Auto Club Speedway will host its final Cup race as a 2-mile speedway Sunday. NASCAR has stated plans to reconfigure the speedway into a short track but details remain limited.
Sunday’s race marks the 33rd Cup race at the Fontana, California, track. Jimmie Johnson has the most wins with six. Kevin Harvick will be making his 29th start at the track, most all-time.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. comes into the weekend off his Daytona 500 win and a media tour that took him to Disney World, Chicago and New York City this week.
Details for Sunday’s Cup race at Auto Club Speedway
(All times Eastern)
START: Michael Rooker, who played Rowdy Burns in “Days of Thunder,” will give the command to start engines at 3:38 p.m. … The green flag is scheduled to wave at 3:47 p.m.
PRERACE: Cup garage opens at 12:30 p.m. … Drivers meeting at 2:40 p.m. … Driver introductions are at 3:05 p.m. … Invocation given by George Beasley, executive pastor of High Desert Church, at 3:30 p.m. … National Anthem will be performed by Jacque Rivera at 3:31 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is 200 laps (400 miles) on the 2-mile speedway.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 65. Stage 2 ends at Lap 130.
TV/RADIO: FOX will broadcast the race at 2:30 p.m. Pre-race coverage begins at 2 p.m. on FS1. … Motor Racing Network’s radio coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. and will also stream at mrn.com; SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the MRN broadcast.
STREAMING: FOX Sports
FORECAST: Weather Underground - Cloudy with a high of 47 degrees, and a 17% chance of rain at the start of the race
STARTING LINEUP: Auto Club Cup starting lineup
LAST YEAR: Kyle Larson won last year’s race. Austin Dillon finished second. Erik Jones placed third.
CATCH UP ON NBC SPORTS COVERAGE:
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Ryan: Last lap at Fontana raises questions of NASCAR’s past, present, future in SoCal
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