The NASCAR Cup Series is returning to Fontana, California for the Wise Power 400. The series skipped the venue last season due to the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. That date was filled by a second race at Daytona which was held on the track’s road course. Now the Cup cars are returning and Kyle is the favorite once again.
But this time it’s Kyle Larson, not Kyle Busch!
Kyle Busch entered the race back in 2020 as the favorite but he now comes in at +800 while Larson is the clear favorite to win outright as he’s at +350. Both of the two have logged wins at the track and Busch is one of only four drivers that have won there three times. Auto Club Speedway is an intermediate (1.5 – 2.0 miles) track that both Larson and Busch have done well on over their careers.
Chevrolet has won three of the last five races at the venue with Toyota taking the other two. As for Ford, they last won at Auto Club in 2015. That stat is reflected in the five favorites to win the Wise Power 400 outright as no Fords are included.
Kyle Larson +350
Chase Elliott +700
Denny Hamlin +700
Kyle Busch +800
Martin Truex Jr +1000
You have to drop down to Ryan Blaney at +1200 to find the first driver piloting a Ford for Team Penske. Speaking of Team Penske, the last Cup Series driver to win at Auto Club Speedway was Brad Keselowski in 2016. Back then he was with Penske but he’s now driver/co-owner of RFK Racing.
NASCAR Betting Guide for Beginners
2022 Wise Power 400 Preview
Track: Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, California
When: Sunday, February, 27
Type: 2.0-mile asphalt, banked, Intermediate speedway
Race Distance: 200 laps / 400 miles
Defending Winner: Alex Bowman / Chevrolet
TV/Radio: Fox / MRN
Fantasy NASCAR Guide for Beginners
2022 Wise Power 400 Predictions
Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson won here in 2017 when he was with Chip Ganassi Racing. During that win, he was out front for 110 laps. He’s only had seven Cup Series starts at the track and has managed the win along with three finishes of 5th or better. His other starts include being 9th last time there in 2020, an 15th place finish in 2019, and an 11th place run in 2014. His worst finish was in 2016 when he was involved in another driver’s crash on lap 45 which resulted in a last-place run.
Kyle Busch +500
Kyle Busch won this race two years ago giving him three wins at Auto Club Speedway in the Cup Series. In his last nine trips to the track, he has also finished eight times inside the top ten. That stat puts him at the top of the NASCAR Fantasy stat list when it comes to Auto Club. And, those numbers don’t include other wins he has there in the Xfinity Series – which is an additional six checkered flags and 16 more runs inside the tenth spot. Busch already seems to be running better than last season.
Brad Keselowski +800
Brad Keselowski may have irked a few drivers last week at the Daytona 500 due to his aggressive driving but he was also one of the best cars on the track for much of the race. He does not seem to have skipped much of a beat by leaving Team Penske for an ownership and driving role at what is now Rouch/Fenway/Keselowski Racing. He’s 2nd in NASCAR stats at Auto Club and has one win at the track under his belt.
Others: Ryan Blaney (+1200) looked strong at Daytona and he’s run well at Auto Club Speedway in the past. Kevin Harvick (+1400) has a recent win here and several top-ten runs at Auto Club.
NASCAR Statistics for Beginners
2022 Auto Club Wise Power 400 Betting Lines
Kyle Larson +350
Chase Elliott +700
Denny Hamlin +700
Kyle Busch +800
Martin Truex Jr +1000
William Byron +1200
Ryan Blaney +1200
Alex Bowman +1400
Joey Logano +1400
Kevin Harvick +1400
Tyler Reddick +1600
Brad Keselowski +2000
Kurt Busch +2000
Christopher Bell +2800
Ross Chastain +3300
Austin Cindric +3300
Austin Dillon +4000
Chase Briscoe +6600
Harrison Burton +8000
Aric Almirola +8000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +10000
Chris Buescher +12500
Daniel Suarez +12500
Darrell Wallace Jr. +12500
Justin Haley +15000
Erik Jones +15000
Daniel Hemric +15000
Cole Custer +15000
Ty Dillon +15000
Todd Gilliland +15000
Michael McDowell +15000
David Ragan +25000
Corey Lajoie +50000
Cody Ware +50000
BJ McLeod +50000
Josh Bilicki +50000