With the announcement that this weekend’s Pala Casino 400 (Feb. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be the last NASCAR Cup Series race on the 2-mile configuration, the anticipation for a spectacular final event is steadily growing. Planning continues for a proposed half-mile short track located on a portion of the speedway’s current property, but timing for commencement of that project remains uncertain making this weekend that much more special.
The 2023 Pala Casino 400 will be the 33rd-time the NASCAR Cup Series has competed at the paved 2-mile oval located in Fontana, California. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway took place on June 22, 1997 and was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon driving the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet.
In total, 172 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway producing 21 different pole winners and 18 different race winners. Kurt Busch leads the series all-time in poles at Auto Club Speedway with four (2015, 2007 and 2006 sweep), and Jimmie Johnson leads the series in wins with six (2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016).
Five of the 21 NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club Speedway pole winners are active this weekend, led by Denny Hamlin with three poles (2009, 2012, 2013).
| Active Auto Club Pole Winners | Poles | Seasons |
| Denny Hamlin | 3 | 2009, 2012, 2013 |
| Austin Dillon | 2 | 2016, 2019 |
| Kyle Larson | 1 | 2017 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 1 | 2018 |
| Kyle Busch | 1 | 2005 |
Six of the 18 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Auto Club Speedway are active this weekend, led by Kyle Busch with four victories (2005, 2013, 2014, 2019).
| Active Auto Club Race Winners | Wins | Seasons |
| Kyle Busch | 4 | 2005, 2013, 2014, 2019 |
| Alex Bowman | 1 | 2020 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 1 | 2018 |
| Kyle Larson | 1 | 2017 |
| Brad Keselowski | 1 | 2015 |
| Kevin Harvick | 1 | 2011 |
All the NASCAR Cup Series on-track activity begins with practice and Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday, Feb. 25 and both events will be televised on FS1 starting at 2 p.m. ET.
