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2019 Auto Club 400: Preview NASCAR at Fontana

By Brittany Frederick

FONTANA, CA - MARCH 16: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, prepares to drive during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 16, 2019 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
FONTANA, CA - MARCH 16: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, prepares to drive during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 16, 2019 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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The 2019 Auto Club 400 features a number of storylines. Here’s what NASCAR fans should watch for in the race from Auto Club Speedway.

This weekend NASCAR shifts to the West Coast for the first time in 2019, and this year’s Auto Club 400 looks like it’s shaping up to be a battle of haves and have nots—as in those who have won in Fontana before vs. those who haven’t.

The Mar. 17 race is the fifth round of the 2019 NASCAR season, meaning that teams have had plenty of time to shake off the postseason rust and fix any early mistakes. It’s no surprise that a small group of drivers have established themselves as consistent frontrunners, while others are still trying to get their engines going.

But racing on the West Coast is a different animal, and some of the league’s top drivers are also the ones who have experienced the most success on this track. So will history continue to repeat itself? Or could someone else put their name on the Fontana short list this year, like pole sitter Austin Dillon?

What should NASCAR fans look for this weekend? Let’s break the race down in our Auto Club 400 preview.

ONE THING TO KNOW:

THREE DRIVERS TO WATCH:

  • Kyle Busch: Aside from having won this race twice before, Busch is a driver to keep an eye on because he has all the momentum right now. He won last weekend’s TicketGuardian 500 in Phoenix pretty easily (leading 177 of the 312 laps), and has finished on the podium for all but one of the races so far this season. He’s the current championship leader, and there’s no reason not to favor him going into this event.
  • Denny Hamlin: The 2019 Daytona 500 winner hasn’t had a great season since nabbing that prestigious opening race. He sits fourth in points and has yet to find the podium in any of the other three events. But Hamlin’s history with Auto Club Speedway is a sort of all or nothing deal: he either finishes well or somewhere in the middle. Since 2015, he’s finished 28th, 3rd, 14th and 6th respectively. A good day this year could put him right up toward the top of the NASCAR standings.
  • Austin Dillon: Dillon won the pole for Sunday’s race, but he needs a result. So far, he hasn’t come home higher than 16th. In 2018, he posted his best finish at Fontana (10th). Can he improve on that this year? If so, he’d nab his first Top 10 of 2019. If he doesn’t, he could quite easily get swallowed up early by the more experienced drivers who will all be trying to make more history on this track.

Next. Does Daytona 500 deficit hurt Kyle Busch's career?. dark

The 2019 Auto Club 400 takes place Sunday, Mar. 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET. For complete coverage of this weekend’s race and the 2019 NASCAR season, follow the NASCAR category at FanSided.

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