Race Report - Auto Club 500

FINAL RESULTS:
1. Matt Kenseth, Ford
2. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
3. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
4. Jeff Burton, Chevrolet
5. Mark Martin, Ford
22. Kyle Petty, #45 Wells Fargo Dodge
28. Bobby Labonte, #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge

OVERVIEW:

The two-mile California Speedway, located in the city of Fontana, hosted the second stop on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series tour Sunday afternoon. Matt Kenseth gave Roush Fenway Racing their first Nextel Cup victory as joint owners by winning the Auto Club 500. Kenseth made it a weekend sweep after winning Saturday’s Busch Series event at the same venue.

Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team came into Sunday’s race knowing they made improvements during Saturday’s final practice session. The improvements were enough to land Labonte in the top 10 for 105 laps on Sunday. Labonte started 28th, but pit strategy early had Labonte running second behind eventual race winner Kenseth. Labonte wasn’t strong enough to gain the top spot at the time, but raced comfortably in the front. Labonte never left the top 10 until things turned the wrong way for the team. Labonte’s Dodge snapped loose and he grazed the wall. Labonte lost positions after, but was still able to keep the car in the top 25. The team just needed a caution period to make quick repairs. The caution came with Reutimann’s red flag wreck, but the accident also collected Labonte as Reutimann’s car slid across the track. The ‘Helping Hands’ crew did the work necessary for Labonte to complete the final seven laps of the race. Labonte finished 28th.

“We had a pretty fast Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge today,” said Labonte. “It’s disappointing to have the finish we have because the car was up front. We did a lot of work to get a good car today. The result doesn’t tell the whole story today, but we’ll move along to Vegas and get back on track.”

Kenseth led 129 laps on Sunday to beat California native Jeff Gordon to the line for victory. Kenseth raced in the top 10 in all but 32 laps of the 250-lap race. He was clearly the class of the field on Sunday. Jeff Gordon was fast all weekend and capped it off with a second place finish. RCR Racing had a fourth place finish with Jeff Burton, but Kevin Harvick was en route to a better finish before a cut tire sent him to a 17th place finish in the closing laps. Mark Martin scored his second consecutive top-five finish. The race featured nine cautions and one red flag period after David Reutimann hit the wall hard on the backstretch with less than 10 laps left. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex both caused caution periods with blown motors during the event. The story was better for Kyle Petty and the #45 Wells Fargo Dodge team.

Petty Enterprises and the The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series will get a weekend off from racing. They will next head to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. The race will be televised live on FOX and broadcast live on PRN Radio.