NASCAR: Lots of storylines at the Auto Club 400, Eckel picks them
Auto Club 400, Fantana, California, 3:30 p.m.
You want story lines?
The Auto Club 400 has its share of them as the NASCAR series heads into week five in Fantana, California.
Kyle Busch, coming off a win last week in Phoenix, has 199 career wins. A win Sunday would give him his 200th win at the same track where he earned his first win.
Jimmie Johnson, a California native who has won this race three times, has not won is 63 straight races and would love to end that drought here Sunday.
Kyle Larson, another native of the Golden State, has gone 50 races without a win. But this track could be to his liking, he won here in 2017. His nickname isn’t “Two-Mile Kyle’’ for nothing.
And Martin Truex Jr., last year’s winner, is looking for his first win of the season after finishing second in both Atlanta and Phoenix so far this year.
The 201-lap race, which began in 1997 with Jeff Gordon winning the initial race, has seen Ford win it 10 times, twice as much as Chevrolet’s five times. However, Ford has one just once in the past nine years.
Either I’m paying attention or just getting good at this, but my picks mach-up with my two experts, Scott “Tobacco Road’’ Baker and Mike “Left Turn’’ Sweeney perfectly.
Here’s the picks:
Joey Logano #22 (13-2) — Logano, who won two weeks ago in Las Vegas and is currently second among the points leaders (171) has a good chance, Sunday. He’s finished in the top 5 here three times in his career, including a third-place finish last year. He will be coming out of the fifth spot. This was “LT’s” No. 1 pick.
Martin Truex Jr. #19 (7-1) — Truex won here last year and finished second to Kyle Larson in 2017. He didn’t have a good weekend in qualifies, however, and will start out of the 27th spot, Sunday. Still, you can’t count out the Jersey Boy. This was “TR’s” first choice.
Kyle Busch #18 (9-2) — Last week’s winner in Phoenix has ben red hot. He’s won here three times and finished as the runner-up to Truex here last year. Right now, with the way he’s racing, you can’t leave him out. He’s coming out of the fourth spot.
Longshot Play: Denny Hamlin (18-1) — It’s not that often you can get Hamlin at this price.