2017 NASCAR Week 5: Auto Club

Auto Club 400

Auto Club Speedway

By Richard Tix

Is this the week that one of the Young Gun's of NASCAR finally gets it done? Last week Ryan Newman and the No. 31 team made a bold call to stay out late in the race and it paid off when the field was shaken up behind them. That call snapped a long win-less streak for Ryan Newman and RCR.

Now NASCAR stay's West one last week with it's final stop of the tour at Auto Club Speedway (Fontana). 2017 has brought an early season shake up by watching the Fords start out hot and two young kids trying to go toe to toe with them.

Those two drivers are Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott and both have had great starts to the newest season. Larson has three straight second place finishes and was running second in the Daytona 500 before running out of fuel on the last lap. Larson is also the current points leader, has scored a stage point in every single stage so far this year, and on the season has averaged a running position of 5.25. So, it's safe to say he has had a phenomenal start to 2017.

Elliott has been no slouch himself. Chase actually has a better average running position then Larson so far this year at 5th, which is crazy to think. Chase's only issue has been finishing the race off strong when other teams are switching up strategies. Yet, he sits 3rd in the standings as we head into a track that he ran well at as a rookie in 2016.

Last year Chase finished 6th sixth at Fontana which at the time was his highest finish of 2016. Larson has a second place finish in 2014, but in the nest two season's he ran into some tough luck. However, both drivers should run well at Fontana considering the track seems to fit both of them as drivers.

So, it's pretty easy to imagine just one week after Ryan Newman pulled off a shocker, to see one of these young guns finally win in 2017 (Larson's second career win or Elliott's first career win). That's not even mentioning Ryan Blaney who has been fast all year and could also be in the mix late in the race.

I think the story of the early season has really been how these young kids have been bringing it and been fast week to week. So, the storyline this weekend will be can one of them pull off a trip to Victory Lane?

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Jimmie Johnson- Six career wins here at Auto Club for JJ and he got back on the map last year with his second win of 2016 here on his way to his 7th Cup Championship.
• Kyle Busch- Before last years rough finish (25th), Rowdy had two straight wins at Auto Club in races he participated in -- missed 2015 with his injury.
• Kevin Harvick- In his last eight races here he has a win, five top fives (including three second place finishes), and six top ten's.

The Middle

• Matt Kenseth- Kenseh hasn't won here since 2009. In the nine races after that 2009 win he has an average finish of 14.55 with only four top tens.

The Bad

• Aric Almirola- Nine career races withouth a single top ten. Aric only has two top 15's and two top 20's in his career as well which is where the real struggle is.
• Martin Turex Jr- Only nine top 20's in Martins 16 career starts here at Auto Club. In the No. 78 he also only has one top 10 -- three races -- which is more telling of his struggles here.
• Trevor Bayne- Last year Bayne qualified well here -- 7th -- but failed to finish as well -- 20th. However, last years 20th was his best finish in three tries, which isn't a good thing. 

About the Track: Auto Club

Track Stats

• Manufacturer wins here go Chevy 13, Ford 11, Toyota 2, and Dodge 1
• Until 2014 Jimmie Johnson was the only driver to win two times in a row here (2009 and 2010). Kyle Busch won back to back in 2014 and 2013
• Only Jimmie Johnson has won from the Pole: 2008 (26 total races)
• Most career wins here: Jimmie Johnson 6, Jeff Gordon 3, and Matt Kenseth 3
• Most Poles: Kurt Busch with 4
• Ken Schrader ran 17 races here without a top 10. Highest finish was 14th, twice.
• Johnson has the most career top 5's at Auto Club: 13
• Johnson has the most career top 10's with 16

Track Info

• Surface - Asphalt
• Length - 2 miles
• Banking
• Turns- 14 degrees
• Frontstretch- 11 degrees
• Backstretch- 3 degrees

March Madness Nascar Style: Championship

Well Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardnials are your NCAA Men's Basketball DI 2013 Champions. The game was possibly the most fast paced championship game in recent history. But guess what, our Championship game will be even faster! Nascars Final Four kicked off at Martinsville Speedway with match ups of Kyle Busch v Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski v Kurt Busch. Once again we had one match up that went the distance and the other was just a blow out.

Lets start with the blow out. BK faced off against #8 seeded Kurt Busch who used his strong run to get to the Final Four but at Martinsville it wasn't even close, as Kurt struggled all day and ended up not finishing the race (Engine fire). BK had a good day but only had a top 10 car on the day and finished 6th.

As for the slug fest. Both Kyle and Kasey left Martinsville with 40 points, but the edge goes to Kasey who finished 4th, one spot ahead of Kyle in 5th. Both has fast cars on Sunday and fought down to the end. Kyle Busch even lead 56 laps on the day but it wasn't enough to get past Kahne.

So now Nascar is down to two drivers, Brad Keselowski (#1 seed) and Kasey Kahne (#4 seed) just like Louisville and Michigan, except the pace will be at 190 mph. Both drivers are sitting in the top 5 in points heading to Texas Motor Speedway and have had a great start to 2013.

The Match Up:

Brad Keselowski (Career at Texas Motor Speedway)

• 9 Starts
• 0 Wins
• 1 Top 5
• 1 Top 10
• Average Start 26.2
• Average Finish 22.7

Kasey Kahne (Career at Texas Motor Speedway)

• 17 Starts
• 1 Win
• 4 Top 5's
• 5Top 10's
• Average Start 11.8
• Average Finish 19.2

Who is going to win?

Well looking at the stats it is hard not to say Kasey Kahne. Kahen has not only a win at Texas, but 3 more top 5 finishes then BK. BK also has almost half as many starts at the track then Kahne does. The last 3 starts at Texas BK has started 8th each time, the winner at Texas normally comes from the top 10, and he also finished 2nd last time around. Kasey on the other hand has finished 25th, 7th, and 3rd in his last three at Texas. Kahne also has a win on the season and seems to run well at tracks like Texas. I think BK is hungry to get in the Win column for 2013 but I don't think it will be this Saturday at Texas.

Championship Winner(My Pick): Kasey Kahne

I think Kahne has a shot at winning on Saturday and will continue his hot run. BK may still finish top 10 but I'm not sure it will be enough.

A look at the past Articles:

• March Madness Nascar Style
• March Madness Nascar Style: Elite Eight
• March Madness Nascar Style: Final Four
• Week 7 Preview: Texas Motor Speedway

**Edit: Brad Keselowski outlasted Kasey Kahne at Texas Motor Speedway in Nascar's first Night race of the 2013 season. BK finished Top 10 and Kahne just missed the Top 10 so it was a close battle but the defending Sprint Cup Champion comes out on top of this years March Tourney.**

March Madness Nascar Style: Final Four

On a crazy Sunday in NCAA Basketball where a #15 seed will advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time ever, Nascar had a dramatic finish to the Auto Club 400. Great racing, check. Rivalry battle for the lead, check. Thrown punches, check. New rivalries started, check. Last lap pass for the win, check. As well as a Nascar fan I am also a fan of college basketball. My hometown team the Minnesota Gophers were on, and another team I grew up on the North Carolina Tar Heels were also on, yet I was glued to the race at Fontana.

 

This Nascar addition bracket is just for fun and has no real chance to add any extra drama to this Hollywood movie at Fontana and its a good thing, as Nascar fans we don't rely on it like College basketball does. That's because this past Sunday most of these match ups were blow outs. Lets take a look at the four match ups and the results. Here is a look back at the Elite Eight Article from last week.

5) Kyle Busch v 3) Clint Bowyer

• Kyle seemed to be in full control of this victory all day long. He lead 125 laps and Bowyer really never had a chance. Bowyer did however have a really solid day, that is until 15 to go when his car gave up on him and he ended up not finishing the race. Kyle Busch is definitely one driver that doesn't want a week off from the Sprint Cup after finishing 4th, 2nd, and 1st.

4) Kasey Kahne v 2) Mark Martin

• I guess it is only fair that Mark Martin went down this week to Kasey Kahne. That's because Martin got to step out at Bristol and let Brian Vickers get him into the Elite Eight. It was a tough day for Martin anyways, when Gilliland got into him and Martin remarked "something just broke in the car." Kahne meanwhile finished 9th and continued his hot run into the Final Four.

1) Brad Keselowski v 6) Juan Pablo Montoya

• This is that match up where neither guy deserves to win, but because they got this far someone must go on. BK got the free pass in this race when Montoya went behind the wall to the garage early in the race. BK did have a good run from the back to the front, but at the end of the day he fell all the way back to 23rd.

8) Kurt Busch v 3) Paul Menard

• The only close match up of the day in Fontana, Kurt Busch came out on top in the closing laps. Both drivers at one point in the Auto Club 400 were a lap down (Kurt a speeding penalty, Menard a cut tire). Both drivers also climbed their way back out of that hole to a top 10 finish. The difference was Kurt Busch's late race restarts that consistently shot him past other drivers for good track position. Kurt is the Cinderella of this Tournament heading into the Final Four and has a chance to fave his brother in the Finals.

So now Nascar takes a one week break during Easter weekend and gets back at it at Martinsville Speedway April 7th. Martinsville will be the track where the Final Four will be held and decide which two drivers move onto Texas Motor Speedway for the Finals. Here is who we have left and there match ups.

5) Kyle Busch v 4) Kasey Kahne

• This is going to be an exciting match up in the Final Four. Kyle is definitely the hottest driver in Nascar right now. That leaves Kahne a close second. In the past three races you would have to be blind not to notice these guys having an impact.  Martinsville will be a tough place to advance out of because anything can happen. It will be exciting to see who gets out alive.

1) Brad Keselowski v 8) Kurt Busch

• The only #1 seed left in the bracket faces the only #8 seed left in the bracket. In college basketball this would look like a mismatch at this point in the tournament but heading to Martinsville and anyone has a chance. Kurt and his small team that could is on a heater heading into the break. BK just hit his very first speed bump since becoming the defending Champion. How will either driver react at Martinsville? Whoever stays out of trouble the most may just be the one heading to Texas in the Finals.

Well here we go. A long week off after a race that left Nascar fans wanting more. With it being a long two weeks I will be back to update this throughout the week when we get closer to Martinsville.

Check out the Auto Club 400 Review
Also you can check out the Opening Round brackets,
and the Elite Eight brackets.
Can't get enough of last Sundays week? Check out Tweets of the Race.

Follow me on Twitter for more Nascar Updates.
"Like" the Facebook page Nascar Behind the Wall for even more updates everyday.

Nascar Pit Road: Week 5

Auto Club Speedway

  

Wow! That doesn't even begin to sum up week 5 in Fontana, CA. Drama so crazy it seemed to be written and sent straight over from nearby Hollywood.  Kyle Busch came away with the win, but is that really what anyone remembers from this race? It is crazy to think the race winner and guy who led the most laps on the day is the background story, but it happened Sunday at Auto Club Speedway. Caution after caution waved and Kyle Busch always seemed to be up front, and when the green waved he would pull away time after time. Then came the final restart, Clint Bowyer spun out with 15 to go, and Nascar Fans saw about 6 different lines to take. Three wide all the way back and Logano got past Kyle, and so did Denny Hamlin. A week after the JoLo and Denny confrontation and their we were with the two "friends" one and two. On the last lap everything broke lose and it looked like Logano just pushed it too hard through the corner and pushed up into Hamlin. Logano bumped him, as a result Hamlin got loose and lost control wrecking both. Logano continued to finish 3rd but Hamlin spun down into the inside of the turn and hit the wall straight on where their was no Safer Barrier. (Still don't understand why Nascar doesn't mandate them every where possible?). The news on Hamlin is still out, last updates it was a back injury but he was stable. (Check back or check my Twitter for updates on his condition).

To start the Nascar season this has to be the race of the season. Even without the Denny v Logano shove fest, the last 15 laps had some of the best racing of the season. It could have been perfectly timed cautions, or that teams are figuring out the Gen 6 cars, but either way it was entertaining.

Joey Logano once again found himself in the middle of everything, and not just with Denny Hamlin, This week Tony Stewart wasn't happy with him. After the race a mini brawl started with the two teams and Tony trying to throw punches but failing to conect. After Tony was asked what got him so hot.

Tony Stewart called Joey Logano an SOB and many other colorful expletives, as well. Smoke was mad about being blocked on the final restart.
— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) March 24, 2013

Smoke got blocked by Logano on the final restart in a race Tony had a chance at winning. Smoke was totally in the wrong here, their is no way you just let a guy go with 15 left when you want to win, but non the less it added even more drama in this trip to Fontana.

A few other things came up during the race such as Greg Biffle getting into Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth early in the race. Both didn't seem too happy about it.

"It was absolutely ridiculous 16 did that," says Kenseth of contact. "I was going to pull down and let him go like i have the last 15 years"
— Richard Allen (@RacingWithRich) March 24, 2013

Past all the drama a few other great story lines happened after Kyle Busch got the win. Dale Earnhardt Jr had another strong race this week. Jr started slow but his team figured it out and he jumped back for another top 5 while taking over first in the points standings. Greg Biffle started in the back of the field and made his way up to 6th. Brad Keselowski also started in the back (Engine) and ran up front most of the day but on the last restart fell way behind and slid to a 23rd place finish which resulted in him giving up first in the standings. Also one last storyline to mention out of many, Kurt Busch and the little team that could mark another top 5 on the season. For race results, check Auto Club 400 2013. Also check back this week for more storyline articles on the blog.

 

 

Rising, Coasting, and Falling drivers after Auto Club Speedway.

 

Risers:

Kurt Busch finished 5th

• Kurt Busch- Kurt took on a mid race speeding penalty and eventually found himself a lap down. That didn't stop Kurt from getting it back and making moves down the stretch. At one point it looked like he may challenge his Brother for first. That's back to back top 5's for Kurt and his small team and the first time in Furniture Row History that has happened.
• Joey Logano- JoLo looked good all day. He was constantly up front and around Hamlin (Mostly in front of him). The race really came down to their feud when they found themselves 1 and 2. Joey may have raced a bit too hard and pushed too far up the turn, and it resulted in them both crashing, but what else was he going to do? That is racing and hopefully Hamlin is ok. I was not a fan when JoLo said "He got what he deserved" but I'm hoping it was just emotions and he didn't realize that Denny was taken off via stretcher. **Update Logano didn't know how serious it was and is also hoping Denny is ok.** JoLo said he had to race it hard to hold him off and he just couldn't hold it, said that Denny raced him clean and gave him plenty of room. Past that he had his best finish at Fontana and on the season with a 3rd place.
• Kyle Busch- Lets just say Fontana has been Kyle's track. Heading into this years race he had lead 231 of 329 of the laps in the past two races. No different this year as he lead 125 of 200 laps and got the win. No one is hotter than Kyle right now with the last 3 races resulting in a 4th, 2nd, and 1st. The Sprint Cup win finished off a weekend sweep after his Nationwide win on Saturday.
• Honorable mention: Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon

Coasting:

• Paul Menard- Menard hit the wall and caused a caution when his tire went down, dropped to 30th, and went a lap down. Menard finished the day 8th. It was that kind of day at Auto Club Speedway. 10th, 9th, 7th in the past 3 weeks, Menard is racing like he wants to finish the season in the top 15.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr- Hey Kyle won the race! Denny and JoLo got into it again! Tony Stewart is calling for JoLo's head! Oh, and Jr took over first place in the standings. It has to be a drama filled race when the sports most popular driver is the back story. If you are counting that is 5 top 10's and 3 top 5's this season.  One would have to think that Jr should notch a win at some point in the season, one would also think it is coming soon.
• Kasey Kahne- After his 2nd place finish and then his win at Bristol, Kahne cooled off a bit this week. He still finished a respectable 9th but never really seemed in contention to win. Good job by this team to get points and keep the car on the track.

Falling:

• Brad Keselowski- BK started the day moving to the back of the pack by replacing an engine. He responded by pushing up to the front pack. He looked to be a lock on the top 10 and a top 5 contender but on the final restart he fell way, way back and finished 23rd. Fontana was a speed bump that he wasn't expecting after good qualifying and a good run from the back of the pack. We will see in two weeks how he takes this bump as a defending champ.
• Tony Stewart- Well Smoke has been down all season so this may be beating on a man who is down, but when you are a past champion and the start of your season has gone this way there is no way I will look past it. I will give it to him, he almost started the long climb out from the bottom. Stewart was up front all day, but on the last restart got blocked by Logano, and then said he may be on the verge of a cut tire and finished 22nd. Disappointing day, that ended with him taking it out on Logano. This could get real interesting at Martinsville, but if its the Tony we all know it could just be "Smoke."
• Juan Pablo Montoya- Down early, Montoya finished 38th. That is 10 spots behind Danica. Montoya actually qualified well at Fontana, 12th, but that was as close to the front as he got. Montoya is just hanging onto the 30th spot in the standings.
• Dishonorable mention: Clint Bowyer (Late problems lead to this spot, look for a quick bounce back)
   

Hamlin v Logano on the last lap

Pit Road (Week 5 Power Rankings)

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-2)- JR may not be as HOT as Kyle Busch, but he has been in the top 3 all year, and taking over #1 in the points has got to count for something. Plus he took a bad car and worked all day to get it to 2nd.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-8)- He has been the hottest driver in the last three races hands down. The win jumps him past last years champ. Can you argue against 4th, 2nd, and 1st? This team is clicking.
3. Brad Keselowski (LW-1)- Rough ending to a good week. Qualify 3rd, change engines and start in the back. Make a run to the front, get a speeding penalty. Make another run to the front, last restart drop back to 23rd after being strong. It was not what BK wanted, but his first finish outside the top 5 brings him down a notch. Lets see what happens with his first drop of the season.
4. Kasey Kahne (LW-4)- If Kyle has been the hottest driver in the last 3, Kahne is 1B. Kahne finished 2nd, 1st, and now 9th this week. Kahne was trying to find the right setup all day but never really did, he managed to salvage a top 10 though.
5. Jimmie Johnson (LW-3)- A slow day at a track Jimmie normally runs well at. JJ is still sitting in 2nd in the points standings, but hasn't been too hot the past few.
6. Carl Edwards (LW-5)- Quiet. In one word that's what comes to mind about Carl's day. He managed to finish with good track position and get his car into the top 5 with a 4th place finish.
7. Greg Biffle (LW-6)- Along with BK, Biffle started the day moving back to the back of the pack. He along with BK steadly moved up. Though Biffle didn't loose track position at the end of the day and finished 6th. Biffle hasn't had a chance at winning too many races this season, but he still finds himself in the 5th spot in the standings.
8. Matt Kenseth (LW-7)- Another week and another good race for Kenseth. Once again though he ran into problems, his name was Greg Biffle. Biffle got into him and it may have caused the tire that went down, not long after that lost Kenseth some track position. Kenseth still fought through and finished 7th. He doesn't normally retaliate but Martinsville would be a good place to get a little "nudge" back at Biffle if he wanted to.
9. Joey Logano (LW-NR)- Carl may have been the quiet one in the race, but Logano has been the quiet one in the standings (definitely not quiet off the track). He is sitting 9th on the season and just notched his first top 5 this year. Denny and JoLo got into it again late in the race but he still finished 3rd in a day where he was up front challenging all day. Logano only needs one more top 5 to tie last season, two.
10. Paul Menard (LW-NR)- Menard was in no position to win the race, but hey that is three top 10's in a row. Menard has got to love the start he has gotten off to and the possibility of getting a win. Not only that, but he is in a spot to make the chase as of today, 8th. Granted it is early, but Menard has been contestant the past three and I had to give him the slight edge over the deserving Kurt Busch who drove the wheels off his Furniture Row Chevy on Sunday.

Dropping Out- Denny Hamlin (LW-10) and Clint Bowyer (LW-9)

Just Missed- Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick

• Preview for Auto Club Speedway if you want to take a look back.
• Updated Sprint Cup Standings
• Nascar Schedule

This week I will also be adding in Tweets of the Race (Tweets from Fontana), an Updated March Madness Nascar Style: Final Four, and a few articles to get you through the week off until Martinsville. I also may do a Tweets of the Week: Week Off Addition.

Then next week we will have a Martinsville Preview and Tweets of the Week leading up to Martinsville. So get ready!

As always chek out and follow me on Twitter for the most recent updates!

**Denny Hamlin Update**
 

#NASCAR @dennyhamlin suffered a L1 Compression Fracture. Will return home and be evaluated by Dr. Petty in Charlotte.
— David Newton(@DNewtonespn) March 25, 2013

All good twitter.com/dennyhamlin/st…
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) March 25, 2013

Heading to see Dr Petty and staff. He's worked with me before and knows my back as good as anyone. #keepfighting

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) March 26, 2013

Week 5 Preview

Auto Club Speedway

Auto Club 400, Fontana, CA

 Nascar is leaving Bristol and heading to Fontana, CA for week 5 of the Sprint Cup season. Leaving Bristol we take a few things with us, Brad Keselowski is back where he ended last year, Dale Earnhardt Jr is still rolling, Kasey Kahne looks like a real contender after finishing last season 5th, and Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano have something personal going on.





Logano confronts Hamlin after being spun out espn.go.com/racing/nascar/… #nascar
— David Newton(@DNewtonespn) March 17, 2013

So on we go to California before Nascar takes a breather for a week and gets back at it on one of the most entertaining tracks on the Nascar Schedule, Martinsville Speedway. Last time Nascar was at Fontana for the Auto Club 400 the race was cut short by rain leaving Tony Stewart the winner on the 2 mile oval. The year before that we saw an exciting finish where Kevin Harvick lead one lap all day, and it happened to be the last lap by 0.144 seconds.

Entering Fontana this year a few drivers who have been hot will also make another appearance on the Good list in this weeks Good, Middle, and Bad class for Auto Club Speedway. Here is a look at last years Auto Club 400 Results.

The Good: (Drivers with good results in the past few races at Fontana)

• Kyle Busch- The past two times Nascar has stopped in Fontana Kyle has lead a total of 231 of the 329 laps. That is 98 laps lead by the other 42 drivers. Yet Kyle didn't win either of those races. Last year the rain shortened his run and he ended up 2nd in a car that was ready to win. In the past four races at Auto Club Speedway Kyle has finished 2nd, 3rd, 14th, and 3rd. Best Chance Forecast: Kyle is hot finishing 2nd at Bristol and 4th at Las Vegas, it is possible he can pull off a 3rd straight top 5 this week.
• Tony Stewart- Stewart is in big need of a turn around, in fact all of Stewart-Hass needs it. Luckily two of the three team drivers show up on favorable lists this week (See Laying Low). Smoke got the last win in Fontana in that rain shortened race in 2012 but also has notched 13th, 9th, and 8th in the few years past. This could be the week he starts a comeback, if not he will have a huge hole to dig out of. Best Chance Forecast: Smoke needs a top 10 this week to turn things around for him and his team.
• Kevin Harvick- Harvick has had a bit of a slow start to his season. He sits 16th in points due to bad luck at Daytona and otherwise just being mediocre (One top 10 so far this year, but 3 top 15's). The past four at Fontana for Harvick came out to 4th, 1st, 2nd, and 38th. Those past 3 races leave Harvick hopeful for a good finish this weekend. Best Chance Forecast: With his last 3 results all in the top 5, its not a stretch to say he could get his first top 5 of the year. Expect at least a top 10.
• Others: Carl Edwards (5th, 6th, 13th, and 7th) and Jimmie Johnson (10th, 2nd, 1st, and 9th)

The Middle Class:

• Clint Bowyer- Bowyer has had decent success at Fontana in the past 4 races with 2 top 10's and 3 top 15's. Bowyer is quietly in 4th even though he had a long day in Las Vegas a couple weeks back. Best Chance Forecast: Its hard to see Bowyer turning in a top 5 this week, but notching another top 10 isn't too far out of the question.
• Matt Kenseth- Kenseth has had as hot of start as anyone, but it wont show in the points (currently 13th). Kenseth has just been in the wrong place at the wrong time at Daytona and Bristol, both races he had a great chance at the win. Kenseth's last trip to Fontana came with a 16th place finish, but the three before that resulted in a 4th, 7th, and 1st. That 16th place finish was also rain shortened and he was the last driver on the lead lap, so who knows he could have made up a few spots. Best Chance Forecast: Its very likely that Kenseth keeps it going and finds himself in the top 10 again at the end of the day.
• Greg Biffle- Greg Biffle has also been on the edge of good at Fontana. Just as deserving as Carl, Biffle's last four 6th, 11th, 10th, and 4th have all been good. However only one has resulted in a top 5. Best Chance Forecast: Biffle should easily find himself in the top 15, if he happens to find a fast car in qualifying and keeps track position a top 10 is possible.

The Bad: (Drivers that haven't run well in the past few races at Fontana)

• Joey Logano- I'm not sure this is the week we see Sliced Bread get back at Hamlin. Logano's last 4 here have resulted in a 24th, 25th, 5th, and 26th. Is that 5th place finish showing potential or just an outlier? Logano has had a decent start to the Nascar Season, and with some top drivers struggling (Stewart, Gordon, Harvick, even Newman) he finds himself in 12th. Maybe that good start will roll over, percentages say it wont.
• Brad Keselowski- This isnt the first time BK has been on the Bad List. Brad has shown though that after his first Championship and his hot start this year that he has become more well rounded at tracks he has struggled with. It still isn't enough yet to not look at his 18th, 26th, and 21st finishes in his last three. This could be the year he breaks back out at Fontana if he continues his dominance, but anything but 1st and we know BK will still be wanting more.
• Jeff Gordon- Last week I thought Gordon would get his first top 5 on the season, well he looked great until a cut tire ended his run and Matt Kenseth's while Gordon was leading. Gordon's last 3 of 4 races at Fontana haven't been much better than his 2013 start (26th, 18th, 20th, 2nd). Maybe Gordon will get back to that 2009 form at Fontana, if he doesn't he will keep digging his own hole.

Laying Low: (Drivers that could surprise)

• Kurt Busch- Small team, big results from Bristol. Fontana is another track that Kurt can possibly keep it going. Kurt's last 4 here resulted in 9th, 17th, 6th, and a 5th place finish. Kurt could keep running his hot finish at Bristol right into Fontana.
• Ryan Newman- Newman finally kept his car on the track and out of trouble at Bristol. It was a much needed top 10 and he is now currently the top Stewart-Haas driver in points. (That isn't saying much, he is 23rd). Newman has a chance to roll over his success at Bristol to Fontana. Newman's last two finishes here were 7th and 5th. Only downside, he did happen to struggle the two races before that, 36th and 28th. So the key to this race for Newman is also the key to his season comeback, hope the car stays together and keep the car on the track.
• AJ Allmendinger- Two starts, two top 15's. It is not an easy task to run part time and also finish well but AJ has done it so far in 2013. In AJ's last two at Fontana he has finished 15th and 14th. AJ is my long shot this week and is a low end high reward driver for this race.

Need more from Fontana? Check out these links:
Entry list for Auto Club 400 at Fontana, CA: Here
Nascar.com Auto Club Speedway track details: Here

March Madness Nascar Style: Elite Eight

Well the opening rounds of Nascar March Madness are over. We started at 32 drivers and in one week at Bristol we are down to the Elite Eight. Each Race from here on out is only one round, not two like the first round. In the first two rounds we got to see some upsets but we also now know who some of the front runners will be for the final four. Lets take a look at some of the more interesting story lines from the opening rounds. To check up on what we started with check out the article March Madness Nascar Style.

1) Denny Hamlin v 8) Kurt Busch

• Wow did that hurt. Hamlin didn't have the easiest first round match up (Kurt notorious for finishing well at Bristol) but Denny didn't help his case by finishing the race riding around the walls, literally. Hamlin was the only #1 seed to not advance to the Sweet 16 at Bristol.

1) Dale Earnhardt Jr v 4) Kasey Kahne

• Both Drivers got out of the round of 32 and into the Sweet 16 where this match up happened. Man did Jr get set up in a tough situation. Jr finished Bristol in the top 10 but he had to face Kahne, who was the race winner at Bristol. The Race winner this week was like an automatic bye, because he knew he had won both match ups. Kahne now has a 2nd and 1st in the past two weeks and might be getting hot at the right time, MARCH.

2) Carl Edwards v 3) Paul Menard

• In what has set up to be the upset bracket (Also the same Division Hamlin lost in the round of 32) the high seeded Menard took down #2 seed Edwards who had been on a recent hot streak. Carl had a rough day at Bristol and he ran into Menard who notched back to back top 10's this week (Vegas and now Bristol). Menard probably wasn't the driver you thought was coming out of this Division but it will be either him or Kurt Busch in the Nascar Final Four.

1	Jimmie Johnson	5) Busch		1) BK	1	Brad Keselowski
5	Kyle Busch				4	Joey Logano
3	Clint Bowyer	3) Bowyer		6) JPM	6	Juan Pablo Montoya
2	Greg Biffle				2	Matt Kenseth
1	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4) Kahne		8) Busch	8	Kurt Busch
4	Kasey Kahen				5	Jamie McMurray
6	Martin Truex Jr	2) Vickers		3) Menard	3	Paul Menard
2	Brian Vickers				2	Carl Edwards

**Vickers will be replaced back with Mark Martin as long as Vickers doesn't participate at Fontana since it was Martins Points Spot before Bristol**

So here we are. That's the Elite 8 and who is left. This weekend at Fontana, CA the Elite Eight will be played out and the Final Four will head on to a week break and then Martinsville. Here is a breakdown of each match up next week.

5) Kyle Busch v 3) Clint Bowyer

• Bowyer ran into a tough match up in the Elite 8 with Kyle Busch. Not only has Busch been getting hot as of late but his average finish at Fontana in the last 4 races has been 5.5. Clint Bowyer hasn't been too bad himself here, averaging 11.75 finishing position in the past 4 races. This could be one of the better match ups of the weekend, but to start Kyle has a slight edge.

4) Kasey Kahne v 2) Brian Vickers (Mark Martin)

• Assuming Brian Vickers doesn't qualify, this spot is given to Mark Martin. (It was Mark Martins points spot to start with, but Vickers was driving the #55 car at Bristol). Vickers did the dirty work for Mark Martin, but now hands over the tough task of taking down one of the hottest drivers this season. Kasey Kahne has come on strong as of late so this will be no easy feat. Kahne has the slight edge over Martin at Fontana, but neither has been too impressive there. This could come down to who is hot right now, and that edge definitely goes to Kahne off the win at Bristol (his first at Bristol).

1) Brad Keselowski v 6) Juan Pablo Montoya

• BK could have gotten off to the easiest Elite Eight match up in this tournament. BK took out the tough match up of Ryan Newman in round one, who notched a top 10 but couldn't beat out BK's 3rd place finish. Montoya on the other hand got off easy while finishing 30th. That's right a driver finishing 30th won two match ups last Sunday. This is Nascars Cinderella of this tourney. Montoya lucked out against Almirola (he finished outside the top 16 for the first time this season) and then got Matt Kenseth that got held up in a wreck when leader Jeff Gordon went down with a cut tire. Montoya has the chance again to get lucky with BK not having very much success at Fontana in the past, but BK had not had much success at Las Vegas either in the past and he posted a top 5. After all he is last years Sprint Cup Champion.

8) Kurt Busch v 3) Paul Menard

• And this the most unlikely of match ups. No one doubts that Kurt could run well at Bristol, but when your first match up is Denny Hamlin it doesn't look as bright. Well Kurt ran in the top 5 and, well Denny rode around the walls to a 23rd place finish. Menard posted his second top 10 in as many weeks to glide past Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards. Kurt has posted a 9th, 17th, 6th, and 5th in his last four at Fontana so he could end up an 8 seed in the final four. Don't count out Menard though since he has been hot and picked up two top 10's on the year so far.

This week in Fontana, CA the match ups should be a little less hectic than racing around Bristol. Fontana will set up a great Final Four to be played out at another crazy track, Martinsville.

For a review of Bristol and Power Rankings check out Nascar Pit Road.
To look at the opening round bracket check out March Madness Nascar Style.

Fontana, CA Preview will be coming this week as well with the Good, Bad, and Surprise drivers at Fontana. Check back in regularly or follow my Twitter for Updates. You can also go on Facebook and "Like" Nascar Behind the Wall for updates if you are not on Twitter.

March Madness Nascar Style

So here it is, the time they call March Madness. Well for Nascar Daytona has passed, and the Chase is a ways away. I guess visiting Bristol in March is Madness in Nascar, but I figured I would add to it. I have created a 32 driver tournament from points standings. Starting at Jimmie Johnson I have serpentine down the standings creating 4 regions. (So when I got to 5th, Carl Edwards, he went into the 4th Region which was Denny Hamlin, not JJ. In theory JJ should have it better because his #2 seed is actually the 8th guy in the standings) Just like in College Basketball it is all about the match ups.

Bristol Motor Speedway, Home to round of 32 and the Sweet 16

Here is how it works, so it doesn't get dragged out too long, the first match up and second match up will come from Bristol Results. (So the round of 32 and Sweet 16 will be determined this Sunday). Next the Elite 8 will be played (raced) at Fontana, CA. Martinsville results will be taken for the Final Four and the Championship race will be at Texas Motor Speedway. The winner each round will be determined by who had the most points in that given race. So once Nascar goes to Fontana it will only take into account the points in that race and not any from Bristol.

So who do you got? Here is how the bracket has been set, I will update after every race.

5 Time Winners Division					Loud Mouth Division
1	Jimmie Johnson				1	Brad Keselowski
8	Travis Kvapil				8	Ryan Newman
4	Marcus Ambrose				4	Joey Logano
5	Kyle Busch				5	Tony Stewart
3	Clint Bowyer				3	Aric Almirola
6	Bobby Labante				6	Juan Pablo Montoya
2	Greg Biffle				2	Matt Kenseth
7	Casey Mears				7	David Reutimann
Drivers and Danica Division					We Don't Pay Up Division
1	Dale Earnhardt Jr				1	Denny Hamlin
8	Danica Patrick				8	Kurt Busch
4	Kasey Kahne				4	Jeff Gordon
5	Kevin Harvick				5	Jamie McMurray
3	Ricky Stenhouse Jr				3	Paul Menard
6	Martin Truex Jr				6	Jeff Burton
2	#55 Car				2	Carl Edwards
7	Dave Blaney				7	JJ Yeley

**Brian Vickers in the spot of Mark Martin for Bristol, assuming Mark will be back for Sonoma, just listed as #55 Car**

A few interesting first round match up's:

1) Brad Keselowski vs 8) Ryan Newman

• This would be a huge match up no matter the track. Newman has started off struggling which is why he ended up an eight seed (almost didn't make the cut) but we all know he can drive. With this being Bristol it is the perfect track to start out on because anything can happen. After all that's what is so great about the Big Dance.

1) Denny Hamlin vs 8) Kurt Busch

• Denny has had some bad luck at Bristol in the past 6 here. He has either fared well or got caught up in a wreck. That's not a goo thing for him in first round since he is matched with Kurt. Kurt is a good driver here at Bristol and back in the day was one of the best. Possible upset in round one.

4) Kasey Kahne vs 5) Kevin Harvick

• This is defiantly one of the closest match ups on paper. Both drivers can be Chase contenders at the end of the season. Not only this match up, but whoever gets out alive has a chance to take down #1 seed Dale Earnhardt Jr in the next round (Also scheduled for Bristol).

Possible second round match ups which is also determined at Bristol.

1) Dale Jr vs Kahne/Harvick

• Whichever wins in round one, they will bring a possible upset in the Sweet 16 against Jr. The winner of this round could go on to the Final Four from the Division.

1) Jimmie Johnson vs 5) Kyle Busch

• Kyle could be in victory lane at Bristol, which would mean he would get out of round one and take down Jimmie Johnson in the same race. Kyle can drive the wheels off of the car at Bristol so watch out for him to move along easily.

2) Greg Biffle vs 3) Clint Bowyer

• Both very consistent drivers for the past few seasons, these two could match up in round two at Bristol this weekend. A close match up that would result in facing most likely Kyle Busch or Jimmie Johnson for a chance at the Final Four

Review of Races and Rounds:

• Bristol Motor Speedway (3/17): Round of 32 and Sweet 16
• Auto Club 400, Fontana, CA(3/24): Elite 8
• Martinsville Speedway (5/7): Final Four
• Texas Motor Speedway (5/13): Finals

Well that's it folks. Hurry up and fill out your bracket (Sorry no Million Dollar prize here for a perfect bracket) and let the Madness begin!