Pep Boys Auto 500 News and Notes

Pep Boys Auto 500 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Only two races remain in the Race to the Chase before the 12-driver field will be set for the final 10 races of the season in NASCAR’s version a playoff. Only 162 points separate the driver currently in seventh, Ryan Newman, from the driver in 15th, Clint Bowyer.

The next two races are in the deep South of Atlanta and then the Capital of the Confederacy, in Richmond. Both tracks are a fitting finale for what is essentially a wild card chase to advance.

The last time we visited Atlanta was in early March for the fourth race of the season. Kurt Busch dominated the race for it’s entirety. With the way his car performed that day on the 1.5-mile high banked fast track, it was thought that Busch might be able to duplicate that kind of success later on the sister tracks of Texas and Charlotte, but it didn’t happen.

Busch’s win that day remains his only win of the season, but he has been consistent enough throughout the season to be firmly entrenched in the Chase, currently sitting sixth. Over his career, Busch has an average finish of 18th in Atlanta with two wins in 17 starts.

Jeff Gordon has had one of he better combined runs on these type of tracks this season which also includes Las Vegas. Gordon finished second in Atlanta, then came back to win at Texas. He also ran very well in Charlotte, but the finish doesn’t reflect it because it was rain shortened.

His Texas win remains his only win of the season. Knowing how good his car has been on these tracks, his team has to be elated to be getting back on it since they haven’t raced on one since Charlotte in late May.

Atlanta is where it all started for Gordon. He started his first career Cup race there. 34 races later, Gordon has four career wins and 22 top-10 finishes. Look for Gordon to contend for the win a be a force in the playoffs where two of the 10 races are at Texas and Charlotte.

Kyle Busch is 34 points from the 12th and final position. He’s only got two races to make it, but his chances look pretty good based on his record in Atlanta and Richmond. Since moving to Joe Gibbs Racing last season, Busch has been one of the best in Atlanta that includes a win and a top-5 finish last season there. On like-tracks, Busch claims a win in Las Vegas and lead the most laps at Charlotte before the rain came out.

Busch looks to have had an attitude adjustment over the last two weeks and no one from the Gibbs organization is taking claim to any kind of pep talk. Busch may have done his own soul searching and figured out that in order to be consistent each week, he’s got to be a little better mentally prepared.

Immediately following his change in demeanor, Busch captured his fourth win of the season by sweeping Bristol.

Jimmie Johnson is the favorite to win this week on the basis of his continued domination of these type of tracks. In Atlanta, Johnson has a track best average finish of ninth with three wins in 16 career races. What makes Johnson extremely tough to bet against this week is that he’s going flat out for wins. He’s got enough points, what he needs now is wins to get him tied with Mark Martin with four which would give him the lead to start the Chase.

Brian Vickers is only 39 points out of the 12th and final position in the Chase. He finished 5th in Atlanta and Charlotte this season and looks to build off his momentum from his big Michigan win three weeks ago. Vickers has to run well this week and duplicate, or better, what he did in March’s Atlanta race because relying on a great Richmond finish will be a tall task.

Carl Edwards is still looking for that elusive first win of 2009 after winning the most in 2008 with nine. Atlanta has always been good to Edwards, a place he claims three wins at. In March he ran very well with a third, but after that, Edwards couldn’t duplicate the Roush-Fenway success they traditionally had on the fast 1.5-mile tracks.

This race will ultimately be split up into several categories with those who in going for wins and those who are one of the nine on the brink looking to score positive points, stay out of trouble, and get a top-5 or top-10 finish.

Clint Bowyer may likely not finish in the top-5 for this race or have a chance to win, but if playing matchups, Bowyer should be golden because he has proven to one of the best drivers in the race to the chase down the stretch. It’s a good bet that Bowyer lets the others in front of him in points race themselves out of the chase while he does his thing and shoots for a top-10 finish.

A driver on the opposite end of the end, and who Bowyer is hoping self-destructs as in the past, is Kasey Kahne. Kahne has been in this situation before and has failed miserably each time. Despite everything there for the taking, Kahne feels like a sitting duck once again and may pressure himself too much. He is a very good bet against in driver matchups this week vs. just about anyone who finishes races on a weekly basis.

Matt Kenseth is the cool veteran who just may stay where he is and let everyone else around him battle. He doesn’t have the equipment to go for a win, or compete for a top-5, but he’s savvy enough to play the game like Bowyer. He’s never missed a Chase yet.

For the upper-echelon of drivers who are basically set, it’s a freebie. No more points racing, it’s time for bonus points and placement setting when the Chase starts. Expect to see drivers like Gordon, Johnson, Stewart, and Greg Biffle be as aggressive as ever this week and willing to take chances on fuel and tires down the stretch.

As crazy and reckless as it may seem, I would expect Kyle Busch to be mixing it up with them minus the risky pit strategies. He may have given the perception that he’s changed his attitude a bit, but when the green flag drops, he’ll likely be going all out despite his points situation.

If making matchup wagers, you can go one way or another on that strategy. Bet against Kyle and go with his 13 race losing history prior to his Bristol win which is pretty sound and logical, or go against all that a believe Kyle will make things happen en route to making the Chase.

If you are one of many who had future wagering on Kyle winning the 2009 NASCAR Cup title, this may a time to start hedging those wagers with bet-against’s in match-ups to retrieve some of that money invested with hopes Busch does poorly.

I may be blinded a bit since I’m a Las Vegan and always root for the best for the Busch brothers, but I like his chances to do well this week.

TOP 5 Finish Predicton:

1) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
2) #18 Kyle Busch (7/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
4) #2 Kurt Busch (12/1)
5) #99 Carl Edwards (8/1)

Driver Highlights - Atlanta
VegasInsider.com

Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last nine races at Atlanta. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) 12/1

Three top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 15.9
Average Running Position of 11.1, fifth-best
Driver Rating of 97.7, sixth-best
213 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
2,301 Laps in the Top 15 (78.4%), fifth-most
264 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fourth-most

Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet) 35/1

Four top 10s
Average finish of 13.7
Average Running Position of 12.6, ninth-best
Driver Rating of 89.0, 12th-best

Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) 60/1

Seven top fives, 13 top 10s
Average finish of 16.5
Average Running Position of 11.7, seventh-best
Driver Rating of 89.3, 11th-best
2,218 Laps in the Top 15 (75.6%), sixth-most
243 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) 12/1

Two wins, two top fives, six top 10s
Average finish of 18.6
Average Running Position of 15.2, 12th-best
Driver Rating of 95.5, eighth-best
195 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 172.438 mph, eighth-fastest
1,681 Laps in the Top 15 (57.3%), 11th-most
243 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota) 7/1

One win, two top fives, two top 10s
Average finish of 18.2
Driver Rating of 89.4, 10th-best
127 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
509 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 172.271 mph, 13th-fastest
223 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy Drink/National Guard Chevrolet) 28/1

One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 11.7
Average Running Position of 10.4, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 101.4, third-best
216 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
514 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 172.857 mph, third-fastest
2,326 Laps in the Top 15 (79.3%), fourth-most
Series-high 297 Quality Passes

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford) 8/1

Three wins, six top fives, eight top 10s
Average finish of 10.7
Average Running Position of 9.7, second-best
Driver Rating of 108.8, second-best
Series-high 282 Fastest Laps Run
Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 173.087 mph
2,515 Laps in the Top 15 (85.7%), second-most
286 Quality Passes, second-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) 8/1

Four wins, 14 top fives, 22 top 10s; two poles
Average finish of 12.4
Average Running Position of 10.4, third-best
Driver Rating of 101.3, fourth-best
131 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
2,392 Laps in the Top 15 (81.5%), third-most
281 Quality Passes, third-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet) 5/1

Three wins, nine top fives, 11 top 10s
Average finish of 9.1
Series-best Average Running Position of 7.0
Series-best Driver Rating of 112.2
185 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 172.915 mph, second-fastest
Series-high 2,704 Laps in the Top 15 (92.2%)

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) 25/1

Seven top fives, 11 top 10s
Average finish of 13.8
Average Running Position of 13.0, 11th-best
Driver Rating of 97.0, seventh-best
132 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
514 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 172.665 mph, fourth-fastest
260 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Odds and Ends - Atlanta
VegasInsider.com

Atlanta Motor Speedway Data Race # 25 of 36 (9-6-09)

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 112.2
Carl Edwards 108.8
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 101.4
Jeff Gordon 101.3
Tony Stewart 99.6
Greg Biffle 97.7
Matt Kenseth 97.0
Kurt Busch 95.5
Denny Hamlin 89.7
Kyle Busch 89.4

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2009 races (9 total) at Atlanta.

Qualifying/Race Data

2008 pole winner: None (inclement weather)
2008 race winner: Carl Edwards (134.272 mph, 10-26-08)
Track qualifying record: Geoffrey Bodine (197.478 mph, 28.074 secs., 11-15-97)
Race record: Bobby Labonte (159.904 mph, 11-16-97)

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

Driver Handicaps: Atlanta
Racingone.com

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday's Pep Boys Auto 500. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne 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 9.1 average finish.
• Three-time winner Carl Edwards has finished seventh or better in eight of his 10 starts. Note: Fractured his foot this week, but will still race.
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with 17 top 10s on the 1.54-mile configuration.
• Matt Kenseth has posted an average finish of 5.8 in his last six starts.
• Spring winner Kurt Busch has led the most laps (246) with the new car.
• Kyle Busch has one win and an average finish of 8.0 in three starts with Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Spring Atlanta pole winner Mark Martin has two wins and 22 top 10s.

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 five starts at Atlanta.
• Brian Vickers is coming off his first top five at Atlanta.
• Kasey Kahne has a 9.4 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.
• Greg Biffle is the only other driver that has not been mentioned that has led more than 100 laps (133) on 1.5-mile track in 2009.
• Denny Hamlin has led 56 laps and posted an average finish of 10.3 with the new car at Atlanta.
• Kevin Harvick is coming off his first top five at Atlanta since 2001.
• Atlanta active pole leader Ryan Newman has a 14.0 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.
• Juan Pablo Montoya is running a chassis that led 116 laps at Indianapolis and finished a season-high second at Pocono.

Track Performers
Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with a 5.0 average finish on the 1.5-mile tracks in 2009. Gordon won in the series' third trip to a 1.5-mile track this season after taking the checkered flag at Texas Motor Speedway. Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards are the only other drivers with average finishes of 10.0 of better. Kurt Busch, who has an average finish of 16.6, has led the most laps (236) after dominating the Atlanta race en route to a victory. Kyle Busch, Gordon, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson are the only other driver that has led more than 100 laps. Martin is the latest 1.5-mile winner after taking the checkered flag at Chicagoland. Based off 1.5-mile tracks: Las Vegas, Atlanta (1.54-mile), Texas and Lowe's. 2009 1.5-Mile Driver Averages

RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Pete Pistone: Carl Edwards
Rachael West: Kyle Busch

Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

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

1. Tony Stewart: Finished eighth in first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing in March; Posted two wins and 11 top 10s in previous 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Will be driving the same car (chassis No. 511) that finished 17th at Bristol in the spring.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Three-time winner; Last win came in the 2007 fall race after leading eight laps; Has led 385 laps and recorded a 9.1 average finish in 16 starts; Will debut a new chassis (No. 558) in the Pep Boys Auto 500.

3. Jeff Gordon: Four-time winner with last win coming in 2003; Is coming off four consecutive top 10s; Finished second in March; Has posted the best average finish (5.0) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

4. Denny Hamlin: Has posted a 10.3 average finish in three races with the new car; Led 33 laps en route to a third-place finish in the 2008 fall race; Has two top 10s in eight starts.

5. Carl Edwards: Scored his third win in the 2008 fall race; Has combined to lead 159 laps in the last three races; Has finished seventh or better in eight of his 10 starts; Fractured his foot this week, but will still race; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 565) that finished third at Atlanta in the spring.

6. Kurt Busch: Won second race in the spring after leading 234 laps; Victory was third top 10 in seven starts with Penske Racing; Previous win and three top 10s came with Roush racing; Will race the same car (chassis No. 594) that went to Victory Lane in March.

7. Ryan Newman: Active pole leader with seven; Finished 22nd in track debut with Stewart-Haas Racing; One top five and four top 10s came with Penske Racing.

8. Greg Biffle: Has recorded seven top 10s in 13 starts; Best finish (third) came in the 2005 spring race; Finished 34th in the spring after the team missed the setup; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 566) that finished eighth at Darlington.

9. Juan Pablo Montoya: Lone top five came in first of five starts; Finished 27th in first start driving a Chevrolet; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 818) that finished second at Pocono Raceway.

10. Mark Martin: Won the pole in first track start with Hendrick Motorsports in March; Finished 31st in that event after sustaining a flat right-rear tire; Two wins came with Roush Racing in 1991 and 1994; Has captured 13 top fives and 22 top 10s in 47 starts; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 527) that won at Darlington and Chicagoland.

11. Kasey Kahne: Won the 2006 spring race from the pole; Finished seventh in March for his sixth top 10.

12. Matt Kenseth: Has finished eighth or better in six of the last eight races; Led 128 laps en route to a fourth-place finish in the 2008 fall race.

13. Kyle Busch: Winner of the 2008 spring race after leading 173 laps; Posted first finish (18th) outside the top 10 with Joe Gibbs Racing in the spring; Never scored a top 10 in first seven starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Will debut a new chassis (No. 254) in the Pep Boys Auto 500. 14. Brian Vickers: Has posted an 11.7 average finish with the new car; Fifth-place finish in the spring is best in 12 starts; Two of his three top 10s came with Hendrick Motorsports.

15. Clint Bowyer: Four top 10s consist of sixth-place finishes; Posted a 13.7 average finish in seven starts; Will debut a new chassis (No. 284) in the Pep Boys Auto 500.

16. David Reutimann: Has an average finish of 30.0 in four starts; Atlanta is his worst oval track on the schedule based on his average.

17. Marcos Ambrose: Finished 38th in March after engine problems; Has recorded a 27.2 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

18. Jeff Burton: Has posted five top 10s in 10 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Will race the same car (chassis No. 283) that recently finished 18th at Michigan International Speedway.

19. Joey Logano: Logano finished 30th in his first Cup track start in March; He's posted an average finish of 20.0 on the 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 247) that finished 12th and seventh, respectively, at Indianapolis and Michigan.

20. Casey Mears: Finished 16th in track debut with Richard Childress Racing in March; 12 previous starts came with Chip Ganassi Racing and Hendrick Motorsports; Has yet to finish in the top 10; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 286) in the Pep Boys Auto 500.

21. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Has posted an 8.3 average finish in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Posted one win and nine top 10s in previous 17 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Will debut a new chassis (No. 559) in the Pep Boys Auto 500.

22. Jamie McMurray: Seventh-place finish in this event last year is only top 10 in seven starts with Roush Fenway; Has yet to lead a lap in 14 overall starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 617) that finished 21st at Indianapolis.

23. Martin Truex Jr: Coming off second top 10 in nine starts; Led 135 laps in the 2007 fall race until a crash took him out of contention; Will pilot the same car that finished 17th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

24. Kevin Harvick: Won in his Sprint Cup debut in 2001; Has posted three more top 10s in 16 additional starts; Finished fourth in March for first top five since 2001; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 281) that finished 19th at Chicagoland and sixth at Indianapolis.

25. AJ Allmendinger: Has posted an average finish of 15.5 in two starts with Richard Petty Motorsports; Led one lap with Team Red Bull in 2007.

26. Elliott Sadler: Best finish (14th) in a Dodge came in the 2007 fall race; Three top 10s in 21 overall starts came with Yates Racing.

27. Sam Hornish Jr: Has posted an average finish of 28.7 in three starts; Best finish came in the 2008 fall race in 24th; Although he won the Sprint Showdown, Hornish has yet to score a top 10 in the Cup Series on 1.5-mile tracks.

28. Reed Sorenson: Posted one top five and three top 10s in eight starts; Third-place finish in the 2007 fall race is his best in the Cup Series; Finished 33rd in March.

29. David Ragan: Lone top 10 (eighth) came in the 2008 fall race; Has posted an average finish of 23.2 in five starts; Will drive the same car (chassis No. 668) that most recently finished 24th at Indianapolis.

30. Bobby Labonte: Will not race in the Pep Boys Auto 500; Will be replaced by Erik Darnell; Darnell will be making his Sprint Cup debut.

Edwards will race Atlanta despite broken foot
September 3, 2009

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Carl Edwards will race this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway despite breaking his right foot playing frisbee.

Edwards is on crutches but was cleared to race in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series by doctors from the University of Missouri. He is from Columbia, Mo., and was injured in a hometown game Wednesday night.

I know this probably sounds ridiculous to a lot of people, and I could hardly believe it myself, Edwards said Thursday. I was playing frisbee with a couple of buddies and we both went for the frisbee at the same time. I put my foot on it, my friend dove for it, and the next thing you know, we all heard a pop.

I knew it was broken and we all kind of looked at each other in disbelief that of all things, I would break my foot playing frisbee.

Edwards has three victories at Atlanta and is the defending race winner. He said doctors told him he'll have no problems using the accelerator.

Edwards is fifth in the Sprint Cup Series standings with two races remaining before the title-deciding Chase for the championship begins. Because of his series-high nine wins last season, he was widely considered the favorite to end Jimmie Johnson's run of three straight titles.

But he's winless this season in NASCAR's top series and has been counting on a hot streak during the 10-race Chase to mount a title run.

Meanwhile, he's turned it up a notch in the Nationwide Series. His win last weekend in Montreal helped him slice Kyle Busch's lead in the standings, and Edwards now trails by 192 points.

NASCAR heads to Atlanta
By Brobury Sports

NASCAR is ready to roar on Sunday night after a week off.

There are only two races before the Chase for the Cup begins and there are plenty of ‘bubble’ drivers. As you can see from the chart below, only 89 points separates 7th and 14th place. 12 drivers ultimately make The Chase.

7th) Ryan Newman, 2,995
8th) Greg Biffle, 2,986
9th) Juan Montoya, 2,975
10th) Mark Martin, 2,971
11th) Kasey Kahne, 2,963
12th) Matt Kenseth, 2,945
13th) Kyle Busch, 2,911
14th) Brian Vickers 2,906

Here’s a look at the favorites for Sunday night’s Pep Boys Auto 500, broadcast on ESPN at 7:30 pm EST.

Jimmie Johnson (+500)

Johnson has three wins, nine Top 5’s and 11 Top 10’s in 16 Atlanta starts. He swept the season series for wins in 2007.

Johnson has six Top 10 finishes in the last seven races here and is the only current driver to have an average finish in the Top 10 (9.1).

Carl Edwards (+700)

Edwards won this race last year and has three wins, six Top 5’s and eight Top 10’s in 10 Atlanta starts. That’s impressive.

The other two Atlanta wins were when he swept the races in 2005. He has an average finish of 10.7.

Kyle Busch (+700)

Busch won here in spring of 2008 but only has one win, two Top 5’s and two Top 10’s in 10 Atlanta starts.

This is not the best track for Busch as he desperately tries to make The Chase. His average finish overall is only 18.2.

Jeff Gordon (+700)

Gordon has four wins, 14 Top 5’s and 22 Top 10’s in 34 Atlanta starts. Seven of those Top 10’s were in the last eight races.

Gordon has not won here since 2003 and the previous win was back in 1999. He has an average finish of 12.4.

Mark Martin (+700)

Martin has two wins, 13 Top 5’s and 22 Top 10’s in 47 Atlanta starts. Those two wins came way back in 1991 and 1994.

Martin did win the pole here in the spring, but had a tire problem and finished 31st.

More of The Field

Greg Biffle (+1000)
Tony Stewart (+1000)
Brian Vickers (+1500)
Denny Hamlin (+1500)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+2000)
Kasey Kahne (+2000)
Juan Pablo Montoya (+2200)
Matt Kenseth (+2500)
Clint Bowyer (+3000)
Ryan Newman (+3000)

Practice Notes - Atlanta
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

This week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race goes under the lights in Atlanta Sunday for the second to last race until the Chase to Championship begins September 20 in New Hampshire.

This will be the second time the series has visited in Atlanta with the first coming in early March where Kurt Busch thoroughly dominated in what still is his only win of the season.

The practice sessions for the March’s Atlanta race were run in the traditional sense with a Friday practice, then qualifying, and two Saturday practices. This time around, there was no practice on Friday with all activity taking place on Saturday prior to Sunday night’s race in what Atlanta Motor Speedway is calling an experiment.

Saturday’s events began with an hour and half practice session with most teams running in race trim. In the Final practice session, teams mixed up the session with both race trim and qualifying trim for another hour and a half. In the unusual format, their qualifying session will be the final time in their car before the actual race.

The qualifying being so late, with no practice afterwards, could make things difficult early on in the race for the teams that had good practice runs because no matter how precise the notes were for a good set-up, it still takes some tinkering to get perfect from race trim to qualifying trim.

With no practice following qualifying, the tinkering will have to come during the race. Needless to say, there definitely is some added pressure on the crews this week.

Another major factor the crews have to deal with is the track’s temperature change from practice to race day conditions which will drastically change because the start time for Sunday’s race is just before 8:00 pm. The likely result will be more grip, which the drivers will like, but it’s still an unknown which means there will be a lot of guessing in the set-up early on.

At the very end of the final practice session, Juan Pablo Montoya reeled off the fastest lap of 180.105 mph while in qualifying trim driving his favorite car, the one that nearly won at Indy and finished second at Pocono. Nearly every driver used the final moments of final practice to make their qualifying trim runs.

Prior to the late switch for qualifying trim, Ryan Newman had been fastest while in race trim and did so very early. As the heat slicked up the track, all the times for the final practice were much slower than the first session.

During the first session, Jimmie Johnson ran 41 laps with a top speed of 182.807 mph while in race trim using a brand new chassis made special for this race. Just about every team that matters used the first session somewhat in the same fashion like they normally use happy hour for. They ran lots of laps and used the cooler conditions as more of a simulator for what they may see on race day.

Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, and Kurt Busch rounded out the top-5 fastest laps following Johnson in the first session.

Martin had some trouble the last time they visited Atlanta despite sitting on the pole, but was very fast during both sessions Saturday while in both race and qualifying trim. The car he’s using this week is the same one that won at Darlington and Chicagoland.

Kurt Busch had a real good morning session, but struggled in the afternoon practice saying his car had no grip. He’s bringing the same chassis that he won with in March’s Atlanta race and it’s likely the cooler conditions will get Busch’s car right on race day.

Jeff Gordon had a great first practice with the third fastest average speeds among all drivers to run at least 30 laps. The high banked 1.5-mile tracks have been his best all around combined runs this season capturing a second in Atlanta and a win at Texas.

The second fastest average times in the first practice belonged to Montoya, while the best average speed among those running at least 30 laps belonged to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Junior brought a brand new chassis and his average times finally make him look like he’s driving a Hendrick car. In the final session, he finished with the 11th fastest time.

Based on how good he looks lap after lap in the longer runs, Junior might have his best opportunity to win a race this season. Should he win, it might be the most fireworks Atlanta has seen since General Sherman marched through there 145 years ago.

First Practice - Top 5 Speeds (more relevant practice)

1. Jimmie Johnson 182.807 mph - AVG 41 laps @ 173.00
2. Mark Martin 182.507 mph - AVG 55 laps @ 172.319
3. Denny Hamlin 181.729 mph - AVG 40 laps @ 172.707
4. Tony Stewart 181.699 mph - AVG 50 laps @ 170.780
5. Kurt Busch 181.639 mph - AVG 39 laps @ 171.954

Final Practice - Top 5 Speeds

1. Ryan Newman 179.866 mph - AVG 25 laps @ 173.041
2. Mark Martin 179.802 mph - AVG 7 laps @ 178.513
3. Brian Vickers 179.330 mph - AVG 41 laps @ 171.983
4. Clint Bowyer 179.278 mph - AVG 12 laps @ 175.955
5. Jeff Gordon 179.272 mph - AVG 20 laps @ 173.010

Top 10 Rated drivers for Sunday night’s Atlanta race heavily based on Saturday’s first practice session, mixed in with the final session, chassis selections, current state of team, and 1.5-mile performances in 2009.

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Mark Martin
3. Kurt Busch
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Juan Pablo Montoya
6. Carl Edwards
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
9. Brian Vickers
10. Ryan Newman

Pep Boys Auto 500 Preview & Picks
By NASCAR JACK

There are so many questions going into the Pep Boys 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Will four-race winner Kyle Busch (7-1) finish high enough to give him a chance going into Richmond?

Will four-race winner Mark Martin (7-1) get knocked out of the elite dozen if he has two poor finishes?

And, have you ever been to sea, Billy?

It's getting pretty frantic between Chase positions eight and 14 which is why the Chase is a successful venture for NASCAR.

Playoffs are good for any sport (Hello? College football?) and the next two shootouts at the Atlanta and Richmond corrals are guaranteed to leave some dead bodies strewn about the track. That's a metaphor of course. I'm not predicting real-life carnage for anyone.

Kyle is doing what Jeff Gordon (8-1) did about 13 years ago when he became the best young driver in NASCAR winning 10 races in 1996. The difference is Kyle is crazy at times. But I guess that comes with the territory.

The only thing I am afraid of in Atlanta is what will happen when Kyle sees the Guitar Hero paint job on Martin Truex Jr.'s ride. Will he smash it to pieces thereby putting them both out? More questions.

I've got another one for you: Where the hell is Tony Stewart (8-1)? and Jimmie Johnson (5-1)?

Ok, that's two more. But it's like once they locked into the Chase they got David Copperfield to make them disappear.

Here are my matchup picks:

Tony Stewart (+105) vs. Mark Martin (-125)

Tony has two wins and an AF of 12.0 at AMS. Mark has two wins and an AF of 17.2. Mark will be driving like he has a tarantula in his pants while Tony will be out for a serene Sunday stroll in the park humming 'Moon River' and wondering why everybody is in such a hurry. I am picking the guy who wants to finish fast so he doesn't get stung.

Kyle Busch (+110) vs. Jimmie Johnson (-130)

When you follow these guys as much as I do, you tend to be on a first name basis even though I haven't had the pleasure of sharing a cold one with either. J.J. has three wins and an AF of 9.1, the best of any driver. Kyle has one win and an AF of 18.2 but he hasn't been here nearly as often as Jimmie. I'm in a dilemma because my sentimental side wants to see Kyle make the Chase. But that’s dumb, Take Jimmie and maybe Krazy Kyle will have a Top-5 finish.

Kurt Busch (+125) vs. Carl Edwards (-145)

We have been given a gift. Kurt has two wins and an AF of 18.6 which is decent. He is in sixth in points and is having a terrific year. Carl is in fifth in points and is absolutely in love with AMS. He has three wins and a sweet AF of 10.7. I don't care that he broke his foot playing Frisbee and won't be flipping out if he wins. I just think he will finish ahead of Kurt - in a gimpy sort of way.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+115) vs. Juan Montoya (-135)

Un-be-liev- able. That's what it is. Juan Pablo has no wins and only one Top 5 but sits ninth in points. How is this possible? (Sigh, another question.) He has not spent enough time at Atlanta to know it well but he has learned to drive in a mediocre but consistent manner on all the tracks. Just be around at the end is his modus operandi - whatever that means in English?

Atlanta and Junior, on the other hand, are old pals. He has one win, eight Top-5s, 10 Top 10s and an AF of 11.6. That's pretty damn fine. Add in that he finally has a car to drive and it means he will finish ahead of “Mr. Don't Push The Envelope” Montoya.

Pep Boys Auto 500: Preview and Predictions
By Smooth44

NASCAR returns to the South for Labor Day weekend again after a failed attempt to move it to California. Although Atlanta is not Darlington, the site of this weekend's event for more than 50 years, it is close enough to make it feel "right". Atlanta is a fast track with a ton of grooves and throw in the night lights and cool temperatures and this one promises to be an exciting one. With just two week left in the in the Chase drivers know it's now or never. Here is who I like:

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (22 to 1): Atlanta has been good to this family; Dale Sr. is the all-time wins leader with 9 and Junior has 10 top 10 finishes including 8 top 5s and 1 win. Tremendous value here for someone with this kind of history.

2. Carl Edwards (11 to 1): Edwards has lead for a total of 159 laps in his last 3 races here and finished in the top 7 in 8 of his 10 starts here, including 3 wins.

3. Kyle Busch (8 to 1): Brother Kurt is pretty secure in the Chase but Kyle is sitting at 13 so the heat is on. Kyle doesn't have a strong history here but current odds suggest that he may put in a good showing. Always love backing drivers who have the most at stake.

4. Matt Kenseth (35 to 1): Extremely long odds here for someone fighting for his Chase life. Kenseth currently sits at 12 and needs to run well the next two weeks if he wants to secure his spot in the Chase. Kenseth has been running strong lately and ranks in the top 10 for points earned over the last 4 races. Additionally, he has a solid history here with 11 top 10 finishes including 7 top 5s.

Enjoy the race!