AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY (TWO-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: FONTANA, CALIFORNIA
EVENT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 5 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 3:30 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, MARCH 22 (FOX/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 34 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2015 Season
4th in standings
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
2 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
Career
400 starts
17 wins
26 pole positions
84 top-five finishes
148 top-10 finishes
4,541 laps led
Fontana Career
18 starts
1 win
1 pole position
4 top-five finishes
10 top-10 finishes
268 laps led
SEASON-TO-DATE: After the first four Sprint Cup Series races this season, Kahne currently ranks first in quality passes (501), third in green-flag speed (5.500 average rank), third in average running position (7.575), third in laps in top 15 (1,024), fourth in fastest speed in traffic (7.000 average rank), fourth in fastest drivers on restarts (8.500 average rank), fifth in fastest drivers early in a run (6.500 average rank), fifth in fastest drivers late in a run (6.750 average rank), sixth in fastest laps run (39) and sixth in driver rating (102.8).
KAHNE AT FONTANA: Kahne’s first and only win at Fontana was on Sept. 3, 2006. He started from the ninth position and led 130 laps en route to victory at the two-mile oval. Also worth noting, Kahne lined up from the pole position in 2004 for his first Cup start at the two-mile track and has gone on to earn nine more top-10 starting spots. Kahne enters Sunday’s race with an average start of 11.4 and an average finish of 16.0 at Fontana.
FONTANA LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR loop data during the last 16 Sprint Cup Series races at Fontana, Kahne ranks seventh in laps led (152), eighth in green-flag passes (1,264), 10th in fastest laps run (109), 10th in laps in top 15 (2,315), 10th in quality passes (738) and 10th in driver rating (91.5).
SPEEDWAY STATS: In 118 starts on tracks two miles or longer, Kahne has posted 25 top-five finishes and 47 top-10s. In addition, he has collected four of his 17 career Cup wins and six of his 26 pole positions at those tracks. Kahne has won at both of the Cup circuit’s two-mile tracks, finding Victory Lane at Michigan and the Fontana oval in 2006.
FONTANA CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-923 for Sunday’s race at Fontana. It is a brand new chassis.
TIME WARNER CABLE: Time Warner Cable will adorn the hood of Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Fontana, California, and will be the primary sponsor on the car for three more Sprint Cup Series races this year: Charlotte Motor Speedway’s All-Star Race on May 16, Watkins Glen International on August 9 and Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 25.
THE DRIVE: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Kahne have selected Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Strong Against Cancer initiative as this year’s beneficiary of The DRIVE, a private charity concert, auction and celebrity-amateur golf event scheduled for June 29-30 in Cle Elum, Washington. Together, they will raise awareness and valuable funds for research that supports immunotherapy – a medical treatment that harnesses the power of a child’s immune cells to fight cancer. Kahne went to Seattle Children’s Hospital on Tuesday to support the initiative and visit with patients. For more information about The DRIVE event, please visit www.kaseykahnefoundation.org.
No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS / Jeff Gordon
Driver Jeff Gordon Hometown Pittsboro, Indiana
Age 43 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
25th in standings
4 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
87 laps led
Career
765 starts
92 wins
79 pole positions
320 top-five finishes
455 top-10 finishes
24,751 laps led
Fontana Career
25 starts
3 wins
2 pole positions
10 top-five finishes
11 top-10 finishes
645 laps led
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS, is scheduled to visit the Auto Club Speedway media center at 3 p.m. local time Friday.
ONLY GORDON: The driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS is the only individual to start all 25 Sprint Cup events at the two-mile California oval.
GORDON ON AMERICAN IDOL: On Thursday, Gordon is scheduled to make a guest appearance on American Idol XIV. The show is scheduled to air live from 8 to 10 p.m. ET.
ANOTHER TITLE FOR GORDON: Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global manufacturer of liquid and powder coatings, and Gordon announced a new multi-year partnership in February. Gordon was named Axalta’s Global Business Advisor and will serve as special advisor to Charlie Shaver, Axalta Chairman and CEO, bringing his winning skills and innovative thinking to Axalta, its leadership team and its customers worldwide.
CALIFORNIA CHASSIS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-921 for Sunday’s race, scheduled for 200 laps. The chassis is brand new and has never been raced.
No. 48 Lowe’s ProServices Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 39 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
7th in standings
4 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
176 laps led
Career
475 starts
71 wins
33 pole positions
195 top-five finishes
294 top-10 finishes
17,327 laps led
Fontana Career
20 starts
5 wins
1 pole position
12 top-five finishes
14 top-10 finishes
955 laps led
LOWE’S PROSERVICES ON THE HOOD: Jimmie Johnson will debut the No. 48 Lowe’s ProServices Chevrolet SS in this weekend’s race at Fontana. Lowe’s Commercial Services are designed to help customers save time and money and make their businesses run smoother. Stores across the country have a dedicated ProServices team ready to help by offering five percent off everyday purchases with a Lowe’s Business Credit Account, quick-turn, customizable quotes on volume purchases, providing an order ahead option and pulling materials for pick up, giving reduced delivery rates and offering bulk discounts on supplies used the most.
MORE TO COME FOR PROSERVICES: The Lowe’s ProServices paint scheme will adorn the No. 48 in eight races this season: Auto Club Speedway (March 22), Texas Motor Speedway (April 11), Richmond International Raceway (April 25), Dover International Speedway (May 31), Sonoma Raceway (June 28), Kentucky Speedway (July 11), Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 22) and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sept. 27).
FONTANA WAS FIRST: On April 28, 2002, Johnson entered his name into the NASCAR record books as a first-time Sprint Cup winner. In front of his home state fans and in just his 13th start, Johnson qualified fourth and led 62 laps en route to his first Cup victory. Click here for photos of the win. Lowe’s Home Improvement was on the hood for Johnson’s first win and the 70 others that followed as his long-time sponsor since 2001.
SIX-TIME HAS FIVE WINS: Johnson has many accolades at Fontana in addition to his five wins. He has an average finish of 5.7; the series-best average running position of 6.1; series-best driver rating of 119.6; series-high 456 fastest laps run; series-best average green flag speed of 172.084 mph; and series-high 3,247 laps in the top 15 (93.2 percent). He has completed 100 percent of his laps in 20 starts at Fontana.
FONTANA CHASSIS: For this weekend’s event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-891, which finished ninth in Homestead last November. The backup car is No. 48-824, which Johnson raced at Pocono last June.
HELMET OF HOPE NOMINATIONS: In its eighth year, the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope program gives fans and consumers across the country the opportunity to nominate their favorite charity to be featured on Johnson’s helmet for the June 7 race at Pocono Raceway. In addition to being featured on the helmet, each charity selected also receives a grant of $25,000 and an ice cream party. To date, the program has contributed more than $685,000 to 76 different charities. Round-one voting for the Helmet of Hope is open until April 1. Visit www.jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org to nominate a charity that supports K-12 public education in the United States. A total of five charities will be selected.
TEAM JJF WELLNESS CHALLENGE: Registration is open for the 2015 Jimmie Johnson Foundation Wellness Challenge. Register now for early-bird pricing and register for all three events and get a reduced rate. The first event is April 26, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 5K in Huntersville, North Carolina. Log on to www.jjfwellnesschallenge.org for more details.
No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS / Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina
Age 40 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2015 Season
6th in standings
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
37 laps led
Career
545 starts
23 wins
13 pole positions
130 top-five finishes
227 top-10 finishes
7,884 laps led
Fontana Career
22 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
28 laps led
AT FONTANA: Dale Earnhardt Jr. recorded a career-best runner-up finish at the two-mile California racetrack in September 2006 and again in March 2013.
NATIONWIDE88: Fans can follow @Nationwide88 on Twitter or visit Facebook.com/Nationwide88 for behind-the-scenes coverage of the No. 88 Nationwide team. Use the hashtag #NW88JR to join the conversation.
INTERMEDIATE TRACK STATS: In 265 Cup starts on intermediate (one- to two-mile) tracks, Earnhardt has recorded six wins, eight pole positions, 55 top-five finishes and 111 top-10s. He has a 16th-place average starting position and an average finishing position of 16.1 on thse racetracks.
CHASSIS INFO: Crew chief Greg Ives will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-924 for this weekend’s 400-mile event. It is a brand new chassis that has not been raced.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT FONTANA: In 25 Cup events at Fontana, Hendrick Motorsports has nine wins, five pole positions, 31 top-five finishes and 44 top-10s. A victory this weekend would make Fontana the 11th track where Hendrick Motorsports has 10 or more wins. Johnson leads all drivers in wins, top-fives and laps led at the track, with teammate Gordon just behind him in second — or tied for second — in the same three categories.
FONTANA FOR FIRSTS: Gordon won the inaugural Cup race at California in June 1997 after starting third and leading 113 laps. Johnson won the first race of his Cup career at the two-mile oval in April 2002 after starting fourth and leading 62 circuits. Gustafson scored his first career Cup pole position as crew chief of the No. 5 team in February 2005 and his first career Cup win with the No. 5 team in the second California event later that year.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 232 victories, 202 pole positions, 948 top-five finishes and 1,570 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 64,141 laps since 1984.
NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED: In time for the new NASCAR season, Hendrick Motorsports has re-launched its official website. HendrickMotorsports.com, which has presenting sponsorship from Bank of America, includes fresh team pages, an updated schedule area, responsive design and a completely revamped content platform. The organization has invested heavily in its digital programs in recent years. In 2013, the team opened a new studio to bolster its in-house video production capabilities and launched the Digital Dashboard social media command center. It also has added dedicated personnel and forged partnerships that support digital efforts with state-of-the-art equipment and advanced analytics.
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“We’ve had momentum all season. We’ve run in the top 10 and have had cars that can finish in the top five each week, so I’m really happy with our team. We’re working hard. (Crew chief) Keith (Rodden) is doing a great job and the team has really stepped it up.”
Kasey Kahne on the season so far
“I’m so glad that I can be involved and make an impact in supporting the fight against pediatric cancer. Russell (Wilson) has done a tremendous job already in the Strong Against Cancer initiative with Seattle Children’s. I’m looking forward to teaming up with him and donating the proceeds from this year’s Drive event to support this important cause.”
Kasey Kahne on The DRIVE charity event
“California is a fast racetrack just like Las Vegas (Motor Speedway), with an abrasive surface like Atlanta (Motor Speedway). Managing our tire wear through the entire run will be very important. With the new rules package, we expect to see higher speeds in the center of the corner so we need to make sure we can get our Time Warner Cable Chevy SS balanced for that and have good drive off the corners through the run.”
No. 5 team crew chief Keith Rodden on Fontana
“We started off well in 2014 with top-10 finishes in each event leading into California, but it wasn’t until that event that I knew we had a car and team that could really be a threat week in and week out in 2014. This year is much different with our results, but we have had the speed and I think we can have another strong showing at Fontana and continue to move up higher in the standings.”
Jeff Gordon on using Fontana as a turning point
“In between Phoenix and California I am heading to Colorado to enjoy a little R and R with my girls in the mountains. Should be a ton of fun. Heading to Fontana is always special to me. We got our first win there and our Lowe’s team has done well on kind of low-grip, level racetracks. The character in the track continues to change and the paving seams are very sensitive to run your right-side tires on. So I think those challenging elements are good for the No. 48.”
Jimmie Johnson on his plans and racing at Fontana
“That first win will forever be one of the most special moments in my career. There was so much pressure on the No. 48 team at the time. We were a new team, in Jeff’s championship equipment, and when we won that race I feel like the weight of the world was off my shoulders – and Chad’s, too. It was an amazing, amazing feeling to win in my home state and then to follow it up over the years with four more. It’s a pretty special place.”
Jimmie Johnson on his first career win, which came at Fontana
“California is a track where we can move around and change our line. It’s a fast track and you can find speed out there. The back straightaway is very rough and if we can manage our tires, I think we’ll have a good weekend.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on racing at Fontana
