SPRINT Kobalt Tools 500
Final
for this game
Kobalt Tools 500 Preview
Mar 9, 2008 - 10:22 AMMarch 9, 2008
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Georgia
Race 4 of 37 on Sprint Cup circuit
TV: FOX, 1:30 p.m. EDT
Laps: 325
Track length: 1.54 miles
Race length: 500 miles
Qualifying record: Bobby Labonte, Pontiac, 194.957 mph (March 1999)
Race record: Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 161.298 mph (March 1996)
DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------
Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 07 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $531,545
Has gotten off to a slow start after his 2007 breakthrough
campaign; started the season with a 24th at Daytona after being
involved in a late-race crash and a 19th at California; followed
that up with a 28th at Las Vegas; finished third in the final
standings after qualifying for his first Chase for the
Championship; started his first Chase in grand fashion, winning
his first career Cup race at New Hampshire; finished with 17
top 10s and five top-fives in 36 races last season, including two
poles; finished sixth in this event last year.
Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $643,837
One of the circuit's most consistent drivers finished 13th in
the Daytona 500 and eighth at California; was fifth in Las
Vegas and sits seventh in the standings; finished eighth in
last season's standings, one year after placing seventh;
finished in the top 10 in half of the races last season,
including nine top fives; lone win of the season came in April
at Texas; finished the season strong with five top 10s over the
final six races; finished fourth here in March last year.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing South
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2008 Earnings: $1,273,295
Pushed teammate Ryan Newman across the finish line to give
Penske Racing a 1-2 finish in the Daytona 500; followed with a
13th at California, but finished 38th at Las Vegas; bounced back
from an inconsistent first season with Penske to finish seventh
in the standings last year; won at Michigan and Pocono and
posted 14 top-10 finishes; also had four finishes of 30th or
worse; won the championship in 2004 but was released from his
contract at Roush Racing after the following season, when he
finished 10th in the standings but was suspended for the final
two races after an incident with the Phoenix police; finished
11th here in March last year.
Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $938,563
Has gotten off to a stellar start with Joe Gibbs Racing, placing
fourth in the first two races; had the dominant car and led the
most laps at the Daytona 500; was strong at Las Vegas early, but
struggled late and wound up 11th; sits second in the standings,
21 points behind Carl Edwards; is looking to build off a
sensational run at Hendrick Motorsports as he moves to JGR and
Toyota; finished fifth in the final standings after qualifying
for the Chase for the second consecutive season; had 20 top-10
finishes in 36 races last season, including 11 top-fives; lone
win came during the first Bristol race - the inaugural Car of
Tomorrow event; finished 32nd in this race last season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $908,245
The circuit's most popular driver finished second at Las Vegas
last week; was the top finishing Hendrick car at the Daytona
with a ninth-place showing; was involved in an early-race crash
at California and finished 40th; made the move from his father's
Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he won 17 Cup events, to Hendrick
Motorsports; got off to a good start with his new team by
winning the Bud Shootout; has not won a points race since
Richmond in May 2006; suffered through a tough final season at
DEI, finishing 16th in the standings; had 12 top 10's last
season, but also posted 11 finishes of 25th or worse; finished
14th in the first Atlanta race last season.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $1,129,695
Won at Las Vegas for his ninth career Cup win a week after taking
the checkered flag at California; took over the top spot in the
standings, 21 points ahead of Kyle Busch; ran 19th in the
Daytona 500; qualified for the Chase last year and 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 and he never recovered;
won the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series championship; finished with 11
top fives and 15 top 10s last year; also won at Michigan and
Bristol; ran seventh here in March last year.
Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $647,048
Has gotten off to a slow start this season unlike JGR teammates
Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart; started off his third season with a
17th at the Daytona 500 and a 41st at California; rebounded to
finish ninth at Las Vegas; avoided the sophomore slump last year
after enjoying a breakthrough rookie campaign in 2006, posting
12 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes; won his only race of the
of the season at New Hampshire in July, but could manage only a
15th-place finish at Loudon to start the Chase en route to
finishing 12th and last among Chase competitors; followed up the
win at New Hampshire by finishing dead last at Daytona after
wrecking early in the race with Stewart; ran 19th in this race
last year.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $718,571
Was involved in a scary late-race crash at Las Vegas and
finished 35th; bounced back with a third at California after
opening his 2008 season with a disappointing 39th at the Daytona
500; already has two DNFs this season after posting just one
last year; only a dominant finish by teammate Jimmie Johnson
kept him from capturing a fifth championship last season;
finished with 10 top-10 finishes in the final 11 races - the
other finish in that span was an 11th at Dover; totaled a
remarkable 30 top-10 finishes and 21 top-fives in 36 races last
year; spun with less than two laps remaining at Watkins Glen
while leading, costing him another potential win - still managed
to finish ninth; had six checkered flags last 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; had 10 poles last season - double
that of Ryan Newman who had five; finished 12th in this race
last year.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $646,242
Two-time defending series champion finished a disappointing 19th
at Las Vegas after winning there two years in a row; ran second
at California after starting this campaign with a 27th at the
Daytona 500; battled teammate Gordon for the top spot in the
Chase early on, last season, then took off - winning four
straight races over the second half of the Chase; 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; finished the season with 10 wins, 20 top fives, 24 top
10s and failed to finish four races; swept both Atlanta races
last season.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $477,970
Finished 20th at Las Vegas after a late-race incident with Jeff
Gordon; ran fifth at California, fresh off a disappointing 35th
place showing at the Daytona 500; last season had a late-Chase
surge with a win at the season-ending race at Homestead,
following a third at Phoenix and a second at Texas; finished
fourth in the final standings; had 13 top-five finishes and 22
top 10s last season; won the series championship in 2003 despite
capturing only one checkered flag, prompting NASCAR to change to
its current Chase format; enters this season without longtime
crew chief Robbie Reiser who has been replaced by Chip Bolin;
ran third in the first Atlanta race last year.
Ryan Newman
Team: Penske Racing
Car: No. 12 Dodge Charger
2008 Earnings: $1,831,070
Snapped an 81-race winless streak by winning the Daytona 500;
last win came at the September race at New Hampshire in 2005;
got a huge push from teammate Kurt Busch to earn the win, giving
Penske Racing its first-ever Daytona 500 victory; followed
Daytona victory with a 10th at California and 14th at Las Vegas;
known as a top qualifier; earned the nickname "Rocketman" after
winning a series-high 11 poles in 2003; finished 13th in the
final standings last year - his second straight season out of
the Chase after dropping to 18th in 2006; finished 23rd at this
race last year.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $1,272,949
Suffered a hard crash at Las Vegas, injured his ankle and
finished dead last; had another disappointment at Daytona,
finishing third despite having the lead with one lap to go; took
sixth at California after the Daytona 500; moved within two
points of the points lead after the first two Chase races last
year, but could not keep pace with Johnson and Gordon and faded
to sixth in the final standings; finished second at Richmond to
enter the Chase on a hot streak; pre-Chase surge included 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; won three races
in total to go along with 23 top-10s; ran second to Johnson in
this race last year.
2007 Top 10
-----------
1. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
2. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
3. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
4. Jeff Burton (31), Chevrolet
5. Juan Pablo Montoya (42), Dodge
6. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
7. Carl Edwards (99), Ford
8. Martin Truex Jr. (1), Chevrolet
9. Reed Sorenson (41), Dodge
10. Mark Martin (01), Chevrolet
Past Champions
--------------
2007 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 152.915 mph
2006 Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 144.098 mph
2005 Carl Edwards, Ford, 143.478 mph
2004 Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 158.679 mph
2003 Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, 146.048 mph
2002 Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 148.443 mph
2001 Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 143.416 mph
2000 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 131.759 mph
1999 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 143.284 mph
1998 Bobby Labonte, Pontiac, 139.501 mph
1997 Dale Jarrett, Ford, 132.731 mph
1996 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 161.298 mph
1995 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 150.115 mph
1994 Ernie Irvan, Ford, 146.136 mph
1993 Morgan Shepherd, Ford, 150.442 mph
1992 Bill Elliott, Ford, 147.746 mph
1991 Ken Schrader, Chevrolet, 140.470 mph
1990 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 156.849 mph
1989 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 139.684 mph
1988 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 137.588 mph
1987 Ricky Rudd, Ford, 133.689 mph
1986 Morgan Shepherd, Buick, 132.126 mph
1985 Bill Elliott, Ford, 140.273 mph
1984 Benny Parsons, Chevrolet, 144.945 mph
1983 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 137.643 mph
1982 Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 124.824 mph
1981 Cale Yarborough, Buick, 133.619 mph
1980 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 134.808 mph
1979 Buddy Baker, Oldsmobile, 135.136 mph
1978 Bobby Allison, Ford, 142.520 mph
1977 Richard Petty, Dodge, 144.093 mph
1976 David Pearson, Mercury, 128.904 mph
1975 Richard Petty, Dodge, 133.496 mph
1974 Cale Yarborough, 74 Chevrolet, 136.910 mph
1973 David Pearson, 71 Mercury, 139.351 mph
1972 Bobby Allison, 72 Chevrolet, 128.214 mph
1971 A.J. Foyt, 71 Mercury, 131.375 mph
1970 Bobby Allison, 69 Dodge, 139.554 mph
1969 Cale Yarborough, 69 Mercury, 132.191 mph
1968 Cale Yarborough, 68 Mercury, 125.564 mph
1967 Cale Yarborough, 67 Ford, 131.238 mph
1966 Jim Hurtubise, 66 Plymouth, 131.266 mph
1965 Marvin Panch, 65 Ford, 129.410 mph
1964 Fred Lorenzen, 64 Ford, 132.959 mph
1963 Fred Lorenzen, 63 Ford, 130.580 mph
1962 Fred Lorenzen, 62 Ford, 101.983 mph
1961 Bob Burdick, 61 Pontiac, 123.920 mph
1960 Bobby Johns, 60 Pontiac, 108.408 mph
