2014 Auto Club 400
2014 Auto Club 400
The 2014 Auto Club 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on March 23, 2014, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Contested over two hundred six laps on the two miles (Three.Two km) asphalt D-shaped oval – extended from two hundred laps due to a green–white–checker finish – it was the fifth race of the two thousand fourteen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Kyle Busch won the race, his very first win of the season, while Kyle Larson finished as the highest rookie in 2nd, while Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five. Behind Larson, the top rookies in the race were Austin Dillon in 11th, and Cole Whitt in 18th.
Two.000 mi (Three.219 km)
Joe Moore and Jeff Striegle (Booth)
Dave Moody (1 & Two) and Dan Hubbard (Trio & Four) (Turns) (Radio)
7.1 Million viewers [11]
Contents
Just as the field was being lined up to restart the Food City 500, rain embarked to fall once again. After five hundred three laps, a two-hour delay to begin the race, a three-hour delay at the quarter mark and numerous rain showers, NASCAR called the end of the race and Carl Edwards took the victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. [12] Edwards described his race as “awesome”, after troubles on the previous day, stating that his car was “terrible on Saturday, so I’m just glad we turned it around”. [12] Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. scored his best career finish with a runner up spot, [12] stating that he had “a lot of joy” and that his team was “just leisurely working and getting better and better”, as he continued to improve results in his very first total season in the Sprint Cup. [12] Aric Almirola also scored his best career finish, at the time of the race, in third place. [12]
Background Edit
The track, Auto Club Speedway, is a four-turn superspeedway that is two miles (Three.Two km) long. [13] The track’s turns are banked from fourteen degrees, while the front open up, the location of the finish line, is banked at eleven degrees. Unlike the front open up, the backstraightaway is banked at three degrees. [13] The track has a seating capacity of 92,100 people. [13] The race consisted of two hundred laps, equivalent to a race distance of four hundred miles (640 km). [13] The defending race winner was Kyle Busch.
Entry list Edit
The entry list for the Auto Club four hundred was released on Tuesday, March eighteen at 1:49 p.m. Eastern time. Forty-three cars were entered for the race which meant no one would fail to qualify.
Very first practice Edit
Jimmie Johnson was the fastest in the very first practice session with a time of 38.163 and a speed of 188.664 mph (303.625 km/h). Landon Cassill wrecked his primary car during the session and was coerced to roll out the backup car. Because this switch took place prior to qualifying, he did not have to commence from the rear of the field.
Matt Kenseth won the pole with a time of 38.438 and a speed of 187.315 mph (301.454 km/h). [14] Kenseth praised the spectacle of his Joe Gibbs Racing team and their qualifying setup, stating that “they gave me the car and indeed all I did was not mess it up”. [14] Joining Kenseth on the front row was Brad Keselowski, who noted a switch in tire spectacle compared to qualifying sessions earlier in the season. He stated that Auto Club Speedway was “very likely the very first qualifying effort where the cars have gone slower in the last round with the tire fall off playing a factor in that. So, each week is different as far as what it is going to take to make it through all three rounds. I think that is part of the interest and the challenge for us as teams and drivers”. He also noted a potential for unpredictability, stating that there was an “infinite amount of variables and teams that can dial that in the best are the ones that will be up front. So far we have been able to do that which I think is a strong statement for our team”. [14] Jeff Gordon, who qualified sixth, stated that the tires were unpredictable, adding that “you’re having to keep the same set of tires on the car and guess which direction it is going to go”. [14]
Qualifying results Edit
2nd practice Edit
Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the 2nd practice session with a time of 38.706 and a speed of 186.018 mph (299.367 km/h). Martin Truex, Jr. hit the wall in turn one after his car cut down the left-rear tire, and this necessitated the rolling out of his backup car. Because this was a post-qualifying switch, he was compelled to embark from the rear. [15]
Final practice Edit
Brian Vickers was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 38.725 and a speed of 185.926 mph (299.219 km/h). Joey Logano hit the wall in turn two after cutting down the left-rear tire. Like Truex, he was compelled to commence at the rear. [15] Logano put the issue down to a combination of air pressure and car setup. [15]
Driver switch Edit
The night before the race, Denny Hamlin went to the infield care center at Auto Club Speedway due to an irritation in his eye. The irritation continued overnight, and it was reported at the time that he had a sinus infection. After being referred to a local hospital, the cause of the irritation was discovered to be a petite lump of metal in his eye. [16] J. D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Hamlin would not commence the race less than an hour before the embark. [17] Sam Hornish, Jr., who was on standby for Matt Kenseth in the previous day’s Nationwide Series race, drove the No. Eleven car in his place. [17]
Very first half Edit
Embark Edit
The race embarked at Three:16 p.m. Eastern time with Kenseth leading the field to the green flag. He was passed by Brad Keselowski on the very first lap. The very first caution of the race flew on lap eighteen after Kevin Harvick cut down his right-rear tire on the front spread. Jeff Gordon exited pit road third, but was caught speeding and had to restart from the rear. David Ragan stayed out when Keselowski pitted to lead a lap before pitting. The race restarted on lap twenty four with Keselowski leading the way, but Kyle Busch soon passed him for the lead. Keselowski retook the lead on lap 28, and held the lead until the 2nd caution of the race flew on lap forty three after Dale Earnhardt, Jr. cut down the left-front tire and scraped the wall in Turn 1. Jimmie Johnson exited pit road very first and assumed the lead for the restart on lap 48.
The third caution of the race flew on lap fifty six after Tony Stewart spun out exiting turn Two. Clint Bowyer stayed out when Johnson pitted, believing that the light at the entrance to pit road to be crimson. Gordon and Keselowski did likewise, but Bowyer and Gordon pitted the following lap. The race restarted on lap sixty one and Johnson had no trouble passing Keselowski for the lead with four fresh tires. The fourth caution of the race flew on lap seventy after Brian Scott got into Aric Almirola and sent them both spinning into the infield grass just past the entrance of pit road. Almirola had to back off the throttle when his forward progress was interrupted by Hornish. Scott was moving to the top of the race track and was caught by surprise. Upon being released from the infield care center, Almirola frankly stated that Scott was “out there having joy because his daddy gets to pay for it”. Ryan Newman stayed out and took the lead.
2nd half Edit
Halfway Edit
The race restarted on lap seventy five and just like the previous restart, Kenseth had no trouble passing Newman with four fresh tires. Johnson retook the lead on lap 84, just before the fifth caution of the race flew on lap eighty six after Parker Kligerman got liberate and backed into the Turn three wall. Johnson and Kenseth exchanged the lead on pit road, and Kenseth exited the leader. The race restarted on lap ninety one and Johnson did not take long to pass Kenseth for the lead. Gordon took the race lead for the very first time on lap 109, holding the lead to the sixth caution of the race, which flew on lap one hundred eighteen after Carl Edwards cut down his left-rear tire and spun out in turn Two. Kenseth won the race off pit road and assumed the lead for the restart on lap 123. Johnson took back the lead on lap 128. Harvick was running third when he had another cut tire, this time the left-rear, with sixty three laps to go.
Tire blowouts Edit
Debris in turn three brought out the seventh caution of the race with fifty nine laps to go; Johnson and Gordon interchanged the lead on pit road, but Johnson exited very first, and the led the field to the restart, with fifty two laps to go. The eighth caution of the race flew with thirty five laps to go after David Gilliland rear-ended the wall in turn Four. Just like the previous pit cycle, Johnson and Gordon exchanged the lead on pit road, and Johnson once again led off pit road, for the restart with twenty seven laps to go. With seven laps to go, Johnson cut down his left-front tire and Gordon took the lead. A number of cars began cutting down their tires including points leader Keselowski (right-rear), Marcos Ambrose (left-rear) and Bowyer who cut down his right-front tire; Bowyer spun out and brought out the ninth caution of the race with three laps to go, to cause a green–white–checker finish. Landon Cassill stayed out when Gordon pitted to assume the lead.
Finish Edit
The race required only one attempt for the green–white–checker finish. Cassill did not put up a fight and Kurt Busch moved to the front. On the final lap, Kyle Busch passed his brother and held off a hard charging Kyle Larson to win the race. [Legitimate] Upon exiting his car, Kyle Busch stated that the finish was arousing, and that “what do you expect when you have a green-white-checkered finish and everyone comes down pit road to put on four tires”, believing the finish to be like something out of the movie Days of Thunder. [Legitimate] After winning his very first Nationwide Series race the previous day, Larson stated that it had “been a indeed good weekend” and that he had been battling “most likely a 12th place car for most of the day”. [Legitimate]
