Matt Kenseth wins the Auto Club 500 (Nextel Cup Series)
#1
02-25-2006, 09:19 AM
Matt Kenseth wins the Auto Club 500 (Nextel Cup Series)
Post #1: No. 2 is No. 1 at California, Race Lineup Auto Club 500, Kurt Busch takes first pole since 2004
Post #2: Different Scheme and new spotter for Newman, Penske plans to keep running Intrepids
Post #3: Matt Kenseth wins the Auto Club 500 (Rush Hour), Race Results, Driver Standings, Kenseth victorious after cars fail Biffle, Stewart
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No. 2 is No. 1 at California
A cooler track allowed Kurt Busch to post a hot lap of 187 mph Friday, nearly a mile an hour faster than the rest of the field to win the Bud Pole for Sunday's Auto Club 500.
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Race Lineup
Auto Club 500 | California Speedway
February 26, 2006 | Race 2 of 36
Pos. Car Driver Make Sponsor Speed Time Behind
1 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 187.086 38.485 Leader
2 16 Greg Biffle Ford Jackson Hewitt 186.186 38.671 -0.186
3 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 185.735 38.765 -0.280
4 18 J.J. Yeley* Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 185.180 38.881 -0.396
5 11 Denny Hamlin* Chevrolet FedEx Kinko's 184.919 38.936 -0.451
6 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 184.871 38.946 -0.461
7 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Kellogg's 184.800 38.961 -0.476
8 01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 184.758 38.970 -0.485
9 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont Hot Hues 184.720 38.978 -0.493
10 6 Mark Martin Ford AAA 184.450 39.035 -0.550
11 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Mobil 1/ALLTEL 184.318 39.063 -0.578
12 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 184.303 39.066 -0.581
13 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 184.219 39.084 -0.599
14 10 Scott Riggs Dodge Valvoline/Stanley Tools 184.209 39.086 -0.601
15 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Icebreakers Ice Cubes 184.195 39.089 -0.604
16 38 Elliott Sadler Ford Pedigree 183.767 39.180 -0.695
17 14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet CENTRIX Auto Finance 183.613 39.213 -0.728
18 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 183.570 39.222 -0.737
19 88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 183.566 39.223 -0.738
20 42 Casey Mears Dodge Texaco/Havoline 183.524 39.232 -0.747
21 19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 183.397 39.259 -0.774
22 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 183.360 39.267 -0.782
23 1 Martin Truex Jr.* Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 183.173 39.307 -0.822
24 22 Dave Blaney Dodge Caterpillar 183.155 39.311 -0.826
25 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 183.090 39.325 -0.840
26 66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Best Buy 183.020 39.340 -0.855
27 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 183.020 39.340 -0.855
28 25 Brian Vickers Chevrolet GMAC 182.913 39.363 -0.878
29 41 Reed Sorenson* Dodge Energizer e2 Lithium 182.820 39.383 -0.898
30 195 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet hairofdog.com 182.801 39.387 -0.902
31 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 182.588 39.433 -0.948
32 07 Clint Bowyer* Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 182.486 39.455 -0.970
33 55 Michael Waltrip Dodge NAPA Auto Parts 182.454 39.462 -0.977
34 7 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Jim Beam 182.380 39.478 -0.993
35 151 Mike Garvey Chevrolet Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil 182.320 39.491 -1.006
36 178 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing 182.306 39.494 -1.009
37 61 Kevin Lepage Ford RoadLoans.com 182.242 39.508 -1.023
38 4 Scott Wimmer Chevrolet AERO Exhaust 182.007 39.559 -1.074
39 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Wells Fargo Financial 181.461 39.678 -1.193
41 40 David Stremme* Dodge Coors Light 181.005 39.778 -1.293
41 21 Ken Schrader+ Ford Little Debbie 179.341 40.147 -1.662
42 49 Brent Sherman+* Dodge Serta 178.169 40.411 -1.926
43 96 Terry Labonte Chevrolet DLP HDTV/Tweeter Champion's Provisional
Did not Qualify
44 32 Travis Kvapil Chevrolet Tide 180.090 39.980 -1.495
45 00 Hermie Sadler Ford Aaron's 179.167 40.186 -1.701
46 74 Derrike Cope Dodge MyGuardian911 178.735 40.283 -1.798
47 34 Randy LaJoie Dodge Front Row Motorsports 175.764 40.964 -2.479
48 89 Morgan Shepherd Dodge Victory in Jesus/Dutch Quality Stone 173.019 41.614 -3.129
+ Set by Owner Points
* Denotes Rookie
------------------------------------------------------------
Kurt Busch poses for the photos after winning the pole for Sunday's Auto Club 500. Credit: Autostock
Kurt Busch takes first pole since 2004
By Mike Harris, The Associated Press
February 24, 2006
10:23 PM EST (03:23 GMT)
FONTANA, Calif. (AP) -- Kurt Busch won his first pole for his new team and his first in more than a year, taking the top spot Friday for the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.
His lap of 187.086 mph on the 2-mile oval was nearly a full mile an hour faster than runner-up Greg Biffle's 186.186 in qualifying for Sunday's race.
"I'm happy that we got a pole," said Busch, who switched from Roush Racing and the No. 97 Ford to Penske Racing South and the No. 2 Dodge, replacing retired NASCAR star Rusty Wallace. "That puts us in next year's Bud Shootout, which we missed this year."
This was the fourth pole of Busch's career, but his first since the season finale at Homestead in 2004.
"Today's Friday and I'm fast," Busch said. "I don't know what to say. Usually, I'm 15th or so.
"We're a team that's new and we're learning," he added. "We've got humble expectations. We know the cars usually qualify well. That's the Penske (modus operandi). We'll see what happens Sunday."
Ryan Newman, his Penske teammate and the sport's best qualifier, was far off the pace in 11th.
Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson was a solid third at 185.735.
"I'm very proud of what the team has done today," Johnson said. "We've been through a lot."
Johnson is working again this weekend without crew chief Chad Knaus, banned by NASCAR for the first four races of the season after inspectors found the team had made unapproved alterations to the rear window of the No. 48 Chevrolet in Daytona 500 qualifying.
Joe Gibbs Racing rookies J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin were fourth and fifth, with Daytona pole-winner Jeff Burton, top 2005 rookie Kyle Busch -- Kurt's younger brother -- Joe Nemechek, three-time California winner and Mark Martin rounding out the top 10.
Tony Stewart, the two-time and defending Cup champion and the third Gibbs driver, was 12th.
Post #2: Different Scheme and new spotter for Newman, Penske plans to keep running Intrepids
Post #3: Matt Kenseth wins the Auto Club 500 (Rush Hour), Race Results, Driver Standings, Kenseth victorious after cars fail Biffle, Stewart
-------------------------------------------------------
No. 2 is No. 1 at California
A cooler track allowed Kurt Busch to post a hot lap of 187 mph Friday, nearly a mile an hour faster than the rest of the field to win the Bud Pole for Sunday's Auto Club 500.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Race Lineup
Auto Club 500 | California Speedway
February 26, 2006 | Race 2 of 36
Pos. Car Driver Make Sponsor Speed Time Behind
1 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 187.086 38.485 Leader
2 16 Greg Biffle Ford Jackson Hewitt 186.186 38.671 -0.186
3 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 185.735 38.765 -0.280
4 18 J.J. Yeley* Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 185.180 38.881 -0.396
5 11 Denny Hamlin* Chevrolet FedEx Kinko's 184.919 38.936 -0.451
6 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 184.871 38.946 -0.461
7 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Kellogg's 184.800 38.961 -0.476
8 01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 184.758 38.970 -0.485
9 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont Hot Hues 184.720 38.978 -0.493
10 6 Mark Martin Ford AAA 184.450 39.035 -0.550
11 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Mobil 1/ALLTEL 184.318 39.063 -0.578
12 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 184.303 39.066 -0.581
13 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 184.219 39.084 -0.599
14 10 Scott Riggs Dodge Valvoline/Stanley Tools 184.209 39.086 -0.601
15 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Icebreakers Ice Cubes 184.195 39.089 -0.604
16 38 Elliott Sadler Ford Pedigree 183.767 39.180 -0.695
17 14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet CENTRIX Auto Finance 183.613 39.213 -0.728
18 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 183.570 39.222 -0.737
19 88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 183.566 39.223 -0.738
20 42 Casey Mears Dodge Texaco/Havoline 183.524 39.232 -0.747
21 19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 183.397 39.259 -0.774
22 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 183.360 39.267 -0.782
23 1 Martin Truex Jr.* Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 183.173 39.307 -0.822
24 22 Dave Blaney Dodge Caterpillar 183.155 39.311 -0.826
25 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 183.090 39.325 -0.840
26 66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Best Buy 183.020 39.340 -0.855
27 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 183.020 39.340 -0.855
28 25 Brian Vickers Chevrolet GMAC 182.913 39.363 -0.878
29 41 Reed Sorenson* Dodge Energizer e2 Lithium 182.820 39.383 -0.898
30 195 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet hairofdog.com 182.801 39.387 -0.902
31 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 182.588 39.433 -0.948
32 07 Clint Bowyer* Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 182.486 39.455 -0.970
33 55 Michael Waltrip Dodge NAPA Auto Parts 182.454 39.462 -0.977
34 7 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Jim Beam 182.380 39.478 -0.993
35 151 Mike Garvey Chevrolet Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil 182.320 39.491 -1.006
36 178 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing 182.306 39.494 -1.009
37 61 Kevin Lepage Ford RoadLoans.com 182.242 39.508 -1.023
38 4 Scott Wimmer Chevrolet AERO Exhaust 182.007 39.559 -1.074
39 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Wells Fargo Financial 181.461 39.678 -1.193
41 40 David Stremme* Dodge Coors Light 181.005 39.778 -1.293
41 21 Ken Schrader+ Ford Little Debbie 179.341 40.147 -1.662
42 49 Brent Sherman+* Dodge Serta 178.169 40.411 -1.926
43 96 Terry Labonte Chevrolet DLP HDTV/Tweeter Champion's Provisional
Did not Qualify
44 32 Travis Kvapil Chevrolet Tide 180.090 39.980 -1.495
45 00 Hermie Sadler Ford Aaron's 179.167 40.186 -1.701
46 74 Derrike Cope Dodge MyGuardian911 178.735 40.283 -1.798
47 34 Randy LaJoie Dodge Front Row Motorsports 175.764 40.964 -2.479
48 89 Morgan Shepherd Dodge Victory in Jesus/Dutch Quality Stone 173.019 41.614 -3.129
+ Set by Owner Points
* Denotes Rookie
------------------------------------------------------------
Kurt Busch poses for the photos after winning the pole for Sunday's Auto Club 500. Credit: Autostock
Kurt Busch takes first pole since 2004
By Mike Harris, The Associated Press
February 24, 2006
10:23 PM EST (03:23 GMT)
FONTANA, Calif. (AP) -- Kurt Busch won his first pole for his new team and his first in more than a year, taking the top spot Friday for the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.
His lap of 187.086 mph on the 2-mile oval was nearly a full mile an hour faster than runner-up Greg Biffle's 186.186 in qualifying for Sunday's race.
"I'm happy that we got a pole," said Busch, who switched from Roush Racing and the No. 97 Ford to Penske Racing South and the No. 2 Dodge, replacing retired NASCAR star Rusty Wallace. "That puts us in next year's Bud Shootout, which we missed this year."
This was the fourth pole of Busch's career, but his first since the season finale at Homestead in 2004.
"Today's Friday and I'm fast," Busch said. "I don't know what to say. Usually, I'm 15th or so.
"We're a team that's new and we're learning," he added. "We've got humble expectations. We know the cars usually qualify well. That's the Penske (modus operandi). We'll see what happens Sunday."
Ryan Newman, his Penske teammate and the sport's best qualifier, was far off the pace in 11th.
Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson was a solid third at 185.735.
"I'm very proud of what the team has done today," Johnson said. "We've been through a lot."
Johnson is working again this weekend without crew chief Chad Knaus, banned by NASCAR for the first four races of the season after inspectors found the team had made unapproved alterations to the rear window of the No. 48 Chevrolet in Daytona 500 qualifying.
Joe Gibbs Racing rookies J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin were fourth and fifth, with Daytona pole-winner Jeff Burton, top 2005 rookie Kyle Busch -- Kurt's younger brother -- Joe Nemechek, three-time California winner and Mark Martin rounding out the top 10.
Tony Stewart, the two-time and defending Cup champion and the third Gibbs driver, was 12th.
#2
02-26-2006, 09:06 AM
Matt Kenseth wins the Auto Club 500 (Nextel Cup Series)
Different Scheme and new spotter for Newman: New spotter Danny Culler joins the Alltel/Mobil 1 team this weekend. Culler, a long-time spotter in the sport, has worked with several NASCAR Cup drivers, including Dale Earnhardt [Culler was the spotter for Brian Vickers in 2005]. The #12 Dodge features the Mobil 1 paint scheme this weekend. Newman's latest victory, at New Hampshire International Speedway in September was in a Mobil 1 car. Newman will race chassis PRS-20 in the Auto Club 500 on Sunday. PRS-20 last raced in the 2005 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway where it finished seventh. PRS-20 is the oldest chassis in the team's stable [and NOT a Charger].(Penske Racing), see the Mobil 1 scheme on my #12 Team Schemes page.(Jayski)(2-22-2006)
Penske plans to keep running Intrepids: Penske Racing South General Manager Don Miller said on Friday that the team plans on racing 2004 Dodge Intrepids at all 1.5.- and 2.0-mile tracks for the foreseeable future. Penske drivers #2-Kurt Busch and #12-Ryan Newman both brought Intrepids for Sunday’s Auto Club 500, as did Petty Enterprises for #43-Bobby Labonte. All the other Dodge teams brought the aerodynamically troublesome Dodge Charger, which was introduced last year. Asked how long Penske would campaign the two-year-old Dodges, Miller was blunt. “As long as Dodge will let us,†he said.(Speed Channel)(2-24-2006)
Penske plans to keep running Intrepids: Penske Racing South General Manager Don Miller said on Friday that the team plans on racing 2004 Dodge Intrepids at all 1.5.- and 2.0-mile tracks for the foreseeable future. Penske drivers #2-Kurt Busch and #12-Ryan Newman both brought Intrepids for Sunday’s Auto Club 500, as did Petty Enterprises for #43-Bobby Labonte. All the other Dodge teams brought the aerodynamically troublesome Dodge Charger, which was introduced last year. Asked how long Penske would campaign the two-year-old Dodges, Miller was blunt. “As long as Dodge will let us,†he said.(Speed Channel)(2-24-2006)
#3
02-27-2006, 09:53 AM
Matt Kenseth wins the Auto Club 500 (Nextel Cup Series)
Roush hour
Matt Kenseth completed the trifecta for Roush Racing this weekend at California by winning the Auto Club 500. Four Roush drivers finished in the top nine Sunday, and Greg Biffle had been dominant before his engine failed.
---------------------------------------------
Unofficial Race Results
Auto Club 500 | California Speedway
February 26, 2006 | Race 2 of 36
Fin St Car Driver Make Sponsor Pts/Bonus Laps Status
1 31 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 185/5 251 Running
2 3 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 170/0 251 Running
3 22 #99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 165/0 251 Running
4 13 #9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 165/5 251 Running
5 6 #31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 155/0 251 Running
6 25 #26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 150/0 251 Running
7 20 #42 Casey Mears Dodge Texaco/Havoline 146/0 251 Running
8 4 #18 J.J. Yeley * Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 147/5 251 Running
9 10 #6 Mark Martin Ford AAA 143/5 251 Running
10 7 #5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Kellogg's 134/0 251 Running
11 18 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 135/5 251 Running
12 5 #11 Denny Hamlin * Chevrolet FedEx Kinko's 127/0 251 Running
13 9 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont Hot Hues 129/5 251 Running
14 32 #07 Clint Bowyer * Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 121/0 251 Running
15 23 #1 Martin Truex Jr. * Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 118/0 251 Running
16 1 #2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 120/5 251 Running
17 19 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 112/0 251 Running
18 28 #25 Brian Vickers Chevrolet GMAC 109/0 250 Running
19 14 #10 Scott Riggs Dodge Valvoline/Stanley Tools 106/0 250 Running
20 11 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge Mobil 1 103/0 250 Running
21 29 #41 Reed Sorenson * Dodge Energizer e2 Lithium 100/0 250 Running
22 21 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 97/0 250 Running
23 16 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford Pedigree 94/0 250 Running
24 26 #66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Best Buy 91/0 250 Running
25 39 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Wells Fargo Financial 88/0 250 Running
26 34 #7 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Jim Beam 85/0 249 Running
27 8 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 82/0 249 Running
28 41 #21 Ken Schrader Ford Little Debbie 79/0 249 Running
29 15 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Icebreakers Ice Cubes 76/0 249 Running
30 24 #22 Dave Blaney Dodge Caterpillar 73/0 249 Running
31 27 #43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 70/0 249 Running
32 17 #14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet CENTRIX Auto Finance 67/0 249 Running
33 40 #40 David Stremme * Dodge Coors Light 64/0 248 Running
34 43 #96 Terry Labonte Chevrolet DLP HDTV/Tweeter 61/0 248 Running
35 37 #61 Kevin Lepage Ford RoadLoans.com 58/0 248 Running
36 33 #55 Michael Waltrip Dodge NAPA Auto Parts 55/0 247 Running
37 42 #49 Brent Sherman * Dodge Serta 52/0 247 Running
38 35 #151 Mike Garvey Chevrolet Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil 49/0 247 Running
39 38 #4 Scott Wimmer Chevrolet AERO Exhaust 46/0 246 Running
40 30 #195 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet hairofdog.com 43/0 242 Running
41 36 #178 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing 40/0 237 Running
42 2 #16 Greg Biffle Ford Jackson Hewitt/National Guard 47/10 229 Out of Race
43 12 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 39/5 214 Out of Race
* Denotes Rookie
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2006 Unofficial Driver Standings
After: Auto Club 500 | California Speedway | Race 2 of 36
Rank +/- Driver Points Behind Starts Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10
1 -- Jimmie Johnson 355 Leader 2 0 1 2 2
2 -- Casey Mears 316 -39 2 0 0 1 2
3 +12 Matt Kenseth 308 -47 2 0 1 1 1
4 +8 Kasey Kahne 295 -60 2 0 0 1 1
5 +1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 287 -68 2 0 0 0 1
6 +5 Mark Martin 275 -80 2 0 0 0 1
7 -4 Ryan Newman 273 -82 2 0 0 1 1
8 -- Clint Bowyer* 271 -84 2 0 0 0 1
9 -2 Brian Vickers 260 -95 2 0 0 0 1
10 -6 Elliott Sadler 259 -96 2 0 0 1 1
11 -1 Dale Jarrett 246 -109 2 0 0 0 1
12 +9 Kyle Busch 233 -122 2 0 0 0 1
13 +3 Martin Truex Jr.* 233 -122 2 0 0 0 0
14 +18 Jeff Burton 227 -128 2 1 0 1 1
15 +10 Jeff Gordon 219 -136 2 0 0 0 0
16 -7 Ken Schrader 217 -138 2 0 0 0 1
17 -3 Robby Gordon 209 -146 2 0 0 0 0
18 +18 Jamie McMurray 207 -148 2 0 0 0 1
19 -6 Kevin Harvick 202 -153 2 0 0 0 0
20 +11 Denny Hamlin* 200 -155 2 0 0 0 0
21 +22 Carl Edwards 199 -156 2 0 0 1 1
22 -17 Tony Stewart 199 -156 2 0 0 1 1
23 +18 J.J. Yeley* 187 -168 2 0 0 0 1
24 +5 Reed Sorenson* 176 -179 2 0 0 0 0
25 +13 Kurt Busch 174 -181 2 1 0 0 0
26 -4 Dave Blaney 170 -185 2 0 0 0 0
27 -9 Michael Waltrip 164 -191 2 0 0 0 0
28 -8 Brent Sherman* 152 -203 2 0 0 0 0
29 +8 Jeremy Mayfield 152 -203 2 0 0 0 0
30 -7 Kevin Lepage 151 -204 2 0 0 0 0
31 -5 Terry Labonte 148 -207 2 0 0 0 0
32 +1 Joe Nemechek 146 -209 2 0 0 0 0
33 -5 David Stremme* 143 -212 2 0 0 0 0
34 +5 Kyle Petty 134 -221 2 0 0 0 0
35 +7 Jeff Green 128 -227 2 0 0 0 0
36 -1 Bobby Labonte 128 -227 2 0 0 0 0
37 -3 Sterling Marlin 128 -227 2 0 0 0 0
38 -8 Greg Biffle 122 -233 2 0 0 0 0
39 -22 Bill Elliott 111 -244 1 0 0 0 0
40 -- Scott Riggs 106 -249 1 0 0 0 0
41 -22 Kirk Shelmerdine 103 -252 1 0 0 0 0
42 -18 Mike Wallace 91 -264 1 0 0 0 0
43 -16 Travis Kvapil 87 -268 1 0 0 0 0
44 -- Mike Garvey 49 -306 1 0 0 0 0
45 -- Scott Wimmer 46 -309 1 0 0 0 0
46 -- Stanton Barrett 43 -312 1 0 0 0 0
47 -7 Hermie Sadler 43 -312 1 0 0 0 0
48 -- Kenny Wallace 40 -315 1 0 0 0 0
* Denotes Rookie
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Matt Kenseth crosses the finish line to win the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. Credit: Autostock
Kenseth victorious after cars fail Biffle, Stewart
By Mike Harris, The Associated Press
February 26, 2006
10:13 PM EST (03:13 GMT)
FONTANA, Calif. -- Even when he took the lead late in the Nextel Cup race at California Speedway, Matt Kenseth didn't expect to win.
"I was sort of planning on running second," Kenseth said, grinning.
Matt Kenseth celebrates in Victory Lane. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images
But the 2003 Cup champion got a gift Sunday, winning the Auto Club 500 after the stronger cars of Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart went to the garage with late-race engine failures.
"I feel bad for Greg," Kenseth said. "He was really the class of the field all day. But I feel like we had the second- or third-best car. We had a great-handling car all day."
Stewart's blown engine on Lap 214 of the 250-lap event brought out a caution flag and sent the leaders to pit road for their final stops. A great pit stop by the crew of Kenseth's No. 17 Roush Racing Ford got him out ahead of Biffle, but, until smoke began spouting out of the exhaust on Biffle's No. 16, Kenseth didn't expect to stay ahead.
"We made some adjustments on that last pit stop," said Kenseth, who set a track record by winning from 31st in the 43-car field. "That gave me confidence for the longer run, but Greg was pretty quick on a long run. When he was back there, I totally assumed he was going to run us down on a long run."
Two-time and reigning Cup champion Stewart led only 28 laps but overcame a botched pit stop and a flat tire to come from a lap down and challenge Biffle late in the race on California's 2-mile oval. But Stewart, who had been running at the finish in 30 consecutive races, saw his race come to an end in a puff of smoke.
That appeared to hand an easy victory to Biffle. But it wasn't to be.
Last year's Cup runner-up -- first and second in the two California races last year and the Busch Series winner Saturday -- led 168 of the first 218 laps and built margins up to 13 seconds before he lost a cylinder in his engine on Lap 225.
Once Biffle was gone from his rearview mirror, Kenseth easily held off Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson in a two-lap overtime shootout after the last of seven caution flags came out for a smoking car with only four laps remaining in regulation.
The race restarted on Lap 250. Johnson tried to pass Kenseth on the outside in the first turn, but the leader held him off and pulled away, winning by 0.338 seconds -- about five car-lengths. Kenseth picked up the 11th victory of his career, but only his second in the past 72 races. He led 40 laps, including the final 33, giving Ford its first Cup victory with the new Fusion model.
Three-time California winner Jeff Gordon changed only two tires and beat both Kenseth and Biffle out of the pits on the final stop by the leaders. Kenseth passed Gordon for the lead on the restart on Lap 219, as another caution flew for the spinning car of Stanton Barrett, and Biffle grabbed second place on the next restart and began to chase down his Roush Racing teammate before his engine let go.
Stewart, who wound up 43rd, right behind Biffle, shrugged off his disappointment.
"It was a good day but a bad day," he said. "We overcame some things and I think we're going to have a good car all year. It was really a pretty impressive effort, but I don't think we had anything for Biffle there."
Biffle thought about trying to finish the race, but had to head for the garage after a slow restart on Lap 229.
"The 20 [Stewart] and I were pretty quick, but I think I got my car better," Biffle said. "He was good in the middle part of the race but I got my car really good here at the end.
"It's frustrating. It kind of drains you, but I've got to be optimistic about our season. We might have been better than the 17 [Kenseth], but now we'll never know."
Johnson had another strong showing with lead engineer Darian Grubb substituting for crew chief Chad Knaus, sidelined for the second of four races after being suspending by NASCAR for using an unapproved part on the No. 48 Chevrolet in qualifying at Daytona.
Carl Edwards, another Roush driver and last year's third-place finisher in the points, came back from a last-place showing in Daytona to finish third, followed by Kasey Kahne and Jeff Burton.
Roush Racing made a strong comeback from a terrible day at Daytona, where the top-finisher was Mark Martin in 12th place. Besides the strong showing by Biffle and Edwards, team newcomer Jamie McMurray finished sixth and Martin ninth. Martin won the Truck Series race Friday night.
A year ago, Biffle won here with three teammates in the top seven and all five Roush entries finished in the top 12 here in September.
Matt Kenseth completed the trifecta for Roush Racing this weekend at California by winning the Auto Club 500. Four Roush drivers finished in the top nine Sunday, and Greg Biffle had been dominant before his engine failed.
---------------------------------------------
Unofficial Race Results
Auto Club 500 | California Speedway
February 26, 2006 | Race 2 of 36
Fin St Car Driver Make Sponsor Pts/Bonus Laps Status
1 31 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 185/5 251 Running
2 3 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 170/0 251 Running
3 22 #99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 165/0 251 Running
4 13 #9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 165/5 251 Running
5 6 #31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 155/0 251 Running
6 25 #26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 150/0 251 Running
7 20 #42 Casey Mears Dodge Texaco/Havoline 146/0 251 Running
8 4 #18 J.J. Yeley * Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 147/5 251 Running
9 10 #6 Mark Martin Ford AAA 143/5 251 Running
10 7 #5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Kellogg's 134/0 251 Running
11 18 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 135/5 251 Running
12 5 #11 Denny Hamlin * Chevrolet FedEx Kinko's 127/0 251 Running
13 9 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont Hot Hues 129/5 251 Running
14 32 #07 Clint Bowyer * Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 121/0 251 Running
15 23 #1 Martin Truex Jr. * Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 118/0 251 Running
16 1 #2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 120/5 251 Running
17 19 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 112/0 251 Running
18 28 #25 Brian Vickers Chevrolet GMAC 109/0 250 Running
19 14 #10 Scott Riggs Dodge Valvoline/Stanley Tools 106/0 250 Running
20 11 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge Mobil 1 103/0 250 Running
21 29 #41 Reed Sorenson * Dodge Energizer e2 Lithium 100/0 250 Running
22 21 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 97/0 250 Running
23 16 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford Pedigree 94/0 250 Running
24 26 #66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Best Buy 91/0 250 Running
25 39 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Wells Fargo Financial 88/0 250 Running
26 34 #7 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Jim Beam 85/0 249 Running
27 8 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 82/0 249 Running
28 41 #21 Ken Schrader Ford Little Debbie 79/0 249 Running
29 15 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Icebreakers Ice Cubes 76/0 249 Running
30 24 #22 Dave Blaney Dodge Caterpillar 73/0 249 Running
31 27 #43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 70/0 249 Running
32 17 #14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet CENTRIX Auto Finance 67/0 249 Running
33 40 #40 David Stremme * Dodge Coors Light 64/0 248 Running
34 43 #96 Terry Labonte Chevrolet DLP HDTV/Tweeter 61/0 248 Running
35 37 #61 Kevin Lepage Ford RoadLoans.com 58/0 248 Running
36 33 #55 Michael Waltrip Dodge NAPA Auto Parts 55/0 247 Running
37 42 #49 Brent Sherman * Dodge Serta 52/0 247 Running
38 35 #151 Mike Garvey Chevrolet Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil 49/0 247 Running
39 38 #4 Scott Wimmer Chevrolet AERO Exhaust 46/0 246 Running
40 30 #195 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet hairofdog.com 43/0 242 Running
41 36 #178 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing 40/0 237 Running
42 2 #16 Greg Biffle Ford Jackson Hewitt/National Guard 47/10 229 Out of Race
43 12 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 39/5 214 Out of Race
* Denotes Rookie
--------------------------------------------------------
2006 Unofficial Driver Standings
After: Auto Club 500 | California Speedway | Race 2 of 36
Rank +/- Driver Points Behind Starts Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10
1 -- Jimmie Johnson 355 Leader 2 0 1 2 2
2 -- Casey Mears 316 -39 2 0 0 1 2
3 +12 Matt Kenseth 308 -47 2 0 1 1 1
4 +8 Kasey Kahne 295 -60 2 0 0 1 1
5 +1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 287 -68 2 0 0 0 1
6 +5 Mark Martin 275 -80 2 0 0 0 1
7 -4 Ryan Newman 273 -82 2 0 0 1 1
8 -- Clint Bowyer* 271 -84 2 0 0 0 1
9 -2 Brian Vickers 260 -95 2 0 0 0 1
10 -6 Elliott Sadler 259 -96 2 0 0 1 1
11 -1 Dale Jarrett 246 -109 2 0 0 0 1
12 +9 Kyle Busch 233 -122 2 0 0 0 1
13 +3 Martin Truex Jr.* 233 -122 2 0 0 0 0
14 +18 Jeff Burton 227 -128 2 1 0 1 1
15 +10 Jeff Gordon 219 -136 2 0 0 0 0
16 -7 Ken Schrader 217 -138 2 0 0 0 1
17 -3 Robby Gordon 209 -146 2 0 0 0 0
18 +18 Jamie McMurray 207 -148 2 0 0 0 1
19 -6 Kevin Harvick 202 -153 2 0 0 0 0
20 +11 Denny Hamlin* 200 -155 2 0 0 0 0
21 +22 Carl Edwards 199 -156 2 0 0 1 1
22 -17 Tony Stewart 199 -156 2 0 0 1 1
23 +18 J.J. Yeley* 187 -168 2 0 0 0 1
24 +5 Reed Sorenson* 176 -179 2 0 0 0 0
25 +13 Kurt Busch 174 -181 2 1 0 0 0
26 -4 Dave Blaney 170 -185 2 0 0 0 0
27 -9 Michael Waltrip 164 -191 2 0 0 0 0
28 -8 Brent Sherman* 152 -203 2 0 0 0 0
29 +8 Jeremy Mayfield 152 -203 2 0 0 0 0
30 -7 Kevin Lepage 151 -204 2 0 0 0 0
31 -5 Terry Labonte 148 -207 2 0 0 0 0
32 +1 Joe Nemechek 146 -209 2 0 0 0 0
33 -5 David Stremme* 143 -212 2 0 0 0 0
34 +5 Kyle Petty 134 -221 2 0 0 0 0
35 +7 Jeff Green 128 -227 2 0 0 0 0
36 -1 Bobby Labonte 128 -227 2 0 0 0 0
37 -3 Sterling Marlin 128 -227 2 0 0 0 0
38 -8 Greg Biffle 122 -233 2 0 0 0 0
39 -22 Bill Elliott 111 -244 1 0 0 0 0
40 -- Scott Riggs 106 -249 1 0 0 0 0
41 -22 Kirk Shelmerdine 103 -252 1 0 0 0 0
42 -18 Mike Wallace 91 -264 1 0 0 0 0
43 -16 Travis Kvapil 87 -268 1 0 0 0 0
44 -- Mike Garvey 49 -306 1 0 0 0 0
45 -- Scott Wimmer 46 -309 1 0 0 0 0
46 -- Stanton Barrett 43 -312 1 0 0 0 0
47 -7 Hermie Sadler 43 -312 1 0 0 0 0
48 -- Kenny Wallace 40 -315 1 0 0 0 0
* Denotes Rookie
--------------------------------------------------------
Matt Kenseth crosses the finish line to win the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. Credit: Autostock
Kenseth victorious after cars fail Biffle, Stewart
By Mike Harris, The Associated Press
February 26, 2006
10:13 PM EST (03:13 GMT)
FONTANA, Calif. -- Even when he took the lead late in the Nextel Cup race at California Speedway, Matt Kenseth didn't expect to win.
"I was sort of planning on running second," Kenseth said, grinning.
Matt Kenseth celebrates in Victory Lane. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images
But the 2003 Cup champion got a gift Sunday, winning the Auto Club 500 after the stronger cars of Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart went to the garage with late-race engine failures.
"I feel bad for Greg," Kenseth said. "He was really the class of the field all day. But I feel like we had the second- or third-best car. We had a great-handling car all day."
Stewart's blown engine on Lap 214 of the 250-lap event brought out a caution flag and sent the leaders to pit road for their final stops. A great pit stop by the crew of Kenseth's No. 17 Roush Racing Ford got him out ahead of Biffle, but, until smoke began spouting out of the exhaust on Biffle's No. 16, Kenseth didn't expect to stay ahead.
"We made some adjustments on that last pit stop," said Kenseth, who set a track record by winning from 31st in the 43-car field. "That gave me confidence for the longer run, but Greg was pretty quick on a long run. When he was back there, I totally assumed he was going to run us down on a long run."
Two-time and reigning Cup champion Stewart led only 28 laps but overcame a botched pit stop and a flat tire to come from a lap down and challenge Biffle late in the race on California's 2-mile oval. But Stewart, who had been running at the finish in 30 consecutive races, saw his race come to an end in a puff of smoke.
That appeared to hand an easy victory to Biffle. But it wasn't to be.
Last year's Cup runner-up -- first and second in the two California races last year and the Busch Series winner Saturday -- led 168 of the first 218 laps and built margins up to 13 seconds before he lost a cylinder in his engine on Lap 225.
Once Biffle was gone from his rearview mirror, Kenseth easily held off Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson in a two-lap overtime shootout after the last of seven caution flags came out for a smoking car with only four laps remaining in regulation.
The race restarted on Lap 250. Johnson tried to pass Kenseth on the outside in the first turn, but the leader held him off and pulled away, winning by 0.338 seconds -- about five car-lengths. Kenseth picked up the 11th victory of his career, but only his second in the past 72 races. He led 40 laps, including the final 33, giving Ford its first Cup victory with the new Fusion model.
Three-time California winner Jeff Gordon changed only two tires and beat both Kenseth and Biffle out of the pits on the final stop by the leaders. Kenseth passed Gordon for the lead on the restart on Lap 219, as another caution flew for the spinning car of Stanton Barrett, and Biffle grabbed second place on the next restart and began to chase down his Roush Racing teammate before his engine let go.
Stewart, who wound up 43rd, right behind Biffle, shrugged off his disappointment.
"It was a good day but a bad day," he said. "We overcame some things and I think we're going to have a good car all year. It was really a pretty impressive effort, but I don't think we had anything for Biffle there."
Biffle thought about trying to finish the race, but had to head for the garage after a slow restart on Lap 229.
"The 20 [Stewart] and I were pretty quick, but I think I got my car better," Biffle said. "He was good in the middle part of the race but I got my car really good here at the end.
"It's frustrating. It kind of drains you, but I've got to be optimistic about our season. We might have been better than the 17 [Kenseth], but now we'll never know."
Johnson had another strong showing with lead engineer Darian Grubb substituting for crew chief Chad Knaus, sidelined for the second of four races after being suspending by NASCAR for using an unapproved part on the No. 48 Chevrolet in qualifying at Daytona.
Carl Edwards, another Roush driver and last year's third-place finisher in the points, came back from a last-place showing in Daytona to finish third, followed by Kasey Kahne and Jeff Burton.
Roush Racing made a strong comeback from a terrible day at Daytona, where the top-finisher was Mark Martin in 12th place. Besides the strong showing by Biffle and Edwards, team newcomer Jamie McMurray finished sixth and Martin ninth. Martin won the Truck Series race Friday night.
A year ago, Biffle won here with three teammates in the top seven and all five Roush entries finished in the top 12 here in September.
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