The NASCAR season has gotten off to a fast start since the Daytona 500 and the race at California was no different, as Kyle Busch took the checkered flag on Sunday. Next week the action moves to Martinsville Speedway and Danica Patrick and Jimmie Johnson will be looking to make a splash.
So far this season Johnson has won the Daytona 500 after Patrick took the pole, while Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch took the Duels at the event. Mark Martin took his Toyota to win the pole at the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, while Carl Edwards took home the checkered flag. Brad Keselowski had the pole after the qualifying was rained out at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Las Vegas at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, while Matt Kenseth won the race.
Last week's race at Bristol was a fast track and saw Kasey Kahne win the Sprint Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway, while Kyle Busch was the pole winner. Heading into Sunday's Auto Club Speedway race in California, no driver that won the pole took the checkered flag in the next race. The following event is the Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway that will be sponsored by the National Rifle Association, while the next race will be at Richmond International Raceway.
Patrick has had an up and down season so far in her first full time run on the Sprint Cup, as she started off with a historic run at Daytona, winning the pole and leading laps as a woman for the first time in the history of the event. Since the opening event though, Patrick has struggled, including at Phoenix where she blew out a tire and was then crashed into by another driver.
Patrick has dominated headlines this season due to her racing, but also because of her off the track relationship with fellow Sprint Cup rookie Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The two began dating after being friends while racing on the Nationwide Series. Patrick divorced from her husband last year and the relationship soon turned romantic.
The couple celebrated Patrick's birthday a bit early with a live concert of Shania Twain at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and the two also visited the Hoover Dam together while in Las Vegas for the race two weeks ago. Patrick had a scare prior to that race when she was hit in the head with a rock while watching one of the dirt track races. The hit made her fall but did not prevent her from starting in the race on Sunday.
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