Auto Club 500: Winners and Losers

Coming in, we knew Sunday's Auto Club 500 race would come down to Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing, but it wasn't the two drivers many expected. Who would have thought coming into Vegas that the top four drivers in the standings combined for one win in 2008?

Winners

Matt Kenseth

He is 2-0 in 2009. Kenseth is doing his best to prove doubters and critics wrong that he is not a serious contender.

Winning this race on pit road was the only way to beat Jeff Gordon on Sunday and Kenseth and the killer B's got it done. With a strong race car and great pit stops, Kenseth is showing he is definitely a contender in 2009.

Kenseth and the killer B's look to go for three in a row in Vegas.

Jeff Gordon

He had the strongest car Sunday afternoon. This was one of the best and most complete races I have seen him run since 2007. Even without a win, this team is the one of the hottest in NASCAR right now. 

Late in the race it looked like Gordon would end his winless streak, but it was not meant to be. Still, this team is putting the field on notice that the No. 24 crew is back and will be a serious contender in winning not only races but a championship this year.

Kurt Busch

I was impressed with this team. I think last year was tough on Busch. With rumors about former teammate Ryan Newman leaving Penske Racing and this organization struggling to get a handle on the new car, 2008 had few bright spots.

But Sunday this team looked ready to get back into contention and make a run for the Chase. The Busch brigade looked strong running in the top 10 for most of the day. It's a long season, but if they can put cars like that on the track every week, look for Busch to get back to championship form soon.

Michael Waltrip Racing

I know it's early, but Michael Waltrip Racing looks strong early on. David Reutimann finished 14th and Michael Waltrip finished 15th after starting 42nd on Sunday. They look good early on, but they need to continue that consistency throughout the season.

If they want to make the Chase this year they are going to have to beat guys like Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards.

Auto Club Speedway

No, it wasn't a sellout. But after last year’s weepergate and this year’s poor economy, the seats were filled and the fans got a great show. It won't be easy to sell out at any track this year, but Auto Club Speedway is notorious for poor showings and bad weather.

While this year we once again saw some rain showers, it was nowhere near last year’s debacle. The fans left happy seeing some of the best racing with this new car and they got a complete race start to finish.

Losers

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

After being the center of the firestorm last week over Daytona's big one, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was looking to rebound. On Friday, this team struggled with transmission issues and ended up starting from the rear. They struggled throughout the day making gains on this car.

It wasn't until late in the race that they began to find some improvements, but an engine problem ended their day early.

This team is digging out of a hole. They need a strong run at Vegas on Sunday to give them some much-needed confidence and momentum.

Jimmie Johnson

He looked like the car to beat early in the race, leading the first segment. But this team began to have handling issues and seemed to struggle just to keep up at one point. Major adjustments allowed them to  battle for the top three positions during a restart, but the handling once again fell off and this team settled for a ninth-place finish.

It really has surprised me at how uncomfortable Johnson has looked in his car at times. Last year he was able to drive through the handling issues early in the season, and when they weren't exactly winning races they were still competitive.

So far in 2009 they seem to be really struggling with finding speed, something his teammate Jeff Gordon struggled with last year.

They will rebound, of course, but they are going to need some strong runs the next couple weeks if they want to keep up with Kenseth and Gordon, who seem to be the best in the field so far.

Greg Biffle

Biffle looked good early on. He sat and watched Gordon and Kenseth battle back and forth for the lead. A late pit stop mistake by Biffle took his chances of winning—or at least finishing in the top five—away.

This is not the first time this team has eliminated themselves from a win. Last year there were pit mistakes by crew members and Biffle, as well as equipment failures, though not of his own doing. But even so, Biffle was the best car on the track many times.

Limiting mistakes is what will make them a championship contender come this fall.

Final Thoughts

A heads up to Kyle Busch after taking his Camping World Series and Nationwide Series competitors to school on Saturday. He came close to winning all three races with a third-place finish on Sunday. This kid is good and he is always a threat to win wherever he races.

This week’s race was about seeing if Kenseth's win at Daytona was a fluke and if Gordon really is as good as he said he is this year. They both proved their points and are looking strong early on this season.

We also saw the flip side with teams that are really struggling out of the gate, like Richard Childress Racing. Earnhardt, Jr. appears to be struggling with the setups on his cars and his results are proving that.

With Vegas next on the schedule, look for the same players up front, and we will begin to see if some of these guys running in the top 12 are for real.