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Pala Casino 400
Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) - Speedway.svg
NASCAR Cup Series
Venue Auto Club Speedway
Location Fontana, California, United States
Corporate sponsor Pala Casino Resort and Spa
First race 1997 (1997)
Last race 2023 (2023)
Distance 400 miles (643.737 km)
Laps 200 (Stages 1/2: 60 each
Final stage: 80)
Previous names California 500 Presented by NAPA (1997–1999)
NAPA Auto Parts 500 (2000–2002)
Auto Club 500 (2003–2010)
Auto Club 400 (2011–2020)
WISE Power 400 (2022)
Most wins (driver) Kyle Busch (4)
Most wins (team) Hendrick Motorsports (8)
Most wins (manufacturer) Chevrolet (13)
Circuit information
Surface Asphalt
Length 2.0 mi (3.2 km)
Turns 4

The Pala Casino 400 was an exciting NASCAR Cup Series stock car race. It took place at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. This race covered 400 miles (about 644 kilometers).

For many years, it was the second race of the Cup Series season. It usually happened right after the famous Daytona 500 race. The Pala Casino 400 was a big event for racing fans in Southern California.

About the Race's History

WISEPower400 logo
The race logo from 2022

The Pala Casino 400 race has changed quite a bit over the years. Before 2005, it was held in late April or early May. For a long time, until 2010, the race was even longer, covering 500 miles.

How the Race Changed

In 2005, NASCAR made some big changes to its race schedule. This race was moved to February, happening just one week after the Daytona 500. Then, in 2011, it moved again to March.

Also in 2011, the race distance was shortened from 500 miles to 400 miles. This change made the race faster and more exciting.

Race Sponsors Over Time

The race had different main sponsors through the years. From 2003 to 2020, the Automobile Club of Southern California was the main sponsor. In 2022, WISE Power took over as the sponsor. Finally, in 2023, the Pala Casino Resort and Spa became the title sponsor. This is how the race got its last name, the Pala Casino 400.

Past Race Winners

This table shows all the drivers who won the Pala Casino 400 race over the years. It also shows their team, car maker, and other details.

Year Date No. Driver Team Manufacturer Sponsor Race distance Race time Average speed
(mph)
Report Ref
Laps Miles (km)
1997 June 22 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet DuPont 250 500 (804.672) 3:13:32 155.012 Report
1998 May 3 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Valvoline/Cummins 250 500 (804.672) 3:33:57 140.22 Report
1999 May 2 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet DuPont 250 500 (804.672) 3:19:38 150.276 Report
2000 April 30 12 Jeremy Mayfield Penske Kranefuss Racing Ford Mobil 1 250 500 (804.672) 3:20:50 149.378 Report
2001 April 29 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Ford Miller Lite 250 500 (804.672) 3:29:37 143.118 Report
2002 April 28 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Lowe's 250 500 (804.672) 3:19:53 150.088 Report
2003 April 27 97 Kurt Busch Roush Racing Ford Rubbermaid 250 500 (804.672) 3:34:07 140.111 Report
2004 May 2 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet DuPont 250 500 (804.672) 3:38:33 137.268 Report
2005 February 27 16 Greg Biffle Roush Racing Ford Post-It/National Guard 250 500 (804.672) 3:34:45 139.697 Report
2006 February 26 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford DeWalt 251* 502 (807.89) 3:23:43 147.852 Report
2007 February 25 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford Carhartt/DeWalt 250 500 (804.672) 3:36:41 138.451 Report
2008 Feb 24/25* 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford Dish Network 250 500 (804.672) 3:46:04 132.704 Report
2009 February 22 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford Carhartt 250 500 (804.672) 3:40:51 135.839 Report
2010 February 21 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Lowe's/Kobalt Tools 250 500 (804.672) 3:31:24 141.911 Report
2011* March 27 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Jimmy John's 200 400 (643.737) 2:39:06 150.849 Report
2012 March 25 14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet Office Depot/Mobil 1 129* 258 (415.21) 1:36:39 160.166 Report
2013 March 24 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Interstate Batteries 200 400 (643.737) 2:57:19 135.351 Report
2014 March 23 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Interstate Batteries 206* 412 (663.05) 3:05:53 132.987 Report
2015 March 22 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford Wurth 209* 418 (672.706) 2:58:18 140.662 Report
2016 March 20 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Lowe's/Superman 205* 410 (659.831) 2:59:17 137.213 Report
2017 March 26 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Target/Cottonelle 202* 404 (650.175) 2:57:46 136.359 Report
2018 March 18 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota Bass Pro Shops/5-Hour Energy 200 400 (643.737) 2:42:41 147.526 Report
2019 March 17 18 Kyle Busch* Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Interstate Batteries 200 400 (643.737) 2:47:42 143.113 Report
2020 March 1 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Cincinnati 200 400 (643.737) 2:37:07 152.753 Report
2021* Race moved to the Daytona road course (O'Reilly Auto Parts 253) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022 February 27 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet HendrickCars.com 200 400 (643.737) 3:03:07 114.222 Report
2023 February 26 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Lucas Oil 200 400 (643.737) 3:08:05 127.603 Report

Drivers with Multiple Wins

Some drivers were so good they won this race more than once!

Wins Driver Years won
4 Kyle Busch 2013, 2014, 2019, 2023
3 Jeff Gordon 1997, 1999, 2004
Matt Kenseth 2006, 2007, 2009
Jimmie Johnson 2002, 2010, 2016
2 Kyle Larson 2017, 2022

Teams with Multiple Wins

These racing teams had multiple victories at the Pala Casino 400.

Wins Team Years won
8 Hendrick Motorsports 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2020, 2022
7 Roush Fenway Racing 1998, 2003, 2005-2009
3 Team Penske 2000, 2001, 2015
Joe Gibbs Racing 2013, 2014, 2019
2 Richard Childress Racing 2011, 2023

Car Makers with Most Wins

Which car manufacturers built the winning cars most often?

Wins Manufacturer Years won
12 Chevrolet 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2010-2012, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2023
10 Ford 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005-2009, 2015
4 Toyota 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019

Sponsors of Winning Cars

These companies sponsored the cars that won the race.

Wins Sponsor Years won
3 DuPont 1997, 1999, 2004
Lowe's 2002, 2010, 2016
Interstate Batteries 2013, 2014, 2019
2 Mobil 1 2000, 2012
DeWalt 2006, 2007
Carhartt 2007, 2009

Exciting Race Moments

Here are some memorable moments from the history of this race:

  • 1997: NASCAR returned to Southern California with the first California 500. There were many lead changes. Jeff Gordon won after passing Mark Martin with only 11 laps left.
  • 2000: Jeremy Mayfield won for Penske Racing South. After the race, he jumped on his car's roof, which caused a small dent. For a while, NASCAR didn't let drivers jump on their cars in victory lane.
  • 2001: Rusty Wallace won this race. He honored his friend Dale Earnhardt by driving around the track with a special flag.
  • 2002: Many cars had to leave the race due to crashes or engine problems. Jimmie Johnson won his very first career race here.
  • 2008: The race started on a Sunday but had to be stopped because of rain. A car even flipped over due to water on the track! The rest of the race was finished on Monday, with Carl Edwards taking the win.
  • 2013: Kyle Busch won after a thrilling last-lap crash between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch also won the Nationwide race the day before, making it a "weekend sweep." This was the first time a Joe Gibbs Racing car and a Toyota car won at Fontana.
  • 2014: This race had many tire problems, with over 20 cars having flat tires! Despite this, Kyle Busch won again after an exciting finish. He battled side-by-side with Kyle Larson on the very last lap.
  • 2016: Jimmie Johnson won his 77th career race. This win helped him later tie the record for most career championships with racing legends Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty.
  • 2019: Kyle Busch earned his 200th win in a NASCAR National Series race. He won all three parts of the race and came back from a penalty. This tied him with Richard Petty for the most wins ever!
  • 2020: Before the race, there was a special tribute to Jimmie Johnson. His teammate, Alex Bowman, then led most of the race and earned his second career victory.
  • 2022: The Cup Series returned to Fontana after two years. This race had a record 12 caution flags and many lead changes. Kyle Larson won by passing Daniel Suarez with just three laps left.
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