Celebrating Auto Club Speedway's rich history | The Preview Show

Big run for Larson. In the draft, drops to the bottom. And at the line. Larson by Carly. Here they come for the checkered flag. Kyle Larson keeps that surfboard trophy in California. Hey race fans, welcome to the preview show delivered by DoorDash.

I'm Alex Weaver, joined as always by Alan Kavanaugh in the 2023 season. We're starting. Here we go to the West Coast Swing Daytona 500 has been checked. Ricky Sinhouse Jr. was crowned our Daytona 500 champion. And now, Autoclub Speedway. Yeah, that's the big question.

The last few Daytona 500 winners, you know, can they keep up the momentum hasn't really happened. Can Ricky Sinhouse do it? You talked to him after the race. What does he think? I did. He told me that he wanted to finish in the top 15 for as many races as possible. That was the goal. It's a one car organization now for JTG Doherty. They have one focus and that is making as many points up as they can before the playoff start.

25 races to prepare before that cut off. But the first of his five top 10s in 2001 came at Fontana. He had a top five there in 2016. So you might can do it. Yeah, let's see what he can do out of the gate. One driver doesn't have that win that he in Daytona like Ricky did. But Kyle Bush, let's face it, they have outperformed.

I think the expectations right. They were good in the clash, great at Daytona, led the 500th mile of the Daytona 500, of course, didn't get the win. But I think all the questions we had about him going to RCR. How's that car going to perform? How are they going to perform as a team, new driver combination? They've answered that already. And now they get to go to one of his best racetracks. He has four wins out in Fontana. He averages a finish there in the top 10.

I think they go out there, show a lot of speed and keep this going and stay near the top of the points. And they've already answered every question I've had yet. Before I get called out, I put a hot take at the start of the season that Kyle Bush was going to struggle. I take it back. After one race, two races. Two weeks in and I'm taking that hot take back. He seems chipper and eager.

He's excited this year. It's a different row to you. Happy Kyle Bush, fan favorite Kyle Bush. I know, exactly. Well, another guy who is not missed a beat. The championship hangover doesn't exist for Joey Logano. He's had strong finishes and strong races at the clash and then comes up with a second place finish at Daytona.

I spoke with him after the race on Pit Road. He told me second place was the absolute worst. So Joey Logano wants nothing less than first. Yeah, and he wants to show he's strong, right? Their new hashtag, never enough, right? He never wants to show that winning a championship, there's any lull. 22 will be good out in Fontana. How about those other Fords? Brad Kizlowski, Chris Buscher, Rausch Fenway, Kizlowski racing. They had a great Daytona.

Chris got the good finish. Brad unfortunately didn't. But we see them do well at the super speedway. What do you think they do when we get out to this oval? The one thing that I need from RFK is a little bit of consistency. They obviously struggled at the clash and then they're stowed at Daytona. So I would like to see them kind of hit their mark over the coming weeks. But I don't know about the mile and a half, so the two-milers will see.

Yeah, that's going to be tough. They have to show that they dug themselves a big hole last year in 2022. They got to avoid that in 2023. But like you said, two-mile track out in Fontana. It's the last race on this layout for Fontana. And you think about the long history they've had out there. The drivers love this track because it is aged so well.

It kind of rips up the tires. It gives up so many options for these drivers to pick a lane and really go out there racing. We saw what Kyle Larson was able to do out there last year. The first race out there with the next gen car put on one of the best shows of the year. I think they do it again. But being the last one, it's cool to remember all the cool memories we had out there. I love Fontana.

I love the Speedway out there. You get the mountains. It makes it picturesque in the background. It's such a shift of the SoCal venue. I'm excited. So we'll see. Well, the first race there, Alan mentioned it in 1997.

That was the first NASCAR Cup Series race. It was June 22nd. I see you know who won that one. Jeff Gordon, the California kid. A little more of a kid back then. But it was such a cool memory out there. I mean, NASCAR had been on the West Coast before, but it was so cool to see that big Speedway out there.

And then having Jeff Gordon, who was dominating everything out there, beating from California in front of that huge crowd, dominating that day, getting the victory. And that race has been so good to California drivers. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick. Well, it's also going to be a closing time for the Closer. This will be his final race at Autoclip Speedway. He's very adamant that this is it. I need some kind of celebration.

I need the leader of the Five Line Salute. I need the Kevin Harvick Lane, a tunnel. Give me something. Something. He's a California kid, right? I mean, almost basically a home race for him. So I hope big crowd, a lot of love out there for Kevin Harvick. And I hope he goes out on top, especially in California.

All right. The second race for the NASCAR Cup Series. That's what's on deck this Sunday. We hope you tune in to the Palo Casino 400 at 3.30 p.m. Eastern on Faw.

And we'll see you back here for the preview show next week, delivered by Dora Dash for Alex Weaver. I'm Alan Cavana. Enjoy the weekend.

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