Auto Club 400 Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Ranking Picks

1. Kevin Harvick – Kevin Harvick is a good fantasy pick for the Auto Club 400. Stewart-Haas Racing has invested a lot of money in the #4 team this season. Once again on Sunday he’ll be piloting a new chassis. At the other intermediate track visited earlier this season he also drove a new chassis. At Las Vegas he had a car that was racing winning to top five good but he had issues with his brakes / rotors that sidelined him and sent him to the garage. Before he had problems he led 23 laps. California is Kevin Harvick’s home track and he’s a strong performer here. Last season he finished a misleading 13th. In the race he was top five good but over the last restart he went from the top five to his eventual finish position. That can be chalked up to being on older tires than his competitors. In the race Harvick had the 3rd best driver rating and a 7th place average running position. In 7 of the 8 Auto Club races prior to last season Kevin Harvick finished in the top ten. His lone finish not in the top ten was due to a crash in 2009. In 2011 Harvick reeled in both Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson in the closing laps and pulled off the last lap pass for the win. Here’s a LINK to a YouTube video of that impressive performance. In 2012 at Auto Club he finished 4th. Last year on 2 mile intermediate tracks Harvick had the 3rd best driver rating and a 5.7 average finish. Michigan is the sister track of Auto Club Speedway and last year he finished 2nd twice. Currently Harvick’s odds to win are listed at 8/1. On Sunday Harvick will start in 4th. In the practice sessions on Saturday Kevin Harvick looked really good. In practice #2 he had the best 10 lap average. In Happy Hour his ten lap average ranked as the 4th best. One common trend this weekend for him is that he’s focused on running the high-line. That’s easier on tires which will be a huge factor in the race. My prediction is Kevin Harvick will win the Auto Club 400.

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2. Jimmie Johnson – Auto Club Speedway belongs in the conversation as to what track is Jimmie Johnson’s best. At this venue he’s a five-time winner and his win percentage is 26.3% percent. His win percentage is only higher at Martinsville and Dover. His win percentage would be slightly higher but Kevin Harvick passed him in 2011 on the final lap coming off of turn #4. That win would’ve boosted it to 31.2% percent. Also at Auto Club Speedway you can’t overlook his 4 other runner-up finishes. Entering the Auto Club Speedway Jimmie Johnson is the pre-race favorite from the odds makers. Currently his odds to win are listed at a series best 5/1. The chassis he’ll be driving finished 5th at Chicagoland last September. I think of Chicagoland as a mini – Auto Club Speedway and in that event he led 40 laps and was better than his result (Uh-Oh Report). Last season at Auto Club Speedway Jimmie Johnson wasn’t his normal competitive self. For whatever reason he simply wasn’t competitive. I’m going to overlook that performance because it was in the early days of the Gen 6 car. Prior to that race at Auto Club Speedway he had 10 consecutive top ten finishes. In 8 of those 10 races he had a result of 3rd or better. Also over those 10 races he had a 3.8 average finish, led 747 laps and had the best driver rating by a wide margin. At Las Vegas a few weeks ago Johnson earned the 2nd best driver rating, had the best average running position (3rd) and finished 6th. On Sunday Johnson will start in 3rd. Following practice #2 this team was ready to hit the panic button because Johnson said, “We’re not even close.” Following Happy Hour I think their tune changed. In the final practice session he said his car turned extremely well and he had good drive off. In Happy Hour his 10 lap average ranked as the 8th best.

Recommended Reading: Big Board 10 Lap Speed Chart, Practice Notes, Practice Speeds, Auto Club 400 Starting Positions, Auto Club PROS Rankings, Auto Club Chassis Selections, Auto Club Pit Stall Selections

3. Jeff Gordon – Jeff Gordon has had a great season so far. When it comes to finishing in the top ten he’s currently 4 for 4. No other driver has finished in the top ten every race this season. In fantasy NASCAR momentum is important and right now he has it. To get a 5th straight top ten he’ll have to overcome his recent Auto Club track record. In three out of the last five races he’s had a result outside the top eleven. Over these five races he has a 16.8 average finish and the 12th best driver rating. Last year at Auto Club Speedway Jeff Gordon had an up and down race. He started in 19th, drove up into the top ten but then got into some oil on the track and sustained damage which led to handling issues. In the race he took advantage of cautions to repair his car and get it fixed. Late in the race he climbed up to about 6th but over the final green flag run he fell back to his eventual 11th place finish. In 2012 Jeff Gordon had a good car but was doomed following a pit road penalty that cost him a lap. If he didn’t get penalized in the race he likely would’ve finished in the top five. When the checkered flag waved he finished 26th. At Las Vegas a few weeks ago Jeff Gordon earned the 7th best driver rating, had a 7th place average running position and finished 9th. The chassis that Jeff Gordon will be driving is brand new and has never been raced. His odds to win are currently listed at 12/1. On Sunday he’ll start in 6th. In practice today he looked very impressive on the stop watch. He has a car that’s good over short and long runs. In practice #2 he had the best 5 lap average and in Happy Hour he had the best 10 lap average.