the Nationwide Series championship, he hit some bad luck at Bristol Motor Speedway and finished 37th. He will get his revenge this week. “Concrete Carl” has won the last two Sprint Cup Series races and also won in California in the senior circuit in the spring. He has been great in Fontana in the Nationwide circuit as well; since 2005, he has a win and five top-10s there.

If Edwards wants to make a run at the title, he will have to hope Clint Bowyer has some bad luck, because that driver is too talented to make a mistake on his own. On the big California track, he has three top-fives and four top-10s in six tries. He was a solid fifth there in last year’s edition of this race. Equally important, he is coming off a second-place finish at Bristol, which gives him momentum this weekend.

Jeff Burton takes most of his Saturday’s off, preferring to let Scott Wimmer handle the driving duties in the No. 29 Chevrolet. However, the veteran will climb behind the wheel in California and give himself more seat time on Labor Day weekend. This is good news for fantasy owners. Since California’s handling is similar to that of a flat track, it suits Burton’s driving style. He has never finished outside the top 20 there in the Nationwide Series, and he has notched a win and four straight top-10s in Fontana.

Nationwide Regulars

A track like Auto Club Speedway suits Joey Logano. He is very good at finding a rhythm on a track, and this is the perfect place for that type of driving. He can take his pick of racing grooves and set himself on cruise control for much of the night. It will be his first try at Auto Club, but remember that he was seventh in his first attempt at Michigan. It doesn’t hurt that his No. 20 Toyota won at California earlier this year and now that Logano has been named as the driver of the 20 Cup car next year, he has a ton of confidence.

Logano continues to get all the publicity, but Brad Keselowski has proven he is just as talented. Last week, he earned his second career victory and first on the tough track of Bristol while Logano languished mid-pack at the end of the night. Keselowski will have a chance to prove he is worthy of a Sprint Cup ride this week. He has never finished higher than 32nd in Fontana, which is what gives him his dark horse status this week, but he has a 13th and 11th in two tries at the sister track of Michigan.

Chase Miller has zero Nationwide experience on the two-mile unrestricted, intermediate speedways, but don’t believe that he can’t be a major surprise. On the flat track of Gateway International Raceway, the Young Gun has a 13th and 15th. At Phoenix International Raceway, he was a respectable 21st. One thing that will help his chances is that the No. 9 Dodge team has been awesome in Fontana. With Kasey Kahne behind the wheel, the crew has a win and seven straight finishes of sixth or better there.

Power Rankings for Auto Club Speedway
(drivers with starts on this track)