The 2022 WISE Power 400 was the second stock car race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series and the 25th running of the event. The race was held on Sunday, in Fontana, California, at Auto Club Speedway, a permanent D-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Kyle Larson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win a drama-filled race after a controversial block on teammate Chase Elliott within the closing laps of the race had put Elliott in the wall. Larson would defend the field on the final restart to win his 17th career NASCAR Cup Series race and his first of the season. To fill out the top 3, Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing and Erik Jones of Petty GMS Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.
Report
Background
Auto Club Speedway (previously California Speedway) was a , low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which hosted NASCAR racing annually from 1997 to 2023. It was also used for open wheel racing events. The racetrack was located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and Riverside International Raceway. The track was owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation and was the only track owned by ISC to have its naming rights sold. The speedway was served by the nearby Interstate 10 and Interstate 15 freeways as well as a Metrolink station located behind the backstretch.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Garrett Smithley Rick Ware Racing Ford 16 Daniel Hemric (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 41.519 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 41.519 173.415 2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 41.580 173.160 3 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 41.746 172.472Official practice results
Qualifying Austin Cindric scored the pole for the race with a time of 41.226 and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 41.310 41.226 2 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 41.316 41.342 3 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 41.628 41.437 4 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 41.566 41.529 5 16 Daniel Hemric (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 41.405 41.585 6 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 41.271 41.588 7 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 41.358 42.197 8 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 41.177 0.000 9 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 41.403 0.000 10 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 41.478 0.000 11 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 41.516 — 12 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 41.517 — 13 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 41.594 — 14 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 41.634 — 15 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 41.636 — 16 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 41.678 — 17 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 41.688 — 18 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 41.777 — 19 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 41.888 — 20 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 41.888 — 21 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 41.940 — 22 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 41.989 — 23 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 42.056 — 24 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42.140 — 25 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 42.188 — 26 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 42.505 — 27 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 42.634 — 28 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 42.957 — 29 15 Garrett Smithley Rick Ware Racing Ford 43.953 — 30 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 44.103 — 31 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 0.000 — 32 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 0.000 — 33 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 0.000 — 34 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 0.000 — 35 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 0.000 — 36 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 0.000 — Official qualifying results
Race
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 65
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 102 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 93 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 84 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 75 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 66 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 48 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 39 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 210 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 65
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 102 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 93 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 84 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 75 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 66 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 57 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 48 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 39 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 210 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 70
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 13 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 522 16 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 200 353 2 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 200 524 15 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 200 335 7 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 200 446 31 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 200 347 32 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 200 308 36 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 200 299 5 16 Daniel Hemric (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 200 010 17 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 200 2811 21 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 200 3112 1 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 200 3113 12 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 2414 3 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 2315 4 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 2316 24 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 200 2817 18 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 200 2018 6 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 200 2919 34 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 200 1820 26 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 200 1721 29 15 Garrett Smithley Rick Ware Racing Ford 200 1622 30 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 200 1523 35 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 200 1424 11 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 199 3325 14 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 199 1726 8 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 198 1127 9 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 198 1028 25 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 198 929 33 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 198 830 28 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 198 731 23 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 193 632 27 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 187 533 22 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 157 434 10 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 151 1335 20 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 111 236 19 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 94 1Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 32 among 9 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 12 for 59 laps Red flags: 0 Time of race: 3 hours, 3 minutes and 7 seconds Average speed:
Media Television The race was the 21st race Fox Sports covered at the Auto Club Speedway. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer and three-time Auto Club winner Matt Kenseth called the race in the booth for Fox. Jamie Little and Regan Smith handled the pit road duties, and Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.
FoxBooth announcersPit reportersIn-race analyst Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Clint BowyerColor-commentator: Matt Kenseth Jamie LittleRegan Smith Larry McReynolds
Radio MRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle, and 2018 NASCAR Cup Championship crew chief Todd Gordon called the race from the booth when the field raced their way down the front stretch. Dan Hubbard called the race from a billboard outside turn 2 when the field raced their way through turns 1 and 2, and Kurt Becker called the race from a billboard outside turn 3 when the field raced their way through turns 3 and 4. Steve Post and Jason Toy had the pit road duties for MRN.
MRNBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Todd Gordon Turns 1 & 2: Dan HubbardTurns 3 & 4: Kurt Becker Steve PostJason Toy
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Austin Cindric 85 9 2 Joey Logano 77 (–8) 3 Martin Truex Jr. 73 (–12) 2 4 Ryan Blaney 70 (–15) 5 Chase Briscoe 69 (–16) 16 6 Erik Jones 68 (–17) 5 7 Aric Almirola 66 (–19) 18 8 Kyle Larson 65 (–20) 5 9 Bubba Wallace 65 (–20) 8 10 Brad Keselowski 64 (–21) 3 11 Kyle Busch 61 (–24) 4 12 Kurt Busch 53 (–32) 2 13 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 53 (–32) 7 14 Austin Dillon 52 (–33) 4 15 Daniel Suárez 52 (–33) 4 16 Cole Custer 48 (–37)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Ford 72 1 2 Chevrolet 67 (–5) 1 3 Toyota 64 (–8)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
References