The 2018 Winston Cup Series: No four-peat in California

Kevin Harvick crashes on lap 39 of the Auto Club 400, after contact with Kyle Larson. Harvick would finish 35th, nine laps down.

     After all the hype and storylines of a possible "four-peat," it wasn't meant to be for Kevin Harvick. The #4 car crashed early in Sunday's Auto Club 400 at California, after contact with Kyle Larson while trying to side-draft. Harvick's Ford suffered damage, and he finished the race in 35th, 9 laps down. It was a shame for Harvick, who appeared to have one of the fastest cars in the field.

Martin Truex Jr. celebrates after winning the Auto Club 400.

     Instead, California turned into a battle between Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch. The two exchanged the lead throughout the race, but a late pit stop made the difference. Kyle Busch's pit crew gave the #18 Toyota the incorrect wedge adjustment, which allowed to Truex Jr. to assume the lead and surge ahead in the final 30 laps. Truex Jr. wins his first race of 2018, and begins his run towards a possible 2nd straight championship. Rounding out the top-5 were Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano. Only one car failed to finish the race, Trevor Bayne, who crashed in turn three with a flat tire on lap 110...

Jeffrey Earnhardt drives at Auto Club Speedway. Earnhardt would finish 36th, 11 laps down.

     A minor, but interesting development is the news that StarCom Racing and Jeffrey Earnhardt parted ways after California. This is disappointing for Earnhardt fans, but not much of a surprise. StarCom's #00 Chevrolet has been considerably slower than the field at the last four races, after a 21st in the Daytona 500. With bigger tracks like California, it's clear to see StarCom just doesn't have the speed to compete yet... Landon Cassill will replace Earnhardt in the #00 this coming weekend at Martinsville, but it's unclear what Earnhardt's immediate plans will be. He will, however, keep his sponsor, VRX Simulators, which could help him land another ride (although who that would be is unclear).

     Here's a look at the classic point standings after five races... Truex Jr. now holds the point lead, ahead of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Kevin Harvick's poor finish at California dropped him to 14th in the standings... Austin Dillon and Aric Almirola continue their respectable start to 2018, sitting 7th and 8th in points. Dillon's RCR teammate Ryan Newman sits in 13th.
     Up next, the Cup drivers head to NASCAR's oldest remaining track on the schedule, Martinsville Speedway. It's the first of six short track races we'll see this year, and is a welcome sight after four races begging for action, and close racing. Watch for Brad Keselowski on Sunday, as well as Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin. The three have the best average finishes at Martinsville among active drivers. For NASCAR Fantasy players out there, it also might be a good week to pick a mid-pack driver, as this race doesn't totally rely on speed and aerodynamics. I think I'll be using AJ Allmendinger...