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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Everything you need to know about Atlanta Motor Speedway heading into this weekend's Advocare 500

History
— Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway.
— The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960, won by Fireball Roberts from the pole.
— The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970.
— It was renamed Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990.
— The track layout was reversed and the track was re-configured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997.

Notebook
— There have been 104 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta Speedway, until 2010 there has been two races per year except 1961, which had three. This year marks the second season with only one event.
— Fireball Roberts won the pole and race for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 1960.
— 45 drivers have won a pole, led by Buddy Baker and Ryan Newman, each with seven.
— Six of Newman’s seven poles came in consecutive races between March 2003 and October 2005.
— 42 drivers have won a race; 22 have won more than once.
— Dale Earnhardt scored nine victories, more than any other driver. Cale Yarborough is second, with seven.
— Bobby Labonte heads the list of active drivers with six victories. Labonte is tied with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Richard Petty for third on the all-time win list at Atlanta.
— The Wood Brothers have 12 victories, more than any organization. They last won there in 1993, with Morgan Shepherd. Hendrick Motorsports has 11 wins at Atlanta and could tie the Wood Brothers this weekend.
— 14 races have been won from the pole. The last to do so was Kasey Kahne in 2006. The last two races have been won from the fifth position.
— 60 races at Atlanta have been won from the first five starting positions.
— Bobby Labonte won the 2001 fall race from the 39th starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Atlanta.
— Two drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Atlanta: Carl Edwards (3/20/2005) and Kevin Harvick (3/11/2001).
— Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (03/09/2008 – 22 years, 10 months, 7 days).
— Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway winner: Morgan Shepherd (03/20/1993 – 51 years, 5 months, 8 days).

Atlanta Motor Speedway Data
Race #: 25 of 36 (09-02-12)
Track Size: 1.54-miles
Banking/Corners: 24 degrees
Banking/Straights: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,332 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,800 feet
Race Length: 325 laps / 500.5 miles

Top 12 Driver Rating at Atlanta
Jimmie Johnson........................ 109.5
Jeff Gordon.............................. 104.1
Tony Stewart............................. 102.3
Carl Edwards............................ 101.8
Denny Hamlin............................. 96.2
Matt Kenseth.............................. 96.2
Kurt Busch.................................. 96.1
Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 94.3
Greg Biffle.................................. 92.9
Kasey Kahne.............................. 91.0
Kyle Busch................................. 90.6
Martin Truex Jr............................ 88.9
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2012 races (13 total) at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2011 pole winner:
Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet (186.196 mph, 29.775 sec., 09-04-11)
2011 race winner:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet (124.623 mph, 4:00:58, 09-06-11)
Track qualifying record:
Geoffrey Bodine, Ford (197.478 mph, 28.074 sec., 11-15-97)
Track race record:
Bobby Labonte, Pontiac (159.904 mph, 3:07:48, 11/16/97)

NASCAR in Georgia
— 172 NASCAR national series drivers all-time have their home state recorded as Georgia.
— There have been 14 race winners from Georgia in NASCAR’s three national series:
Bill Elliott
Tim Flock
Jack Smith
Fonty Flock
Bob Flock
Frank Mundy
Gober Sosebee
Harold Kite
Sam McQuagg
David Ragan
Jody Ridley
Reed Sorenson
Buckshot Jones
Ronald Cooper


Driver-specific statistics

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/Manheim Auctions Ford)
— Three top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
— Average finish of 16.1
— Average Running Position of 13.3, ninth-best
— Driver Rating of 92.9, ninth-best
— 235 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
— 784 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.409 mph, 10th-fastest
— 3,033 Laps in the Top 15 (71.4%), fifth-most
— 474 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), third-most

Kurt Busch (No. 51 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet)
— Three wins, four top fives, nine top 10s
— Average finish of 17.4
— Average Running Position of 14.3, 10th-best
— Driver Rating of 96.1, seventh-best
— 244 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
— 785 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.472 mph, ninth-fastest
— 442 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Wrigley Toyota)
— One win, three top fives, three top 10s
— Average finish of 17.7
— Average Running Position of 14.7, 12th-best
— Driver Rating of 90.6, 11th-best
— 197 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
— 851 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet)
— One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s; two poles
— Average finish of 12.8
— Average Running Position of 12.8, sixth-best
— Driver Rating of 94.3, eighth-best
— 223 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
— 856 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.574 mph, sixth-fastest
— 2,820 Laps in the Top 15 (66.4%), eighth-most

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Subway Ford)
— Three wins, eight top fives, 10 top 10s
— Average finish of 13.6
— Average Running Position of 12.8, seventh-best
— Driver Rating of 101.8, fourth-best
— Series-high 339 Fastest Laps Run
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.891 mph, second-fastest
— 3,265 Laps in the Top 15 (76.8%), third-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
— Five wins, 15 top fives, 24 top 10s; two poles
— Average finish of 12.2
— Average Running Position of 10.2, second-best
— Driver Rating of 104.1, second-best
— 219 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
— 3,439 Laps in the Top 15 (80.9%), second-most
— Series-high 501 Quality Passes

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota)
— One top five, four top 10s; one pole
— Average finish of 17.5
— Average Running Position of 11.8, fourth-best
— Driver Rating of 96.2, fifth-best
— 168 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.713 mph, third-fastest
— 2,649 Laps in the Top 15 (67.5%), ninth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet)
— Three wins, 11 top fives, 13 top 10s
— Average finish of 10.0
— Series-best Average Running Position of 7.7
— Series-best Driver Rating of 109.5
— 261 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
— Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 171.979 mph
— Series-high 3,775 Laps in the Top 15 (88.8%)
— 497 Quality Passes, second-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet)
— Two wins, six top fives, eight top 10s; two poles
— Average finish of 18.3
— Driver Rating of 91.0, 10th-best
— 230 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.337 mph, 12th-fastest
— 2,593 Laps in the Top 15 (61.0%), 11th-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Roush Fenway 25 Winning Years Ford)
— Eight top fives, 13 top 10s
— Average finish of 12.9
— Average Running Position of 12.8, eighth-best
— Driver Rating of 96.2, sixth-best
— 161 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
— 852 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.569 mph, seventh-fastest
— 2,942 Laps in the Top 15 (69.2%), sixth-most
— 449 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
— Three top fives, four top 10s
— Average finish of 16.9
— Driver Rating of 87.4, 13th-best
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.292 mph, 13th-fastest
— 406 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
— Three wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s
— Average finish of 11.2
— Average Running Position of 10.8, third-best
— Driver Rating of 102.3, third-best
— 230 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
— 732 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.668 mph, fourth-fastest
— 3,181 Laps in the Top 15 (74.8%), fourth-most
— 474 Quality Passes, third-most

Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Shocks and Struts Toyota)
— Two top 10s; one pole
— Average finish of 22.8
— Average Running Position of 12.3, fifth-best
— Driver Rating of 88.9, 12th-best
— 111 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
— Average Green Flag Speed of 171.577 mph, fifth-fastest
— 2,922 Laps in the Top 15 (74.4%), seventh-most
— 470 Quality Passes, fifth-most

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