NASCAR qualifying results from Auto Club Speedway
Next up, the NASCAR Cup Series rolls to the track in Fontana, California. This is a practice and qualifying round at Auto Club Speedway. The brief 15 minute practice takes place directly ahead of qualifying. See results from both sessions below.
View the NASCAR starting lineup for California below.
Fontana: Menu
TV Schedule | Xfinity Prac / Qual | Xfinity Race | Cup Prac / Qual | Cup Race
Seven teams suffered from inspection issues last night. Seven crew members have been ejected from the race weekend, before the cars ever touched the track. For Kurt Busch, he won’t even be allowed to take to the track for qualifying.
Related: NASCAR inspection issues from Auto Club Speedway (February 2022)
NASCAR Qualifying Results (Round 1 – Group A – Top 5 Advance) : 1. Logano (41.358); 2. Keselowski (41.403); 3. Hemric (41.405); 4. Hamlin; 5. Ky. Busch (41.628);
NASCAR Qualifying Results (Round 1 – Group B – Top 5 Advance) : 1. Elliott (41.177); 2. Blaney (41.271); 3. Cindric (41.310); 4. Jones (41.316); 5. Byron (41.478);
Qualifying Report
The field was split into two groups for a 15 minute practice session. In the first practice group, Kevin Harvick and Ross Chastain both crashed just 5 minutes into the session on their first lap. Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell both spun in practice as well.
Aric Almirola spun off turn two on his qualifying lap. He’ll be starting toward the back.
The top 5 advanced from each group to make a second run for the pole position. All of the Team Penske cars have advanced into round 2.
Kyle Busch was grabbing gears on his run in round 2. That’s likely the first car to give shifting a try in qualifying and he ran nearly 0.2 seconds quicker doing it.
Brad Keselowski spun off turn two in round two. He nearly tagged the inside wall as the car slid across the track.
Joey Logano rolled all the way to the apron in round two. He got loose and chased it up the track. He slammed the wall exiting the corner.
Moments later, William Byron did the same thing. He wiggled as he left the apron in turn four then spun. He slid through the grass but avoided the wall.
Chase Elliott was the last car to make a lap in round 2. He also spun after exiting the apron in turn 2. That makes four spins of the 10 cars in round two, nearly half the field.
Austin Cindric will start from the pole position in Sunday’s NASCAR race. Erik Jones completes the front row.
Auto Club Speedway
Starting Lineup
February 27, 2022
NASCAR Cup Series
Pos | Driver
1. Austin Cindric
41.226
2. Erik Jones
41.342
3. Kyle Busch
41.437
4. Denny Hamlin
41.529
5. Daniel Hemric
41.585
6. Ryan Blaney
41.588
7. Joey Logano
42.197
8. Brad Keselowski
No Time
9. Chase Elliottt
No Time
10. William Byron
No Time
Failed to advance out of Round 1
11. Tyler Reddick
41.516
12. Martin Truex Jr
41.517
13. Kyle Larson
41.594
14. Daniel Suarez
41.636
15. Alex Bowman
41.634
16. Austin Dillon
41.678
17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
41.688
18. Ty Dillon
41.777
19. Christopher Bell
41.888
20. Chris Buescher
41.888
21. Cole Custer
41.940
22. Harrison Burton
41.989
23. Michael McDowell
42.056
24. Chase Briscoe
42.140
25. Corey LaJoie
42.188
26. Todd Gilliland
42.505
27. Cody Ware
42.634
28. Josh Bilicki
42.957
29. Garrett Smithley
43.953
30. BJ McLeod
44.103
31. Aric Almirola
No Time
32. Ross Chastain
No Time
33. Bubba Wallace
Not Time
34. Kevin Harvick
No Time
35. Justin Haley
No Time
36. Kurt Busch
No Time
NASCAR Practice Results
February 26, 2022
NASCAR Cup Series
Pos | Driver | Best Time
1. Denny Hamlin
41.519
2. Kyle Busch
41.580
3. Tyler Reddick
41.746
4. Joey Logano
41.753
5. Alex Bowman
41.811
6. William Byron
41.817
7. Bubba Wallace
41.824
8. Brad Keselowski
41.847
9. Christopher Bell
41.866
10. Erik Jones
41.935
11. Kyle Larson
41.994
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
42.030
13. Daniel Hemric
42.063
14. Kurt Busch
42.076
15. Michael McDowell
42.119
16. Martin Truex Jr
42.178
17. Ryan Blaney
42.211
18. Justin Haley
42.300
19. Corey LaJoie
42.308
20. Cole Custer
42.373
21. Chase Elliott
42.385
22. Austin Cindric
42.679
23. Harrison Burton
42.784
24. Austin Dillon
42.790
25. Chris Buescher
42.864
26. Chase Briscoe
42.919
27. Aric Almirola
42.921
28. Cody Ware
43.284
29. Daniel Suarez
43.345
30. Josh Bilicki
43.423
31. Ty Dillon
43.432
32. Todd Gilliland
43.912
33. Garrett Smithley
44.280
34. BJ McLeod
44.683
35. Ross Chastain
511.128
36. Kevin Harvick
No Time
NASCAR TV schedule from February 2022 (Auto Club Speedway)