NASCAR: Sprint Cup Chase pulls into Fonata
The Pepsi Max 400 takes place Sunday as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pulls into the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA for the fourth race of the “Chase.”
The points battle in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship has tightened up since last Sunday’s race at Kansas, as just 101 points separating leader and sports betting experts favorite, Jimmie Johnson from ninth-place Jeff Burton.
Johnson’s second-place finish coupled with Denny Hamlin‘s 12th-place run at Kansas allowed Johnson to take an eight-point lead over Hamlin.
Johnson is usually pretty solid at Fontana, as it’s essentially the home track for the native of El Cajon, CA. Indeed, Johnson, leads all drivers with five wins at Fontana.
The four-time defending series champion has finished no worse than 11th in the previous nine races at California, including victories in the last three fall events. He also won here in February. Johnson’s first Sprint Cup victory came at California during his rookie season in 2002.
“It’s always good to go home,” Johnson said. “There is a certain feeling about it. I won my first [Sprint Cup] race there. My 48th race [win] came there, and there are a lot of cool things about that racetrack for me.”
Sunday’s race will be 400 miles in distance. The series traditionally has run 500 miles at California. The track will host only one race next year, on March 27.
Forty-five teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Pepsi Max 400.
