Weekend NASCAR Preview: Feb. 29-Mar. 1

NASCAR continues their West Coast Swing by heading to Southern California at Auto Club Speedway. This will be the final weekend where the starting lineups would be decided by 2019 owner points if rain interferes with qualifying. In this preview you will find the entry lists for both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series as well as some notes for what to watch for this weekend.

The Xfinity Series kicks off the weekend with Saturday’s Production Alliance Group 300. No driver entered in the race has won at Auto Club Speedway before. Previous winners include; Todd Bodine, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Hank Parker Jr., Scott Riggs, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon, and most recently Cole Custer.

No Cup Series drivers are entered in the race, but there are two Truck Series drivers. Brett Moffitt continues to drive the #02 for new team Our Motorsports while Austin Hill is in the #61 for his Truck Series team Hattori Racing Enterprises.

Chase Briscoe won last week at Las Vegas and he is now the sole driver for Stewart-Haas Racing, which won at Auto Club in 2019 with Custer.

Myatt Snider ran the first 2 races with Richard Childress Racing, starting 1st both times. This week he’ll be in the #93 for RSS Racing as Anthony Alfredo makes his Xfinity Series debut in the #21.

The Production Alliance Group 300 will be on Saturday, February 29 at 4:00p ET on FS1.

#DriverTeamCarSponsor
0BJ McLeodJD MotorsportsChevroletKSDT CPA
1Michael AnnettJR MotrsportsChevroletAHA/Pilot Flying J
02Brett Moffitt (i)Our MotorsportsChevroletRobert B Our
4Jesse Little #JD MotorsportsChevroletSeries Seating
5Matt MillsBJ McLeod MotorsportsChevroletJF Electric
6David StarrJD MotorsportsChevroletBob Menery's Ripper Magoo's
7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletBRANDT
07Ray Black IISS Green Light RacingChevroletCDA Tech
8Daniel HemricJR MotorsportsChevroletPoppy Bank
08Joe Graf Jr. #SS Green Light RacingChevroletCORE Development Group
9Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevroletNationwide Children's
10Ross ChastainKaulig RacingChevroletNutrien Ag Solutions
11Justin HaleyKaulig RacingChevroletLeaf Filter Gutter Protection
13Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaMANSCAPED
15Robby Lyons IIJD MotorsportsChevroletSunwest Construction
18Riley Herbst #Joe Gibbs RacingToyotaMonster
19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaToyota Service Centers
20Harrison Burton #Joe Gibbs RacingToyotaDex Imaging
21Anthony AlfredoRichard Childress RacingChevroletAnderson's Pure Maple Syrup
22Austin CindricTeam PenskeFordOdyssey Battery
39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletCMR Roofing
44Tommy Joe MartinsMartins MotorsportsChevroletAAN Adjusters
47Bayley CurreyMike Harmon RacingChevroletThe Journey Home Project
51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletRepairables.com
52JJ YeleyMeans MotorsportsChevroeltCircle Track Warehouse
61Austin Hill (i)Hattori Racing EnterprisesToyotaAISIN Group
66Stephen LeichtMBM MotorsportsToyotaMBM Motorsports
68Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevroletVero
74Kyle WeathermanMike Harmon RacingChevroletFindlay Cadillac
78Vinnie MillerBJ McLeod MotorsportsChevroletKoolbox
89Landon CassillShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletVisone RV
90Alex LabbeDGM RacingChevroletLarue Snowblowers
92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevroletSilverton Hotel & Casino
93Myatt SniderRSS RacingChevroletSuperior Essex
98Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingFordProduction Alliance Group
99Josh BilickiBJ McLeod MotorsportsToyota

For the last time in his career, Jimmie Johnson will race at his home track Auto Club Speedway. Johnson has won at the track a record 6 times, including his first of 83 career wins. That win came during his rookie season in 2002, but has not won at the speedway since 2016. In fact, Johnson hasn’t won at all since 2017.

Ross Chastain is still entered to run the #6 in a substitution role for Ryan Newman, who continues to recover from a head injury sustained in a crash at Daytona. Newman was seen at the Roush Fenway Racing shop during the week, suggesting his recovery is going well, though a timetable for his return is still unknown.

As NASCAR is in the Los Angeles area, Ryan Blaney and William Byron will both be sporting Kobe Bryant-style paint schemes honoring the nine victims of the helicopter crash in January, including Bryant and his daughter Gianna. Bryant was an investor in the sports drink company BodyArmor which is sponsoring Blaney this weekend. Byron drives the #24 which was one of two numbers made famous throughout Bryant’s NBA career. The other number, 8, is driven by Tyler Reddick and will cary a special sticker for Bryant. Daniel Suarez is also joining in on the tributes by wearing special gloves.

Past winners in the field: Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and Martin Truex Jr.

The defending winner of the Auto Club 400 is Kyle Busch.

The Auto Club 400 will be on Sunday, March 1 at 3:30p ET on FOX.

#DriverTeamCarSponsor
00Quin Houff #StarCom RacingChevroletVictory Weekend
1Kurt BuschChip Ganassi RacingChevroletMonster Energy
2Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFordDiscount Tire/Americas Tire
3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevroletDow Coatings
4Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFordMobil 1
6Ross Chastain (i)Roush Fenway RacingFordCastrol
8Tyler Reddick #Richard Childress RacingChevroletI am Second
9Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevroletNAPA Auto Parts
10Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFordSmithfield
11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaFedEx Office
12Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFordBodyArmor
13Ty DillonGermain RacingChevroletGEICO
14Clint BowyerStewart-Haas RacingFordRush/Haas CNC
15Brennan Poole #Premium MotorsportsChevroletCHOC Kids
17Chris BuescherRoush Fenway RacingFordFastenal
18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaInterstate Batteries
19Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyotaBass Pro Shops
20Erik JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaReser's Fine Foods
21Matt DiBenedettoWood Brothers RacingFordMenards/Quaker State
22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFordAAA Southern California
24William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevroletAxalta 24 Tribute
32Corey LaJoieGO FAS RacingFordPala Casino
34Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFordLove's Travel Stops
37Ryan PreeceJTG Daugherty RacingChevroletCottonelle
38John Hunter Nemechek #Front Row MotorsportsFordFire Alarm Services
41Cole Custer #Stewart-Haas RacingFordProduction Alliance Group/Haas
42Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevroletMcDonald's
43Bubba WallaceRichard Petty MotorsportsChevroletVictory Junction
47Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevroletKroger
48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletAlly
51Garrett SmithleyPetty Ware RacingChevrolet
52JJ Yeley (i)Rick Ware RacingFordJACOB Companies
53Joey Gase (i)Rick Ware RacingFordOne Legacy
*66Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsToyotaMANSCAPED/LASVEGAS.NET
77Reed SorensonSpire MotorsportsChevroletSpire Motorsports
88Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevroletCincinnati
95Christopher Bell #Leavine Family RacingToyotaRheem
*96Daniel SuarezGaunt Brothers RacingToyotaToyota Certified Used Vehicles

Author: Tom Bailey

Tom Bailey (@TomBaileyScoop) grew up in the backyard of Chicagoland Speedway, making a passion for all motorsports inevitable. Tom is entering his first full year of racing coverage in 2020 as the owner and founder of InfieldScoop.com. You can contact him at [email protected]

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