NASCAR Cup Series

From the unique race command from Muppet star Gonzo to Denny Hamlin’s pre-race trip to the hospital for a sinus infection and vision problems,...

Tires, man. That was the story of the race at Fontana. If one was conservative in their set up, like those owned by Joe Gibbs, all was well. If not…well, they blew it.

Consistency is key in California and after a 21st place finish, Reed Sorenson and the No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet have hit their stride early into the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

The 29th Army Band, Virginia Army National Guard will perform the National Anthem prior to the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway Sunday. The 29th Army Band is one of the oldest and most decorated military bands in the nation.

The craziness started before the green flag flew to get today’s Auto Club 400 from Auto Club Speedway underway. J.D. Gibbs announced about 30 minutes prior to the command to fire engines that Denny Hamlin wouldn’t race due to a sinus infection that affected his vision.

Carl Edwards came to Auto Club Speedway with hopes of securing back-to-back wins after capturing the checkered in Bristol last weekend. The Roush Fenway Racing driver battled with a loose handling race car after starting the day from the ninth spot but remained solidly inside the top 20 until a blown left rear tire set him back to the 37th position at lap 117 of the 200 lap race

Richard Childress Racing teammates Paul Menard, Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman finished ninth, 11th and 20th, respectively. Ryan Newman ranks eighth in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, trailing current leader Carl Edwards by 36 points, while Austin Dillon ranks ninth and Paul Menard ranks 14th.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was running in the top 20 when his Ford Ecoboost Ford suffered two blown tires in the final 15 laps, forcing the two-time Nationwide champion to settle for a 34th-place finish in Sunday’s Auto Club 400.

Greg Biffle worked his way from his 24th-place qualifying effort all the way into the top 10 before a blown left rear sent him to pit road under green at California. While trying to get back on the lead lap the No. 16 3M Aerospace Ford got debris on the grille, causing the engine to overheat.

"Every time we felt the momentum swing our way this weekend, we seemed to take a punch in the gut,” stated Martin Truex Jr. after battling to an adversity-filled 23rd-place finish in Sunday’s Auto Club 400.