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Only one driver has won three races in a four-year span at Atlanta. Jeff Burton could make it two.Strong veterans in field, but don't forget first-timers
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The first Labor Day race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway also will mark the first time the Nationwide Series will have raced under the lights at the track. In the series' first 17 races at AMS, there have been some other significant firsts, and also some lasts and even an only.
3Drivers with multiple series victories whose first came at Atlanta: Jeff Gordon (1992), Jamie McMurray (2002) and Carl Edwards ('05). For Gordon, it was his first NASCAR victory. For McMurray, it was the only lap he led in the race. For Edwards, it was just his seventh series start.
2Drivers to post their last series victory at Atlanta: Ward Burton (1993) and Harry Gant ('94). Gant was 52 years old, at the time making him the oldest driver to win a series race (Dick Trickle was 56 when he won at Darlington in '98).
1Drivers to post their only series victory at Atlanta: Mike Skinner (1999).
Could there be high-fives all around for another driver-first this weekend? Maybe, but more than one former series champion stands in the way.
5Combined wins for Mark Martin (three) and Matt Kenseth, who won last year and is the track's all-time leader in top-fives (seven) and top-10s (eight). Neither is entered in this week's race.
5Races won by drivers who are entered in this week's race: Joe Nemechek (2001), Greg Biffle ('03), Carl Edwards ('05) and Jeff Burton (2006-07).
5Top-fives for Greg Biffle, second-most in track history. Biffle had never finished worse than sixth in his first six starts but finished 40th (engine) and 21st, respectively, the past two years.
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2Place of finish for Kevin Harvick in each of the past two races, his first top-fives. In seven starts he has four top-10s.
2Manufacturers with victories at Atlanta: Chevrolet (10) and Ford (seven).
3Races won from the pole: Jeff Gordon (1992), Greg Biffle (2003) and Carl Edwards ('05).
4Place of finish for Carl Edwards in each of the past two races. Edwards has three top-fives in four starts.
8Starting position for Jeff Burton in each of his victories.
15Place of finish for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in last year's race, his first at Atlanta since his back-to-back championship seasons of 1998-99 when he finished second and third, respectively.
THE BUSCH WATCH
Kyle Busch had his series record of 21 consecutive races with a lead end last week at Montreal. It was just the second time in 25 races this season he has failed to lead a lap. He could be poised to start a new streak this week.
296Laps led by Kyle Busch in the past two races at Atlanta. He led a race-high 143 laps en route to a third-place finish in 2007; he led a race-high 153 laps last year before a blown tire doomed him to a 24th-place finish. In five starts at AMS, Busch has led in every race but the first one (blown engine after two laps) for 338 total, second-most in track history. He has a runner-up finish and a crash among his results.
THE WOW FACTOR
6Consecutive top-10s at Atlanta, achieved by four different drivers: Mark Martin (1996-99, 2000, '04); Greg Biffle (2001-06); Matt Kenseth (2003-08); and Kasey Kahne (2003-08). Kahne is the only driver who this week can extend the streak to seven in a row.
THE SUPER LOOPER
52Pass Differential for Greg Biffle, best among all drivers at Atlanta. Biffle has made 147 Green Flag Passes and his number of Green Times Passed in 95.
Driver Rating (since 2005, four races)
| Pos. | Driver | Starts | Rating | Pct. Laps / Top 15 | Avg. Run Pos. | Avg. Fin. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jeff Burton | 3 | 129.5 | 97.4 | 3.8 | 1.7 |
| 2. | Kyle Busch | 4 | 122.2 | 68.2 | 13.3 | 22.3 |
| 3. | Carl Edwards | 4 | 111.0 | 88.7 | 8.1 | 8.3 |
| 4. | Kasey Kahne | 4 | 110.5 | 86.7 | 7.7 | 5.8 |
| 5. | Kevin Harvick | 3 | 106.4 | 80.4 | 9.0 | 5.0 |
| 6. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 1 | 98.5 | 95.5 | 7.8 | 15.0 |
| 7. | Brian Vickers | 2 | 86.9 | 51.9 | 16.4 | 14.5 |
| 8. | Greg Biffle | 4 | 84.0 | 48.3 | 17.1 | 17.5 |
| 9. | Brad Keselowski | 2 | 81.0 | 48.9 | 20.0 | 15.5 |
| 10. | Ryan Newman | 1 | 80.6 | 69.2 | 15.0 | 39.0 |
• Loop Data Statistics: Season-to-Date Box Score | * Entered in this race only
BLAST FROM THE PAST
12Races at Atlanta held in the month of March. The series raced at AMS twice in November (1993 and '98) and in October from 2002-04.
Series winners at Atlanta
| Year | Driver | Make | Year | Driver | Make | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Jeff Gordon | Ford | 2001 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | |
| 1993 | Ward Burton | Chevrolet | 2002 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | |
| 1994 | Harry Gant | Chevrolet | 2003 | Greg Biffle | Chevrolet | |
| 1995 | Johnny Benson | Chevrolet | 2004 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | |
| 1996 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | 2005 | Carl Edwards | Ford | |
| 1997 | Mark Martin | Ford | 2006 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | |
| 1998 | Mark Martin | Ford | 2007 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | |
| 1999 | Mike Skinner | Chevrolet | 2008 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | |
| 2000 | Mark Martin | Ford | ||||
| POPULAR ALERTS | ||||
|
Nationwide Series
Standings
| Pos. | +/- | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | -- | Kyle Busch | 4,034 | -- |
| 2. | -- | Carl Edwards | 3,842 | -192 |
| 3. | -- | Brad Keselowski | 3,752 | -282 |
| 4. | -- | Jason Leffler | 3,429 | -605 |
| 5. | +1 | Steve Wallace | 2,900 | -1,134 |
| 6. | -1 | Justin Allgaier | 2,898 | -1,136 |
| 7. | -- | Jason Keller | 2,821 | -1,213 |
| 8. | +1 | Brendan Gaughan | 2,787 | -1,247 |
| 9. | -1 | Mike Bliss | 2,774 | -1,260 |
| 10. | -- | Michael McDowell | 2,738 | -1,296 |
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