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 20 (FOX/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 35 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
14th in standings
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
0 laps led
Career
436 starts
17 wins
27 pole positions
86 top-five finishes
157 top-10 finishes
4,607 laps led
Track Career
19 starts
1 win
1 pole position
4 top-five finishes
10 top-10 finishes
268 laps led
KASEY AT AUTO CLUB: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series encounters the first two-mile track of the season this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Kasey Kahne is familiar with Victory Lane at the Fontana, California, track, taking home the checkered flag in the September 2006 race. He is ninth all-time in laps led at the oval with 268. Kahne also has one pole award at Auto Club – May 2004 – which was his third of four pole awards in his Sprint Cup rookie season. Five of Kahne’s 17 wins have been at tracks two miles or longer.
AUTO CLUB LOOP DATA: Kahne’s driver rating ranks ninth among active Sprint Cup drivers with an average score of 90.6 at Auto Club Speedway. Kahne’s highest driver rating at Auto Club is 144.1. The driver rating is a formula that combines wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum a driver can earn in each race is 150 points.
WEST COAST PLANS: Before heading to Auto Club this weekend, Kahne is spending the week attending a close friend’s wedding in California. The No. 5 crew will remain on the West Coast and swap the No. 5 Chevrolet SS from Phoenix for the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS that Kahne will pilot this weekend.
SEE KAHNE: Kahne will appear for a Q&A session on behalf of Hendrick Motorsports partner Chevrolet at its display located in the Auto Club fan midway on Sunday, March 20, at 10 a.m. local time.
No. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS / Chase Elliott
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 20 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
21st in standings
4 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
3 laps led
Career
9 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
3 laps led
Track Career
0 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
NAPA AUTO PARTS ON THE NO. 24 CHEVROLET SS: NAPA AUTO PARTS will be the primary partner onboard Rookie of the Year contender Chase Elliott’s No. 24 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Auto Club Speedway and will be the primary sponsor on the car for 19 additional Sprint Cup Series races this year.
GOING HOME: No. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS rear-tire changer Chad Avrit will compete this weekend at his home track of Auto Club Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Avrit grew up in El Centro, California, and was an avid surfer before moving to Mooresville, North Carolina, to pursue a career in motor sports. In addition to being an athlete at Hendrick Motorsports, the California native is also a small business owner in the greater Charlotte area, owning Swell Board Shop, a dream he made a reality after wanting to bring a West Coast-style board shop to his new home. Avrit has been a part of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team since 2012.
NO. 24 TRACK STATS: The No. 24 Chevrolet SS team owns three wins, 10 top-five finishes and 12 top-10s at the Southern California speedway with former driver Jeff Gordon. Under the leadership of crew chief Alan Gustafson last year, the No. 24 team earned a top-10 finish. Elliott, piloting the No. 24 Chevrolet for the first time at Auto Club Speedway this year, has two NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at the two-mile oval and earned top-10 finishes in both races.
TWO TOP-10S: Elliott is coming off of his second top-10 finish of the season heading into this weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway. The driver earned Sunoco’s Rookie of the Race honors at Phoenix International Raceway after capturing an eighth-place finish. His first top-10 finish of 2016 was at his home track, Atlanta Motor Speedway.
NASCAR GOES WEST: Elliott participated in the NASCAR Goes West initiative, a program devoted to highlighting unique experiences on the West Coast, with a @NASCAR Twitter takeover Tuesday afternoon highlighting his trip to Los Angeles. The 20-year-old driver traveled to Hollywood to be a featured guest on MTV’s “Ridiculousness” earlier this year. He also toured Capitol Records, stopped by Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, stayed at the famed Roosevelt Hotel and even stopped for a photo outside of the Dolby Theater.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN MOGULS: Elliott spent time with the No. 24 team this week in Vail, Colorado. The outdoor sports enthusiast enjoyed the fresh powder, snowboarding and spending time at his “home away from home” in the Centennial State. A native of Dawsonville, Georgia, Elliott lived 15 miles outside of Vail in Edwards, Colorado, when he was younger, sparking his passion for winter sports.
No. 48 Lowe’s Superman Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 40 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2016 Season
3rd in standings
4 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
146 laps led
Career
511 starts
76 wins
34 pole positions
209 top-five finishes
316 top-10 finishes
17,855 laps led
Track Career
21 starts
5 wins
1 pole position
12 top-five finishes
15 top-10 finishes
955 laps led
SITE OF FIRST WIN: In only his 13th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, Jimmie Johnson won his first career Sprint Cup race on April 28, 2002, in his home state of California. The rookie Johnson started fourth and after leading 62 laps cruised to his first win in NASCAR’s most elite series. He now has 76 wins and is tied for seventh on the all-time win list.
A SUPER PAINT SCHEME: The “S” shield of Superman will adorn the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet this weekend at Auto Club Speedway, and Johnson will also wear a custom Superman-themed fire suit. Lowe’s, in partnership with DC Comics, has teamed up to promote the movie “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” featuring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, which opens in theaters on March 25th.
SUPER HEROES COME FACE-TO-FACE: On Thursday, March 17, Earnhardt and Johnson will meet “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” actors Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in Los Angeles for a press event leading up to the premiere of the movie. Contact Amy Walsh if you are interested in a B-roll package.
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT: Of the 4,899 laps Johnson has attempted at Auto Club Speedway over the last 21 starts at the track, he has completed every single one of them. With his five wins, Johnson has led 955 circuits around the two-mile oval and has 18 top-15 finishes, finishing outside of the top 20 only once — a 24th-place result.
LEADER AT FONTANA: Johnson has the series-high driver rating at Fontana with a score of 119.4. His five wins and 955 laps led also lead the series at the California track.
STRONG START: Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s team have had a strong start to the season. After four races, Johnson and team have one win, two top-five finishes and two top-10s. Johnson has led 149 laps so far, including the race-high at Las Vegas, and is currently third in the series standings.
LOWE’S BUILD AND GROW ACTIVATION AT AUTO CLUB: Lowe’s is partnering with “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and will provide kids with over 2,200 “Build and Grow” kits in the Auto Club Speedway Fan Zone this weekend. Kids can stop by the display area and build their own No. 48 Lowe’s Superman Chevrolet SS throughout the weekend. The No. 48 Lowe’s Superman Chevrolet SS show car will also be on display. Johnson will make an appearance at 8:50 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, and the first 100 Auto Club Speedway Kids Club members will get seats front and center. Fans can also visit their local Lowe’s store and participate in these same Build and Grow Clinics on Thursday, March 24. Visit http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/clinics for more info.
JIMMIE JOHNSON WELLNESS CHALLENGE RETURNS: Registration is open for the 2016 Jimmie Johnson Foundation Wellness Challenge. Register now for early-bird pricing and register for all three events to receive a reduced rate. The first event is May 22, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 5K in Huntersville, North Carolina. Log on to www.jjfwellnesschallenge.org for more details.
No. 88 Nationwide Batman Chevrolet SS / Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina
Age 41 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
10th in standings
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
49 laps led
Career
581 starts
26 wins
13 pole positions
145 top-five finishes
249 top-10 finishes
8,183 laps led
Track Career
23 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
28 laps led
LOOKING FOR A WIN: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has two runner-up finishes at the Fontana, California, speedway, but has yet to earn his first victory there. The 41-year-old veteran earned a sixth-place result in the 2015 event and hasn’t finished outside of the top 12 in his last five visits to the two-mile oval. According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Earnhardt leads among all active drivers in the last 10 years in green-flag passes at the SoCal speedway with 1,487.
THE CAPED CRUSADER: To promote the upcoming and highly anticipated Warner Bros. Pictures film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” Earnhardt will be running the No. 88 Nationwide Batman Chevrolet SS, while teammate Johnson will represent the Man of Steel, driving the No. 48 Lowe’s Superman scheme. Earnhardt’s paint scheme will showcase the Batman emblem and textures of the Caped Crusader’s suit, and he will also wear a custom Batman-themed fire suit.
HISTORY IS ON HIS SIDE: This won’t be the first time the Kannapolis, North Carolina, native has teamed up with The Dark Knight. Earnhardt has enjoyed past success in a Batman-themed car, winning at Michigan International Speedway on June 17, 2012.
AT TRACK: Hendrick Motorsports, along with its partners Nationwide and Lowe’s, has also teamed with Warner Bros. to create “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” at-track activations for fans of all ages during the California race weekend. In addition to giveaways and themed activities, movie props, costumes, the Batmobile and the Nationwide Batman and Lowe’s Superman show cars will make an appearance in the Fan Zone. Licensed merchandise featuring the “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” paint schemes for the Nos. 48 and 88 cars will be available trackside and online.
SUPER HEROES COME FACE-TO-FACE: On Thursday, March 17, Earnhardt and Johnson will meet “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” actors Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in Los Angeles. Contact Tiffany Daniels if you are interested in a B-roll package.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT FONTANA: At Auto Club Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has nine wins, five pole positions, 31 top-five finishes and 47 top-10s. Johnson leads all drivers in wins, top-fives and laps led at the track, and he is tied for the lead in top-10 finishes at the two-mile oval.
DOUBLE DIGITS: Hendrick Motorsports has earned 10 or more wins at 11 different tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. The organization has earned nine wins at Auto Club Speedway, so a win Sunday would make it the 12th track with double-digit Hendrick Motorsports victories. On April 3, the Sprint Cup visits Martinsville Speedway, where Hendrick Motorsports has a team record 23 wins.
FLAT HEROES: Fans have a chance to take Earnhardt and Johnson on their own adventures by downloading and printing out the “Flat Heroes” — Earnhardt with the Dark Knight and Johnson with the Man of Steel. For more information and to download the high-res Earnhardt and Batman duo and the Johnson and Superman duo, click here. Select photos with the Flat Heroes posted via social media using the hashtag #HeroFaceOff will be featured on HendrickMotorsports.com leading up to the race at Fontana. In addition, accounts sharing Flat Heroes photos using the #HeroFaceOff hashtag will be chosen at random to receive a “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” poster.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 241 victories, 207 pole positions, 984 top-five finishes and 1,645 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 65,215 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
“Auto Club is a cool track because it is so wide, and as the race goes on the track really widens out. You can run so many different grooves once the track rubbers in. We’ll see drafting and I think the low downforce package will perform well. It should be a great race.”
Kasey Kahne on Fontana
“I love going to California. I wish we raced there twice. That race puts on a really good show and it’s a unique track – it’s worn out and very wide and it’s just unlike a lot of the other places that we go. It would be a cool place to visit twice. You have so many options to run different grooves, everybody wants tires – you have a big fall-off from the beginning of the run to the end of the run. I think it just offers a lot of options and I enjoy racing there because of that.”
Chase Elliott on Fontana
“If there is a track out there that suits my driving style, California is definitely one of them. It’s a strong track for the No. 48 Lowe’s team. We’ve had a lot of speed lately and with this new package I’m looking forward to racing this weekend.”
Jimmie Johnson on Fontana
“It’s always special heading back to California. I always have some close friends that come out to the track so it’s always great to see them. That first win will forever be one of the most special moments in my career. It was such a great feeling to win in my home state and then to follow it up over the years with four more wins. It’s a pretty special place for me personally.”
Johnson on his first win at Fontana
“Superman’s going to kick Batman’s butt, bottom line (laughing). I was very happy to end up with Superman on my hood and appreciate support from Lowe’s in getting involved with this promotion. It’s going to be a fun weekend. I’m looking forward to seeing the movie.”
Johnson on the Lowe’s Superman paint scheme
“I’m looking forward to getting to Fontana. I love what we’re doing in the sport with the new aero package and I think we’re seeing some good racing. It’s been a blast. The package allows for all kinds of great things. We’re all having a lot of fun and I hope that continues this weekend. Fontana is another track with multiple grooves, so it should be another fun race. Jimmie is good there and I hear he threw out a challenge to us last week, so there’s some extra incentive. We’ve had success with the Batman car in the past, so hopefully we can continue that.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Fontana and the Nationwide Batman paint scheme
