Kobalt Tools 500 News and Notes

Odds & Ends - Atlanta

Atlanta Motor Speedway Data

Race: 4 of 36 (3-7-10)
Track Size: 1.54 miles
Race Length: 325 laps/500.5 miles
# Banking/Corners: 24 degrees
# Banking/Straights: 5 degrees
# Frontstretch: 2,332 feet
# Backstretch: 1,800 feet

Driver Rating at Atlanta

Jimmie Johnson 110.1
Carl Edwards 105.0
Jeff Gordon 102.2
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 99.8
Tony Stewart 98.6
Matt Kenseth 95.4
Greg Biffle 95.0
Kurt Busch 93.4
Denny Hamlin 93.2
Kyle Busch 90.3

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2009 races (10 total) at Atlanta.

Qualifying/Race Data

2009 pole winner: Mark Martin (187.045 mph, 29.640 secs.)
2009 race winner: Kurt Busch (127.573 mph, 3-8-09)
Track qualifying record: Geoffrey Bodine (197.478 mph, 28.074 secs., 11-15-97)
Race record: Dale Earnhardt (163.633 mph, 11-16-97)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 48-52 laps, based on fuel mileage.

News & Notes - Atlanta Motor Speedway

Harvick Has The Lead, But Johnson Has The Bonus Points

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) has ridden consecutive runner-up runs to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points lead.

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) has ridden consecutive victories to a potential 20 bonus points, to start the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Collectively, those two situations represent what’s needed to capture the series championship.

Consistency remains a vital component, but these days that’s not enough.

An increased “emphasis on winning” initiative now awards Chase drivers 10 bonus points for each race win during the “regular season” — the 26 races prior to the season-ending 10-race Chase. When the Chase begins, all drivers who qualify have their points “reset” to 5,000, whereupon bonus points are added to create the Chase seedings.

Since it seems safe to assume that Johnson, the four-time defending series champion, will be one of the 12 drivers who qualify for the Chase, it’s worth noting that 20 points could be a significant boost come “playoff” time. Bonus points certainly didn’t hurt Johnson last year; he got 30 extra and a 5,030 starting total, second-best behind top seed Mark Martin (No. 5 Hendrickcars.com/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet).

Harvick is returning this week to the race track where he got his first victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, in March 2001, in only his third start after replacing the late Dale Earnhardt in Richard Childress Racing’s flagship car. Harvick edged Jeff Gordon on that memorable, emotional day, by .006-seconds.

Harvick has been buoyed by his team’s fast start and talked optimistically at Las Vegas about the prospects of challenging Johnson’s team over the course of this season “We can run with them and they know it,” Harvick said.

The importance of winning races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will require that — and more. Johnson acknowledges the threat posed by Harvick, which he sees as a group effort by the Richard Childress Racing organization. After all Harvick and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet) are 1-2 in points for the second straight week and the third Childress driver, Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet), is seventh.

“You can’t ignore that those three have a ton of speed,” Johnson said.

Rivalry In Waiting: Johnson-Gordon Has Makings Of A Classic

This past Sunday’s race at Las Vegas offered tantalizing glimpses of a dream rivalry that has surfaced only occasionally in recent years: Jimmie Johnson vs. Jeff Gordon.

Now that both are four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, perhaps the time is right for a head-to-head season-long battle.

Call it the “Drive For 5” running two-wide.

Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) did everything except win at Las Vegas, leading a race-high 219 laps and coming away with a Driver Rating of 144.2 (out of a possible 150) along with a third-place finish.

Gordon, 13th in the series standings, already is concerned with Johnson’s early hot streak and the Chase boost that could result.

“I don’t like giving those guys bonus points,” Gordon said. “I’m kind of hoping they peak early this year and that some of us can gain the momentum as we get to the Chase.”

Adding to the intrigue of a possible duel between the two four-time champions in the fact that Gordon is a part-owner of Johnson’s car. He likes to joke that he is at least benefiting financially when he’s losing to Johnson.

But you can bet Gordon would take a pay cut, if it meant winning another championship.

Loop Data: Newman Wants To Overcome Slow Start — Again; Atlanta May Or May Not Help That Cause

Ryan Newman can look at the bright side: He’s not off to as bad a start as last season.

Newman, 32nd in points after three consecutive finishes outside the top 15 (two of which were outside the top 30), is actually having a better start to the 2010 season than he did the 2009 one.

After three races last season, Newman was 33rd in the points.

Clearly, slow starts don’t much matter to Newman, who easily made the Chase in 2009 and ended the season ninth.

Last season after three races, Newman’s Driver Rating was 60.0. Currently, he has a 66.1.

Though the climb back up the standings is once again a daunting one, Newman can take solace in the fact that he has run much better than his statistics would suggest.

In all three races this season, Newman has had a better Average Running Position than his finish. On average, his finishes have been nine positions lower than his in-race position.

Below, see Newman’s Average Running Position in each race, compared to his finishing position.

Also like last year, Newman’s turnaround might have to wait.

Though he qualifies well at Atlanta — his seven poles there are tied for most all-time — Newman’s finishes have all been mostly crooked numbers.

Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, a span of 10 races at Atlanta, Newman has posted just one top-10 finish (a ninth-place run in September of last season).

His best Driver Rating at Atlanta was just 88.7 in a 14th-place finish in March of 2008.

His overall Driver Rating of 71.2 makes Atlanta his fifth-worst track, behind only Kansas, Texas, Indianapolis and Michigan.

Earnhardt Update: Improvement Leads To Encouragement As Season’s First Month Winds Down

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet) has gone “2-for- 3” thus far this season, a second-place effort in the Daytona 500 followed by a 32nd at Auto Club Speedway and a 16th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

That translates to a 15th-place standings in the series points, which looks considerably better than last year, when he was 29th after three events.

Qualifying efforts have likewise been encouraging. Earnhardt qualified second at Daytona and fourth at Las Vegas.

“I think we’ve made a lot of improvements,” car owner Rick Hendrick said. “We didn’t get to show the car was coming back well at California … we broke an axle … I feel they’ve made a ton of improvement on that team and I think we’re going to have a really good year. I’m looking forward to Atlanta.”

As he should. Earnhardt has the series’ fourth-best Driver Rating at AMS (99.8). The only track where Earnhardt has a higher Driver Rating is New Hampshire Motor Speedway (100.7).

Earnhardt has an average finish of 11.9 at Atlanta with 10 top 10-finishes in 21 starts. That includes his sole AMS win, in March 2004.

Under Construction: Logano Has Home Depot-Sponsored Car Back In Spotlight

In NASCAR, the cars are somewhat the stars along with the drivers, especially those machines fortunate to have a long-standing sponsors. The list of iconic sponsorships is long, perhaps best personified by the relationship between Richard Petty and STP for many years.

Over the last 10 years, the Home Depotsponsored No. 20 Chevrolet of Joe Gibbs Racing has achieved that sort of fan-favorite status, mainly because of its former driver — two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart.

Stewart left JGR after the 2008 season to form his own organization — Stewart-Haas Racing.

And that left rookie Joey Logano to start fulfilling lofty expectations regarding his future, in one of NASCAR’s most recognizable hot rods.

Logano did a fine job toward that end last season, winning the Raybestos Rookie of the Year title. En route, he became the youngest driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race, winning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June, at the age of 19 years, one month, four days. He finished 20th in the series points.

Three races into the 2010 season, Logano is an impressive eighth in the series standings.

Nice timing. Atlanta, site of this week’s events, is home to Home Depot’s corporate headquarters “Last year was tough for me,” Logano said this week during Texas Motor Speedway’s annual media day. “The cool part was how we improved throughout the season and how we’ve come out of the gates this year with one top five and two top 10s right off the bat. It’s pretty exciting for a driver and for the whole Home Depot team. After last year… we did a good job at the end of the season to bring it home 20th in points but now sitting in eighth in points … we’ve definitely gained some momentum going into the season.

“We all knew it was going to be tough going into the 2009 season. It happened a year early [than expected] and we knew it was going to be a hard deal. But it was cool to see how we improved, and I think everybody is excited about that. Definitely everybody’s pumped up about how we’ve been running the last couple of races.”

Reutimann For Real: Early-Season Showing Nice Follow-Up To 2009

Last season, David Reutimann (No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota) had a nice start, but naysayers predicted a fade. Then he got his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, in one of NASCAR’s “majors” — the Coca-Cola 600. That got sort of downplayed as well, partly because the race was shortened by rain.

Even though he failed to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, at season’s end, Reutimann stood 16th in the final series points and that was clearly the biggest accomplishment of his auto racing career.

Now all he needed was a follow-up. So far this season, he has provided just that. Reutimann goes to Atlanta this week ninth in the series points, still riding the wave of a fifth-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500.

“You got to go out there and perform every week,” Reutimann said after the 500. “You’re only as good as your last race. That’s how our sport is.”

At Atlanta Motor Speedway, Reutimann has one top five in five starts — last September when he finished fourth.

Scott’s First Start Being Celebrated This Week, At Atlanta

Pioneering African-American driver Wendell Scott is being honored this week in Atlanta, via the celebration of his first start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, on March 4, 1961 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

All vehicles competing this weekend in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have a commemorative decal (shown above) baring the familiar picture of a waving Scott, who died in 1991, leaving a legacy of achievement and dignity.

Wendell’s daughter, Sybil Scott, will attend this weekend’s races as will NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver Jason Romero, the 2009 winner of the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award, given annually to a female or minority driver in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series who has excelled on and off the race track.

Scott, a Danville, Va. native, started racing in 1947. In his first race, he finished third in a borrowed car and won $50. In the next few years he won 128 Hobby, Amateur and Modified races, on the old Dixie Circuit and outlaw tracks.

In 1959, Scott logged his best season ever.

He won 22 races and captured the Richmond track championship as well as the Virginia State Sportsman title.

On Dec. 1, 1963 at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, a one-mile dirt track, Scott became the first African-America to win on NASCAR’s highest level, a distinction he still holds.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Etc.

Ryan Newman (No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet) is set to make his 300th career start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Two days beforehand, he’ll try to become the all-time leader in Coors Light Pole Awards at Atlanta. He currently is tied with Buddy Baker for the all-time lead, with seven. Newman had an incredible run of six consecutive poles at AMS from 2003-2005. The footnote here is that Baker was an early mentor of Newman’s. …

• A couple of other guys are on the verge of personal milestones. Jimmie Johnson’s next victory will be his 50th. Same goes for Mark Martin’s next pole. Johnson’s 49 wins is 12th-best all-time. When he hits 50 he’ll be tied with Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson for 10th place. Martin is tied with Bobby Isaac for eighth all-time in poles. …

• Car owner Jack Roush needs one more victory to reach a total of 400. His current 399 includes stock car and sports car victories in a variety of series — NASCAR, ARCA, Trans-Am and the old International Motor Sports Association’s Camel GT Series.

• The Scott Speed (No. 82 Red Bull Toyota) train keeps rolling. Speed finished 22nd at Las Vegas and stands 16th in points, seemingly destined to be safely inside the top 35 coming out of Bristol, when this season’s owner points start determining weekly guaranteed starting spots. ...

Up Next: Race 5 @ Bristol

Following a post-Atlanta off-week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action March 21 with the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Aside from the inherent excitement created by every trip to the .533-mile oval, the race will have the additional importance of being the “cutoff” for automatic starting spots based on this season’s car owner points.

For the first four races this season, last year’s top 35 in the final owner standings have been the basis for automatic spots. Post-Bristol, the current top 35 get weekly guarantees.

The Food City 500 is the season’s first short-track race and it starts a “short-track doubleheader” since the following week, the series goes to the .526-mile Martinsville Speedway.

The two weeks of old-school competition result from a schedule adjustment of several years ago. Consecutive short-track events once were routine.

There currently are six short-track races on the schedule; Bristol, Martinsville and .75-mile Richmond International Raceway each host two events.

Kobalt Tools 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts

This week begins much the same way it did last week after California, much to the dismay of folks everywhere--Jimmie Johnson wins again. For the second consecutive week, Johnson makes a late charge to the front and wins giving him the checkers in two of the three races run this season.

It’s not that Johnson has said anything to give the fans anything to be angry about, it’s quite the opposite because he really doesn’t say anything with any real venom. It’s what he’s doing on the track that is irritating NASCAR Nation which is just being better than everyone else.

It’s a shame that he can’t be revered as one of the greatest franchises in sports history. When we think of great dynasties in sports history with four of more Championships in a row, like Johnson has done, you can count them all on one hand.

Right now, even though he hasn’t taken possession of the top slot yet, Johnson looks to be right on pace to get that fifth title in a row. In fact, he’s even ahead of the pace because he’s been a slow starter the last three seasons. Two wins out of the gate with the team he has gives memories of his teammate/boss Jeff Gordon from his magical year of 1998 where Gordon won 13 races.

Gordon’s wins haven’t come like they used to and they’re even getting harder with Johnson clipping them off like he did last week in Las Vegas where Gordon led 219 of the 267 laps until only 17 laps remained where Gordon was a sitting duck thanks to some great pit work on the final stop by Johnson’s crew, and a two-tire change by Gordon's crew gambling to remain out front.

Since bringing Johnson under his wing, Gordon hasn’t won a title and can’t come close to the 49 wins Johnson has accumulated over that span. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if Gordon had some resentment for bringing Johnson into such a great situation since it’s altered his career along the way.

“Today I do,” Gordon said after Sunday‘s Vegas race. “Five, 10 years from now, when I’m cashing in on it, I’m not. Somebody once told me that, if you’re going to get beat, make sure you’re getting a piece of it. That’s one positive to take out of it.”

Looking back on Gordon’s career over the years, there’s no better place to start then with this weeks race in Atlanta. This is where it all began for Gordon who made his NASCAR Cup series debut there in 1992. It was sort of a changing of the guard even though we didn’t know it at the time because The King, Richard Petty, made the final start of his great career in that race.

Over his 35 career starts in Atlanta, only one driver has been more consistent than Gordon’s average finish of 12.3 on the track. Yep, you guessed it, it’s Johnson again taking some thunder away from Gordon.

However, if we shorten up the window over say the last 10 years, Gordon is tops with a 9.2 average finish compared to Johnson’s 10.7. Johnson has three wins to Gordon’s one, but the consistency race after race that Gordon shows in differing eras of his ride with multiple crew chiefs is pretty amazing.

For his career, Gordon has four wins, 14 top-5’s, and 23 top-10 finishes in those 35 starts. Last season he finished second in this race and ninth in the fall. Look for Gordon to finally get that win this week which would surprisingly be only his second overall win since the beginning of the 2008 campaign.

However, Gordon’s nemesis, a creation of his own doing, will be there again to slay in order for him to win and it will be tough. Johnson has proven the last two weeks that he can win with a proven past winning chassis at California as well as a brand new chassis like he brought to Las Vegas.

This week Johnson brings another proven winner with the same chassis that won at Charlotte last October. The sister tracks of Las Vegas, Charlotte, Texas, and Atlanta are all equally similar 1.5-mile high banked tracks where information gained from place to the other transfers over well.

The top contenders to take on the mighty Hendrick machine, whom we only mentioned two of the quality candidates thus far, are from the Childress group led by Kevin Harvick. Who could ever forget the magical moment of 2001 when Harvick had just taken over the car after the passing of Dale Earnhardt and drove to victory in only his third career start. Harvick followed up that win with a second in the fall making Atlanta look like pretty easy stuff.

Then the luck ran out and it became tough for Harvick who would go 14 straight races in Atlanta without having another top-5 finish. It was until last season that he halted the streak and captured two top-5’s with a best of second place in the fall.

Those two races for Harvick were sandwiched by some pretty bad runs at all tracks but the positive note is that momentum from the fall race last season has carried over into this year. He finished second in Las Vegas last week and currently leads the Cup series in points.

I hate to go by what happened last week, but the Vegas race is such a good barometer for this week and the fact the info is still fresh on the team’s mind because it’s such a short turnaround makes it hard for me to believe there are better cars out there this week than Harvick, Gordon, and Johnson’s.

Next on the list of contenders we go back to Hendrick with Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Martin is bringing his chassis that sat on the pole at Indianapolis and finished second there as well as a fourth-place run at the fall California race. He’ll be good this week and will be looking for his first Atlanta win since 1994, and no that isn’t a typo. Only three other current drivers have been driving since then.

Earnhardt Jr and Lance McGrew will be bringing a brand new car this week and if there ever was a place to get Junior fired up it would be Atlanta. It’s been 60 races since he’s won a race anywhere, but over the last five seasons of NASCAR loop data for Atlanta, he’s ranked No. 4. A top-10 finish wouldn’t be out of the question this week.

Clint Bowyer is currently second in points and has had consistent success on the track. In eight career races, he has either finished 20th or worse four times or finished sixth. He has four career sixth place finishes, quite odd, but very consistent and it may be where he ends up again this week.

Joey Logano has now become the featured driver thus far of the season for the Gibbs trio. We normally talk about Kyle Busch or Denny Hamlin, but the kid has now taken center stage and he’s earned it with a great run the last two weeks. He’ll be bringing his same car that finished fifth at California two weeks ago.

Kyle Busch sits 12th in points even though he hasn’t had a top-10 finish in any of the three races. He’s been consistently mediocre thus far, but based on practice last week, he looked like he should have been able to contend for the win. The long green flag runs didn’t help him much either. Look for his best run of the year this week.

Kurt Busch had so many expectations last week after sitting on the pole in his home town but got tangled in a wreck caused by Jamie McMurray. He won this race last year in dominant fashion with his favorite car. That car ran last week and had minor damage, but it’s still not likely at this point that they would be able to have it repaired in enough time to race this week. His chances are also less likely to win based on last years notes just because he has a new crew chief this year.

The Roush drivers have all come on strong at every track this year, especially Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle who each have top-10 finishes in all three races. Kenseth looked very good at Vegas, almost capable of winning the race while Biffle looked strong in practice. Carl Edwards is a three time winner in Atlanta, something Kenseth and Biffle have never been able to do. These three Roush drivers are at least reliable and can be counted upon to do well in driver match-ups. They may not contend for the win, but all three should run in the top-10.

TOP 5 Finish Prediction
1) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
2) #29 Kevin Harvick (12/1)
3) #5 Mark Martin (10/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (10/1)
5) #48 Jimmie Johnson (9/2)

Driver Handicaps: Atlanta
RacingOne.com

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Atlanta for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, Motor Racing Network brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 325-lap event.

Who's HOT at Atlanta
• Three-time winner Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with a 10.7 average finish.
• Three-time winner Carl Edwards has finished seventh or better in eight of his 11 starts.
• Jeff Gordon has finished in the top 10 in eight of the last nine races.
• Kevin Harvick has posted an average finish of 6.5 in the four COT races.
• Defending event winner Kurt Busch has led the most laps (246) with the new car.
• Matt Kenseth has an average finish of 7.2 in his last six starts.
• Kasey Kahne posted one win and an average finish of 4.0 in 2009.
• Kyle Busch has one win and an average finish of 9.2 in four starts with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Keep an Eye on at Atlanta
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart each have top five driver ratings at Atlanta.
• Clint Bowyer has finished sixth in four of his last six starts at Atlanta.
• Brian Vickers finished in the top 10 at Atlanta in both races in 2009.
• Defending event pole winner Mark Martin is coming off his first top five at Atlanta with Hendrick Motorsports.
• Juan Pablo Montoya is coming off his second top five at Atlanta.
• Jeff Burton and Joey Logano both are driving cars that finished in the top five at Auto Club.
• Denny Hamlin has led 79 laps and posted an average finish of 9.2 with the new car at Atlanta.

2009 Track Performers
This weekend marks the second 1.5-mile track of the season with the first being Las Vegas. Jimmie Johnson, who is the all-time leader in wins on 1.5-mile tracks, won the race at Vegas with Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth rounding out the top five. In 2009, Gordon was the only driver to post an average finish of 10.0 or better in the 10 races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2009. Gordon wound up with a stellar 5.8 average finish, 274 laps led and one win, which came at Texas last spring. Kasey Kahne (10.7), Tony Stewart (11.4), David Reutimann (11.8) and Denny Hamlin (11.9) rounded out the top five in average finish last season. 2008 Atlanta spring winner Kyle Busch led the most laps in the 10 races with 483. Johnson was second with 358 laps led. Based off 1.5-mile tracks in 2009: Las Vegas, Atlanta (1.54-mile), Texas, Lowe's, Chicago, Kansas and Homestead.

MotorRacingNetwork.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Mark Martin
Pete Pistone: Kurt Busch
Rachael West: Kasey Kahne

Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings

(All stats/notes are in regards to Atlanta Motor Speedway unless noted)

1. Kevin Harvick: Won the 2001 race in first track start; Finished fourth and second, respectively, in 2009; Second-best finishing average (6.5) in four starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 288) that finished second at Auto Club two weeks ago.

2. Clint Bowyer: Has finished sixth in last three spring races; 15.6 average finish in eight starts; Will debut chassis No. 298 in the Kobalt Tools 500.

3. Mark Martin: Won the pole in first track start with Hendrick Motorsports last March; Finished 31st in that event after sustaining a flat right-rear tire; Finished fifth last fall for 14th top 10 in 48 starts; Two wins came with Roush Racing in 1991 and 1994; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 500) that won the pole and finished second at Indianapolis last summer; Tested during a Goodyear tire test in January.

4. Matt Kenseth: Finished 12th in both races in 2009; Previous five starts resulted in finishes of eighth or better; Sixth-best driver rating over the past 10 races.

5. Jimmie Johnson: Three-time winner; Last win came in the 2007 fall race after leading eight laps; Has led 402 laps and recorded a 10.7 average finish in 17 starts; Best driver rating over the past 10 races; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 558) that won from the pole at Charlotte last fall.

6. Greg Biffle: Coming off eighth top 10 in 14 starts with an eighth-place finish last fall; Best finish (third) came in the 2005 spring race; Finished 34th in this event last year after the team missed the setup; Seventh-best driver rating over the past 10 races; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 546) that last raced at Phoenix in 2009.

7. Jeff Burton: Has posted five top 10s in 11 starts with Richard Childress Racing; 19.0 average finish in the four starts with the COT; Will race the same car (chassis No. 291) that recently finished third at Auto Club.

8. Joey Logano: 26.0 average finish in two starts; Will look for first Atlanta top 10 in the same car (chassis No. 262) that finished fifth at Auto Club.

9. David Reutimann: Coming off first top 10 in five starts with a fourth-place finish last fall; Did score the fourth-best average finish (11.8) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

10. Carl Edwards: Scored his third win in the 2008 fall race; Has combined to lead 159 laps in the last four races; Has finished seventh or better in eight of his 11 starts; Second-best driver rating over the past 10 races; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 639) that finished in the top 10 on two 1.5-mile tracks in 2009, Texas and Kansas; Tested during a Goodyear tire test in January.

11. Tony Stewart: Finished eighth and 11th, respectively, in first track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Posted two wins and 11 top 10s in previous 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; 9.5 average finish in four starts with the COT; Fifth-best driver rating over the past 10 races; Will be driving the same car (chassis No. 511) that last finished fifth at Auto Club in the fall.

12. Kyle Busch: Winner of the 2008 spring race after leading 173 laps; Posted first finishes outside the top 10s with Joe Gibbs Racing last season in 18th and 13th; Never scored a top 10 in first seven starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 257) that led 232 laps at Texas last fall before running out of fuel.

13. Jeff Gordon: Four-time winner with last win coming in 2003; Has finished ninth or better in last five races; Finished second in this event last year; Third-best driver rating over the past 10 races; Posted the best average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will debut a new chassis (No. 581) in the Kobalt Tools 500.

14. Jamie McMurray: 20.3 average finish in 15 starts; Best finish (sixth) came in the 2005 fall race with Ganassi Racing; Will make first track start in a Chevrolet; Will debut a new chassis No. 905 in the Kobalt Tools 500.

15. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 10.5 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Posted one win and nine top 10s in previous 17 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Fourth-best driver rating over the past 10 races; Will debut a new chassis (No. 584) in the Kobalt Tools 500.

16. Scott Speed: 31.0 average finish in three starts; Has yet to post a top-10 finish on a 1.5-mile track.

17. Paul Menard: 22.6 average finish in seven starts; Lone top 10 (seventh) came with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in this event in 2006; Has finished in the top 20 in his first three starts of 2010; Will pilot a car (chassis No. 594) that has been completely rebuilt after racing many times in 2009.

18. Brian Vickers: Coming off consecutive top 10s; Seventh-best average finish (10.5) in the four starts with the COT; Fifth-place finish in this event is his best in 13 starts; Two of his six top 10s came with Hendrick Motorsports.

19. Kurt Busch: Won this event last year after leading 234 laps; Victory was third top 10 in eight starts with Penske Racing; Previous win and three top 10s came with Roush Racing; Eighth-best driver rating over the past 10 races; Will debut chassis No. 715 in the Kobalt Tools 500.

20. David Ragan: Returns to hometown track where he's made six Cup starts; Best finish, and only top 10, was eighth in the fall of 2008; Has an average finish of 24.8; Piloting chassis RK-615, which was last raced in Texas to a 17th-place finish.

21. Martin Truex Jr: Has two top-10 finishes in 10 starts; Best finish of eighth came in spring of 2007; Led a race high 135 laps in the fall 2007 race before crashing; Led 68 laps from the pole in last fall's race; Making track debut with MWR; Tested with the team during a Goodyear tire test in January.

22. Denny Hamlin: In nine starts, finished a best third in the fall of 2008; Has three top 10s, all in the fall; Has led four times for a total of 98 laps; Ninth best pre-race driver rating of 93.2; Has a 9.2 average finish in the four races with the COT; Unloading chassis JGR 253; Has one previous start with car - 10th-place finish at Michigan in 2009.

23. Kasey Kahne: Two victories driving a Dodge, including one with Richard Petty Motorsports last fall; In 12 starts, has five top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 17.0; Making track debut in a Ford; Has finished in the top 10 in both starts with RPM.

24. Elliott Sadler: Three top 10s in 22 starts all came while driving a Ford for Yates Racing; Best finish of sixth came in this race in 2003; Finished 20th and 21st in two starts with RPM last year; Piloting brand-new chassis No. 280.

25. Regan Smith: 34.0 average finish in two starts at Atlanta with DEI in 2008.

26. Juan Pablo Montoya: Posted his best finish in six Cup starts in last fall's Chase race; Led 31 laps en route to the third-place finish; Last year's result was his second top five, with the first coming in his track debut in 2007; Average finish is 20.8; Will drive chassis No. 819 which saw six starts in 2009; Car brought three top-five finishes including in fall Atlanta race.

27. AJ Allmendinger: 16.8 average finish in four starts; Hasn't finished in the top 10 but has finished 20th or better in each start; Bringing chassis No. 265; Last driven by the No. 44 team to a 34th-place finish at Martinsville last October; Making track debut in a Ford.

28. Sam Hornish Jr: Best finish is 24th in four starts; Tested during a Goodyear tire test in January.

29. Travis Kvapil: 32.3 average finish in seven starts; Finished a best 23rd in the fall of 2008.

30. Brad Keselowski: Making Cup debut at track; Has three Nationwide starts with one top five and two top 10s; Bringing a new chassis (PRS-710) to Kobalt Tools 500 weekend.

Kolbalt Tools 500: NASCAR Betting Preview
By Greg Engle

HAMPTON, GA -- Right now it seems that in NASCAR at least, it's Jimmie Johnson's world. Everyone else just lives in it.

Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team have won two out of the first three season opening races, including the last two in succession.

Will Johnson's hot streak continue this weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to the ultra-fast Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500? Or will someone else steal the show?

Favorites

Jeff Gordon (+800)

Gordon led the most laps last week at Las Vegas, 218, yet was passed by Johnson with 16 to go. The overall effort, however, showed that Gordon is a definite threat to unseat Johnson's dominance and with four wins here he may just prove his point Sunday.

Carl Edwards (+1500)

Edwards has always been fast at Atlanta. It's the track where he scored his inaugural Sprint Cup win and has added two since. In addition to his three wins in 11 starts here he also has six Top-5 and eight Top-10 finishes. Last year at Atlanta, he finished third. It won't take much for Edwards to steal the win this year.

Jimmie Johnson (+450)

The reigning “king of the hill” has three wins, nine Top-5 and 11 Top-10 finishes in 17 starts here. But in the two races held here last season, he finished ninth in the spring and 36th in the fall, showing he isn't exactly bulletproof.

Others to watch

Kurt Busch (+1200)

Busch is the defending winner of this race. In addition he has another win here to go with his two Top-5 and six Top-10 finishes in 18 starts. Busch looked strong last week in Las Vegas after winning the pole, but was swept up in an accident not of his own doing. Look for Busch to do his best to try and make up for that this week.

Mark Martin (+600)

Martin has been a threat every week so far, but has been unable to seal the deal. He finished fourth last week in Vegas. Martin has an incredible 48 starts at Atlanta, with two wins, 14 Top-5 finishes and 23 Top-10s. He won the pole for this race last year and went on to score a career and series-best seven poles in 2009.

Kasey Kahne (+1800)

Kahne returns here as the winner of last September's race. He led six times for a total of 60 laps. He also won here in 2006 and has one pole, five Top-5 and seven Top-10 finishes. Despite switching from Dodge to Ford, Kahne could go all the way again.

Head-to-head matchups

Jamie McMurray vs. Juan Pablo Montoya

The Earnhardt-Ganassi teammates went head to head last week in Vegas and took each other out of the race leading to some very unkind comments from Montoya. McMurray only has four Top-10 finishes in 15 starts here, Montoya has six starts, with two Top-5 and two Top-10 finishes including a third in the fall. Look for Montoya to do his talking on the track and finish ahead of his teammate.

Greg Biffle vs. Matt Kenseth

Another tale of two teammates. Biffle has a record of three Top-5 and eight Top-10 finishes along with a pole, while Kenseth has seven Top 5s and eleven Top 10s in 20 starts. Biffle finished 10th in Vegas last week, Kenseth fifth. Kenseth will also finish ahead of Biffle again this week, having shown more strength overall this season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs. Denny Hamlin

The Junior Nation would love to see him win anywhere and he has a win here along with a pole, eight Top-5 and 10 Top-10 finishes. Hamlin meanwhile has one Top 5 and three Top 10s. But sorry Junior Nation, in the last three races here, Earnhardt has finished outside the Top 10 while Hamlin has finished inside the Top 10 in two out of the last three. Edge Hamlin.

Kobalt Tools 500 Preview
By TheRacingGeek

Why This Race is Important

After three races the pieces are starting to fall into place as to what we can expect to see happen for the rest of the regular season. Things are by no means definite at this point, but we are certainly getting an idea of who is going to contend and who is not.

Also important is what will happen if Jimmie Johnson wins for the third week in a row. Will fans revolt and stop watching even more than they are now? Will the rest of Johnson’s competitors raise the white flag? Who’s to say, but it definitely makes the Kobalt Tools 500 a key race very early into the 2010 season.

Storylines Worth Following

* Jeff Gordon did everything but win last weekend in Las Vegas. After letting a race that he should have won slip away, it will be interesting to see the mindset of the 24 team Sunday. Are they able to put Vegas behind him or does last weekend’s disappointment linger?

* Kyle Busch has been fast at every race this year, but having failed to put a complete race together, he has yet to finish in the top-10. If he can avoid the bad luck that befuddled him at Fontana, and the costly speeding penalty that handcuffed him at Vegas, Atlanta has the potential to be a breakthrough race for Kyle Busch.

* Almost the exact same scenario has played out for Kyle’s older brother Kurt to start the year. He’s been quick in every race, but outside of a sixth at Auto Club Speedway, having a fast racecar hasn’t really translated into good finishes for the 2004 champ. Like his younger bro, Atlanta – where Busch won last spring – might be exactly what he needs to kick-start his season in the right direction.

* Last week I said if Denny Hamlin didn’t have a good weekend, it might be time to sound the alarm bells. Well, the bells are ringing because Hamlin was mediocre in the desert, finishing 19th. While it’s not time to completely panic, there is some genuine concern about whether the FedEx team is up to the task of living up to the expectations that were placed upon them in the preseason.

* This is the longest Jack Roush has started a year without a win since 2001, when it took 12 races before a Roush car went to victory lane. Should this concern Roush, especially with how good the Hendrick and Childress organizations have started the year? Or is the Cat in the Hat, confident that his Ford Fleet has what it takes to keep pace with the Bowtie Brigade?

* Right now the consensus in the garage seems to be that Mark Martin is once again Jimmie Johnson’s biggest title threat. A win Sunday would not only go along way to further establishing this belief, but also would give everyone some much needed hope that the Johnson can be toppled.

* Can Jimmie go three-for-four to start the year? If he can, an already demoralized garage might be ready to hand Johnson the championship trophy after just four races.

Kobalt Tools 500 By the Numbers

Driver Wins: Dale Earnhardt (9)

Owner Wins: Wood Brothers (12)

Average Finish (active drivers): Jimmie Johnson (10.7)

Laps Led: Cale Yarborough (3,297)

Top-5s: Dale Earnhardt (26)

Top-10s: Richard Petty (33)

Contenders

Kevin Harvick
After finishing second to the 48 the last two weeks, and not having won a points-race since the ‘07 Daytona 500, Kevin Harvick isn’t hungry to win, he’s starving. He knows the door is unlocked; he just needs to figure out a way to open it. That however may change on Sunday. A year ago he finished in the top-10 in both Atlanta races, and in the September race, Harvick led 66 laps before settling for second behind Kasey Kahne. Also worth noting, Harvick’s average finish in the four Atlanta COT races is 6.5.

Jimmie Johnson
Even with a 36th-place finish last September, Johnson’s average finish is still an Atlanta- best 10.7. Not to mention he’s a three-time winner here, and swept both races here two years ago. Oh, and I did mention, Johnson has won the past two weeks?

Mark Martin
The debate was whether to put Martin or a Roush driver, specifically Matt Kenseth or Greg Biffle, in this spot. Ultimately it came down to who I had more confidence in. Roush seems to be still searching for overall speed, while Martin comes into Atlanta with confidence and momentum after posting back-to-back fourth-place finishes.

Sleeper

Brian Vickers
Ignore what happened last Sunday in Las Vegas, where the Red Bull crew simply missed the setup and know this: Vickers was one of just four drivers last year to record top-10 finishes in both Atlanta races.

Deep Sleeper

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
A skeptical choice I agree. However, the facts are that Earnhardt’s average finish at Atlanta (11.9), trails only teammate Jimmie Johnson. He’s not going to win, but a top-10 finish isn’t out of the question.

The Official “Racing Geek” Pick:

Kyle Busch
Despite not having a top-10 finish in 2010, Kyle Busch’s season is actually off to a pretty good start. He and crew chief Dave Rogers seem to be on the same page every week, and the No. 18 Toyota has been among the frontrunners every week. This isn’t going to change this weekend.

Because of that fact, and because Atlanta rewards drivers who don’t mind running 190 mph with the backend of their car jumping out on them, I’m giving my nod to Busch getting his first Sprint Cup win of the year Sunday.

Practice Notes - Atlanta
By Micah Roberts

Driver (Odds) – Practice 1, Qualifying, Practice 2, Practice 3

1. Mark Martin (6/1) – 1st, 4th, 2nd, 1st
Blistering fast in all sessions; Same Chassis sat on pole and finished 2nd at Indy in ‘09

2. Jimmie Johnson (9/2) – 7th, 16th, 1st, 16th
All-time leader in 1.5-mile wins; Same chassis won pole & race at Charlotte last fall

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr (18/1) – 10th, 1st, 7th, 2nd
New Chassis this week; 1st pole in 68 races, Actually looks like a Hendrick car this week

4. Kasey Kahne (20/1) – 3rd, 6th, 5th, 11th
2 time ATL winner, Won fall race in ’09; strong throughout practice with average speeds

5. Jeff Gordon (8/1) – 35th, 5th, 6th, 25th
ATL best 9.2 AVG finish last 10 years; 4 career wins, best AVG finish on 1.5 mile tracks in ’09

6. Jeff Burton (18/1) – 24th, 22nd, 20th, 6th
Using same Chassis that finish 3rd at Cal 2 weeks ago with similar practice progression

7. Kurt Busch (15/1) – 18th, 11th, 4th, 10th
2-time ATL winner, won this race in ’09; New Chassis this week, steady practice times

8. Kyle Busch (8/1) – 2nd, 2nd, 8th, 23rd
Won this race in ’08, Great Friday in Q-trim, slowed Sat in race trim; No top-10’s this year

Petty Motorsports Sharp?

We haven’t seen multiple Petty cars look strong in practice, since….well, maybe forever. Kasey Kahne was very fast in all measures of practice and not far behind was Paul Menard who looks to have his best car ever based on practice. Menard was fourth fastest in happy hour and Kahne had the third fastest average times. Kahne is a two time winner in Atlanta including the fall race last season. Menard’s best Atlanta finish was seventh in 2006 while driving for DEI. I’m still a little weary of their first year driving with Ford’s, but they’ve had two weeks of data to compile on these type of tracks and they look like they’ve found something.

Busch Bothers

Las Vegan drivers Kyle and Kurt Busch have won this Atlanta race the last two years. Kurt had a strong consistent practice throughout. He would have much rather used the chassis that won this race last season in dominating fashion, but it was damaged last week in Las Vegas. Look for a top-10 run out of Kurt Busch this week.

Kyle was very strong in the first two practice sessions, but slowed during happy hour in what looked to be attempts at long runs on older tires. Kyle sits in the top-12 in points, but has yet to have a top-10 finish this year. Look for his best run of the season.

Pat Tryson Effect?

Martin Truex Jr didn’t do anything real special throughout practice and qualifying until the final session where he was third fastest. His crew chief, Pat Tryson, was the crew chief for Kurt Busch last season when he won in Atlanta. It looks Tryson may have used some of that winning knowledge to get Truex’s car better with each chance out and they could be a solid contender to run in the top-10.

Not a good move by Edwards. 😛