2013 Auto Club 400

File:Auto Club Speedway Cloudy Sunset 2023.jpg

Auto Club Speedway was a four-turn superspeedway that was {{convert|2|mi|km}} long.{{cite web|title=Auto Club Speedway Track Facts|url=http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/Track-Info/Track-Facts.aspx|publisher=Auto Club Speedway|access-date=March 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924055442/http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/Track-Info/Track-Facts.aspx|archive-date=2010-09-24|url-status=dead}} The track's turns were banked from fourteen degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, was banked at eleven degrees. Unlike the front stretch, the backstraightaway was banked at three degrees. The track had a seating capacity of 92,100 people. The race consisted of 200 laps, which is equivalent to a race distance of {{convert|400|mi}}.

Before the race, Brad Keselowski was leading the Drivers' Championship with 166 points, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. stood in second with 157 points. Jimmie Johnson followed in the third position, 23 points ahead of Clint Bowyer and 25 points ahead of Greg Biffle in fourth and fifth. Denny Hamlin, with 125, was one point ahead of Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards, as Paul Menard was three points ahead of Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in tenth and eleventh. Joey Logano completed the first twelve positions with 104 points.{{cite web |url=http://www.jayski.com/stats/2013/pdfs/04bms2013points.pdf |title=Pre-race Drivers' Championship Standings |publisher=ESPN |work=Jayski's Silly Season Site |access-date=March 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130418021011/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2013/pdfs/04bms2013points.pdf |archive-date=April 18, 2013 |url-status=dead }} The defending winner of the race was Tony Stewart, who won the race in 2012.{{cite web|title=2012 Auto Club 400|url=http://racing-reference.info/race/2012_Auto_Club_400/W|work=Racing-reference.info|publisher=USA Today Sports Media Group|access-date=March 22, 2013}}

(R) - Denotes rookie driver.

(i) - Denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.

File:Denny Hamlin at Las Vegas 2012.jpg won the pole position, the twelfth of his career]]

Three practice sessions were held before the race. The first session, held on March 22, 2013, was 60 minutes long. The second and third were held on March 23, and were 55 and 50 minutes long.{{cite web | url=http://www.jayski.com/news/races/2013/story/_/page/05-Auto-Club-2013-NASCAR-Race-Info#prac | title=Auto Club 400 Practice/Qualifying Times | publisher=ESPN | work=Jayski's Silly Season Site | access-date=March 24, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322031449/http://www.jayski.com/news/races/2013/story/_/page/05-Auto-Club-2013-NASCAR-Race-Info#prac | archive-date=March 22, 2013 | url-status=dead }} During the first practice session, Bowyer was quickest with a time of 38.832, ahead of Hamlin and A. J. Allmendinger in second and third. Kyle Busch followed in the fourth position, ahead of Logano in fifth.{{cite web | url=http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/03/22/2013-nscs-auto-club-400-first-practice-session-speeds/ | title=2013 NSCS Auto Club 400 First Practice Session Speeds | publisher=Citizen Journalist Media Corps | work=Catchfence | date=March 22, 2013 | access-date=March 24, 2013}}

In the Saturday morning session, Biffle was quickest, ahead of Allmendinger and Busch in second and third. Hamlin and Kurt Busch followed in the fourth and fifth positions.{{cite web | url=http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2013/03/Auto-Club-400-2nd-Practice-Speeds.aspx | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411092240/http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2013/03/Auto-Club-400-2nd-Practice-Speeds.aspx | url-status=dead | archive-date=April 11, 2013 | title=Auto Club 400 2nd Practice Speeds | publisher=Motor Racing Network | date=March 23, 2013 | access-date=March 25, 2013 }} Bowyer, Mark Martin, Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., and Logano rounded out the first ten positions. In the final practice session for the race, Martin was quickest with a time of 39.269 seconds.{{cite web | url=http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2013/03/Auto-Club-400-Final-Practice-Speeds.aspx | title=Auto Club 400 Final Practice Speeds | publisher=Motor Racing Network | date=March 23, 2013 | access-date=March 25, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327105813/http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2013/03/Auto-Club-400-Final-Practice-Speeds.aspx | archive-date=March 27, 2013 | url-status=dead }} Bowyer followed in second, ahead of Matt Kenseth and Johnson in third and fourth. Keselowski, who was eighteenth quickest in second practice, managed fifth.

During qualifying, forty-three cars were entered, meaning all of the cars were able to start because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure.{{cite web | url=http://www.jayski.com/stats/2013/pdfs/05acs2013entry.pdf | title=Entry List: Auto Club 400 | publisher=ESPN | work=Jayski's Silly Season Site | access-date=March 25, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402075014/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2013/pdfs/05acs2013entry.pdf | archive-date=April 2, 2013 | url-status=dead }} Hamlin clinched his twelfth career pole position, with a time of 38.410 seconds.{{cite web | url=http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=42&RaceID=6038&StatType=Qualifying | title=Auto Club 400 Starting Grid | publisher=Motor Racing Network | access-date=March 25, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328161038/http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=42&RaceID=6038&StatType=Qualifying | archive-date=March 28, 2013 | url-status=dead }} After his qualifying run, Hamlin commented,“Honestly, I think our car was really fast. I knew, talking to a few people in my motor home... it’s cocky to say, but I said, ‘Man, I can almost guarantee a pole, if we have a late draw.’ When they told me we were third, I was like, ‘OK. Well, just never mind. Forget that."{{cite web | url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2013/03/22/pole-fontana-race-auto-club-400.html | title=Hamlin Wins Third Sprint Cup Pole at Fontana | publisher=NASCAR | date=March 22, 2013 | access-date=March 25, 2013}} He was joined on the front row of the grid by Biffle. Keselowski qualified third, Kyle Busch took fourth, and Kenseth started fifth. Logano, Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Martin, and Kurt Busch completed the first ten positions on the grid.

With seven laps to go, Joey Logano took the lead after a brief duel with former teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. Hamlin and Logano had been involved in an incident the previous race at Bristol, with the sentiments carrying over to this race.{{cite web|last1=Ryan|first1=Nate|title=Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin continue feud at Bristol|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2013/03/17/joey-logano-denny-hamlin-feud-twitter-bristol/1994959/|website=USA Today|publisher=USA Today|access-date=27 August 2014|location=Bristol, Tennessee|date=March 17, 2013}} Hamlin chased Logano down and the two were side-by-side for most of the final lap, but Logano attempted to block Hamlin in the final turn and was sent up into the outside wall, while Hamlin came off the banking and smashed head-on into the inside concrete retaining wall, allowing Busch to pass both cars on the high side and take the win.{{cite web|last1=Pockrass|first1=Bob|title=Denny Hamlin injured after last-lap crash with Joey Logano at California|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2013-03-24/nascar-california-denny-hamlin-injury-update-joey-logano-wreck-kyle-busch-wins|website=Sporting News|publisher=Sporting News|access-date=27 August 2014|location=Fontana, California|date=March 24, 2013|archive-date=2014-08-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827164824/http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2013-03-24/nascar-california-denny-hamlin-injury-update-joey-logano-wreck-kyle-busch-wins|url-status=dead}}

Although Hamlin climbed out of the car right after the crash, he immediately collapsed and lied on the track. He was airlifted to the hospital as a precaution. It was announced the next day that Hamlin had suffered a massive L1 compression fracture, or a collapsed vertebra, likely because the area where his car hit the wall was lacking a SAFER barrier.{{cite web|last=Bruce|first=Kenny|url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2013/03/25/denny-hamlin-wreck-video-back-injury-update.html|title=Hamlin suffers L1 compression fracture|publisher=NASCAR|date=March 25, 2013|access-date=March 25, 2013|archive-date=March 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328034609/http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2013/03/25/denny-hamlin-wreck-video-back-injury-update.html|url-status=dead}} The resulting injuries forced Hamlin to miss the next four races. Mark Martin filled in for Hamlin at Martinsville{{cite web|last1=Pockrass|first1=Bob|title=Denny Hamlin still upset with Joey Logano, says rival wrecked him intentionally|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2013-04-03/denny-hamlin-joey-logano-feud-crash-injury-update-text-messages|website=Sporting News|publisher=Sporting News|access-date=27 August 2014|location=Huntersville, North Carolina|date=April 3, 2013|archive-date=2014-08-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827164606/http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2013-04-03/denny-hamlin-joey-logano-feud-crash-injury-update-text-messages|url-status=dead}} while Brian Vickers filled in at Texas, Kansas, and Richmond. Hamlin did not start another race until Talladega in May, although the team arranged for Vickers to take over at the first caution flag pit stop. Hamlin did not return full-time to his race car until the following week at Darlington.

In response to the accident, for 2014, Auto Club Speedway installed an additional 1,000 foot SAFER barrier along the wall where Hamlin's car had impacted.{{cite web|last1=Caraviello|first1=David|title=SAFER BARRIER ADDED IN AREA OF HAMLIN CRASH|url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/3/18/sprint-cup-series-safer-barrier-denny-hamlin-auto-club-speedway.html|website=nascar.com|publisher=NASCAR|access-date=9 November 2014|date=March 18, 2014}}

Following the finish, Logano was also involved in an altercation with Stewart after a blocking move made by Logano on Stewart during the final restart. Stewart ended with a 22nd-place finish following the incident. Stewart went on to confront Logano in the pit lane and who had to be restrained by crews from Danica Patrick's team after Logano threw a water bottle at Stewart.

File:Kyle Busch 2013 Coke Zero 400.jpg won the race.]]

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;Drivers' Championship standings

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;Manufacturers' Championship standings

• Note: Only the first twelve positions are included for the driver standings.

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{{Reflist}}

{{NASCAR next race

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{{2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup |state=collapsed}}

Auto Club 400

Auto Club 400

Auto Club 400

Category:NASCAR races at Auto Club Speedway