Rating the Auto Club 500: 3 Stars ***

An odd day in Southern California for the second race of the season included lots of green flag racing, a touch of rain, and the default winner. Add it up and this race gets a 3 Star Rating.

He just keeps on keeping on. Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team put a scare into the rest of the field and the entire NASCAR fan base as he came back strong in California after having mechanical issues in Daytona. The fantasies of Speedweeks are gone. Jimmie Johnson is still good and Dale Earnhardt Jr. still has a lot of work ahead of him.

Besides Johnson, there was actually a decent mix of cars up front throughout the race. The Richard Childress Racing cars picked up where they left off at Daytona and had the best overall day of any organization. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer look to have things turned around after last year’s debacle. I don’t like to make rushed statements after only two races, but something out of their control is going to have to happen to keep any of the RCR cars out of the Chase.

Also, the battles between Johnson and Harvick throughout the race were fun to watch. Had Harvick not pushed the envelope too far there at the end, he may have been celebrating in Victory Lane. I don’t understand why he felt that move had to be made coming out of Turn 4. Johnson was intentionally running the high line because he saw Harvick coming up there, yet instead of cooling his jets and waiting another lap or two, Harvick decided the move had to be made right there. Yes, he had an awesome run there, but he had gained on Johnson so much in the last few laps, he probably was going to be able to make the pass anyway if he had just been a bit more patient. Instead, Johnson goes on to easily capture win #48.

As for the crazy weather, could it be that the target on NASCAR’s back has moved? After dealing with major rain issues the past two seasons, a potential race-ending storm moved just north of the speedway, with only a momentary pause for a brief shower. Darrell Waltrip summed up NASCAR fans’ frustrations with rain as he saw the storm barely miss the racetrack and Mike Joy said someone’s garden was getting soaked.

“I don’t care about the man’s garden,” he said. "I just don’t want my racetrack wet.”

This marked the third year in a row that one of the first two races of the season has been affected by rain, but it also caused the least amount of delays out of the three years. There was also only one debris caution. While there should not be any debris cautions in racing, this is still better than the last few years. At one point NASCAR was looking for debris but actually kept their finger off the button and allowed the race to continue. Remember, 55 mph is not what fans come to watch. The 190-200 mph speeds are what get them excited.

Next week the series rolls into Las Vegas, always one of the more interesting races of the year. Bruton Smith has put loads of money into the facility and it has paid off. The cars are always on edge at this track, especially coming out of Turn 4, similar to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Have a good week everybody. Just remember, a NASCAR race awaits when it is over.