Bill Marx
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

February 19, 2009 -- The Sprint Cup Series swings west this week for the first of the series’ three races in California. As the chart shows, the state has more drivers—eight—on the entry list for Sunday’s Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana than any other state. (The eight who list California as their home state are AJ Allmendinger, David Gilliland, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears and Scott Speed.)

State; Drivers
California; 8
Indiana; 5
Florida; 3
North Carolina; 3
Virginia; 3
Wisconsin; 3
Georgia; 2
Kentucky; 2
Missouri; 2
Nevada; 2
Ohio; 2
Texas; 2
Washington; 2
Arkansas; 1
Connecticut; 1
Kansas; 1
Minnesota; 1
New Jersey; 1
New York; 1
Tennessee; 1

Note: Two drivers are from outside the United States: Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) and Marcos Ambrose (Australia).