Pepsi 500 Inspection cleared

According to @NASCARSays: Post race engine inspection from the Pepsi 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event Oct. 11 at Auto Club is concluded and all is clear.

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Auto Club Pit Stalls

Jayski has posted the pit stall selections, and as expected pole sitter Denny Hamlin has the first piece of real estate leaving pit road.

Our View Greg Biffle and Juan Montoya are the only other drivers with an opening in front of them, but the pits at Auto Club are wide enough so that there should not be any issues.

Notably, immediately in front of Biffle is Joey Logano. Those two drivers exchanged paint during the Nationwide race in a move that appeared to be a deliberate attempt to cripple Logano's car. The teenage sensation came back to win the race, while Biffle ultimately suffered more damage in a second tangle with Logano's teammate Denny Hamlin.

In addition to Logano, other drivers with openings behind them are Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon.

Since David Reutimann's speed was disallowed in qualification for illegal shocks, he lost the right to pick a stall early and finds himself in one of the center pits.

Complete Pit Stall Selection

Montoya "wins" Auto Club Happy Hour

Juan Montoya posted the quickest average time in Happy Hour with a speed of 175.151 mph during 18 laps. His fastest single lap of 178.390 mph was sixth on that chart.

Our View We can't call Montoya a dark horse any longer because he's favored for a top-five finish every week until his momentum starts to cool.

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Official tweets from the track

Martin fastest in Auto Club Happy Hour

Mark Martin continues to dominate the NASCAR series with the fastest single lap of speed in Happy Hour for the Pepsi 500. His top speed was 180.293 mph.

Our View His average speed of 174.036 was eighth best on that chart, but fantasy owners should expect a top-five finish from the veteran once he adjusts on the car during the race.

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Harvick "wins" Auto Club Sat a.m. practice

With an abbreviated practice of only 20 minutes, the average speeds in the morning session are somewhat meaningless. However, Kevin Harvick was quickest with a speed of 177.559 mph during nine laps.

Our View If this were one of the usual frontrunners, it wouldn't be noteworthy, but with the struggles in the No. 29 camp, it's nice to have any sign of good news.

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Johnson fastest in Auto Club Sat. a.m. practice

Jimmie Johnson posted the fastest single lap of practice in the shortened Saturday morning session with a lap of 180.655 mph.

Our View So few laps were run that the average speeds are not very meaningful, but he was also third quickest on that chart.

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Reutimann's time disallowed

David Reutimann's second-place run was disallowed because he had too much gas in his rear shocks, according to NASCAR PR. As a result, he will have to drop from second to 42nd to start the Pepsi 500.

Our View Reutimann was considered a strong dark horse in pre-race coverage and his qualification speed underscored that. We suspect he can still claw his way into the top 10 before the end of the day.

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Official tweets from the track

Edwards off crutches

Carl Edwards is off his crutches—at least for the moment—according to multiple tweets from the track (see @BobPockrass and @DustinLong).

Our View This comes at a great time since Edwards is typically one of the favorites on either two-mile track. A victory might still be a little stretch, but a solid finish on either side of fifth will make him great value at Auto Club Speedway.

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Yahoo! Qualification Story – Auto Club

Grip was at a premium this week in Fontana, Calif. and if some of the Chasers don't find it on Saturday, the Pepsi 500 is going to seem like a 1,000-mile event. Several top contenders are going to come from deep in the pack, but Matt Kenseth has proved that it can be done. For a list of potential comers and goers, check out this week's Yahoo! qualification story .pdf story.

Hamlin wins Auto Club pole

Denny Hamlin posted a lap of 183.870 mph and will lead the field to green in the Pepsi 500. David Reutimann was the only other driver to break the 183 mark with a lap of 183.108.

Our View Hamlin is a flat track master and while this course is steeper than Pocono, New Hampshire and Phoenix, it fits well into his portfolio.

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Montoya fastest in Auto Club practice 1

Juan Montoya topped the speed chart in Friday's practice, with a lap of 183.556 mph.

Our View Montoya continues to be the biggest surprise of the Chase and he is one of the best values in most games.

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Official tweets from the track

Busch blows engine in Auto Club practice 1

Kyle Busch woke up Friday morning with a touch of the flu, but his day got even worse during practice. The No. 18 blew an engine after the driver missed a shift in the first session and the team will be forced to change it.

Our View No matter where he qualifies, Busch will now have to start at the back of the grid. He had a strong run at Auto Club Speedway in the spring, but it appears unlikely he will be able to back that up this week.

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Yahoo! Auto Club Preview

If you liked the results last week, stand pat because Auto Club will be more of the same. Nearly all of the Chasers finished 12th or better in the spring Auto Club 500. Check out this week's Yahoo! Preview (.pdf).

Prilosec OTC to sponsor RCR

Prilosec OTC will be the primary sponsor for three races with RCR, according to SceneDaily.com. They will sponsor Jeff Burton this week at Richmond and for the upcoming Brickyard 400. Additionally, they will be the primary sponsor on Clint Bowyer's car in October's race at Auto Club Speedway.

Our View: Money makes the world go round and teams are likely to get a little more bang for the buck with limited-run sponsorships.