This Weekend in NASCAR – Fontana Storylines

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series are at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California this weekend for round five of their respective 2014 seasons. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action next weekend at Martinsville.

Storylines to keep an eye on this weekend include…

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – AUTO CLUB 400, SUNDAY, MARCH 23

Edwards Uses Bristol Win To Jump Three Spots, Becomes Eligible For Chase

After a race that was delayed more than five hours, Carl Edwards was out front when the final caution came out on Lap 503, ending the race more than eight hours after its scheduled start. Over the first four starts of 2014, Edwards, whose win makes him eligible for a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, has gradually improved his finishes with showings of 17th, eighth, fifth and first. In 16 starts at Auto Club Speedway, the site of next Sunday’s race, Edwards has one win (Feb. 2008).

Stewart Recovers At Bristol; Looking For More At Auto Club

After starting the season with an average finish of 28.0 in the first three races, Tony Stewart had to be pleased with his fourth-place outcome at Bristol. Although it was not a win, it did wonders to combat his finishes of 35th, 16th and 33rd, elevating him four spots in the standings to 23rd. Stewart, who missed the final 15 races of 2013 after a sprint car accident, hopes to experience more of the same in Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway, where has won two of the last four races.

Earnhardt Hits First Snag Of 2014

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s stellar start to 2014, which included a win and two runner-up performances, had to eventually come to an end. That streak ended Sunday night in Bristol where the popular driver struggled with handling issues. He ultimately finished 24th and dropped to second in the standings, 10 points behind Brad Keselowski. Earnhardt will try to rebound this weekend at Auto Club Speedway where his best finish in 21 starts is a pair of second-place showings, including one in last year’s race.

Dillon, Larson Proving They Belong In NSCS

Some questioned whether Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson’s promotions to the top series during the offseason were a bit premature. Four races into the 2014 season, both rookies are proving their naysayers wrong. Larson continues to improve each week, capturing his first top 10 at Bristol. He sits six points behind Dillon in the Sunoco rookie standings, who placed 11th at Bristol and ninth at Daytona. Dillon and Larson are 13th and 22nd in the championship standings, respectively, and neither have a series start at this weekend’s venue – Auto Club Speedway.

Stenhouse Showing Improvement Over 2013

At Bristol, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came close to capturing his first win in the NSCS. Instead, he finished a career-best second. The 2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year entered the 2014 season looking to improve. Four races into the season, he’s already matched his 2013 top-five finish total and is one shy of tying his total top 10s … and there’s 32 races left. The second-place finish propelled him six positions in the standings to 10th with the series heading to Auto Club Speedway where he finished 20th in his only start.

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES – TREATMYCLOT.COM 300, SATURDAY, MARCH 22

NNS Championship Title Hunt Heats Up

The battle for the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship title tightens as the series heads west to Auto Club Speedway. Only one point separates points leader Regan Smith from Trevor Bayne. Smith finished third and Bayne ninth during their last visit to the speedway in 2013. Ty Dillon is third in the standings eight points back followed by Chase Elliott (-13) and Elliott Sadler (-16).

Former Nationwide Champions Continue To Win In The NSCS

The first four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races of the 2014 season have yielded four different race winners and all four are former NASCAR Nationwide Series champions. Each of the drivers have all but secured a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as a result of their race win. Earnhardt won back-to-back NNS titles in 1998-99 followed by Harvick in 2001, Edwards in 2007 and Keselowski in 2010.

Auto Club Speedway: JGR’s Stomping Ground

Joe Gibbs Racing has figured out the secret to winning at Auto Club Speedway. The team is chasing an impressive 10th consecutive victory in Saturday’s TreatMyClot.com 300. The organization’s first series win at the two-mile track came with Tony Stewart in Feb. 2008. Kyle Busch has won six of the last eight races with Joey Logano claiming the other two.

Four Races Down, Rookies Continue To Impress

In each of the first four races of the 2014 season at least two Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders have finished inside the top 10. Ty Dillon and Chase Elliott lead the charge with three top-10 finishes. Dylan Kwasniewski and Chris Buescher have one top-10 finish apiece. Dillon and Elliott are currently third and fourth in the points standings with Kwasniewski and Buescher further back in ninth and 12th, respectively.