Auto Club Speedway typically is the butt of jokes around NASCAR because of half-empty seats and lackluster racing.
Not anymore.
Before a decent crowd at the two-mile track ner Fontana, Calif., the Auto Club 400 produced about everything you could want in a NASCAR race.
MORE: Stewart livid at Logano | Hamlin injured | Busch wins | Race results
Wild racing on the final restart. A last-lap crash during a battle for the lead.
A dramatic move to win by the race.
And some postrace fireworks, with an angry Tony Stewart going after Joey Logano.
Instead of being the butt of jokes, this race at California will be talked about for a while.
Here?s a look at the winners and losers from Sunday?s race:
Winners
Kyle Busch?Everyone was probably bracing for a Kyle-like tantrum after he lost a race he had dominated. But everything fell Busch's way for a change. Just when it looked like he was going to let another win slip away, he zoomed by the crashing cars of Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin for the victory. These are the kinds of races Busch needs to win.
Joey Logano?Logano could go on the winners list, or the losers list. It wasn't a great day when you consider that he let the win get away after leading with one lap to go; caused a wreck that sent former teammate Denny Hamlin to the hospital; and infuriated Tony Stewart for blocking him on a late restart. But, Logano led 41 laps and was in contention to win again. And his third-place finish was his best of the season and his first top-five with Penske Racing.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.?In case you missed it amid all the postrace hubbub, Earnhardt finished second and took over the points lead. It was a great performance, especially considering he overcame a late mistake on pit road by his crew.
Kurt Busch?A week after finishing fourth at Bristol, Busch finished fifth at California. He also had to rally from an early speeding penalty. Busch has stepped up big in his past two races, a good sign for his Furniture Row Racing team. Busch just might be able to beat the odds and carry this team to victory lane.
Carl Edwards?He was nowhere to be seen most of the race, but after the final restart, there he was, battling for the lead. Edwards finished fourth for his third top-five finish in five races. He also climbed to fourth in the standings, cementing his status as an early title contender.
Losers
Tony Stewart?No one can pitch a fit or express his anger quite like Stewart. Last year he threw his helmet at Matt Kenseth at Bristol. This time he shoved Logano and attempted to punch him after Logano blocked him on a late restart. Stewart once again stirred up plenty of drama. But he finished 22nd in a race he could have won. No wonder he was mad.
Denny Hamlin?Hamlin was the only driver who had a worse day than Stewart. Not only did he finish 25th after racing for the win on the final lap, but he was injured in the last-lap crash with Logano and got a trip to the hospital. Hopefully, Hamlin is not seriously injured. His feud with Logano is sure to continue after this.
Brad Keselowski?The defending champ entered the race with four consecutive top-five finishes. He was fast again at California, but nothing went his way. He had to start at the rear of the field after an engine change. Then, after charging through the field, he brushed the wall early in the race, and then got nabbed for speeding. After rallying from both incidents, he got shuffled back during late pit stops and restarts and wound up 23rd, costing him the points lead.
Clint Bowyer?Bowyer also tagged the wall early but he was rallying for a good finish until his engine blew with 15 laps remaining. He wound up 35th and lost 10 spots in the points standings.
Jimmie Johnson?Johnson finished 12th, but for most of the race he was headed toward his worst finish ever at Auto Club Speedway. A prerace favorite, Johnson struggled all day until rallying for a respectable finish at the end.
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