Rookie Larson Starting To Turn Heads

Rookie Larson Starting To Turn Heads

When NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate Kyle Larson, of Elk Grove, Calif., returns to his home state for Saturday’s Royal Purple 300 at Auto Club Speedway, he will have a lot of people paying attention to his on-track performance.
After racing down and challenging Kyle Busch in the closing laps of last Saturday’s Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300 at Bristol, Larson impressed many throughout the NASCAR Nationwide Series garage. His side-by-side racing showed how much the 20-year-old had learned in the past month.
In the opening race of last month’s inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach, Larson turned race leader C.E. Falk into the infield on the final turn of the last lap to seize the victory. Although he did what was necessary to win, the move drew the ire of some fans and those inside the garage.
In last Saturday’s race, Larson was again aggressive on the track, but instead of punting the leader into the infield wall, and possibly out of the race, he chose good, clean racing. It’s a sign that he’s already learned that knocking people from the lead or race is not always the best way to get to the front. 
Through the first four races of the 2013 season, Larson has proven that he’s more than capable of winning his fair share of those last-lap duels without unnecessary contact. He finished the first two races in 13th place. At Las Vegas, he had to head to the garage prematurely after an accident left him 18 laps shy of the checkered flag.
With the series off to California, Larson sits ninth in the NASCAR Nationwide standings, 49 points behind leader Sam Hornish Jr. In the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, Larson is second behind Alex Bowman, who is eighth in the standings (-47) after two top-10 finishes.
"I’ve done a lot of traveling over the past couple years, so it will be nice to come back to California and Auto Club Speedway," Larson said. "It’s always nice to come home and race in your home state."

Hornish Continues His Hot Streak

Sam Hornish Jr. has to be pleased with his performance so far this season, especially with Auto Club next on the docket.
Hornish has a certain familiarity with the Southern California track that should help him this weekend. Although he has never won a NASCAR national series event at Auto Club, he’s won there twice in the IndyCar Series. His best NASCAR Nationwide finish at the two-mile track came in last year’s Royal Purple 300, when he finished 13th. 
In four races this season, he has four top-10 finishes, including a victory two weeks ago in Las Vegas. His lowest finish was a seventh at Phoenix. The other three have all been fourth or better. For comparison, in 2012 – Hornish’s best year in NASCAR – he didn’t earn his third top-five finish until the 14th race.
Hornish’s consistency on the track has given him a 22-point advantage over his closest competition, Justin Allgaier. Allgaier finished eighth in Bristol. Coming into last Saturday’s race, Hornish led a trio of drivers (Allgaier, Elliott Sadler and Brian Scott) deadlocked 19 points back. 
Engine problems at Bristol relegated Sadler to a 36th-place finish and dropped him to 10th in the standings (-51). A 10th-place finish at Bristol left Scott third in the standings (-25).

Joe Gibbs Racing Has Unparalleled Success In Fontana

Success at Auto Club Speedway for Joe Gibbs Racing’s drivers seems to come naturally, and after eight consecutive NNS wins at the track, victory probably is expected. Dating back to Feb. 25, 2008, when Tony Stewart beat Kyle Busch to the finish line, drivers turning steering wheels of JGR Toyotas have found unmitigated success on the Southern California track.
In the seven years since, Busch has won five times and Joey Logano has two victories. All five of Busch’s victories have come in the No. 18 Toyota, while Stewart’s sole victory came in the No. 20. Logano, no longer a JGR driver, has a victory in both cars.
No one is currently slated to drive the No. 18 in Saturday’s Royal Purple 300, but Brian Vickers will pilot the No. 20 Toyota. Elliott Sadler will drive the No. 11 Camry with Busch helming the No. 54 car.
The last non-JGR driver to win a NASCAR Nationwide event at Auto Club Speedway was Jeff Burton (2007) in the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Etc.

With a top-10 finish at Bristol, Brian Scott has the longest streak of top-10 finishes – six – of any driver in the top three national series, dating to last season’s Phoenix fall race. … In 14 starts at Auto Club, perennial favorite Kyle Busch has five wins and 11 top 10s. He’s on a roll in 2013 with two wins in only four starts. … Milestone Watch: Regan Smith will attempt to post the 100th NASCAR Nationwide top-five finish for the No. 7 car this weekend. Nineteen different drivers have posted at least one top-five finish in the car.