Facts & Stats: NASCAR Cup Series Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway
25 February 2023
By Bob Francis, Managing Editor
Go Full Throttle Racing News
FONTANA, CA — The big story line ahead of the PALA CASINO 400 on Sunday here at Auto Club Speedway: weepers. Can the track crew get the track dry, including the many seams, so we can go racing. NASCAR is doing everything possible to get the Xfinity Series race started with a break in the weather.
Facts & Stats NASCAR Cup Series at Auto Club Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series
Pala Casino 400
Auto Club Speedway
The Date: Sunday, February 26
The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $8,484,302
TV: FOX, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 65), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 130), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
Last chance to catch NASCAR on the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway
With the announcement that this weekend’s Pala Casino 400 (Feb. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be the last NASCAR Cup Series race on the 2-mile configuration, the anticipation for a spectacular final event is steadily growing. Planning continues for a proposed half-mile short track located on a portion of the speedway’s current property, but timing for commencement of that project remains uncertain making this weekend that much more special.
The 2023 Pala Casino 400 will be the 33rd-time the NASCAR Cup Series has competed at the paved 2-mile oval located in Fontana, California. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway took place on June 22, 1997 and was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon driving the Hendrick Motorsports №24 Chevrolet.
In total, 172 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway producing 21 different pole winners and 18 different race winners. Kurt Busch leads the series all-time in poles at Auto Club Speedway with four (2015, 2007 and 2006 sweep), and Jimmie Johnson leads the series in wins with six (2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016).
Five of the 21 NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club Speedway pole winners are active this weekend, led by Denny Hamlin with three poles (2009, 2012, 2013).
Six of the 18 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Auto Club Speedway are active this weekend, led by Kyle Busch with four victories (2005, 2013, 2014, 2019).
