NASCAR Cup Series

Each race weekend, SRT Motorsports provides insight on the ‘Keys for Success’ for the upcoming race. This week SRT Motorsports engineer Howard Comstock discusses the AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

From a distance, the scene on the infield grass in Atlanta Motor Speedway’s turn four ballfield looked like any ordinary game of kickball. But get a little closer, and it was easier to tell that this group of NASCAR drivers, wives, media and young kids -- many wearing kerchiefs over bald heads, a universal badge of honor for cancer warriors – weren’t assembled for a carefree sporting event.

September is an important month in the childhood cancer community. It recognizes the patients, survivors and fighters who fall victim to pediatric cancer. Jeff Gordon, Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation and Kick-It have honored this special month by hosting a kickball game at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

It’s fitting that Trevor Bayne’s first Atlanta Motor Speedway start as a Sprint Cup driver will come in a No. 21 Ford Fusion painted with new colors – the red and blue of Good Sam and Camping World on the top and sides, and the yellow stripe of a rookie on the rear bumper.

Fresh off his helmet-throwing performance last weekend, Tony Stewart won the pole for Sunday’s AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a lap of 29.787 seconds (186.121 mph).

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET – POLE WINNER YOU GOT A GREAT LAP IN QUALIFYING HOW ABOUT THE RACE ITSELF? “This has always been a fun place. The slicker it gets the more fun it gets. At least we’ve got a great starting spot for this now.”

3rd, KYLE BUSCH 31st, DAVID STREMME 6th, MARK MARTIN 34th, JASON LEFFLER 7th, DENNY HAMLIN 37th, JOE NEMECHEK 9th, JOEY LOGANO 38th, REED SORENSON 25th, BOBBY LABONTE 40th, LANDON CASSILL 28th, MARTIN TRUEX JR. 41st, TRAVIS KVAPIL 30th, CLINT BOWYER

CASEY MEARS – No. 13 Geico Ford Fusion – “It’s been the roughest day we’ve had in a long time. There are a lot of different concepts going on right now. We kind of went down a road at Michigan with a certain direction and it didn’t really seem to apply here, so we had to bail on that about three-quarters of the way through practice and go back to what we think is something a little bit more basic. We didn’t really have time to tune it, but the guys did a good job. That’s the best it’s been all day. I think we’re going in the right direction and I’m glad we’ve got the practice tomorrow to refine it.”

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Qualified 21st HOW WAS YOUR QUALIFYING LAP? “Just missed it in Turns 1 and 2. Once I lost all that momentum I just couldn’t get back up to speed and it really hurt my lap. You’re on such a fine line here and we were on the wrong side of it today in qualifying with the Miller Lite Dodge. It’s a bummer because we were fast right off the truck and grabbed a late qualifying position. We just weren’t able to capitalize on it.”

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Atlanta Motor Speedway and discussed helping his teammates make the Chase and other topics.