Head2Head: Does Atlanta deserve two Cup races?

Atlanta Motor Speedway has been a staple in the Cup Series since 1960. It hosted Richard Petty's last race, Jeff Gordon's first, and for a time crowned NASCAR's champion. Its history is steeped in tradition -- and we want to take away a race?

Anytime a track has a couple of boring races or attendance isn't what it used to be, the solution for some is to take away a race. The reaction is so knee-jerk, it shows little thought went into it.

Yes, attendance at AMS is struggling. News flash: attendance EVERYWHERE is struggling. There are a handful of tracks that do sell out, but that list is shrinking. When FOX is shilling tickets for the Daytona 500 hours before the race is to start, it's clear attendance is a widespread problem.

Sure, races at the track haven't had the close finishes to which we are accustomed, but that doesn't mean the racing is bad. In fact, it's just the opposite. The track is still fast, teams are being rewarded for finding the right setup, and there is still a ton of passing. Kurt Busch led 70 percent of Sunday's race, but there were still 17 green-flag passes for the lead.

But most important, to where will this race move? Las Vegas? Do we really want to see another race leave the Southeast and head west? A couple years ago, Martinsville was in the crosshairs -- now it's Atlanta. But the criticism is unfair and unnecessary, Atlanta is here to stay. And it should be.

Atlanta Motor Speedway has plenty of fantastic finishes and historic moments on its resume, but the track's credentials when it comes to good racing aren't strong enough to warrant a second Sprint Cup Series date.

After watching yet another 190 mph parade on Sunday, I apologized to the three friends I took to their first race. It was beautiful weather and fans were treated to drama at the end ... but did the end justify the means?

In the first 300 laps, you could count the battles for the lead on one hand -- even if you were missing a few digits. Ten-second leads weren't uncommon and side-by-side racing was nowhere to be found just minutes after any given restart. Fans were left to watch their favorite driver turn laps in a fashion that resembled a practice session more than a race.

The new aero-unforgiving chassis and hockey-puck tires surely haven't helped the track's cause, but has the track ever really been known for its races more than its finishes?

Many drivers love racing at Atlanta, yet what the drivers love isn't necessarily what the fans love. Of the handful of people I informally polled, the race received an average rating of 5.7, with 10 being the highest. If I took away the finish, it plummeted to 2.6.

I want to see AMS succeed -- I live in Atlanta and home is where the heart is. But when it comes to good racing, I long for someplace else.