Wise Power 400 Race Preview and Best Bet
NASCAR Cup Series: Wise Power 400
Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX) at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California
Race Info
NASCAR's Cup Series resumes this Sunday with the Wise Power 400 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
For this racing event, drivers must complete a total of 200 laps.
As is normally the case, there are three stages for this event.
Stage 1 consists in the first 65 laps. Stage 2 likewise requires 65 laps. Stage 3 consists in the final 70 laps.
An entry list has already been posted for this event. 36 drivers/teams are listed.
As for the starting lineup, that will not get published on Wednesday as was usually the case last season.
Instead, the starting lineup will be announced after the results of qualifying.
Qualifying will take place on Saturday at 11:35 a.m. ET and it will directly follow a practice session that begins at 11 a.m. ET
Track Info
The Auto Club Speedway is a D-shaped oval.
It is long track, a superspeedway -- at least for now.
In order to boost attendance, NASCAR officials expressed plans to convert this track to a half-mile-per-lap short track. But such plans haven't been pursued quickly enough for any such changes to take place this year.
Another thing that's staying the same is that the track isn't being repaved.
After last being repaved in 1997, it was supposed to be repaved in 2017.
But drivers, such as Martin Truex Jr., were vocal about leaving it the way it was.
This track can be slippery especially when it's warm and sunny. Its surface is also rough.
These track features are relevant to our betting endeavors for this race because they require us to place extra emphasis on driver skill.
Drivers will need to be extra good at maneuvering their cars in order to master the surface
That being said, the track is uniquely wide. So passing shouldn't be that difficult as it's sometimes thought to be here.
Given this last detail, I don't think that starting lineup information will be very helpful.
Specifications
To be exact, each lap is two miles long.
So in completing 200 laps, drivers will have completed 400 miles.
There are four turns. They are banked at 14 degrees, which isn't much. The frontstretch is banked at an usually high 11 degrees and the backstretch is banked at three degrees.
Drivers to Avoid
One driver to avoid is Martin Truex Jr.
He is very hit-or-miss at this track and he misses more often than he hits.
His average finishing position here is 17.45, which is almost three places worse than his average starting position.
At least Truex Jr. has won a single time here, however.
Conversely, Denny Hamlin has never won at the Auto Club Speedway despite racing at this track 19 times.
He's benefitted multiple times from terrific starting position but to no avail.
In fact, he often drops 10 or more places when his starting position is superb.
Hamlin has anyhow looked poor this season as evident in his finishing positions.
My Guy
I like Kyle Busch the most and I'm not sure why he isn't favored to win this race.
His form can't explain why he isn't favored. He's done well so far, most recently finishing sixth after starting 10th at Daytona despite the fact that the Daytona 500 is historically one of his worst races.
Unlike Daytona, the Auto Club Speedway is one of his best tracks.
He's won here four times while no other active driver has won here multiple times.
Most recently, he's finished top-three in three straight tries at this track.
Given this trend, let's bet on him to finish top-three.
Best Bet: Kyle Busch Top 3 Finish at +190 with Bovada
NASCAR Cup Series: Wise Power 400
Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX) at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California
Race Info
NASCAR's Cup Series resumes this Sunday with the Wise Power 400 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
For this racing event, drivers must complete a total of 200 laps.
As is normally the case, there are three stages for this event.
Stage 1 consists in the first 65 laps. Stage 2 likewise requires 65 laps. Stage 3 consists in the final 70 laps.
An entry list has already been posted for this event. 36 drivers/teams are listed.
As for the starting lineup, that will not get published on Wednesday as was usually the case last season.
Instead, the starting lineup will be announced after the results of qualifying.
Qualifying will take place on Saturday at 11:35 a.m. ET and it will directly follow a practice session that begins at 11 a.m. ET
Track Info
The Auto Club Speedway is a D-shaped oval.
It is long track, a superspeedway -- at least for now.
In order to boost attendance, NASCAR officials expressed plans to convert this track to a half-mile-per-lap short track. But such plans haven't been pursued quickly enough for any such changes to take place this year.
Another thing that's staying the same is that the track isn't being repaved.
After last being repaved in 1997, it was supposed to be repaved in 2017.
But drivers, such as Martin Truex Jr., were vocal about leaving it the way it was.
This track can be slippery especially when it's warm and sunny. Its surface is also rough.
These track features are relevant to our betting endeavors for this race because they require us to place extra emphasis on driver skill.
Drivers will need to be extra good at maneuvering their cars in order to master the surface
That being said, the track is uniquely wide. So passing shouldn't be that difficult as it's sometimes thought to be here.
Given this last detail, I don't think that starting lineup information will be very helpful.
Specifications
To be exact, each lap is two miles long.
So in completing 200 laps, drivers will have completed 400 miles.
There are four turns. They are banked at 14 degrees, which isn't much. The frontstretch is banked at an usually high 11 degrees and the backstretch is banked at three degrees.
Drivers to Avoid
One driver to avoid is Martin Truex Jr.
He is very hit-or-miss at this track and he misses more often than he hits.
His average finishing position here is 17.45, which is almost three places worse than his average starting position.
At least Truex Jr. has won a single time here, however.
Conversely, Denny Hamlin has never won at the Auto Club Speedway despite racing at this track 19 times.
He's benefitted multiple times from terrific starting position but to no avail.
In fact, he often drops 10 or more places when his starting position is superb.
Hamlin has anyhow looked poor this season as evident in his finishing positions.
My Guy
I like Kyle Busch the most and I'm not sure why he isn't favored to win this race.
His form can't explain why he isn't favored. He's done well so far, most recently finishing sixth after starting 10th at Daytona despite the fact that the Daytona 500 is historically one of his worst races.
Unlike Daytona, the Auto Club Speedway is one of his best tracks.
He's won here four times while no other active driver has won here multiple times.
Most recently, he's finished top-three in three straight tries at this track.
Given this trend, let's bet on him to finish top-three.
Best Bet: Kyle Busch Top 3 Finish at +190 with Bovada
