RACING REPORT
NASCAR preview: A look at the Auto Club 400 in California
Trey Campbell
Mar 16, 2018, 7:19 am
NASCAR heads to Fontana, Calif. this week. NASCAR.com
This week the Monster Energy series heads for the high banks of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. for the Auto Club 400. Designed in 1996 by legendary car owner Roger Penske, this track is MASSIVE; it's two miles in length and has fourteen degrees of banking. This place has plenty of room, so it is not uncommon to see three or four wide racing.
Last year Kyle Larson went on to his second career victory after beating Brad Keselowski, a victory that kicked off a career year for the third-year driver. This year you can expect a lot of the same type of racing, lots of passing for position and long green flag runs. The race, however has a trend of late race cautions. (Some for questionable reasons but that’s for a different article) Since 2012, there has been a caution within the final four laps of every race, and as the great Darrell Waltrip always said, "Cautions breed Cautions."
When there is a chance for a restart there is an even likelier chance for another yellow flag, and that was case last year when something as simple as a Corey Lajoie's single car spin lead to a multi-car crash involving Kasey Kahne, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The favorite going into this race is clearly the man who has won the last three races, Kevin Harvick.
I have been watching NASCAR as far as I can remember being alive and I do not recall someone having this dominant of a start to a season. It was always known that Harvick is good on the West Coast part of the season, but never did I imagine he would have a shot to sweep all four races and sure enough here we are. Auto Club is another track that holds a lot of sentimental value because it's his home track. Harvick grew up two hours away in Bakersfield, so getting a victory in front of his home state crowd would be a signature win for his career, especially considering he has never won here before.
Regardless he has ran great here at this track with a 7.50 since average finish since 2016 which is fifth all time amongs active drivers so look for the Jimmy John's Ford to be freaky fast this weekend. The driver I think that will go to victory lane. however. is Martin Truex, Jr. Truex is coming off three consecutive top five finishes, and while this is not a track that he has been great on, last year he had a good run going as he led the second most laps in the race with 77 and won the second stage.
This weekend will be the race where Truex breaks through and gets his first win of the season as he defends last year's championship. A dark horse to watch for this weekend is Daniel Suarez. In his debut at Fontana he went on to a seventh-place finish, and the sophomore driver is coming off his best finish of the year last week. He looks to be turning a corner as one of the next great young drivers in NASCAR so look for him and his bright orange Toyota Camry to be up front.
This race is one that I always look forward to due to the amount of lead changes we have seen in years past -- last year this race had 17 and the year before that had 26. With the aero package that NASCAR has brought to this race track over the last few years it is strange that there is only one race here. Nonetheless look for it to be a good race.
(All stats and information used in this article is brought to you by the good folks at driveraverages.com and Racing-Refrence.com the best website for all NASCAR stats)
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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