Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Atlanta Motor Speedway going into the Kobalt Tools 500 on March 7.
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
· Three top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.5
· Average Running Position of 12.1, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 95.0, seventh-best
· 213 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· 481 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.660 mph, ninth-fastest
· 2,361 Laps in the Top 15 (72.4%), fifth-most
· 278 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), ninth-most
Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
· Two wins, two top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 19.7
· Driver Rating of 93.4, eighth-best
· 195 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 534 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.640 mph, 10th-fastest
· 1,882 Laps in the Top 15 (57.7%), 13th-most
· 281 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
· One win, two top fives, two top 10s
· Average finish of 17.7
· Average Running Position of 15.2, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.3, 10th-best
· 136 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 560 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.504 mph, 12th-fastest
· 265 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy Drink/National Guard Chevrolet)
· One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.9
· Average Running Position of 10.6, third-best
· Driver Rating of 99.8, fourth-best
· 219 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 631 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.044 mph, third-fastest
· 2,545 Laps in the Top 15 (78.1%), fourth-most
· Series-high 352 Quality Passes
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
· Three wins, six top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 13.1
· Average Running Position of 11.9, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 105.0, second-best
· Series-high 289 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 172.189 mph
· 2,593 Laps in the Top 15 (79.6%), third-most
· 306 Quality Passes, third-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
· Four wins, 14 top fives, 23 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.3
· Average Running Position of 10.0, second-best
· Driver Rating of 102.2, third-best
· 145 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.684 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,709 Laps in the Top 15 (83.1%), second-most
· 344 Quality Passes, second-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 15.3
· Average Running Position of 11.6, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 93.2, ninth-best
· 110 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.684 mph, eighth-fastest
· 1,901 Laps in the Top 15 (64.8%), 12th-most
· 261 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet)
· Three wins, nine top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.7
· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.7
· Series-best Driver Rating of 110.1
· 210 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.121 mph, second-fastest
· Series-high 2,929 Laps in the Top 15 (89.9%)
· 296 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Ford)
· Two wins, five top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 17.0
· Driver Rating of 88.8, 11th-best
· 133 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.443 mph, 13th-fastest
· 1,924 Laps in the Top 15 (59.0%), 11th-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Ford)
· Seven top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.7
· Average Running Position of 13.4, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.4, sixth-best
· 134 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· 593 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.777 mph, fifth-fastest
· 2,290 Laps in the Top 15 (70.3%), seventh-most
· 304 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Mark Martin (No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)
· Two wins, 14 top fives, 23 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 16.9
· Average Running Position of 15.0, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 88.2, 13th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.630 mph, 11th-fastest
· 2,135 Laps in the Top 15 (65.5%), ninth-most
· 259 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
· Two wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.0
· Average Running Position of 11.4, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 98.6, fifth-best
· 137 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.687 mph, sixth-fastest
· 2,345 Laps in the Top 15 (72.0%), sixth-most
· 280 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)
· Two top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 24.4
· Average Running Position of 13.0, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 88.5, 12th-best
· 109 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.792 mph, fourth-fastest
· 2,021 Laps in the Top 15 (68.9%), 10th-most
· 256 Quality Passes, 13th-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 101 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 the first race last season. In that event, Busch scored a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0.
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 victories, with six. Labonte is tied with Richard Petty for third on the all-time win list at Atlanta.
The Wood Brothers are the most productive car owners with 12 victories. 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.
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.
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