NASCAR looks forward to Auto Club Speedway return

After taking last season off from visiting Auto Club Speedway due to pandemic restrictions, the NASCAR Cup Series is looking forward to returning to the 2-mile track located just outside of Los Angeles in Fontana, California for the WISE Power 400 on February 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Groundbreaking for California Speedway, as Auto Club Speedway was originally known, took place in November of 1995. The track name was changed to Auto Club Speedway (ACS) in February of 2008. The first race at Auto Club Speedway was an ARCA Menards Series West race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997.

The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway was held on June 22, 1997 and won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon driving the Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 Chevrolet.

The September 2004 event was the first night race at Auto Club Speedway and that also was the first year both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series ran two races in a season there. There have been 31 NASCAR Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway, the track hosted one race a season from 1997-2003, then two races per season from 2004-2010. In 2011, Auto Club Speedway returned to a single-race season.

Last season (2021) due to the COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions, Auto Club Speedway was removed from the NASCAR Cup Series schedule but has returned this season to be the second race on the 2022 schedule.

Auto Club Speedway’s 31 previous NASCAR Cup Series races have produced 20 different poles winners and 18 different race winners. 23XI Racing’s Kurt Busch leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Auto Club Speedway with four (2015, 2007 and 2006 sweep). Joe Nemechek won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole at Auto Club Speedway in 1997 with a speed of 183.015 mph (39.341 secs).

Six of the 20 NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club Speedway pole winners are active this weekend.

 

Active Pole Winners	Poles	Seasons
Kurt Busch	4	2006 Sweep, 2007, 2015
Denny Hamlin	3	2009, 2012, 2013
Austin Dillon	2	2016, 2019
Kyle Larson	1	2017
Martin Truex Jr	1	2018
Kyle Busch	1	2005

 

Kyle Busch leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Auto Club Speedway with four victories (2005, 2013, 2014, 2019). Seven of the 18 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Auto Club Speedway are active this weekend.

 

Active Winners	Wins	Seasons
Kyle Busch	4	2005, 2013, 2014, 2019
Alex Bowman	1	2020
Martin Truex Jr	1	2018
Kyle Larson	1	2017
Brad Keselowski	1	2015
Kevin Harvick	1	2011
Kurt Busch	1	2003

 

All the action begins this Saturday, February 26 at Auto Club Speedway with NASCAR Cup Series practice at 2 p.m. ET and qualifying at 2:35 p.m. ET. 

 -- NASCAR