FONTANA, Calif., Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Matt Kenseth drove away after a late-race caution Sunday and captured the Auto Club 500 at the California Speedway for his 15th Nextel Cup career victory.
Kenseth was among those taken out by a last-lap crash at last week's Daytona 500, but when the field was brought together for a four-lap sprint to the finish Sunday, he took the precaution of being out front.
Daytona winner Kevin Harvick appeared to be gaining ground on Kenseth following a caution with 23 laps to go, but another caution came out when David Reutimann and Bobby Labonte collided with seven laps left.
The race was halted while debris was removed and the green flag fell with four laps remaining. Harvick began losing air in a tire and fell back, leaving Jeff Gordon in second place. Gordon could not gain ground on Kenseth during the closing laps.
Jimmie Johnson finished third, followed by Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart.
