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NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THE NATIONWIDE SERIES AT ATLANTA

By
SM Staff
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NASCAR’s Nationwide Series will play a major role in the big weekend at the Atlanta Motor Speedway with Saturday’s running of the Great Clips 300. With this race comes a very tight battle for the series’ championship that could go down to the final race of the season. There is also the presence of NASCAR Sprint Cup double duty drivers in this race that will likely make their presence felt.

THE STORY BREAKDOWN.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”260″][/media-credit]The direction of the Nationwide Series’ championship profile seems to be focused on three drivers. Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr continues to lead the points standings and has been there for the past four weeks. However veteran driver Elliott Sadler, representing Kevin Harvick Inc, has used some very consistent performances as of late and has whittled the Stenhouse lead to a mere five points. Still very much a major player in this championship battle is Turner Motorsports driver Reed Sorenson who is only ten points away from the top.

The big difference maker in the final resolution of the Nationwide Series championship could very well be based on the bonus points system that comes with winning a race, leading a lap or leading the most laps in a race. This is an area where Stenhouse has excelled so far this season. He has already accumulated 21 bonus points while Sadler has nine and Sorenson has eight.

The other Nationwide Series championship, the owner’s points, seems to be well settled. Joe Gibbs Racing, and their #18 Toyota team, currently holds a 50 points advantage over Roush Fenway Racing’s #60 Ford team. The Gibbs success, needless to say, has been based on the phenomenal series success of driver Kyle Busch. Joe Gibbs Racing is currently seeking their fourth, consecutive, owner’s title in the Nationwide Series. If they’re successful, and it certainly looks like it, it will be a new series record.

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What would a Nationwide Series event be without the presence of Sprint Cup double duty drivers? The Great Clips 300 has a pretty impressive collection of Cup drivers who will be looking to gain some information, regarding track and tire conditions, that can be used for Sunday’s race. The truth be known, these drivers will largely be looking to just have some Saturday night fun.

Kevin Harvick will be in his self owned KHI #33 Chevrolet but will be running this race with a brand new crew chief. On Tuesday KHI announced that Chris Carrier has been named as the new head man on the pit box. Carrier will be very busy at Atlanta doing some double duty himself. He’s also the crew chief for KHI’s #8 Chevrolet, driven by Nelson Piquet Jr, in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Carrier will be on the pit box for both races this weekend. Eventually KHI plans to name a new crew chief for their truck team.

Joe Gibbs Racing will also be well represented in Saturday night’s race. The always formidable Kyle Busch will behind the wheel of their #18 Toyota. Making his official debut, as the new JGR development driver, will be Ryan Truex who will drive the team’s #20 Toyota.

Other double duty drivers include Kasey Kahne who will be behind the wheel of the #38 Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports. Meanwhile JR Motorsports has named Jamie McMurray to drive their #7 Chevrolet at Atlanta.

But the one surprise on the double duty list is the name Brad Keselowski. The Penske Racing driver returns to his Nationwide Series duties for the first time in four weeks following an August 3d test session accident on a road course that left him with a very painful fractured left ankle. All season long Keselowski has been running the full schedule in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. That, of course, was deterred after the accident.

Penske Racing lined up some high quality replacement from their talent pool to fill the seat for Keselowski’s Nationwide Series Dodge. That talent roster included Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr, Jacques Villeneuve and Parker Kligerman. During the short fill in time this quartet of drivers turned in one win, two top ten finishes and two poles.

On the Sprint Cup side, Keselowski has been red hot. He’s currently in 11th in the points, with three wins, and that guarantees him at least a wild card berth in the series’ Chase For The Championship. With two races left, before the Chase line up is officially set, Keselowski could possibly get into the top ten which means he would be eligible for the bonus points for his wins and that would guarantee a high seed position in the Chase.

While the healing process for his fractured ankle is on track, one has to wonder if this is a good time for Penske Racing to put Keselowski back into their Nationwide Series car. With his Chase status now a certainty, why take the chance of something happening Saturday night that could re injure his foot? It just makes more sense to keep this driver out of the Nationwide car until it’s time for the Chase to start.

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THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Great Clips 300 is 195 laps/300miles around the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 1.54 mile, very fast, quad oval.

The race has 45 entries vying for the 43 starting berths and the winner’s share of the $942,000 plus race purse.

15 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting berth in the race because they are currently outside of the top 30 in the series’ owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to make the race. The lone exception here is driver Jeff Green who has the option of using a past champion’s provisional.

Saturday’s Great Clips 300 will be broadcast live by the ESPN2 Network with the “NASCAR Countdown” show beginning at 7 pm eastern time.

CHEVY NSCS AT ATLANTA – Kevin Harvick Press Conference Transcript

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SM Archive
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Kansas Speedway Announces 2012 NASCAR Race Dates

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SM Archive
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The hot 20 over the past 10 – If Tony is upset with his performance, imagine what he thinks of Junior’s

By
Ron Thornton
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Tony Stewart feels his team is running so bad that if they make the Chase they will just be taking a spot away from someone more deserving. That might be how he really feels, but if he isn’t deserving, then what can you say about Dale Earnhardt Jr?

[media-credit id=41 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Hey, Junior’s my guy, but we have to face facts here. He might be 9th in the standings, but over the past ten events the #88 crew has not exactly been charging up the ladder. If you want to feel sorry for a guy, how about Joey Logano. He has the 7th best record in recent weeks, but those first five races of the year, when he could not even bust a Top Twenty, keeps him from contending now.

I love my mother, but I’m pretty sure I won’t ever see her on Dancing With the Stars. I’m sure my eyes will never glimpse her bungee jumping, walking a tightrope, or winning a Sprint Cup title this fall. I don’t see that last one coming to fruition for Junior either. Over the last ten events, driving to make the Chase, with everything on the line, he is 24th. That does not exactly instill one with the confidence to slap down a wager.

Junior missed the Top Twenty at Daytona in February, but it wasn’t until June when he suffered that same fate again. At the time, he was third in the standings, but slipped after his 41st place the next outing at Sonoma. Before Michigan he had eight Top Tens; since he has just one. In those past ten events Junior’s average finish has been 19th. If Tony Stewart is not good enough to be in the Chase, then I would expect Dale Earnhardt Jr to slide out of contention for the crown quickly, and quietly.

Here is a look at our hot 20 over the past ten, along with where they are currently ranked in the official standings…

1 (5) Jeff Gordon – 371 pts (0-3-7)
Jimmie has five, Jeff wants five.

2 (1) Kyle Busch – 369 pts (2-6-7)
Thirteen Top Fives. 13!!

3 (3) Matt Kenseth – 350 pts (0-3-6)
Might not be Mr. Excitement, but still on track to become Mr. Two-time.

4 (7) Ryan Newman – 345 pts (1-4-6)
Oh boo-hoo, it has to be tough to be with Stewart-Haas.

5 (11) Brad Keselowski – 344 pts (2-4-7)
Wins will get him in, but this boy has a few points to make.

6 (2) Jimmie Johnson – 344 pts (0-5-7)
Two more races to tinker, then it is back to business

7 (18) Joey Logano – 309 pts (0-3-4)
Maybe too late for this year, but good signs for the season ahead.

8 (4) Carl Edwards – 303 pts (0-3-5)
Is this the year?

9 (6) Kevin Harvick – 301 pts (0-0-3)
Like Jimmie, like Carl, the real deal will be at Chicago and beyond.

10 (10) Tony Stewart – 293 pts (0-1-4)
If this is bad, imagine what good would be like.

11 (14) A.J. Allmendinger – 293 pts (0-0-1)
Out of a Chase place since the Bristol disaster last March.

12 (8) Kurt Busch – 292 pts (1-2-4)
It was not good, but at least Bristol was better than Pocono and the Glen.

13 (17) Martin Truex Jr – 287 pts (0-2-4)
A pair of Top Fives in last three beats memories of Martinsville, Texas, Daytona…

14 (15) Kasey Kahne – 285 pts (0-1-3)
Easy to move to where the grass is greener when they sell the farm.

15 (22) Marcos Ambrose – 279 pts (1-2-4)
Can a win at Atlanta mean a million bucks AND a place in the Chase?

16 (20) Paul Menard – 270 pts (1-2-4)
Things were looking up until they went down the hole the past three weeks.

17 (12) Clint Bowyer – 269 pts (0-1-3)
Seeking a new deal, but what he really needs are two great starts.

18 (13) Denny Hamlin – 264 pts (1-2-3)
Needs a win.

19 (21) David Ragan – 257 pts (1-1-2)
See above.

20 (16) Greg Biffle – 255 pts (0-0-2)
You run 20th or worse ten times, including the past three, and you get this.

22 (19) Mark Martin – 250 pts (0-1-3)
Of course, in Hollywood, a writer has Mark winning the next two.

24 (9) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 246 pts (0-0-1)
Got a new contract, but we want the old Junior back (circa 2008)

25 (25) Regan Smith – 241 pts (0-0-1)
Winning is now the only thing, and he might need two.

NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A TAILGATE PARTY AT HOT ‘LANTA

By
SM Staff
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The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be bringing their high energy brand of tailgate party to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for Friday night’s running of the Good Sam Club 200. The truck series will join their Nationwide and Sprint Cup counterparts for the massive NASCAR weekend at Atlanta. Don’t be too surprised if the truck brigade turns out to be the class act of the entire weekend. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that happened.

THE STORY BREAKDOWN

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”277″][/media-credit]During the SPEED Channel coverage of the NASCAR Camping Word Truck Series event at Atlanta, you will hear a lot of speculation regarding Kevin Harvick Inc and their future in the truck series. The speculation says they may be severely limiting, if not even completing shutting down, the truck side of their operation and, yes, that could mean four time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr could be looking for a ride next year. Remember this is only speculation and nothing is official until we hear a formal announcement from Kevin and DeLana Harvick which could be coming next week. As far as the Atlanta race goes KHI will field three trucks with Sprint Cup driver Clint Bowyer in their number 2 truck. Nelson Piquet Jr will be in his #8 with Hornaday in his traditional #33 business as usual.

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The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be bringing a very tight points battle to Atlanta featuring a series veteran and two young hopefuls who seeking NASCAR gold at the end of the season. Thorsport Racing veteran Johnny Sauter leads the current standings with 61 points. However, that lead is only seven markers ahead of Turner Motorsports’ James Buescher. The presence of this young driver in the championship profile is especially impressive because he missed the series’ race at Phoenix and had to work hard all season to eradicate that deficit. Third in the standings is Red Horse Racing’s Timothy Peters who is only 15 points out of first.

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There are four previous Atlanta winners entered in Friday night’s race: Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Ron Hornaday Jr. From this group, only Busch is a multiple Atlanta winner having won there four times with the last trip to victory lane dating back to 2009.

Over the years the truck series at Atlanta has displayed a tendency to create some very close finishes. Nine of the last 11 events has featured margin of victories of 0.971 seconds or less. The closest ever Atlanta truck finish came in March of 2005 when Ron Hornaday Jr led Bobby Labonte under the checkers with a margin of 0.008 seconds. It remains as the fifth closest decision in series history.

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Sprint Cup Chase contender Ryan Newman will be making a guest appearance in Friday night’s truck behind the wheel of the #08 Realtree/Brandt Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports. This race entry is a celebration of life in honor of Beau Slocumb, an employee of Turner Motorsports and former driver, who tragically passed away due to cancer at the age of 26. Newman first met Slocumb while on a fishing trip at his house. The pair quickly became lifelong friends. Slocumb’s passion, beyond racing, was hunting and fishing. Turner Motorsports and Realtree had the Chevrolet truck wrapped with a camouflage design in his honor and stenciled his name above the passenger window. In recent days it was announced by the team that any purse money won from the Atlanta race will be donated to Mrs Slocumb.

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Driver Johanna Long will be making her truck series debut at Atlanta Friday night. Her #20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota will be “Paw Paw Powered.” That phrase will be turned into a decal and placed on her truck in honor of her “Paw Paw”,(Grandfather). Explaining the special tribute, Long said “I’m racing in honor of my Paw Paw this weekend. He’s been battling liver disease for awhile and is still staying strong, so I want this race to be for him. He’s the one who has given me the opportunity to do what I love from the beginning of my career, and he has been my biggest supporter. Every lap I take around the Atlanta Motor Speedway will be for him.”

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THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Good Sam Club 200 is 130 laps/200.2 miles around the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s massive 1.54 mile quad oval.

The race has 37 entries vying for the 36 starting berths. Ten of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a start in the race because they are currently outside of the series’ top 25 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speed to make the race.

Friday’s Good Sam Club 200 will be broadcast live by the SPEED Channel beginning with qualifying at 5 pm eastern time. The pre race show will be aired at 730 pm eastern.

NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: SOME HOT CHASE ACTION IN HOT ‘LANTA

By
SM Staff
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NASCAR’s Sprint Cup teams are headed to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday’s running of the AdvoCare 500. This is the next to the last race before NASCAR names its official line up for the 2011 Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship. That alone is going to add a lot of high speed drama to a race that will be ran on the fastest track on the Sprint Cup schedule.

THE STORY BREAKDOWN

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]Going into Sunday’s race at Atlanta six teams have officially clinched their starting berths in the 2011 Chase. That includes Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Kevin Harvick, with three wins, and Jeff Gordon, a two time winner, are currently in the Chase based a guaranteed wild card status but it’s highly likely they will officially join the top ten Chase starters this Sunday.

The magic number for the Chase is 49. That means that any driver, in the top ten standings, who is at least 49 points ahead of the 11th position, after Sunday’s race, will clinch a starting berth in the Chase. The Chase scenario for those seeking to clinch a Chase berth this Sunday is as follows:

Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon are each 93 points in front of the 11th position. By clinching an official top ten Chase berth they will be entitled to three bonus points for each of their previous wins when the Chase contender’s points are reset after September 10th. To make this happen, Harvick and Gordon has to finish at least 40th at Atlanta, 41st with a bonus point for leading a lap or 42nd with the bonus point for leading the most laps.

Ryan Newman is currently 73 points in front of the 11th position. To officially earn a Chase berth Newman needs to finish at least 20th at Atlanta, 21st with a lap lead or 22nd after leading the most laps.

Kurt Busch is 60 points in front of 11th and needs a seventh place finish to clinch, 8th with a lap led or 9th with the most laps led.

For Dale Earnhardt Jr, 39 points in front of 11th, and Tony Stewart, 21 points in front of 11th, there is no real specific numerical formula for them to clinch this Sunday. They are going to need some help at Atlanta as in the 11th place driver experiencing some bad racing luck. Unfortunately for Earnhardt and Stewart that 11th place driver is the red hot Brad Keselowski. Earnhardt and Stewart may have to consider a conservative racing for points stance at Atlanta and, hopefully, claim their Chase Berths the following weekend at Richmond. This points scenario could get really interesting next Sunday.

Positions 11 and 12 in the official Chase line up are the wild card berths. Going into Sunday’s race, Brad Keselowski is locked in due to his three wins this year. Denny Hamlin has the second wild card berth with his one win earlier this year.

However, Hamlin’s wild card berth is not 100 percent safe. A win by Clint Bowyer at Atlanta, who is 12th in the points to Hamlin’s 13th, could load up the wild card drama. A surprise win from either A J Allmendinger or Kasey Kahne would produce the same result.

The Chase rules states that wild card drivers must be in the top 20 in the championship points. Another surprise, second, win by Paul Menard could put him in the Chase because he’s 20th in the points. Other possible wild card surprises, from drivers with one win, includes David Ragan, three points out of 20th and Marcos Ambrose, four points from 20th.

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Also at issue this Sunday is the final resolution of the Sprint Summer Showdown promotion. After selecting four qualifying races, the Showdown could be won by any one of three drivers at Atlanta. The grand prizes includes $1 million to the winning driver and their team, $1 million to the winning driver’s designated charity and $1 million to a lucky NASCAR fan.

Eligible drivers, their winning qualifying race and their charity includes:

Paul Menard, Indianapolis, Habitat For Humanity

Brad Keselowski, Pocono and Bristol, Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation

Kyle Busch, Michigan, Kyle Busch Foundation

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During the Atlanta weekend you will also hear a lot of speculation regarding the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup silly season, the annual process of sorting out rumors regarding which driver is going where next year.

Highlighting the final dregs of this silly season is Clint Bowyer, the driver of the #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. It’s well known that Bowyer wants to remain with Childress. In turn Childress is determined to make that happen and there has been some reported intense contract negotiations as of late. However, according to recent reports from ESPN, one of the problem areas seems to lie with this driver’s hesitation to take a pay cut. In the recent past, many Sprint Cup drivers have agreed to salary cuts to help with the high cost of maintaining their teams in the wake of dwindling sponsor dollars.

There is also an issue of sponsorship with the Bowyer team. It appears that Cheerios, along with other General Mills brands, will not be returning. There is already speculation that says Five Hour Energy Drink may be sponsoring some of the 2012 races if Bowyer remains with the team.

But the really interesting silly season rumor regarding Bowyer came up in recent days when it was revealed that he had been talking to other teams including Richard Petty Motorsports. This was confirmed by RPM co-owner Andrew Murstein who, during an interview with the Sirius Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel, said his organization has been working on the creation of a third Sprint Cup team for the past six months and were definitely talking to Bowyer.

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THE LAS VEGAS BREAKDOWN

Which Chase driver is going to pad his Bonus points total at Atlanta? Who’s going to clinch a Chase berth next Sunday? Who’s going to make waves with the wild card berths? Who’s going to shock us all with a surprise Atlanta win?

The best way to determine the answers to these questions is to examine the numbers presented by professionals from the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE).

At the top of the WSE’s Atlanta ranking are certified Chase contenders Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson each rated at 8 to 1 odds. Edwards has excellent Atlanta numbers that includes three wins, seven top five finishes and a 14.2 average finish ratio, (AFR). Busch is a previous Atlanta winner with a 17.3 AFR and , as we all know, he’s always a threat to find victory lane. Johnson’s numbers are also outstanding at this track and includes three wins, including sweeping both races in 2007, along with ten top fives and a very healthy 10.4 AFR. All three of these drivers are potential winners as well as rock solid wager considerations.

At 9 to 1 odds is Chase contender Jeff Gordon who is also a solid wager consideration due to outstanding Atlanta numbers that includes four wins, 14 top fives and a 12.5 AFR.

Kurt Busch leads the Dodge hopes with a 10 to 1 ranking. He’s a three time Atlanta winner with three top fives. However, the AFR, 18.0, is a little on the high side.

The same applies to Kevin Harvick, also at 10 to 1, who is a previous Atlanta winner with four top fives. However, his AFR, 20.5, is also very high and there has been mysterious performance issues with this team as of late.

At 11 to 1 odds is car 11. Denny Hamlin presently holds on to the second wild card berth but seriously needs a second season win to fortify his Chase potential. Unfortunately, Hamlin’s Atlanta numbers does not reflect that possibility. He’s still seeking his first win there and has an 18.4 AFR. However, the element of a surprise win from this driver is not beyond the realm of possibility especially in light of some of the surprises we’ve seen this season.

At 12 to 1 odds you will find the trio of Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski. All three will be drivers to watch this Sunday. Kenseth is win less at Atlanta but he does have eight top fives and a 13.2 AFR. This driver has a habit of quietly riding around during a Sprint Cup event only to show up as a major player at the end of the event. He’s already being touted as a potential 2011 champion.

Tony Stewart is at the height of frustration over performance levels of his team and has dropped to tenth in points, perilously close to falling out of the top ten. If there’s going to be a badly needed turn around then Atlanta just might be the place. He’s a three time winner with nine top fives and a healthy 11.6 AFR.

Brad Keselowski has locked down the first wild card berth in the Chase and will be seeking his fourth win of the season that could move him into the top ten and the bonus points that comes with it. However his Atlanta numbers does not support the theory. He has no wins, no top tens and a 30.5 AFR. But, then again, six weeks ago we didn’t believe he had a chance of making the Chase.

The WSE’s middle tier is led by two time Atlanta winner Kasey Kahne who could make some waves toward the second wild card berth with a win this Sunday. Right behind him are Greg Biffle along with previous Atlanta winner, and Chase hopeful, Dale Earnhardt Jr at 26 to 1. Juan Pablo Montoya is ranked at 30 to 1 followed by two time race winner Mark Martin at 35 to 1.

Ryan Newman leads a quartet of drivers at 36 to 1. Newman, still seeking his first Atlanta win, could clinch a Chase berth this weekend. Clint Bowyer could create havoc with the second wild card Chase berth with a win this Sunday despite the fact he’s still seeking his first top five finish there. Also in this category are drivers Joey Logano and David Ragan.

In the WSE lower tier is Jeff Burton at 40 to 1 followed by Michael Waltrip Racing team mates Martin Truex Jr and David Reutimann at 41 to 1. Paul Menard closes the Atlanta ranking at 51 to 1.

If you do not see the name of your favorite driver on the WSE Atlanta posting then assume they are listed under “all others” at 15 to 1 odds. The one stand out in this particular group is JTG Daugherty Racing’s Bobby Labonte who has six wins, 12 top fives and a 17.8 AFR at Atlanta. If there’s a driver who could shock us all ,to the point of yelling “where did he come from?” then this is the guy.

Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these posted numbers are for informational and entertainment purposes only. They neither encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their events. But if you’re going to make those bets anyway, and many of you will, then you may as well use the professional number crunching from the WSE or you can opt to spend your gambling budget on Danica Patrick souvenirs before the prices go up due to the monetary value of those contracts she signed last week.

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THE RACE BREAKDOWN

Sunday’s AdvoCare 500 is 325 laps/500.5 miles around the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s massive 1.54 mile quad oval and is the fastest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule.

The race has 47 entries vying for the 43 starting positions seeking the winner’s share of the $6 million plus purse. 12 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a start in the race because they are currently outside of the top 35 in NASCAR owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on their qualifying speed to make the race.

The Atlanta Motor Speedway has played a significant role in the history of NASCAR and first opened in 1960. The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held in July 1960 and was won by the legendary Fireball Roberts from the pole position. Since that time there has been 103 Sprint Cup races at Atlanta that has sent 42 different winners to victory lane. Dale Earnhardt Sr leads the track stats in wins with nine. Bobby Labonte leads all active drivers with six wins. The Wood Brothers leads the category of team wins with 12. 14 Atlanta wins have come from the pole position while 59 wins came from starting positions within the top five.

The Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.54 mile quad oval with 24 degrees of banking in the turns. The front stretch measures 2,332 feet, with five degrees of banking, while the backstretch measures 1,800 feet also banked at five degrees. The pit road speed is 45 MPH. The speedway presently has seating for 99,000 fans.

The weather forecast for the Atlanta area calls for sunny skies on Friday and Sunday with temperatures ranging from 88 to 91 degrees. However weather could play a huge role on Sunday race day with cloudy skies and a 30 to 40 percent chance of thunder storms from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night.

Sunday’s AdvoCare 500 will be broadcast live by the ESPN Network with the “Countdown” program beginning at 7 pm eastern time. The race re air will be on Wednesday, September 7th, at 12 pm eastern on SPEED.

Good Sam Club Announces Entitlement Sponsorship of the NASCAR Camping World Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway

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SM Archive
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Richmond International Raceway to Honor America During Wonderful Pistachios 400

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SM Archive
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EXPERIENCE FRIDAY’S ON-TRACK ACTIVITY FROM PIT ROAD WITH RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY’S PRE-RACE PIT PASSES

By
SM Staff
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Fans Can Experience Unforgettable Sights & Sounds Up Close on NASCAR Race Day

Richmond, VA (September 1, 2011)—Richmond International Raceway is bringing you closer to the action than ever before with Friday Pre-Race Pit Passes for the next weekend’s “One Last Race to Make The Chase” NASCAR doubleheader. You can watch NASCAR pole qualifying and practice from the perspective of a NASCAR crew member and see the stock cars from just a few feet away as they rumble down pit road, giving you an unforgettable experience of the sights and sounds that only NASCAR can produce.

For the first time ever this past April, America’s Premier Short Track offered fans individual Friday Pre-Race Pit Passes. And passes are available for the upcoming September race weekend as well. For just $50 per person, you can enjoy pole qualifying and practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. Pre-Race Pit Passes are available online or by calling 866-455-7223.

Friday’s events include Fas Mart Pole Qualifying and practice for the Sprint Cup Series, as well as WRIC-TV8 Pole Qualifying and practice for the Nationwide Series. In order to purchase the Friday Pre-Race Pit Pass, you must have a ticket for the September 9 Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Pre-Race Pit Passes are limited to guests 16 years of age and older. Parent or guardian must sign waivers for and accompany children under 18 who are utilizing Pre-Race Pit Passes.

New this year, shorts, short-sleeve or sleeveless shirts and blouses and open-toed shoes are permitted. Shoes, shirts and pants or shorts, dresses and/or skirts and blouses are required. No alcohol or coolers are permitted in the infield.

NASCAR returns to Richmond International Raceway September 9-10 for a doubleheader weekend “under the lights.” The Saturday, September 10, Wonderful Pistachios 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is “One Last Race to Make the Chase” for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Advance tickets start at $45 and can be purchased online at www.rir.com or by calling 866-455-7223.

The weekend begins on Friday, September 9, with a full day of on-track activity, highlighted by the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Friday’s ticket includes practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. Advance tickets start at $30, with children 12 and younger admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections. For tickets and information, log on to www.rir.com or call 866-455-7223.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports extend relationship

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SM Archive
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