By the Numbers: Atlanta

Drivers take back seat to numbers at this 1.54-miler

By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM
March 6, 2008
10:51 PM EST

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It was July 31, 1960, when Fireball Roberts, who had laid down a fast qualifying lap at Atlanta International Raceway and secured the top starting spot, cruised his Pontiac under the checkered and caution flags to win the Dixie 300. He, Cotton Owens and Jack Smith -- all Pontiac drivers -- were the only ones to complete all 300 miles that day.

No technology was needed to know who won since the race ended under yellow. But 48 years and 97 races later, things have changed.

It's interesting this is the 48th season of racing in what is now known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson -- much like at Las Vegas last week -- is going for a milestone third consecutive victory at the track. More on that later.

But the real story is numbers. It's not 97, but rather 99 who has been the recent challenger for Johnson. Carl Edwards has also won two in a row at Atlanta before. He's also beaten Johnson in one of the closest finishes in recent NASCAR history. That statement must be qualified, because NASCAR didn't begin using electronic timing until 1993. And since then, Atlanta has been home to three of the 12 closest finishes.

0.006Margin of victory for Kevin Harvick over Jeff Gordon at Atlanta on March 11, 2001, the fourth-closest finish.

0.010Margin of victory for Dale Earnhardt over Bobby Labonte at Atlanta on March 12, 2000, the fifth-closest finish.

0.028Margin of victory for Carl Edwards over Jimmie Johnson at Atlanta on March 20, 2005, the 12th-closest finish.

Atlanta Motor Speedway

Drivers who have won back-to-back races at AMS

Driver	First win	Start	Second win	Start

Marvin Panch	4/11/65	1	6/13/65	2
Bobby Allison	3/26/72	1	7/23/72	3
David Pearson	4/1/73	9	7/22/73	5
Richard Petty	7/28/74	2	3/23/75	1
Cale Yarborough	11/2/80	12	3/15/81	17
Bill Elliott	3/17/85	3	11/3/85	3
Dale Earnhardt	11/19/89	3	3/18/90	1
Bill Elliott	3/15/92	4	11/15/92	11
Dale Earnhardt	11/12/95	11	3/10/96	18
Bobby Labonte	11/16/97	21	3/9/98	14
Jeff Gordon	11/8/98	21	3/14/99	8
Carl Edwards	3/20/05	4	10/30/05	2
Jimmie Johnson	3/18/07	3	10/28/07	6

Back in Time

Nov. 15, 1992Jeff Gordon made his Cup Series debut with a 31st-place finish due to a crash. Four spots behind him was Richard Petty in 35th, making his 1,184th and final career start. The King crashed hard on Lap 94 but returned to the race with two laps remaining and without a nose on his car to finish his final race.

10 Key Facts

0Times a driver has won three consecutive races at Atlanta. Jimmie Johnson became the sixth driver to win both races in a season when he swept last year.

1Time in his career that Jimmie Johnson has been lower than 14th position in points after three races (19th in 2004).

2Drivers with average finishes inside the top 10: Carl Edwards (8.7) and Jimmie Johnson (9.4).

3.6Average starting position for Ryan Newman in his 12 starts at Atlanta, which also includes seven poles (tied with Buddy Baker for the track lead).

12Victories at Atlanta by the Wood Brothers, more than any other car owner. This season, the No. 21 Wood Brothers entry has failed to qualify for two of the three races.

13Former Atlanta winners on this weekend's entry list, seven of which are multiple winners: Bobby Labonte (6), Bill Elliott (5), Jeff Gordon (4), Jimmie Johnson (3), Tony Stewart (2), Carl Edwards (2), Mark Martin (2).

14Drivers who have won from the pole at Atlanta, more than any other starting position.

28.7Average finish at Atlanta for Martin Truex Jr., the worst among the drivers currently ranked in the top 12 in points.

289Laps led at Atlanta by Mike Skinner, more than any other driver on this week's entry list who has not won at the track. Skinner has five top-10s in 13 starts at AMS.

1996The only other year in his career that Jeff Gordon began a season with two DNFs in three races. That year, he finished 42nd at Daytona due to handling; was 40th at Rockingham due to engine failure; then won at Richmond. He followed that up by finishing third at Atlanta and winning the two following races, part of his 10 total for the year.

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Atlanta Motor Speedway

Active drivers based on victories

Driver	Starts	Wins	Top-5	Top-10

Bobby Labonte	30	6	12	13
Bill Elliott	58	5	13	19
Jeff Gordon	31	4	12	19
Jimmie Johnson	13	3	8	9
Tony Stewart	18	2	7	11
Carl Edwards	7	2	4	6
Mark Martin	44	2	13	22
Kurt Busch	14	1	1	4
Dale Jarrett	40	1	11	18
Kevin Harvick	14	1	2	2
Ken Schrader	46	1	3	8
Kasey Kahne	8	1	4	5
Dale Earnhardt Jr.	17	1	7	9