After the behemoth-level hype and setting of the Daytona 500, the two-mile confines of Auto Club Speedway will feel downright cozy.
NASCAR heads west for its second race weekend of the season when the sport settles in Fontana, Calif. The asphalt is ancient by modern standards, which means tire falloff — once a pivotal element in the NASCAR Cup Series that’s become less critical in recent years — could be a factor.
With an entirely redesigned race car debuting at a track that hasn’t hosted a race since March 2020, it’s anybody’s guess who will take the checkered flag on Sunday. But we’ve got three potential picks.
All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Ben Watanabe
Chase Elliott, top three +195
There’s a shortage of sample size, since it’s been almost two years since the Cup series raced here at all — in the new package or the old. So beware of putting too much stock in recent winners like Kyle Busch or Alex Bowman. It’s hard to argue with Chase Elliott’s consistency, though, if you’re looking for a safe bet. In five career races, Elliott has never finished outside the top 20, and while it’s not a great number to place on Elliott getting his first career top-three at Fontana, too much is unknown to justify going out on a limb.
Mike Cole
Brad Keselowski, top five +320
As we’ve already mentioned, we’re flying a little blind having not seen a race here in two years. So I’m leaning on Keselowski, who has strong track history and has to be feeling good after the season debut. Keselowski has finished no worse than fifth at Auto Club Speedway dating back to 2017, and he’s got seven straight top-10 finishes, including a win in 2015. Also, maybe there’s some momentum after a close call at Daytona.
Dakota Randall
Austin Cindric, top 10 +1,100
This is the rookie’s first Cup Series race at Fontana, but he performed well at Auto Club Speedway as a full-time Xfinity Series driver. In three starts, Cindric scored two top 10 finishes, including one top-five. Winning the Daytona 500 doesn’t always translate to success in the follow-up race, but Cindric nevertheless has a strong track record at NASCAR superspeedways. He looked like he belonged last weekend, and we think he’s a safe bet for another good outing Sunday afternoon.
