Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Atlanta Motor Speedway going into the Emory Healthcare 500 on Sept. 5.
ATLANTA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
Greg Biffle (No. 16 SCOTCH BLUE Ford)
· Enters Atlanta 11th in points
· Three top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.0
· Average Running Position of 12.2, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.0, eighth-best
· 214 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 594 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.711 mph, 11th-fastest
· 2,647 Laps in the Top 15 (73.5%), fourth-most
· 353 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fifth-most
Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
· 10th in points
· Three wins, three top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 18.7
· Average Running Position of 14.4, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 97.0, sixth-best
· 233 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.796 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,223 Laps in the Top 15 (61.8%), 11th-most
· 342 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 Pedigree Toyota)
· Third in points
· One win, two top fives, two top 10s
· Average finish of 18.3
· Average Running Position of 15.2, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 88.7, 11th-best
· 142 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· 655 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· 305 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet)
· 18th in points
· One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.0
· Average Running Position of 11.6, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 98.7, fourth-best
· 222 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 666 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.989 mph, third-fastest
· 2,657 Laps in the Top 15 (73.8%), third-most
· 363 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
· Fourth in points
· Three wins, six top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 15.3
· Average Running Position of 14.2, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 99.4, third-best
· Series-high 291 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.022 mph, second-fastest
· 2,629 Laps in the Top 15 (73.0%), fifth-most
· 316 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont/Jeff Gordon Foundation Chevrolet)
· Second in points
· Four wins, 14 top fives, 23 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.4
· Average Running Position of 10.7, second-best
· Driver Rating of 101.8, second-best
· 155 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.717 mph, 10th-fastest
· 2,857 Laps in the Top 15 (79.4%), second-most
· 365 Quality Passes, second-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota)
· Fifth in points
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 15.9
· Average Running Position of 11.2, third-best
· Driver Rating of 94.5, ninth-best
· 133 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.854 mph, fifth-fastest
· 2,181 Laps in the Top 15 (66.6%), 13th-most
· 316 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet)
· Ninth in points
· Three wins, nine top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.8
· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.8
· Series-best Driver Rating of 109.5
· 223 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 172.196 mph
· Series-high 3,220 Laps in the Top 15 (89.4%)
· Series-high 374 Quality Passes
Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser/Valvoline Ford)
· 16th in points
· Two wins, six top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.0
· Driver Rating of 93.3, 10th-best
· 210 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.675 mph, 12th-fastest
· 2,261 Laps in the Top 15 (62.8%), 10th-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Ford)
· Eighth in points
· Eight top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.1
· Average Running Position of 12.9, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 96.5, seventh-best
· 138 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
· 666 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.869 mph, fourth-fastest
· 2,588 Laps in the Top 15 (71.9%), seventh-most
· 365 Quality Passes, second-most
Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
· 19th in points
· Three top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 18.3
· Driver Rating of 86.8, 13th-best
· 288 Quality Passes, 13th-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
· Sixth in points
· Two wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.0
· Average Running Position of 11.5, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 98.7, fifth-best
· 162 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· 2,597 Laps in the Top 15 (72.1%), sixth-most
· 344 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)
· 20th in points
· Two top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 24.6
· Average Running Position of 13.0, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 87.6, 12th-best
· 109 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.810 mph, sixth-fastest
· 2,306 Laps in the Top 15 (70.4%), ninth-most
· 333 Quality Passes, ninth-most
At Atlanta Motor Speedway:
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 102 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta Speedway, two races per year except 1961, which had three.
•Fireball Roberts won the pole and race for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 1960.
•44 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, including Kurt Busch, who won two of the last three races.
•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 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.
•14 races have been won from the pole. The last to do so was Kasey Kahne in 2006. Both races last season were won from the second starting position.
•58 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.
•There have been seven season sweeps, most recently by Jimmie Johnson in 2007.
•Two of the last three races had a margin of victory under a half second.
NASCAR in Georgia
· There have been 161 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Georgia.
· 169 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:
Driver NSCS NNS NCWTS Bill Elliott 44 1 0 Tim Flock 39 0 0 Jack Smith 21 0 0 Fonty Flock 19 0 0 Bob Flock 4 0 0 Frank Mundy 3 0 0 Gober Sosebee 2 0 0 Harold Kite 1 0 0 Sam McQuagg 1 0 0 Jody Ridley 1 0 0 Reed Sorenson 0 3 0 Buckshot Jones 0 2 0 David Ragan 0 2 0 Ronald Cooper 0 1 0
Atlanta Motor Speedway Data
Race # 25 of 36 (9-5-10)
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 109.5 Jeff Gordon 101.8 Carl Edwards 99.4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 98.7 Tony Stewart 98.7 Kurt Busch 97.0 Matt Kenseth 96.5 Greg Biffle 95.0 Denny Hamlin 94.5 Kasey Kahne 93.3
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (11 total) at Atlanta.
Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Martin Truex Jr. (184.149 mph, 30.106 secs.)
2010 race winner: Kasey Kahne (134.033 mph, 9-6-09)
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
| 
|