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NASCAR: Johnson Needs Big Homecoming in Fontana

  • Al Dannity's Author profile. Al Dannity

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Jimmie Johnson returns home to California for the Auto Club 400 this weekend. With no wins to his credit this year, the five-time Sprint Cup Champion is starving for success.

Same routine again for JJ
This is the third straight race where Jimmie Johnson is returning to a track where he won last season. Johnson failed to take the checkered flag at each of the previous two so that leaves the five-time Sprint Cup Champion hoping the third time is the charm at Fontana. This is not the time to panic. It’s a long season and quality always wins out in NASCAR. While JJ hasn’t been on top form so far this year, it’s only a matter of time before he takes his first win of the season. Now back at his home track, it’s a good time to start looking at Johnson as a possible race-winner. Last weekend’s third place finish showed that Johnson is starting to find his way back to the front of the pack. Now he must show that he can push that little bit harder and take the win.

Take note of the distance
This year is the first time the Fontana event will be over 400 miles instead of the usual 500 mile distance. NASCAR betting fans know this could influence the outcome of the Auto Club 400 substantially. A shorter race means drivers have less time and fewer laps to make significant moves. This should have an impact on race strategies. Look for drivers to make more of an effort to move up the pack early, with quite a battle likely to take place once the green flag drops.

Watch out for Kenseth
While this may be Jimmie Johnson’s home track, it’s very much Matt Kenseth’s favorite race. With three wins here, including 2009, Kenseth has proven one of the more consistent performers whenever NASCAR heads out west. Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Gordon have all won here in the past and that kind of pedigree can count for a lot. Familiarity with a track is a huge factor in NASCAR. That’s why we see so many repeat victors in this sport. Once a driver wins anywhere, they gain an edge over their rivals. That substantially improves the odds of them winning there again in subsequent years. Keep that in mind when making your betting decisions this weekend.