This weekend all three NASCAR series travel to Atlanta Motor Speedway culminating with Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. But did you know that this race will mark a milestone in the series as the 2,500th Cup race?
The first Cup Series race was run at Charlotte Motor Speedway on June 19, 1949, and was won by Jim Roper in his No. 34 Lincoln in what was then called the “Strictly Stock” series. Glenn Dunaway was originally declared the winner but was disqualified for illegal modifications to the rear springs on his car, giving the victory to Roper.
This race will be special for another reason as well. Following this weekend’s events, Atlanta Motor Speedway will be repaved for the first time in 20 years. The asphalt track is the second- oldest racing surface on the NASCAR circuit.
There are currently 23 racetracks on NASCAR’s Cup Series schedule but did you know that the series has competed on 156 different tracks? There have been 234 Coors Light Pole winners and 186 different drivers who have taken the checkered flag among 2,536 competitors who have made starts in the series.
The first Cup Series race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960, and was won by Fireball Roberts from the pole position. There have been 43 different winners. Dale Earnhardt leads all drivers with nine wins while Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with five. Did you know that Kyle Busch is the youngest Atlanta winner with a victory on March 9, 2008, at 22 years, 10 months and seven days? The oldest driver to win at Atlanta was Morgan Shepherd on March 20, 1993, at 51 years, five months and eight days.
Starting position is always important but it may surprise you to know that only 14 of the 109 (12.8 percent) Cup races have been won from the pole at Atlanta. The most recent driver to do so was Kasey Kahne in 2006. The fifth starting position, however, has produced more winners with 15, than any other position at Atlanta. Jeff Gordon was the most recent to win from fifth place, in 2011. But starting position isn’t everything. Bobby Labonte won in the fall of 2001 after starting 39th.
Jimmie Johnson leads the pack heading to Atlanta and is looking for a three-peat. He won this race in 2015 and 2016 and has the best driver rating, 107.1. But Kurt Busch, fresh off his Daytona 500 triumph and the 2016 pole winner, should also be a contender. Did you know that Busch leads all active drivers in laps led at the track with 749? He also has three Atlanta wins and the fifth-best driver rating (95.4).
With a new format this season that encourages aggressive racing, anything is possible. Did you know that on March 11, 2001, we saw the closest margin of victory since the advent of electronic scoring at Atlanta Motor Speedway when Kevin Harvick won over Jeff Gordon by a MOV of 0.006 seconds? Could we see a repeat of this competitiveness? Tune into FOX at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday to watch the action in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 as the 2017 season continues.
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