The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is in Fontana, California this weekend for the Auto Club 500 at the Auto Club Speedway. The 500 mile race, which is set to begin a 6:00pm ET on FOX, will consist of 250 laps on a D-shaped oval. Auto Club 500 odds at Sportsbook.com have a El Cajon, CA native, Jimmie Johnson, listed as a +300 moneyline favorite to win today's race.
Johnson did not have a strong showing at last week's Daytona 500, finishing 31st after starting in the seventh position, but he has to feel good about his chances in California. The number 48 Lowes Chevy has been nothing short of amazing in Fontana, recording three wins in 12 races and finishing in the top 10 eight times. Last year was a particularly good one for Johnson at the Auto Club; he finished second in the February race there and first in the August running. He led a combined 304 laps in the two runnings.
Listed as the second favorite to take the checkered flag this evening is Roush driver Carl Edwards. He too did not fare that well at Daytona on Sunday, but his performance was not horrendous by any means. He started in the the 16th position and went on to finish 18th. Today he will run his 10th race at the Auto Club and start from the 25th spot (his average start position in Fontana is 17.8). Edwards has an average finish at the track of 6.7 and he has one win, six top fives, and eight top 10's at the facility. Last year he won the February race after leading 64 laps and he finished sixth in the August showing.
Kyle Busch, who had a great chance to win at Daytona had it not been for his involvement in a 10 car wreck on lap 123, is pegged as the third favorite at +700 moneyline odds. The Las Vegas native has been another strong contender at the Auto Club, garnering one win, three top fives, and seven top 10's in nine races at the speedway. He drove his number 18 Joe Gibbs Toyota to fourth (February) and seventh (August) place finishes at the track last season. He will start today's race from the 10th position.
Jeff Gordon, who is tied with Jimmie Johnson as the active wins leader at the Auto Club Speedway (three), is listed at +800 moneyline odds to take the checkered flag today. Last week Gordon finished 13th at Daytona after starting third; he led 14 laps of the rain shortened affair. He qualified sixth for today's running in Fontana, a track he has raced on 17 times as a Cup driver. His number 24 DuPont Chevrolet, which has led 527 of the 4208 laps it has run on the speedway, has recorded three wins, eight top fives, and eight top 10's at the two mile track.
Last week's Daytona 500 winner, Matt Kenseth, is listed at +1000 moneyline odds to be today's Auto Club 500 victor. Kenseth has started 14 Cup races in Fontana and, while he does not have a win at the Auto Club, he does have four top fives and six top 10 finishes.
Sportsbook.com's Auto Club 500 Odds:
Jimmie Johnson +300 (Moneyline), -110 (Top Three)
Carl Edwards +600 (Moneyline), +180 (Top Three)
Kyle Busch +700 (Moneyline), +200 (Top Three)
Jeff Gordon +800 (Moneyline), +250 (Top Three)
Matt Kenseth +1000 (Moneyline), +300 (Top Three)
Greg Biffle +1000 (Moneyline), +300 (Top Three)
