The 2016 Auto Club 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on March 20, 2016, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Contested over 205 laps, it was fifth race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Jimmie Johnson won the race ahead of Kevin Harvick, while Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top five positions.
Austin Dillon won the pole, but lost the race lead on the opening lap and ultimately finished 24th. Harvick led a race high of 142 laps on his way to a runner-up finish. There were 26 lead changes among eight different drivers, as well as six caution flag periods for 33 laps.
This was the 77th career victory for Johnson, second of the season, sixth at Auto Club Speedway and 10th at the track for Hendrick Motorsports. The win moved Johnson up to second in the points standings. Chevrolet increased their lead to nine points over Toyota in the manufacturer standings.
The Auto Club 400 was carried by Fox Sports on the broadcast Fox network for the American television audience. The radio broadcast for the race was carried by the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Report
Background
Auto Club Speedway is a low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California.
Entry list The entry list for the Auto Club 400 was released on Monday, March 14 at 3:25 p.m. Eastern time. Thirty-nine cars were entered for the race. Two driver changes from the previous race included Brian Vickers returning to the seat of the No. 14 Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet and Jeffrey Earnhardt returning to the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 7 Regan Smith Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Brian Vickers Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 15 Clint Bowyer HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Paramount Pictures Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Ryan Blaney (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 David Ragan BK Racing Toyota 24 Chase Elliott (R) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 30 Josh Wise The Motorsports Group Chevrolet 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Jeffrey Earnhardt (R) Go FAS Racing Ford 34 Chris Buescher (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Landon Cassill Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 44 Brian Scott (R) Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 83 Matt DiBenedetto BK Racing Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Michael McDowell Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet 98 Cole Whitt Premium Motorsports ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice Austin Dillon was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 38.194 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 38.194 188.511 2 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 38.210 188.432 3 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 38.236 188.304Official first practice results
Practice (post-qualifying)
Second practice Carl Edwards was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 38.317 and a speed of . Kurt Busch went to a backup car after slamming the wall in turn 3. Because this took place after qualifying, he'll start the race from the rear of the field. PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime119Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota38.317187.906278Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota38.373187.632331Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet38.577186.640Official second practice results
Final practice Matt Kenseth was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 38.831 and a speed of . Greg Biffle and Kyle Larson made contact with each other exiting turn 4. Larson went to a backup car and will start from the rear of the field. PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime120Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota38.831185.419219Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota38.846185.347321Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord38.885185.161Official final practice results
Qualifying
Austin Dillon won the pole for the race with a time of 38.200 and a speed of . Being his second career pole and first since the 2014 Daytona 500, he said he was glad he "got a pole somewhere else. To do it at a driver’s race track like this at Fontana it means a lot to me. Just proud of this American Ethanol team we’ve had fast cars all year long. I knew going into that third session if I didn’t make mistakes I would have a shot. I just stayed with it off of (Turn) 4. I kept my locker locked as much as I could with the gas just keeping as much fuel to the car as I could. It worked out for us.” Adding to his Great start to the season, he also said that this was "the start of what we need to be doing as a group. I feel like we have everything all the other companies have. We still have a lot of work to do, but it feels good to have a small moral victory here.” After qualifying second, Kevin Harvick complemented the great "effort by Rodney and the team getting the car ready. This track is a challenge with its bumps and rough surface and the lower downforce makes them harder to drive but we’ve got a good car and looking forward to Sunday. Our goal was to run the same lap time all three rounds. That is going to put you in a spot to have a chance. All in all, it’s been a good start to the weekend and really looking forward to the race on Sunday.” After qualifying third, Denny Hamlin said he's "had fast cars all year long, and I knew going into that third session, if I didn’t make mistakes I would have a shot. I just stayed with it off of 4. I kept my locker locked as much as I could with the gas just keeping as much fuel to the car as I could. It worked out for us.”
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 13Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet38.41338.20938.200 24Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet38.23838.22638.231 311Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota38.24138.19438.372 431Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet38.38838.36938.446 519Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota38.50538.36038.457 618Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota38.41338.36238.459 76Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord38.33438.29138.520 824Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet38.21538.19538.545 922Joey LoganoTeam PenskeChevrolet38.26738.35038.594 101Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet38.39238.32738.638 1147A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet38.39238.36538.775 125Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet38.30138.3710.000 1327Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet38.45138.401 — 1421Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord38.56138.404 — 152Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord38.20038.455 — 1634Chris Buescher (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord38.57538.471 — 1778Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota38.31438.497 — 1817Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord38.41738.600 — 1948Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet38.41438.648 — 2020Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota38.38838.654 — 2144Brian Scott (R)Richard Petty MotorsportsFord38.61638.673 — 2216Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord38.58538.694 — 2313Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet38.45638.757 — 2414Brian VickersStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet38.48638.797 — 2543Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord38.627 — — 2641Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet38.690 — — 2788Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet38.693 — — 287Regan SmithTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet38.773 — — 2915Clint BowyerHScott MotorsportsChevrolet38.785 — — 3095Michael McDowellCircle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet38.817 — — 3110Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet38.898 — — 3242Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet38.921 — — 3383Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota39.001 — — 3438Landon CassillFront Row MotorsportsFord39.091 — — 3523David RaganBK RacingToyota39.333 — — 3698Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevrolet39.485 — — 3730Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet39.571 — — 3846Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet39.865 — — 3932Jeffrey Earnhardt (R)Go FAS RacingFord39.908 — —
Race
First half
Start
Under clear California skies, Austin Dillon led the field to the green flag at 3:49 p.m. He was passed going into turn 1 for the lead by Kevin Harvick. After five laps, Dillon fell back to third. Carl Edwards made a charge at Harvick, but he failed to make the pass. By lap 17, Harvick's gap grew to two seconds over Edwards. Kyle Busch was running fifth when he made an unscheduled stop for a flat right-rear tire on lap 20. He rejoined the race in 37th one-lap down. The first caution of the race flew on lap 27 for a single-car wreck in turn 2. Riding the high line, Chris Buescher suffered a right-rear tire blowout and made contact with the wall. Edwards exited pit road with the race lead. Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne were tagged for their crews being over the wall too soon and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
The race restarted on lap 32. Harvick got a run on Edwards going down the backstretch to retake the lead on lap 35. Coming to the lead, Edwards took back the lead on lap 36. Going into turn 1, Harvick drove underneath Edwards to retake the lead on lap 38. The second caution of the race flew on lap 47 for a single-car wreck on the backstretch. Exiting turn 2, Kyle Larson cut down his left-rear tire, hit the outside wall, turned down the track and slammed the inside wall head-on. He said that he "was going down the back stretch and I think it was my left-rear tire got cut. It must have ripped the brake line because I went to push the pedal and it went straight to the floor board. I couldn’t slow down. It was definitely a hard hit there, probably one of the harder ones of my career. Even before that we were pretty sub-average there, we were pretty bad. Disappointed in our run today, but glad I’m alright. It was really good for about 20 laps on each run. The take-off speed was awesome and I don’t know I just couldn’t get the thing to last for a whole run. We just kind of struggled there at the end of each run, that kind of hurt us, but short-run speed that was a lot of fun. I thought we were as competitive as anybody on short-run speed. We just needed something there for the last 10 to 15 laps. We will work on it. The pit crew was awesome. They bounced back with great stops all day.” He would go on to finish 39th. Brad Keselowski was tagged for an uncontrolled tire and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
Second quarter The race restarted on lap 54. Harvick made an unscheduled stop from the lead on lap 71 for a vibration. Martin Truex Jr. assumed the lead while Harvick rejoined the race in 33rd. A. J. Allmendinger also pitted from 10th for a vibration. Jimmie Johnson took the lead from Truex on lap 78. He hit pit road on lap 84 and handed the lead to teammate Chase Elliott. He pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Matt Kenseth. He pitted the next lap and the lead cycled to Harvick. Denny Hamlin and Paul Menard were tagged for speeding and were forced to serve pass-through penalty's. Matt DiBenedetto was tagged for removing equipment from his pit box and was forced to serve a pass-through penalty.
Second half
Halfway