Green - White - Checkers

Stop #5: Fontana

By Ryan Frisco

I know, I know, it's like 2:30pm on Sunday afternoon and the race is about to start.  Sorry guys, I've been wrapped up in the Madness of March, college basketball!  I'm working against the clock now, but that's where I thrive, so here goes; I'll be brief.

Photo Cred www.autoracing1.com

So from Bristol, Tennessee last week, the drivers move cross country to Fontana, California to take part in the circuit's one of a kind track, California Motor Speedway.  This track is 2 miles long, but isn't a superspeedway like Talladega or Daytona that requires restrictor plates.  The cars go fast here.  Without something to keep them all bunched up, I would say California sometimes results in the least amount of action on track.  It's so big, and so spread out.  Cars aren't crashing a ton, people are rarely passing each other.  Unless you blow a motor, your car does as good as it is.  If you were ever going to fall asleep during a NASCAR race, this would be the one.

But please, don't let that pull you away!  These cars are hitting speeds of 200 mph!! Just because there aren't big pileups and lot's of action doesn't make it any less dramatic!  One thing I'm looking forward to; the drama between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano.  Joey was upset with Denny last week.  Denny didn't make it any better when he said he wasn't worried because Joey could never catch up to him on the track (not a direct quote, just an indirect implication Denny made).  I think that statement is true though, and I'm curious to see if Logano can in fact get anywhere near Hamlin on track without pulling a Gordon and stopping and waiting for Hamlin to come back around a lap later.

Photo Cred www.youtube.com

Side Bar: Was anyone like me as a kid playing NASCAR video games, and always turning around and crashing the whole field going backwards?

My predictions: Kevin Harvick will win.  I don't know why.  Rousch has always been good here (Kenseth won three times) and I'm sure Gibbs will be fast.  Hendrick's always fast, and you can never count Keselowski out.  But, I'm going with Happy Harvick, just for the heck of it.  

Bring it on guys, let's make this exciting!