Need a break from all the March Madness action? Fear not. The Auto Club 400 is here to give you some high-octane NASCAR action. The best stock car drivers in the world will once again be vying for a coveted spot in the Chase. It’s going to be one hell of a race with plenty of drivers still in the hunt for a postseason berth.
Need some help picking a racer for this game? Read on as we take a look at best favorites, sleeper and long shot to back in this race.
Still finding a team to back in the Big Dance? Check out our complete March Madness preview. Wanna hear what the experts have to say for the Auto Club 400? Then check out our feature of experts picks here.
Jimmie Johnson has won the Auto Club 400 twice. He’s been excellent racing in California in his career. Driving in his home state, Johnson has 12 top-10 finishes in his last 15 starts at the Auto Club Speedway. Driving the Chevrolet No. 48, he has been excellent this season. He won the race at Atlanta before finishing third in Las Vegas. He also had a strong outing at Phoenix with an 11th-place finish.
Expect Johnson to be among the frontrunners of this race as a +450 favorite.
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick has been very good this season. He is yet to finish below seventh place in the first few Sprint Cup Series races. He placed fourth at the Daytona 500, sixth at Atlanta, seventh at Las Vegas, and got his first win at Phoenix last week.
Harvick has been pretty good at California in the past few years. He’s placed in the top four in four of his last seven races at the track. He has a win as No. 29 with Richard Childress Racing in 2011. He also came close driving the Chevrolet No. 4 with Stewart-Haas Racing last year, finishing second. Harvick is +450 to win this race.
Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch is a man on a mission as the defending Sprint Cup Champion. He needs to solidify his place in the Chase with a big win. He can get that win at California on Sunday, where he has been dominant in recent years. Busch is one of four racers to win the Auto Club 400 twice. He won the race in 2013 and 2014 before he missed last season’s due to a broken leg.
Busch is a very good racer at California. Before his two victories, he finished third in 2011 and second in 2012. He has finished in the top five in eight straight Sprint Cup races. It’s also a big help that Busch has a capable team behind him. Joe Gibbs Racing has all four of its drivers in the Chase Grid with three of the four inside the top six.
Busch is a solid bet at +550 to win his third straight at the Auto Club 400.
Sleeper
Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski has been pretty inconsistent this season. He’s sandwiched top 10 finishes, including a win, between 29th and 20th place finishes. He could get back on track with a big outing at California. He won the Auto Club 400 last year. He staged a late rally to cross the checkered flag after starting the race at eighth.
Kyle Larson finally looks like he’s gotten over the hump. He finished 26th and 34th at Atlanta and Las Vegas respectively. But he broke out in a big way at Phoenix last week with a 12th-place finish. He’s no stranger to excelling at this track, finishing second in 2014. Larson is one of the up-and-comers in the Sprint Cup Series. He pays out a lot at +2,500 to win his first race this season.
