What we learned at Auto Club 500

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had another rough race.

A week after triggering the Big One at Daytona, Little E's struggles continued at Fontana. Late in the race he was forced to take his No. 88 Chevy into the garage with engine trouble. He finished 39th and now, after two events, is in 35th in the standings. This has been an absolute nightmare of a season for Earnhardt.

Can he turn it around next week in Las Vegas? History says he can. He finished second in Vegas last year.

5. Jeff Gordon is rebounding.

After failing to win a race last season for the first time since his rookie year of 1993, Gordon appears revitalized this season. Through two races, he's been the top performer at Hendrick Motorsports, leading laps at both Daytona and California. He had the strongest car in the field for much of Sunday's race, but the adjustments his crew made during the final pit spot made his DuPont Chevy just a touch too tight and Gordon couldn't motor past Kenseth to snap his 42-race winless streak.

But this team is getting closer. "I'm so excited about this race team right now," Gordon said. "I just think we're head and shoulders above where we were. I know it's just a couple races in and this is one race, but I love the way the car was driving."

Yes, Gordon is on the verge of winning. A year ago he suffered one of the most horrific crashes of his career at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- he admits he was lucky to walk away from it -- but I've got a hunch that Vegas next Sunday will mark a new beginning for this team. I think he'll enter the race as the driver to beat.