NASCAR at Fontana

NASCAR'S top 2 series head to the Golden State as the West Coast swing comes to a close this weekend. Harvick is on fire after winning the last 2 Sprint Cup races. Joey Logano got his first Xfinity Series win in 2 years at Phoenix.

Last year, the Kyles were victorious with Larson on Saturday and younger Busch the next day. Will we see a lot like last 2 years or the return of the borefest?

Cup:
http://www.jayski.com/news/stats/2015/story/_/page/05-Auto-Club-2015-Entry-List

Xfinity:
http://www.jayski.com/news/nxs/2015/entries/story/_/page/NXS-2015-05-Auto-Club-Entry-List

Will Goodyear being a tire that isn't a load of crap?

But the crappy tires made the last two races, hilariously awesome...

Considering what we've seen already this year in cup, I would be horribly dissapointed if Auto Club produces a processional race this weekend because of the new rules package this year. But I hope I'm proven wrong because that track produced a great race last year, and I'd hate to see it go from hero to zero.

Moffitt is back in the 55... Vickers blood clots are back. (How ironic, the Xfinity race name is  Drive4Clots.com 300)


Same thinga as in 2010, blood thinners top treat his clots.

Seriously? Vickers can never get a break in NASCAR these days.

dammit Vickers, stop being unhealthy and unlucky

And the 34 is going to a driver making his debut!

CHRIS BUESCHER!!! (He made it before his James lol) He'll be in the 34 for Fontana.

I think the very worrying thing about Vickers blood clots this time is they came back really fast this time. (The last annoucement if i recall correct was in November? of last year)

Hope Vickers gets well soon.

At this point, if I am Vickers, I would have to consider if continuing my NASCAR career would be worth it. The guy can't catch a break healthwise. I get it that most all guys out on the track love doing what they are doing, but you have to wonder at this rate if Vickers should just retire before yet another health issue comes about, and maybe takes him out for good that way.

Kurt wins the pole! His first since Darlington 2013.

Edwards crashed in Cup Practice and will go to a back-up.

Mike Bliss dropped oil in turn 2 in Xfinity practice, Ryan Reed and Kyle Larson hit the wall while Stanton Barrett spun out with no contact and said oil spill. Reed has minimal damage while Larson will go to a back-up.

Erik Jones wins the pole for the Xfinifty race, and he's fast!!! .5 in the first session, and wins the pole by .137 over Brian Scott, Hamlin gets 3rd, Kes 4th and Regan Smith 5th. First career pole for Jones!

Also Kurt Busch lead 1st practice this morning by 6 tenths O_o over Jimmie Johnson.
http://a2.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/fscom/nascar/images/shakeandbake/P2Acs1.vadapt.955.high.0.jpg

And Harvick wins a really boring race....... (Just kill this series plz)

Gaughan gets 2nd, Jones 3rd. Bubba had a great run but sadly couldn't finish it.

Lucstar88 wrote:And Harvick wins a really boring race....... (Just kill this series plz)

Gaughan gets 2nd, Jones 3rd. Bubba had a great run but sadly couldn't finish it.

I know .  Also notice that Harvick is the only cuppie in the top 5.

I missed most of this race because of other circumstances, but I did manage to catch the finish and yeah, Cuppiewinslol. From what I'm told it was a pretty terrible race, and if it were any other race weekend I would say I hope this doesn't speak for Cup, but I just hate Fontana so I couldn't care less.

IndyCar can make it work here, but in my experience NASCAR races here are pretty forgetful, save for the eccentric finishes in recent years.

racingfreak1999 wrote:

Lucstar88 wrote:And Harvick wins a really boring race....... (Just kill this series plz)

Gaughan gets 2nd, Jones 3rd. Bubba had a great run but sadly couldn't finish it.

I know .  Also notice that Harvick is the only cuppie in the top 5.

Hamlin lead early, but faded then had a pit road penalty on his last pit stop that put him a lap down. Keselowski faded late because of an ill handling car.

I like how these NASCAR commentators have been going on and on about how the Cup cars can go 200 MPH down the front straightaway. There's open wheel cars that have done an average speed of 240 MPH in like...1997.

Car high Hornish

NASCAR screwed Kurt Busch...

ABSOLUTE DISGUSTING!!!!

FU!

Good runs for the RCR crew, Menard 4th, Newman 5th. Truex top 10

Great call to keep it green! I know I usually give them a lot of crap for their decision making, but seriously, honestly, bravo, NASCAR! So glad they let them race it out.

Sparkz47 wrote:Great call to keep it green! I know I usually give them a lot of crap for their decision making, but seriously, honestly, bravo, NASCAR! So glad they let them race it out.

I agree on this one. I somehow feel bad for Kurt though. A 5.0/10.

Sparkz47 wrote:Great call to keep it green! I know I usually give them a lot of crap for their decision making, but seriously, honestly, bravo, NASCAR! So glad they let them race it out.

I hope this is sarcasm, because I honestly can't tell.

Good win Keselowski. Gutted for Kurt Busch after all the shit he's been through already this year. He should have won this race though. That was such an asinine debris yellow, and overall one of the biggest screwjobs in NASCAR history.

Fuck this racetrack.

Brian France is a fucking joke.

And yes, Contey, I'm pretty sure that is sarcasm. I like how you're talking shit about the racetrack when that had nothing to fucking do with the outcome.

BK wins at his "worst" track.

SHR - Harvick 2nd and Kurt Busch 3rd.

RCR - Menard 4th and Newman 5th.

Oh the headlines this race could be making right now

Casey Lester wrote:Brian France is a fucking joke.

And yes, Contey, I'm pretty sure that is sarcasm. I like how you're talking shit about the racetrack when that had nothing to fucking do with the outcome, Einstein.

I'm not talking shit about this racetrack because of the outcome, I'm talking shit about it because this race in general sucked. So please tone it down a bit.

bigdc48 wrote:

Sparkz47 wrote:Great call to keep it green! I know I usually give them a lot of crap for their decision making, but seriously, honestly, bravo, NASCAR! So glad they let them race it out.

I agree on this one. I somehow feel bad for Kurt though. A 5.0/10.

Yeah, definitely a tough break for Kurt. Keselowski just wouldn't be denied. But a top 5 is nothing to be ashamed of.

kensethfan wrote:

Sparkz47 wrote:Great call to keep it green! I know I usually give them a lot of crap for their decision making, but seriously, honestly, bravo, NASCAR! So glad they let them race it out.

I hope this is sarcasm, because I honestly can't tell.

Good win Keselowski. Gutted for Kurt Busch after all the shit he's been through already this year. He should have won this race though. That was such an asinine debris yellow, and overall one of the biggest screwjobs in NASCAR history.

Fuck this racetrack.

Well, yeah, I agree the debris caution was pretty BS. I was more talking about the decision to keep it green at the end, since it kind of burned me up that they flew the yellow at Daytona. No it was not sarcasm.

kensethfan wrote:

Casey Lester wrote:Brian France is a fucking joke.

And yes, Contey, I'm pretty sure that is sarcasm. I like how you're talking shit about the racetrack when that had nothing to fucking do with the outcome, Einstein.

I'm not talking shit about this racetrack because of the outcome, I'm talking shit about it because this race in general sucked. So please tone it down a bit.

I think the two of you both need to settle down a bit. I know I didn't see the second half of the race, but now isn't the time to use strong language as such.

Btw good win Keselowski.

kensethfan wrote:

Casey Lester wrote:Brian France is a fucking joke.

And yes, Contey, I'm pretty sure that is sarcasm. I like how you're talking shit about the racetrack when that had nothing to fucking do with the outcome, Einstein.

I'm not talking shit about this racetrack because of the outcome, I'm talking shit about it because this race in general sucked. So please tone it down a bit.

My apologies.

Kurt got screwed.

Raced should've ended at Lap 200!

Kurt got screwed! That last debris yellow with 2 to go, was NEVER SHOWED!! Likely because it was FAKE!

F1 and NASCAR this year is a joke... Indycar help us (wait Brainfart's back?) (NO!)

There hasn't been a single good race this year in Cup.

I had quite high hopes for this race, but NASCAR being NASCAR they naturally had to go ahead and screw that up. Kurt got hosed. Whatever.

If you're going to be mad at anyone about that, it should be David Hoots, not Brian France.

Sparkz47 wrote:

kensethfan wrote:

Sparkz47 wrote:Great call to keep it green! I know I usually give them a lot of crap for their decision making, but seriously, honestly, bravo, NASCAR! So glad they let them race it out.

I hope this is sarcasm, because I honestly can't tell.

Good win Keselowski. Gutted for Kurt Busch after all the shit he's been through already this year. He should have won this race though. That was such an asinine debris yellow, and overall one of the biggest screwjobs in NASCAR history.

Fuck this racetrack.

Well, yeah, I agree the debris caution was pretty BS. I was more talking about the decision to keep it green at the end, since it kind of burned me up that they flew the yellow at Daytona. No it was not sarcasm.

NASCAR throws the yellow flag for debris that nobody can find just before the white flag comes out, and then, one the first lap of the second GWC attempt, they turn around and don't throw the yellow for someone crashing in the background, something that in any other circumstance would have warranted a caution. I don't get it.

That race was the 2nd best Cup points race of the year...which is not saying much.

Glad that Kez won but think Kurt deserved the win, Kurt honestly had a much better redemption angle behind him.

Jeff Gluck @jeff_gluck 48s48 seconds ago
Richard Buck says piece of debris was metal of some kind but someone hit it before they could pick it up. Says NASCAR doesn't play favorites

*The fact that NASCAR said *someone hit it before they could pick it up* JUST SCREAMS Bull..

I did see a small scrap of metal in Turn 4 on the broadcast. It was small, but to be fair, it was big enough to cut a tire down.

My initial thoughts on the Auto Club 400 @ Fontana:

I feel like I just got kicked in the balls with a steel-toed boot.

What the hell just happened? Just… that just broke my WTF meter.

NASCAR, why, on God’s green earth, would you throw all of those debris cautions when they weren’t… even… necessary? Especially the cautions within the last 40 laps. Throwing a yellow with 20 to go was dumb because in addition to seeing a great battle for the lead, I was interested in seeing who would make it on fuel, and of course, you screwed that one up.

But the one that made me sick to my stomach was the caution with two to go. What person… in their right mind… would throw a debris yellow… with TWO LAPS TO GO? Who in the f**k in their right mind does that? Especially when they didn’t even show where the debris was on the track.

This is what Jeff Gluck tweeted about said debris yellow.

“Richard Buck says piece of debris was metal of some kind but someone hit it before they could pick it up. Says NASCAR doesn't play favorites.”

……….

Yeah, I’m not buying that excuse for a minute, especially when you look at the final lap crash with Biffle. He was sitting BACKWARDS on the frontstretch, in the middle of the race track, and NASCAR DOESN’T throw the yellow?!

And doesn’t it seem kind of weird that Kurt Busch was leading both times?

Say what you will, but this to me practically screams screwjob, because this is coming on the heels of the whole Kurt Busch saga with his girlfriend in which NASCAR jumped the gun suspending him because of the whole Ray Rice deal last year.

This royally pisses me off, because this whole debacle ruined what was a pretty soild race that was really beginning to heat up near the end. And the finish was gonna be alright, because Kurt still had Harvick lurking back in second, but of course… NASCAR had to go and f**k it up, which they seem to be doing more often than not lately.

There were some stretches of this race that got kind of boring because the leader would get a huge lead, except in the case of the Haas cars, who both pulled away from the field on two occasions, but the restarts were good and the action was really heating up in the final 40 laps. Also, those pitstops by Matt Kenseth’s crew. Sub 11 second pitstops? Damn, son, looks like he brought the Killer Bees with him. Too bad his axle broke when he tried to leave the pits.

The last ten lap shootout was also damn awesome, with some great racing everywhere, including the lead, but again… NASCAR happened.
Lost in all of this is Brad Keselowski getting his first win of the year, which I’m fine with considering I like Kez, but the way that went down just makes me sick to my stomach, and it makes me wonder what the hell NASCAR is thinking, because that was ridiculous.

My final rating for the Auto Club 400:

This race was in position to overtake the Daytona 500 for the best race of the year so far until the GWCs happened. If the GWCs didn’t happen, I would’ve given this a race either a 6.5 or a 7, but that will definitely not be the case now. I know that this final rating might be unpopular with a lot of people, but it’s honestly how I feel at this moment, and it’s a similar feeling to what I felt after Texas last year.

The Auto Club 400 @ Fontana gets a 0/10.

Now you’re all probably wondering why I’m giving this race a zero despite the good racing we saw today. It’s not because the racing was bad, it’s because of NASCAR. Let me explain…

Anytime you get a finish like this that makes you almost want to never watch again because of the BS you saw, ehhhhh… that’s an automatic zero, in my book. And that’s definitely not a reflection of the racing itself, because the race itself was pretty solid, and it was getting good in the final 40 laps and leading up to the finish.

But, overall, in terms of the sick-to-my-stomach feeling that I have coming out of this race, in terms of being excited about this race and having it end this way, and not really looking forward to watch again because of what happened at the end of the race, that’s an automatic zero. When you come out of a race feeling like that, there’s no possible way I can give it points, I’m sorry. It’s a straight 0/10 for me, and it’s all thanks to NASCAR and their ill-timed and ill-conceived debris cautions when they’re NOT NEEDED. If it’s for legit debris, fine. But if there’s nothing on the track, leave the race green, even if it’s boring.

Well, hopefully Martinsville next week will be the tonic we need to break out of this funk, but after what I witnessed today, my enthusiasm for NASCAR racing took a severe blow.

I didn't remember there was a race today until about two hours ago.

Now would probably be a good time to say that I wasn't paying attention at all until the last GWC.

Call me crazy, but the booth really seemed to think Gordon made contact and spun out Regan early on...do you see Jeff touch him or just get him aero loose?

Memoriesallbutdone wrote:

Call me crazy, but the booth really seemed to think Gordon made contact and spun out Regan early on...do you see Jeff touch him or just get him aero loose?

Definitely aero. I see no contact there at all.

Guys, can we take time to realize that Matt Kenseth probably got screwed over a million more times then Kurt or Kevin?

Mother of Invention wrote:Guys, can we take time to realize that Matt Kenseth probably got screwed over a million more times then Kurt or Kevin?

His car broke to be fair.

Memoriesallbutdone wrote:Call me crazy, but the booth really seemed to think Gordon made contact and spun out Regan early on...do you see Jeff touch him or just get him aero loose?

That was the most blatant aero-loose I've seen in my life.

I know I didn't watch the second-half of the race, but from what I've heard, NASCAR threw a yellow because they didn't want Kurt Busch to win. Those idiots up there running the show need to find a job elsewhere cos' all they're doing is killing the sport with their inconsistency and BS.

Casey Lester wrote:I did see a small scrap of metal in Turn 4 on the broadcast. It was small, but to be fair, it was big enough to cut a tire down.

Mike Joy even said "you can see it right there". It was shiny as fuck.

Alta wrote:

Mother of Invention wrote:Guys, can we take time to realize that Matt Kenseth probably got screwed over a million more times then Kurt or Kevin?

His car broke to be fair.

Yeah but the caution at 15 to go was sketchy as well and Matt probably didn't need to pit or just needed a splash and go.

So this is the conversation Tony Stewart had with Martin Truex Jr. after the race.