Kobalt Tools 500 Preview
By Sheri Vegas on Mar 5, 2010 in Motorsports, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Nascar Sprint Cup, Nationwide series, Racing
Atlanta Motor Speedway or rather, “Fast-lanta” is on the schedule this weekend before the Sprint Cup Series will get a week off to regroup.
photo credit: Darrell Ingham/Getty Images for NASCAR
Last week at Las Vegas we saw a dominate Jeff Gordon lead all but 48 laps, before the #48 made a late race pass for the win. The two teammates could carry their momentum over to Atlanta, a track both of them know how to get around at.
Jeff Gordon has won 4 times there with 14 top-5′s and 23 top-10 finishes. Gordon boasts a 12.3 finishing average at AMS.
“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,” Gordon said about the #48 team. ‘It’s gonna make us all work really, really hard, you know. But who knows. They’re very good. You know, they haven’t had a lot of turnover in people and changes. They’re the team to beat.”
Gordon hasn’t been to victory lane at Atlanta since Oct. 27, 2003.
Jimmie Johnson has scored 3 wins, 9 top-5 and 11 top-10 finishes. His average finish of 10.7 is best of the other 42 drivers that will start Sunday’s race.
“It is a relief to know that we worked in the right areas over the off-season,” Johnson said referring to posting back-to-back over the past two races. “But, you know, Richmond is a long way away from right now. We need to keep collecting points, winning races, make the Chase, then get to work for what we’re really here for.”
Johnson’s last win at Atlanta Motor Speedway came on 10-28-07.
Both, Gordon and Johnson, are chasing their fifth series championship. Who will win it first? Early season indicators say it could be one of the bigger headlines throughout this season.
There have been five different race winners over the past five races at Atlanta Motor Speedway:
Kasey Kahne 9-6-09
Kurt Busch 3-8-09
Carl Edwards 10-26-08
Kyle Busch 3-9-08
Jimmie Johnson 10-28-07
We can’t rule out the early season RCR charge. For the past two weeks, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer are 1-2 in points.
“We can run with them and they know it,” Harvick said last weekend about the Hendrick teammates, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
Starting up front isn’t as important at Atlanta than at other tracks. In 101 races, just 14 pole winners have gone on to win.
Kurt Busch is the defending race winner.
TV coverage begins Sunday at Noon on FOX.
The Nationwide Series is off.
The Camping World Truck Series also run at Atlanta. Catch the race on Saturday at 2 on SPEED.
