NEXTEL Georgia 500
Final
for this game
Pep Boys Auto 500 Preview
Oct 28, 2007 - 10:23 AMOctober 28, 2007
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Georgia
Race 33 of 37 on Nextel Cup circuit
(32nd points race; 7th of 10 in "Chase for the Nextel Cup")
TV: ABC, 1 p.m. EDT
Laps: 325
Track length: 1.54 miles
Race length: 500 miles
Qualifying record: Geoffrey Bodine, Ford, 197.478 mph, 1997
Race record: Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 163.633 mph, 1995
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 07 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $3,831,569
Chase Points: 5,940 (3rd)
Kept his solid run in the Chase going by finishing ninth at
Martinsville; was runner-up at Charlotte after an 11th at
Talladega and remains third in the standings, 115 points behind
leader Jeff Gordon; followed up his first career Nextel Cup win
at New Hampshire by running 12th at Dover and second at Kansas;
finished 12th at Richmond and ran 20th at California, following
a third at Bristol in three races prior to the Chase; has 16
top-10 finishes in 32 races this season; has five top-five
finishes, including a fourth on the road course at Sonoma to go
along with his solid showing at Bristol and win at New
Hampshire; has finished 30th or worse just three times - 36th at
Las Vegas, 35th at Talladega and 37th at the first race in New
Hampshire; ran sixth here in March and finished 25th at this
race last year.
Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $5,429,229
Chase Points: 5,646 (9th)
Finished 12th at Martinsville to move up to fourth at Lowe's to
move up to 10th in the Chase standings; had dropped to 12th
after finishing last at Talladega, following a 36th at Kansas;
started the Chase in seventh place, but dropped to 11th with his
second straight 18th place finish at New Hampshire, following
Richmond; ran fourth at California and 12th at Bristol prior to
Richmond; finished out of the top-10 in four races before
California; prior to that tough stretch had registered four
top-10 finishes over a six-race span; ran seventh at first New
Hampshire race and third at Sonoma to end a streak of four
consecutive finishes outside the top 10; has eight top-five
finishes and 15 top-10s and has only five finishes of 34th or
worse this season; captured his only victory of the season at
Texas; ran 13th at this race last season and finished fourth in
Atlanta in May.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2007 Earnings: $4,598,389
Chase Points: 5,635 (10th)
Dropped three spots to 10th after running 31st at Martinsville;
ran 26th at Lowe's after posting an 11th at Kansas after
starting the Chase with a 25th at New Hampshire and 29th at
Dover; did not qualify for Chase until late in the Richmond
race, where he finished ninth; turned season around over last
nine races before the Chase by finishing out of the top 10 just
twice with 11th place finishes at the Brickyard and Watkins
Glen; won at Pocono, then later at Michigan during the
rain-delayed event; has a pair of third-place finishes at the
first Talladega race and the second Daytona race; the 2004
Nextel Cup Champion has 10 finishes of 25th or worse this
season; ran 14th here last October and 11th in March.
Kyle Busch
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 5 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,188,318
Chase Points: 5,765 (6th)
Bounced back from consecutive poor showings by placing fourth at
Martinsville after a third at Lowe's; was 36th at Talladega and
was run over by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Kansas and finished 41st;
started Chase with fourth at New Hampshire and fifth at Dover;
ran 20th at Richmond following a third-place showing at
California and a ninth at Bristol; has 18 top-10 finishes in 32
races this season, including nine top-fives; lone win of the
season came during the first Bristol race - the inaugural Car of
Tomorrow event; will leave Hendrick Motorsports at the end of
the season for Joe Gibbs Racing; ran 27th here last October and
32nd in March.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $4,063,387
Chase Points: 5,775 (5th)
Finished 11th at Martinsville after running fifth at Lowe's to
remain fifth in the standings, 285 points behind Gordon; ran
14th at Talladega a week after wrecking at Kansas and finishing
37th; won at Dover after finishing 12th at New Hampshire, but
failed post-race inspection and was docked 25 points and fined;
penalty dropped him from third to sixth in the standings; ran
42nd at Richmond, but prior to that had four consecutive top-10
finishes, including a win at Bristol and a runner-up finish at
California; also won at Michigan earlier this year; has nine
top-fives and 13 top-10s this year; has been consistent with
only a trio of finishes lower than 30, including a 42nd at first
Talladega race; ran seventh in his past two starts at Atlanta.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $6,531,278
Chase Points: 6,055 (1st)
Stayed atop the standings by finishing third at Martinsville;
consecutive wins at Charlotte and Talladega make him a favorite
to capture fifth title; leads teammate Jimmie Johnson by 53
points with four races to go; ran fifth at Kansas; rebounded
from rough stretch leading up to the Chase by finishing 11th at
Dover and second to Bowyer at New Hampshire; prior to the Chase
finished fourth at Richmond but was 22nd at California, 19th at
Bristol and 27th at Michigan over previous three races; prior to
Michigan had finished in the top 10 in 10 straight races; was
the first driver to clinch a spot in the "Chase for the
Championship"; spun with less than two laps remaining at Watkins
Glen while leading, costing him a potential win - still managed
to finish ninth; was docked 100 points for failing
post-qualifying inspections at Sonoma, where he ran seventh; has
six checkered flags this season and 81 career, just two shy of
tying Cale Yarborough for fifth place all-time; reached a
landmark milestone at the first Talladega race, recording his
77th career victory to pass the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth
all-time; has 10 poles this season - double that of Ryan Newman
who has five; ran 12th here in March.
Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,441,589
Chase Points: 5,681 (8th)
Finished sixth at Martinsville and 20th at Lowe's following a
fourth at Talladega; title hopes were all but dashed after 29th
at Kansas; ran 38th at Dover, dropping to last among Chase
contenders; was involved in an altercation with Kyle Petty in
the garage following wreck midway through the race at Dover; won
his only race of the season at New Hampshire in July, but could
manage only a 15th-place finish at Loudon to start the Chase;
followed up the win at New Hampshire by finishing dead last at
Daytona after wrecking early in the race with teammate Tony
Stewart; avoided the sophomore slump by posting 11 top-five and
17 top-finishes this season; finished second at Darlington and
Watkins Glen and has four third-place finishes at Las Vegas,
Martinsville, Phoenix and Richmond; also finished last at
Bristol; finished eighth here last October.
Kevin Harvick
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $6,934,224
Chase Points: 5,686 (7th)
Ran 10th at Martinsville, but title hopes took serious hit with
33rd at Lowe's; ran 20th at Talladega following a sixth at
Kansas; was the final driver to clinch a berth in the Chase and
opened with a 17th at New Hampshire and a 20th at Dover despite
suffering through tire issues in both races; prior to the Chase
finished seventh at Richmond, ending struggles which included
five straight finishes out of the top-10; has finished 33rd or
worse four times in 30 races this season; was 36th at Watkins
Glen on the heels of a 17th at Pocono; won the season-opening
Daytona 500 by nipping Mark Martin at the finish line; has four
top-fives and 12 top 10s this season; finished second to Juan
Pablo Montoya on the road course at Sonoma; was 31st in this
race last year and 25th here in March.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $6,455,627
Chase Points: 6,002 (2nd)
Won at Martinsville to climb within 53 points of Gordon; dropped
out of the top spot in the Chase after finishing second to
Gordon at Talladega; was 14th at Lowe's and ran third at Kansas
prior to Talladega; opened the Chase with a 14th at Dover
following a sixth at New Hampshire; earned top seed with
consecutive wins at Richmond and California; was 21st at
Bristol, but posted back-to-back third place finishes at
Michigan and Watkins Glen; defending series champion suffered
through an up-and-down season before the Chase, finishing 39th
at the Brickyard after a fiery crash on the heels of a 37th at
Chicago; prior to those two poor showings, finished 10th at
Daytona after running fifth at New Hampshire; has also posted
victories this season at Las Vegas, Atlanta, Martinsville and
the first Richmond race; despite collecting 17 top-five
finishes, has been hurt by five finishes outside the top 35; won
this race in March and was second to Tony Stewart last October.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $5,409,415
Chase Points: 5,593 (12th)
Ran fifth at Martinsville to halt surprising Chase struggles;
was 34th at Lowe's which followed back-to-back 35th-place
finishes at Dover and Kansas; ran 26th at Talladega to all but
end title hopes; ran seventh at New Hampshire; did not close the
regular season strong with a 14th at Richmond after a seventh
at California - a week after crashing and finishing 39th at
Bristol; ran fourth at Michigan in the rain delayed race; posted
fourth straight top-10 finish by placing 10th at the Brickyard;
ran 34th and 42nd, respectively, prior to the four straight
top-10 results; captured his only victory of the season in the
campaign's second race at California; has nine top-five finishes
and 18 top-10s this season; ran third here in March and
finished fourth last October.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $5,835,282
Chase Points: 5,806 (4th)
Remained fourth in the standings by running 13th at Martinsville
following a seventh at Lowe's; sits 249 points behind Gordon;
finished 39th at Kansas after placing eighth at Talladega; had
moved within two points of the lead with a ninth at Dover after
placing third at New Hampshire; finished second at Richmond to
enter the Chase on a hot streak; recent surge includes fourth at
Bristol as well as running 10th at Michigan on the heels of
winning at Watkins Glen - his third win; captured back-to-back
victories at Chicagoland and at the Brickyard while placing
sixth at Pocono; finished 38th at Daytona prior to his win at
Chicago after an early-race crash with teammate Denny Hamlin;
won this race last October and was second to Johnson this past
March.
Martin Truex Jr.
Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Car: No. 1 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,349,926
Chase Points: 5,608 (11th)
Ran 19th at Martinsville and 17th at Lowe's following 42nd at
Talladega and a 38th at Kansas; started first Chase with a 13th
at Dover following a fifth at New Hampshire; finished 15th at
Richmond, but only needed to start the race to qualify; has been
overshadowed by more famous teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., but
has outperformed him all season; won his first career Nextel Cup
race at Dover in June; has six top-fives and 11 top 10s,
including a third at Pocono and second at Michigan in
back-to-back weeks after the win at Dover; finished second in
both Michigan races this year; has only two other finishes
outside the top 30 this season - 42nd at California and 37th at
Bristol during the early part of the season; ran 37th here last
October, but was eighth in March.
2006 Top 10
-----------
1. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
2. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet
4. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
5. Greg Biffle (16), Ford
6. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
7. Carl Edwards (99), Ford
8. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet
9. Joe Nemechek (01), Chevrolet
10. Robby Gordon (7), Chevrolet
Past Champions
--------------
2006 Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 143.421 mph
2005 Carl Edwards, Ford, 146.834 mph
2004 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 145.847 mph
2003 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 127.769 mph
2002 Kurt Busch, Ford, 127.519 mph
2001 Bobby Labonte, Pontiac, 151.746 mph
2000 Jerry Nadeau, Chevrolet, 141.296 mph
1999 Bobby Labonte, Pontiac, 137.932 mph
1998 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 114.915 mph
1997 Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, 159.904 mph
1996 Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, 134.661 mph
1995 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 163.633 mph
1994 Mark Martin, Ford, 148.982 mph
1993 Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 125.221 mph
1992 Bill Elliott, Ford, 133.322 mph
1991 Mark Martin, Ford, 137.968 mph
1990 Morgan Shepherd, Ford, 140.911 mph
1989 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 140.229 mph
1988 Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 129.024 mph
1987 Bill Elliott, Ford, 139.047 mph
1986 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 152.523 mph
1985 Bill Elliott, Ford, 139.597 mph
1984 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 134.610 mph
1983 Neil Bonnett, Chevrolet, 137.643 mph
1982 Bobby Allison, Buick, 130.884 mph
1981 Neil Bonnett, Ford, 130.391 mph
1980 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 131.190 mph
1979 Neil Bonnett, Mercury, 140.120 mph
1978 Donnie Allison, Chevrolet, 124.312 mph
1977 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 110.052 mph
1976 Dave Marcis, Dodge, 127.396 mph
1975 Buddy Baker, Ford, 130.900 mph
1974 Richard Petty, 74 Dodge, 131.651 mph
1973 David Pearson, 71 Mercury, 130.211 mph
1972 Bobby Allison, 72 Chevrolet, 131.295 mph
1971 Richard Petty, 71 Plymouth, 129.061 mph
1970 Richard Petty, 70 Plymouth, 142.712 mph
1969 LeeRoy Yarbrough, 69 Ford, 133.001 mph
1968 LeeRoy Yarbrough, 68 Mercury, 127.068 mph
1967 Dick Hutcherson, 67 Ford, 132.286 mph
1966 Richard Petty, 66 Plymouth, 130.244 mph
1965 Marvin Panch, 65 Ford, 110.120 mph
1964 Ned Jarrett, 64 Ford, 112.535 mph
1963 Junior Johnson, 63 Chevrolet, 121.139 mph
1962 Rex White, 62 Chevrolet, 124.896 mph
1961 David Pearson, 61 Pontiac, 125.230 mph
1960 Fireball Roberts, 60 Pontiac, 112.652 mph
