The end is nigh. Much of the land on which Fontana’s Auto Club Speedway sits was sold Friday, reportedly for around 300 million dollars. That solidified what has long been suspected: This will be the last race on Fontana’s two-mile configuration.
Practice and qualifying for both the Cup and Xfinity race were canceled due to rain and snow. Drivers will get their first taste of the last bite of the Fontana apple in racing conditions. Here’s what to watch for when they get going.
Mixed up starting order
Without qualifying, the starting order for the race is based largely on results of the Daytona 500 — the only points race run so far this season. Like most other superspeedway races, many big name drivers crashed out early
As such, typically competitive drivers like Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott and William Byron will start in the back, while drivers for underfunded teams, such as Cody Ware and Corey LaJoie, are set to start in the top half of the grid. Faster drivers will quickly find their way toward the front, but it could contribute to early chaos.
Significant changes in pace
It takes time to properly prepare a car for a race. Teams don’t have that this year. Although they have data from last year and from simulations, no one will know who got their car set-ups right until the start of the race. There’s never a guarantee that the best car at the start of the race will also be the best by the end, but that prospect is even less likely without any practice.
There also won’t be any rubber on the track, with the Xfinity Series race postponed from Saturday to after the Cup race. The track should gain a significant amount of grip where it can throughout the day, which will force teams to adapt even more.
Tire Degradation
Auto Club Speedway is known for having high tire degradation — the track’s rough surface is one of the reasons drivers love to race here. That surface is deteriorating though, and that could mean degradation is worse than ever before. With the added complication of no practice, drivers who can manage their tires may have an even larger advantage than normal.
“Weepers”
Even without rain Sunday, cold temperatures and more than two inches of rain since Friday mean the track could still be wet by race time. Multiple drivers expressed concern regarding “weepers,” spots on the track where water which had sunk into the asphalt leaks back to the surface.
A cadre of track-drying vehicles will be on the track all day before the race, but water could still come up. That could result in fewer lines being run than last year as drivers try to avoid wet spots.
Cup winner prediction: Tyler Reddick (No. 45) - Reddick may be on a new team — and coming off a week with no practice — but he’s an adaptable driver. He was very quick last year before a tire blew late, bringing out a caution and sending him a lap down. With 23XI Racing this year, I expect Reddick to put his demons behind him.
Xfinity winner prediction: Cole Custer (No. 00) - Last year’s winner certainly isn’t the most creative prediction in the world, but Custer is very strong around Auto Club Speedway and I don’t see that changing this year. Without practice or qualifying, Custer, who loves this track, should be one of the quickest to adjust.