NATIONWIDE Nicorette 300
Final
for this game
Nicorette 300 Preview
Mar 8, 2008 - 11:27 AMMarch 8, 2008
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Georgia
Race 4 of 35 on Nationwide Series circuit
TV: ESPN2, 1:30 p.m EST
Laps: 203
Track length: 1.54 miles
Race length: 312 miles
Qualifying record: Greg Biffle, Chevrolet, 192.300 mph (October 2003)
Race record: Mark Martin, Ford, 151.751 mph (March 1997)
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 2 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2008 Earnings: $121,310
Scheduled to pull double duty in both the Sprint and Nationwide
series this season; finished third at Las Vegas last week;
started the year with a 25th at Daytona, then rebounded with a
ninth at California; ran a full Busch series slate in 2005 and
2006, finishing second and third, respectively, in the final
standings; finished 12th last year after running just 22 races,
winning at Phoenix and Richmond; did not compete in this race
last season.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 60 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $111,990
Was wrecked by Mark Martin at Las Vegas and finished 14th at Las
Vegas; opened defense of his series title with a 10th at Daytona
and fifth at California; sits fourth in the standings behind
Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick who are not running
full Nationwide schedules this season; clinched last season's
title at Texas, three races before the end of the season; was
the runner-up to Harvick two seasons ago; despite late struggles
still had a series-best 21 top-10 finishes and 15 top fives last
season; led in the series standings for 33 consecutive weeks
prior to Daytona; in 35 starts last season had four wins,
trailing only Harvick who had six; ran fourth here last season;
plans to run "double-duty" slate again this season.
Kevin Harvick
Team: Kevin Harvick Inc.
Car: No. 33 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2008 Earnings: $134,050
Stared the 2008 season with a 21st at Daytona, third at
California and fourth at Las Vegas; absolutely dominated
throughout the 2006 campaign to earn his second career series
title, but did not defend his championship last season; despite
running only 26 races last year, still posted a series-high six
wins and finished fourth overall; had 11 top five and 20 top 10s
last year; will not run full slate again this season; ran second
at this race last year to Jeff Burton.
Jason Leffler
Team: Braun Racing
Car: No. 38 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $112,344
Finished third in the overall standings last season, and opened
this season with a 19th at Daytona and 11th at California; took
a hit last week in Las Vegas, finishing 39th; earned his first
career Nationwide victory at Indianapolis, which gave Toyota its
first series victory; started the season with four DNFs in the
first six races, but had none after that; finished with seven
top fives and 11 top 10s; was inconsistent though with eight
finishes of 30th or worse in 35 races last year; finished 41st
last season in Atlanta.
David Ragan
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 6 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $104,200
Another driver who is running both series this year; finished
ninth at Daytona and 12th at California to start the season,
then posted a 10th at Las Vegas; had an impressive rookie season
finishing fifth overall and winning the Raybestos Rookie of the
Year by 27 points over Marcos Ambrose; scored four top-five and
eight top-10 finishes in 2007, but also had eight finishes of
30th or worse; finished 20th in this event last season.
David Reutimann
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Car: No. 99 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $127,734
Plans to run full "double-duty" schedule again in 2008 after
finishing second to Edwards in the standings last season; started
season with a 14th at Daytona and ran fourth at California; ran
25th at Las Vegas last week; last year had better finishes than
Edwards in 10 of the last 15 races and scored the most points in
the series after the midseason point; earned his first series win
at the second Atlanta race; finished with five top-fives and 12
top-10s; ran 13th in this event last year.
2007 Top 10
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1. Jeff Burton (29), Chevrolet
2. Kevin Harvick (21), Chevrolet
3. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
4. Carl Edwards (60), Ford
5. Casey Mears (24), Chevrolet
6. Clint Bowyer (2), Chevrolet
7. Kasey Kahne (9), Dodge
8. Juan Pablo Montoya (42), Dodge
9. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
10. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
Past Champions
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2007 Jeff Burton
2006 Jeff Burton
2005 Carl Edwards
2004 Matt Kenseth
2003 Greg Biffle
2002 Jamie McMurray
2001 Joe Nemechek
2000 Mark Martin
1999 Mike Skinner
1998 Mark Martin
1997 Mark Martin
1996 Terry Labonte
1995 Johnny Benson
1994 Harry Gant
1993 Ward Burton
1992 Jeff Gordon
