Auto Club 400

Hello Angels,

Sunday’s Auto Club 400 race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., marked the fifth race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Season. In keeping with the 2011 season, Kevin Harvick marked the race with a last-lap pass for the ages to become the fifth different driver to win in NASCAR’s top-tiered series.

The Auto Club 400 race was reduced in length from 500 miles down to 400 miles after last year’s Spring race. During the first 400-mile race in the fall some of the best racing of the season took place on the two-mile oval – something that prior to then, hadn’t happened. Sunday’s race had some of the same elements in the middle of the pack with plenty of two and three-wide racing throughout, but with Kyle Busch’s complete dominance at the front of the pack, until the final three laps, it seemed that it was going to be a lack-luster finish – unless you were a Kyle Busch fan that is. Then Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick stepped in.

With three laps remaining, Johnson got by Busch for the lead, but a hard-charging Harvick made quick pass of Busch and then literally pushed Johnson down the backstretch of the white-flag lap and got Johnson loose going into the third corner. Harvick then went around Johnson for the win with less than a quarter of the final-lap left. That’s the only time Harvick led the race, but if there was ever a time to do it, that was it. For Busch’s efforts, he pretty much did everything but win on Sunday as he was going for his second weekend-sweep in a row – winning Saturday’s Nationwide Series race on a last-minute tire strategy that put him in front of the field with 10 or so laps remaining. Unfortunately, his utter dominance of the race – leading 151 of the 200 laps – was only good for an improbable third place finish.

Congratulations to Harvick and his team for their first win of the season.

There were few cautions throughout the race, which led to a lot of cars not getting the service and changes needed to contend for the top-spot. In fact our CHARLIE’S ANGELS’ combined teams’ average finish of 15.31 reflects it. But, there is only an eight-point spread between this week’s CHARLIE’S ANGELS TOP ANGEL winner (Vivian) and this week’s GOLDEN CABOOSE recipient (Pete).

Vivian, your drivers’ 11.2 average finish earned you the TAA this week. Havick’s last-lap pass sealed the deal for you as you beat out CorWin by only point-two points for the TAA. Ryan Newman finished fifth, while Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished 12th. Jeff Burton finally finished a race, but it was controversial for him as he ran up front for most of the race until a pit-road speeding penalty put him a lap down and deep down in the pack. He rebounded for a 15th place finish. Jamie McMurray caps off your team with his 23rd place finish. Congratulations on your earning this week’s TAA.

Pete, your GCA earning average finish was a not-so-bad 19.2, in my opinion anyway. It could’ve been a lot worse…while Hamlin lost an engine and finished 39th, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano qualified up front only to start 43rd after changing engines prior to the start of the race after their team noticed an abnormality in the engine. This is the fifth race that a JGR engine gave out during the race. That said, Logano finished 20th. David Ragan had an ill-handling car and finished 22nd, while Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya finished on top of your driver charts with their fifth and 10th place finishes respectively. Better luck next week!

CorWin, as mentioned with Vivian, you only lost the TAA by point-two points after Harvick made his last-lap pass on Johnson. Your top driver is Busch and his third-place finish. Carl Edwards had another top-10 finish with a sixth-place run. Earnhardt finished 12th, while Paul Menard finished mid-pack in 16th – not really having a great race overall. Mark Martin rounds out your team with his 20th place finish. Your RUNNER-UP ANGEL winning average finish is 11.4.

Madison, you earned this week’s No. 3 Angels’ spot with your 14 even average finish. Johnson and Edwards tops your driver’s list with their second and sixth place finishes. Stewart was in the top-10 for most of the race, but faded in the ending laps to finish 13th. David Ragan and Regan Smith round out your team with their 22nd and 27th place finishes.

Gibbons, like Madison before you, you also have Johnson, Edwards and Smith and their second, sixth and 27th place finishes on your team as well. Separating you from Madison is the fact that you have Mark Martin’s 20th place finish as well as Menard’s 16th place finish on your team. Your average finish is 14.2.

Mr. X and Evelyn, you both tie for our No. 5 Angel’s spot with your 14.4 average finishes.

The only driver you both share is Edwards and his sixth place finish.

Evelyn, for you, Newman tops your drivers’ list with his fifth place finish on Sunday. Stewart faded in the end to finish 13th, while Martin and Marcos Ambrose had less-than stellar finishes with their 20th and 28th place runs.

Mr. X, for you, Busch was your top driver with his third place finish. Menard and Kurt Busch finished one-two, in 16th and 17th places respectively that is, while Trevor Bayne finished 30th.

Kris, you took the middle-ground this week with your average finish of 14.8 earning you the No. 7 Angel’s spot after two consecutive GCA’s prior. Kyle Busch is your top driver with his third place finish, while Stewart, A.J. Allmendinger and Jeff Gordon finished in the top-20 with their 13th, 14th and 18th place finishes respectively. Brad Keselowski rounds out your team with his 26th place finish.

Alex, leading your drivers’ list with a second-place finish is Johnson, who nearly earned the win in Sunday’s Auto Club 400, but came up just short in second place instead. Kasey Kahne finished ninth, while Martin finished 20th; Ragan finished 22nd; and Logano finished 25th. Your average finish is 15.6.

We have a three-way tie between Mr. Munday, Julie and Candy Man for the No. 9 Angels’ spot this week with their average finishes of 16.4.

Candy Man, Edwards tops your list with his sixth place finish. Greg Biffle finished just outside the top-10 with his 11th place finish, while Jeff Burton finished 15th. Martin and Bayne round out your team with their 20th and 30th place finishes respectively.

Julie, Newman and Edwards finished fifth and sixth respectively, while Stewart finished 13th. Martin and Bobby Labonte – whose car went out in a blaze of glory after a hard crash into the outside wall – finished 20th and 38th respectively.

Mr. Munday, Johnson tops your team with his near win and second place finish. Martin finished well behind him in 15th, while their teammate, Gordon, finished 18th. Ragan finished 22nd, while Logano rounds out your team with his 25th place finish.

For me, I earned the No. 12 Angels’ spot with my team’s 18.2 average finish. Johnson finished second, while Menard, Kurt Busch and Gordon finished 16th, 17th and 18th respectively. Labonte rounds out my team with his 38th place finish.

Kelly, you earned the No. 13th Angels’ spot with your 18.4 average finish. Newman finished the highest of any of your five drivers with his fifth place finish. Earnhardt finished 12th, while Kurt Busch finished 16th. Martin and Hamlin round out your team with their 20th and 39th place finishes respectively.

As I mentioned, the combined average finishes for all of our teams is 15.35 – down three points from last week.

Next week’s race is the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at the paper-clipped short track of Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.

Don’t forget to check the ESPN Stock Car Challenge Web site to see where you stack up against the other Angels after Sunday’s Auto Club 400.

Good luck Angels,

Charlie