Fontana Event Info:
Track Info: Auto Club Speedway, 2.0-mile oval
Date: Sunday, February 26
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Event: Pala Casino 400
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Fontana, California
Format: 200 laps, 400 miles, Stages: 65-65-70
TV: FOX
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 2:05 p.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 2:50 p.m. ET, Qualifying (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Race (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
6 Team Info:
Partner: Castrol Edge
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
17 Team Info:
Partner: Pala Casino
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Pace Laps:
- NASCAR’s West Coast swing kicks off this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
- Jack Roush has 15 wins all-time in Fontana including seven in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS). In all, five different drivers have won at ACS across NASCAR’s three touring series.
- This weekend’s race is scheduled to be the final on the track’s two-mile oval, with a complete redesign expected for future race dates.
- The No. 17 partner, Pala Casino, also serves as the title sponsor of the 400-mile race Sunday, and also serves as the Official Casino of Auto Club Speedway.
Keselowski at Auto Club Speedway
Starts: 13
Wins: 1 (2015)
Top-10s: 6
Poles: —
- Keselowski makes his 14th Cup start at Fontana where he is a former winner in 2015. In the five races following he finished top-10 in each with results of ninth, second, fourth, third and fifth.
- He started ninth a season ago, one of his five top-10 starting spots at Auto Club. Overall he has an average starting position of 12.5.
- In Xfinity competition, Keselowski made 13 starts with six top-10s including a best result of second in 2010. Keselowski also made two truck starts in Fontana with a best finish of 16th in 2006.
Buescher at Auto Club Speedway
Starts: 7
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —
- Buescher makes his eighth Cup start in Fontana this weekend where he has an average finish of 25th. His best finish to date is 16th (twice – 2019 & 2020).
- He qualified in the top-15 in three-straight races from 2018-20 with a best effort of 11th three seasons ago. Overall he carries an average starting position of 18th.
- Buescher also has two starts in the Xfinity Series with a best finish of fifth (2015).
RFK Historically in Fontana
Cup Wins: 7 (Mark Martin, 1998; Kurt Busch, 2003; Greg Biffle, 2005; Matt Kenseth, 2006, 2008 & 2009; Carl Edwards, 2007)
- Natural Hat Trick for RFK: In Feb. 2006, RFK accomplished one of the hardest feats in NASCAR, sweeping all three events at Auto Club Speedway. Mark Martin won in the NASCAR Truck Series on Friday, followed by wins from Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NCS.
- California Love: RFK has won at ACS seven times in the Cup series dating back to 1998, when Martin earned the first victory for the organization at the two-mile oval. Since then, Biffle, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards and Kenseth have earned victories at ACS for team owner Jack Roush.
- California Dreamin’: RFK won at least one race in one of NASCAR’s three major touring series at ACS for seven consecutive seasons from 2003-2009, tallying a total of 13 victories during that time frame.
- Say Goodbye, Say Goodbye to Hollywood: RFK has left ACS with at least two victories during the same weekend four times, including a sweep of all three events in 2006. In addition, RFK swept both Xfinity races at ACS in 2005, while winning both the NCS and Xfinity races in the spring of that same season.
- Jack Puttin’ it Down for Californ-i-a: RFK’s seven victories in the NCS at ACS are tied for sixth-most in the organization’s history with Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Phoenix Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. ACS trails only Charlotte Motor Speedway (eight), Texas Motor Speedway (nine), Dover International Speedway (nine), Bristol Motor Speedway (11) and Michigan International Speedway (13) for the most Cup wins at one track.
- Welcome to Hotel California: RFK has earned six victories, 25 top-five finishes, 41 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 11.8 at ACS in the Xfinity Series. RFK swept the season series at ACS in 2004 and 2005 with drivers Biffle, Martin and Edwards.
- Tale of the Tape: RFK has 129 Cup starts in Fontana with 52 top-10s, 30 top fives and seven wins. An RFK Ford has led 1441 laps at the 2-mile oval completing 29,000+ laps.
RFK Fontana Wins
1998 Martin Cup
2003 Busch Cup
2005-1 Biffle Cup
2006-1 Kenseth Cup
2007-1 Edwards Cup
2008-1 Kenseth Cup
2009-1 Kenseth Cup
2004-1 Biffle NXS
2004-2 Biffle NXS
2005-1 Martin NXS
2005-2 Edwards NXS
2006-1 Biffle NXS
2007-1 Kenseth NXS
2000 Busch Truck
2006 Martin Truck
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Daytona 500: RFK is coming off a dominant showing in The Great American Race this past Sunday, as Keselowski and Buescher led a combined 74 laps. The race ultimately went to two NASCAR Overtimes as Keselowski was collected in a late multi-car crash, while Buescher maneuvered through to finish fourth in the Fastenal Ford.
Points Standings: All things considered, RFK fared well in terms of post-Daytona 500 points. Buescher enters this weekend P2 in the points standings after scoring stage points in each of the first two stages in Daytona. Keselowski, the stage one winner in Daytona, is 11th despite his bad luck late.
By the Numbers at Auto Club Speedway
Race Win T5 T10 Pole Laps Led AvSt AvFn Miles
129 7 30 52 2 29441 1441 18.8 15.6 58882
74 6 25 41 3 10883 792 12.5 11.8 21766
27 2 8 15 2 2634 143 11.8 10.8 5268
230 15 63 108 7 42958 2376 14.6 12.9 85916
