Similar Track Concept

The theory behind this chart is that there are similar tracks (aka sister tracks) within the NASCAR schedule in terms of banking, distance and shape that a driver may excel at.

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

I am prone to look at a drivers performance more recently then over their career. So, this table is sorted by 2008 averages rather then over the length of the drivers career. That stat is still in the table though.

The Tracks

This week’s race is at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia. So, the similar tracks we are going to look at are: Atlanta, Lowe’s & Texas.

The Similarities

These are the tracks that proudly take the ‘cookie-cutter’ moniker to its highest level. 1-1/2-miles, 24° banking and a quad-oval. They are super fast tracks and certain drivers and teams seem to consistently excel here.

By the way, this table also shows the drivers median finish which I think is better than the average.

Rank	Driver	Atlanta Median	Lowe’s Median	Texas Median	Starts	Avg	‘08 Avg
1	Kyle Busch	12.0	27.5	10.5	27	16.7	3.7
2	Jeff Burton	12.0	6.5	12.5	64	10.3	9.0
3	Kevin Harvick	21.5	19.5	12.0	44	17.7	10.8
4	Greg Biffle	10.0	16.5	29.5	34	18.7	11.2
5	Jeff Gordon	6.5	8.0	11.5	64	8.7	11.8
6	Tony Stewart	9.0	9.5	8.5	54	9.0	11.8
7	Jimmie Johnson	3.0	3.0	6.0	41	4.0	12.8
8	Clint Bowyer	13.0	21.0	13.0	18	15.7	12.8
9	David Ragan	28.0	24.5	25.0	12	25.8	12.8
10	Matt Kenseth	8.5	12.0	9.0	50	9.8	13.0
11	Denny Hamlin	19.0	16.0	9.0	21	14.7	13.3
12	Dale Earnhardt Jr	7.0	11.0	9.0	51	9.0	14.5
13	Carl Edwards	3.0	8.5	13.5	25	8.3	14.5
14	Mark Martin	9.0	9.0	10.0	64	9.3	14.7
15	Jamie McMurray	15.0	19.0	10.0	36	14.7	15.3
16	Kurt Busch	11.5	16.0	9.5	45	12.3	16.7
17	Ryan Newman	16.5	21.0	28.0	41	21.8	17.3
18	Kasey Kahne	18.5	10.0	24.0	29	17.5	18.8
19	Casey Mears	21.0	22.0	14.0	34	19.0	20.5
20	Brian Vickers	19.0	24.5	19.0	30	20.8	20.7
21	Bobby Labonte	12.5	6.0	22.5	64	13.7	20.8
22	Martin Truex Jr	26.0	17.0	8.0	22	17.0	21.3
23	Sam Hornish Jr	24.5	17.5	27.5	6	23.2	23.2
24	David Reutimann	28.0	25.5	41.0	10	31.5	23.5
25	AJ Allmendinger	15.0	25.5	32.5	8	24.3	23.8
26	Marcos Ambrose	29.0	0.0	21.0	2	25.0	25.0
27	Paul Menard	27.0	24.0	22.0	14	24.3	26.0
28	Elliott Sadler	20.0	26.0	21.5	55	22.5	26.2
29	Scott Riggs	25.0	22.5	27.0	28	24.8	26.7
30	Reed Sorenson	29.0	18.5	30.5	19	26.0	28.0
31	Dave Blaney	25.5	25.0	22.0	49	24.2	28.2
32	Michael Waltrip	23.0	18.0	26.5	60	22.5	29.3
33	Regan Smith	34.0	21.0	34.5	6	29.8	29.8
34	David Gilliland	30.0	33.0	21.0	15	28.0	30.2
35	Robby Gordon	20.0	28.5	32.0	43	26.8	30.3
36	Juan Pablo Montoya	25.0	32.0	22.0	12	26.3	30.3
37	Sterling Marlin	18.0	28.0	26.0	53	24.0	31.0
38	Scott Speed	34.0	0.0	33.0	2	33.5	33.5
39	Joe Nemechek	17.5	18.0	33.0	60	22.8	37.8
40	Joey Logano	0.0	0.0	40.0	1	40.0	40.0
41	Aric Almirola	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0

“

Top 12 Features Competitive, New Look

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series just returned from Las Vegas … and, if folks could have cashed in on the odds of predicting what the series’ top 12 would look like after the season’s first three races, the payout would have been monumental.

Heading into the KOBALT Tools 500 this Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the top 12 features a new and competitive look.

Only five drivers who were in the top 12 at this point last year are in there now and there is a trio of drivers — David Reutimann (No. 00 Aarons Dream Machine Toyota), Bobby Labonte (No. 96 ASK.com Ford), and Michael Waltrip (No. 55 NAPA Toyota) — that would have been considered long shots to break into this illustrious group at the beginning of the season.

Reutimann is coming off a career-best fourth-place finish at Las Vegas and has moved up to fifth in points. A year ago, Reutimann was 31st in points after the first three races.

Labonte turned in his first top-five performance since 2006 by finishing fifth at Vegas and is 10th in points — he was 15th this time last season.

Waltrip stayed in the top 12 for the third straight week. Consider: Has 34th at this stage a year ago. Clearly, he is answering the self-imposed pressure he applied during the preseason when he said that if his 2009 results weren’t considerably improved, that he would retire.

Call it parity; call it balanced competition. But however you frame it up, the new blood in the 1op 12 certainly has made for some interesting early-season conversation — and speculation about whether these teams will be among the elite later in the season.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, following his run at Las Vegas.

“I can’t wait to get back in it and go. We’re taking it one race at a time, so I’m excited. I just feel like we’ve got all of this confidence on our side right now.”

Jeff Gordon Returns to Familiar Position — Atop Standings

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) is back in familiar territory.

The four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion finds himself atop the points standings heading into this week’s action at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It’s the first time since Oct. 28, 2007 that Gordon has been the series’ points leader. And, it is the first time since his championship season of 1997 that he has been the points leader after the year’s first three events. Gordon has parlayed solid finishes through the season’s first three events, including 13th at Daytona, second at Auto Club Speedway and sixth at Las Vegas, to take over the points lead.

“Three weeks in a row, I’ve felt like we have had the car that can win and that’s quite a change from last year,” said Gordon, who went winless in 2008, snapping a 14-year stretch in which he won at least one race per season.

At Atlanta this Sunday, Gordon will be looking for his first points victory since Oct. 13, 2007 (Lowe’s Motor Speedway), a winless streak of 44 races. Atlanta is the site of Gordon’s first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start (Nov. 15, 1992) and has historically been a strong track for the highly decorated driver. In 33 career starts at the 1.54-mile venue, Gordon has posted four wins, 13 top fives and 21 top 10s.

Gordon has 81 career victories — sixth most in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history. At Las Vegas this past Sunday, he eclipsed the 20,000 laps led mark and heads into Atlanta ranked seventh all-time with 20,006 laps led.

Gordon’s last series championship came in 2001. He is seeking his first title under the Chase format, after finishing seventh (2008), second (2007), sixth (2006), 11th (2005) and third (2004) in the previous five Chase seasons.

Sunday’s Race Marks 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Event At Atlanta Motor Speedway

This Sunday’s running of the KOBALT Tools 500 marks the 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. And, if Sunday’s race is anything like the previous 99, one can expect an exciting and dramatic afternoon of competition. 

Here’s a look at some of the most memorable races at AMS:

July 31, 1960—Fireball Roberts wins the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Nov. 5, 1978—Richard Petty thought he had defeated rival Cale Yarborough to win the race, however, a scoring snafu is discovered afterwards and the victory is awarded to Donnie Allison.

Nov. 15, 1992—Alan Kulwicki may have finished second in the race, but it was good enough for him to overtake Bill Elliott and claim his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship by a slim 10-point margin. Many deemed this race to be one of the greatest NASCAR races ever. It also marked the final race for Richard Petty and was the first career race for Jeff Gordon.

March 12, 2000—Dale Earnhardt beats Bobby Labonte to the checkered flag by .01 seconds to record his ninth and final victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Earnhardt’s nine wins at AMS is the most of any driver.

March 11, 2001—Kevin Harvick holds off Jeff Gordon by .006 seconds to record his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. The victory came on the heels of the tragic loss of Dale Earnhardt at Daytona just a few weeks earlier. Earnhardt’s famed black Chevrolet had been painted white and re-numbered 29, with the rookie Harvick given the daunting task of driving the car. It was an emotional win for owner Richard Childress and marked the second straight win for his team at the Atlanta spring race.

He’s Back … Kyle Busch Wins At Vegas; Defending Race Winner At AMS

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota) demonstrated once again last Sunday that he will be a force to be reckoned with in 2009.

Busch hit the jackpot at his home track in Las Vegas, winning for the first time there. His 13th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory moved him up to sixth in the points standings. Busch, who won a record 21 races across all three national series a year ago, is the defending race champion at this Sunday’s KOBALT Tools 500 in Atlanta. Knowing that he won eight times last year at the next 17 tracks that the series competes should provide reason for heartburn for the rest of the competitors.

“We didn’t let Daytona haunt us,” said Busch, referring to his car getting caught up in an accident towards the end of the race after being so dominant throughout the day. “We went to California and ran a smart race and finished third. We came here (Las Vegas) and ran a smart race and won. This could have been a 1-3-1 season thus far, but it is what it is. We’re really looking forward to getting back to Atlanta this weekend and defending our race title.”

RCR Team Posts Strong Showing At Las Vegas — Richard Childress Racing posted three top 12 finishes last week at Las Vegas. Clint Bowyer (No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet, 2nd), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, 3rd) and Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Reese’s Chevrolet, 12th) came on strong and all moved up in the points standings. Bowyer is now second, having moved up four spots and now trails leader Jeff Gordon by just 18 points. Harvick moved up five spots to 11th, while Burton jumped 13 spots to move into 18th in points.

“Rocket Man” Looks For Record Friday At Atlanta — Ryan Newman (No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet) will be shooting for his eighth career pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Friday, which in turn would move him past Buddy Baker for the all-time pole winner record at Atlanta. Newman has 43 career poles, a total that ranks 11th all-time.

Footnotes — Bobby Labonte has six victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the most of any active driver … Rookie Joey Logano (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota) posted his best NSCS finish to date last week — a 13th-place showing at Las Vegas … Carl Edwards (No. 99 AFLAC Ford) has three wins at AMS, including his first career series win in 2005 … Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) blew an engine after only six laps at Las Vegas and dropped from first to third in points.

Loop Data Points To Strong Showing By Carl Edwards At Atlanta

Though Carl Edwards sits in ninth place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, he’s not exactly setting the world on fire.

At Las Vegas, he finished 17th; at Auto Club Speedway seventh; and at Daytona 18th. Edwards has led just three laps the entire season. What happened to the guy who won three of the final four races last season? Well, count on him coming back this Sunday at Atlanta — a track at which he dominated last October.

In Edwards’ nine-race Atlanta career, he has three wins (including his first career victory), five top fives and seven top 10s.

Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, Edwards ranks among the leaders in a number of statistical categories. He has a Driver Rating of 107.4 (second best), an Average Running Position of 10.312 (third), a series-high 260 Fastest Laps Run, an Average Green Flag Speed of 174.094 (second fastest), a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 84.6% (second), and 250 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), which is third-most.  

Speaking of those who are having uncharacteristic struggles in the early going, at the top of the list arguably sits Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet). He rebounded some with his 10th-place finish at Las Vegas and the momentum should continue this weekend at Atlanta.

In his past eight Atlanta races, Earnhardt has a Driver Rating of 103.7 (third), an Average Running Position of 10.331 (fourth), 216 Fastest Laps Run (second), 484 Green Flag Passes (fourth) and Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 77.3%.

Seeing Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet) anywhere but Victory Lane is surprising. This season has thus far been full of disappointment for the three-time defending champion. Johnson sits 19th in the series standings, but is strong at Atlanta. He leads the series in Driver Rating with a 112.9 and is the only driver with an Average Running Position under 10.0 — he has a series-best 7.2. He also ranks fourth in 183 Fastest Laps Run.

Crunch Time Approaches For Top 35 Positioning

For the first five races of the season, the top 35 teams from the final 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner points get guaranteed starting spots. After the first five weeks, the guaranteed berths are based on the 2009 owner point standings. With two races remaining before the 2009 top 35 owner points come into play, there are some intriguing stories that continue to be followed:

For example: the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota driven by Joey Logano and owned by Joe Gibbs is 32nd; the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet driven by Ryan Newman and owned by Tony Stewart is 33rd; and the No. 5 CARQUEST Chevrolet driven by Mark Martin and owned by Rick Hendrick is 34th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Rebounds At Las Vegas — Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted his first top-10 finish of the season at Las Vegas last week, placing 10th. The performance moved Earnhardt up six spots to 29th in the points standings. Earnhardt still has an uphill climb, as no driver has come back from that far back (29th) after three races to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. In fact, only three drivers have made the Chase from positions lower than 25th after three races — Jeremy Mayfield from 26th in 2005; Martin Truex Jr. from 27th in 2007 and Matt Kenseth from 28th in 2005. Earnhardt remains cautiously optimistic.

“We really needed that top-10 finish,” said Earnhardt. “We know that we have to put together six or seven good weeks to give ourselves a shot at getting back into the battle for the Chase. We’ve got some good tracks coming up where we can do just that. We’ve got to keep our heads on straight and be smart.”

Earnhardt has one win (2004), eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes at Atlanta.

Off The Track …

Thursday, March 5
What: Tony Stewart Autograph Session. Stewart, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, will be on hand for a special autograph session with his fans at the local Office Depot Store.
When:  2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Office Depot, 121 Willow Lane, McDonough, Ga.

Thursday, March 5
What: “Sound Check 9” music concert benefitting the Kasey Kahne Foundation. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge and Dierks Bentley, multi-platinum country music recording artist, have teamed up for a charity event.
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Wild Bill’s in Duluth, Ga.

Friday, March 6
What: Tough Tools for Cool Schools event. Three-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson takes part in a nationwide program launched at a local high school in which his team sponsor, Lowe’s, will donate approximately $300,000 worth of KOBALT Tools to more than 500 SkillsUSA classes across the country. Johnson will present the first donation of tools to the Building and Construction Trade Classroom at Lovejoy High School.
When: 10 a.m.
Where: Lovejoy High School, 1587 McDonough Road, Hampton, Ga.

Sunday, March 8
What: Speedway Children’s Charities Ride-Along Auctions. Fans can bid to ride around Atlanta Motor Speedway with their favorite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver in a Chevrolet Corvette convertible prior to the running of Sunday’s KOBALT Tools 500. To bid on any of the 25 Speedway Children’s Charities Ride-Along Auctions, fans should visit the Sports Memorabilia Autograph Original category at shop.ebay.com/merchant/scc4kids
When: 9 a.m.
Where: Atlanta Motor Speedway
For more information visit: www.speedwaycharities.org

Three Performers Slated for Pre-Race Show

Three performers — Richie McDonald, Craig Campbell and Chris Hatfield — are slated to appear at the AFLAC pre-race show prior to the running of the KOBALT Tools 500 on Sunday. McDonald is the former lead singer for platinum-selling band Lonestar and will sing the national anthem. Campbell and Hatfield will perform mini-concerts before the race.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Milestones

Sunday’s running of the KOBALT Tools 500 marks the 100th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Other career milestones this week include:

Bobby Labonte will be making his 550th start in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition.

Jeff Gordon will look to add to his 20,006 career laps led total — currently seventh on the all-time list.

Clint Bowyer has the active running at the finish record (76) — second on the all-time list. His last DNF was at Phoenix in November, 2006.

Up Next: Bristol Motor Speedway

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to its first short track of the 2009 season in Week 5 for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Sunday, March 15.

FOX will televise the race nationally, with pre-race coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. Green flag will be shortly after 2 p.m.

Jeff Burton is the defending race champion, his first of two victories in 2008. Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) and Jeff Gordon lead active drivers with five wins apiece at this .533-mile highly-banked short track located in eastern Tennessee.

Burton overtook Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) on a green-white-checkered finish when Hamlin’s fuel pickup burped in Turn 4 of the next-to-last lap. Kevin Harvick was second and Clint Bowyer was third, as Richard Childress Racing finished 1-2-3 for the first time ever in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event.

Fast Facts

• The Race:  KOBALT Tools 500
• The Date: Sunday, March 8
• The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway; 1.54-mile tri-oval
• The Time: 2 p.m. ET
• The Distance: 325 laps/500.5 miles
• TV: FOX , 1:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: PRN and Sirius Satellite; (Local PRN affiliate WEKS-FM 92.5)
• 2008 Polesitter: Jeff Gordon
• 2008 Winner: Kyle Busch
• Schedule: (All times local ET) Friday—Practice, 3-4:30 p.m.; Qualifying, 6:45 p.m. Saturday—Practice, 11-11:45 a.m.; Final Practice, 12:20-1:20 p.m.

2009 Top 12 Drivers
Rank	Driver	Points
1	Jeff Gordon	459
2	Clint Bowyer	441
3	Matt Kenseth	419
4	Greg Biffle	419
5	David Reutimann	408
6	Kyle Busch	405
7	Kurt Busch	393
8	Tony Stewart	379
9	Carl Edwards	377
10	Bobby Labonte	360
11	Kevin Harvick	351
12	Michael Waltrip	346

Lori Hamilton, wife of the late NASCAR racing legend Bobby Hamilton, is urging local fans take advantage of a free screening for oral, head and neck cancer that will be held on Saturday, March 7th and Sunday, March 8that Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia.

The screening will be conducted by medical professionals from the Georgia Chapter of the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA), formerly the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation. Screenings will be available from 9am-1:30pm on both March 7th and 8th in the vendor area.

This screening is being held in advance of the 2009 Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW), sponsored by the HNCA, which will be held nationwide from April 27-May 3. OHANCAW is dedicated annually to educating the public about these potentially life-threatening but highly treatable cancers, and to promoting prevention, screening and early detection. For more information, please visit the OHANCAW website at www.OHANCAW.com.

According to the American Cancer Society, last year an estimated 35,300 Americans were diagnosed with cancers of the head and neck — which include cancers of the oral cavity, larynx and pharynx – and about 7,600 died from the disease. Bobby Hamilton, the 2004NASCAR Camping WorldTruck Series champion and four-time winner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, died in January of 2007 at the age of 49 from complications of head and neck cancer.

"Bobby’s diagnosis hit us hard out of left field. After learning so much about the disease we became huge advocates of early detection and real believers in the screening process," said Lori Hamilton. "It is my honor to continue this effort in his name because we’ve made so much progress with past years’ screenings.Bobby would want us to press forward to reach more people with our message. The screening is quick, painless and free, so we are encouraging everyone to take advantage of this opportunity that could save your life."

"When diagnosed early, oral and other head and neck cancers can be more easily treated without significant complications, and the chances of survival increase," said Steven Roser, D.M.D., M.D., DeLos Professor and Chief, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, and Medical Director of the Georgia Chapter of HNCA. "However, many Americans do not recognize the symptoms of these cancers, which reinforces the importance of getting screened properly, and not just for those who are at high risk such as tobacco and alcohol users."

Oropharyngeal cancer — cancer of the tonsil or base of the tongue — is on the rise in populations normally considered to be at low risk, including young adults who don’t smoke. Researchers have attributed this development partly to the increase of the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which can be transmitted by oral sex. Writing in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers from the National Cancer Institute and the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions concluded that potentially HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers increased in the U.S. from 1973 to 2004, perhaps as a result of changing sexual behaviors.

For more information about the free screening at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 7, contact Edie R. Hapner, PhD CCC-SLP, at 404-686-7798 or ehapner@emory.edu.

About Oral, Head & Neck Cancer

Oral, head & neck cancer (OHNC) refers to a variety of cancers that develop in the head and neck region, such as: the oral cavity (mouth); the pharynx (throat); paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity; the larynx (voice box); thyroid and salivary glands; the skin of the face and neck; and the lymph nodes in the neck.

Common warning signs of OHNC are:

• Red or white patch in the mouth that lasts more than two weeks
• Change in voice or hoarseness that lasts more than two weeks
• Sore throat that does not subside
• Pain or swelling in the mouth or neck that does not subside
• Lump in the neck

Other warning signs that occur during later stages of the disease include:

• Ear pain
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing
• Difficulty breathing

The most effective prevention strategy continues to be the cessation of behaviors such as smoking, use of chewing tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption. More than 85 percent of head and neck cancers are related to tobacco use, while others may have a relationship to viral causes such as HPV and Epstein-Barr Virus.

“Brian Vickers has already gone through a lot in his Cup career. It’s easy to forget that he’s only 25.

He has gone from being a Young Gun with one of the top organizations in racing to driving for an upstart team that was instantly dismissed by some as a career-killer. In his third season with Red Bull Racing, Vickers is the one grinning and looks ready for bigger things yet.

When Brian Vickers was 19 he had already won a Busch Series championship.

The Next Hendrick Superstar?

He became a full time Cup driver the following year in 2004 with Hendrick Motorsports and was considered on the fast track to stardom. Unfortunately 2004 was a trying year filled with crashes, glimpses of promise and the tragic death of friend and Busch owner Ricky Hendrick.

Vickers toiled for two more seasons, picking up 1 Cup win and ten top fives over the three years in the #25 car. His one win at Talladega was shrouded in controversy when Vickers hooked teammate Jimmie Johnson and spun him into leader Dale Earnhardt Jr on the final lap while Vickers sailed by for the win.

Moving to Team Red Bull

After the season he moved to Red Bull, a team with zero Cup experience and deep pockets.

The quick conclusion was that Vickers left Hendrick for a big payday. Some even questioned whether Vickers’ career was a disappointment. While Vickers definitely got a nice pay raise, it’s also clear now that Vickers relished the chance to mature outside of the spotlight at Hendrick and building something from scratch.

As expected year one was rough, but was expected from not only a new team but a brand new manufacturer with a brand new engine package. Vickers missed 13 races and suffered 5 DNF’s and was never inside the top 35. Despite the nightmare, Vickers still had several high points as the top Toyota driver. He scored one top five and five top tens in 23 races. While far from dazzling numbers, they were still impressive considering the obstacles Red Bull faced in their first season.

Last season Vickers easily secured a place in the the top 35, finished 19th and scored 3 top 5’s and 6 top 10’s. He also led 232 laps which was more than several higher profile drivers like Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton. The reason this didn’t garner more attention was because Vickers and the #83 team lacked consistency and too often had pit road mistakes spoil any chance at wins. The progress was definitely evident and showed that Vickers is closer to joining NASCAR’s upper echeolon than many realized.

Vickers in 2009

So far in 2009 Vickers has two top tens, a pole win (Fontana) and a role in a large wreck at Daytona.

Vickers has always enjoyed success at intermediate tracks like California, Atlanta, Texas and Charlotte. There is also Pocono where he has four career top 5’s including a 2nd place effort last year. It’s not impossible to see Vickers scoring a win at one of these tracks this year. While a win would be monumental, there is still a lot of work to be done for the #83 team.

Vickers still struggles on short tracks must find a way to avoid bad results. Turning sub-35 (9 in 2008) runs into top 20’s or 25’s can save a lot of points.

The Chase might be too far out of reach for this year, but Vickers would definitely turn heads if he could find his way to Victory Lane.”

1		With a win from the pole (sort of) in front of his hometown crowd Kyle Busch moves up into the top spot for the first time in the 2009 season. With his win he also moved into sixth position in the point standings. Last year at Atlanta Kyle Busch lead 173 laps and averaged 175 points a race.
+1	Kyle Busch
2		Matt Kenseth had a nice short day at Las Vegas. He only completed 6 laps before his engine blew. Who knows how good his car was. My guess is that it would have been a solid top 10. Kenseth will look to rebound at Atlanta were last year he lead 128 laps and scored the second most points last year behind Kyle Busch.
-1	Matt Kenseth
3		Jeff Gordon finished in sixth place at Las Vegas with a damaged car. The 24 car has been a serious challenger every week and Gordon is now first place in the point standings. Gordon also surpassed the 20,000 career laps led mark at Las Vegas, but did you know he’s lead over 1,000 laps at Atlanta alone. Gordon has 4 wins, 21 top tens, and a good average finish of 12.7 at Atlanta.
+1	Jeff Gordon
4		Johnson had bad luck at Las Vegas in the final third of the race with his pit problems and a late wreck. Luckily for Johnson the real season hasn’t started yet and no team is more clutch down the stretch then the 48 team. Johnson does have a series best average finish of 10.4 at Atlanta and his points climb is inevitable.
-1	Jimmie Johnson
5		Greg Biffle was the highest finishing Roush Fenway car at Las Vegas and finished in the 7th position. His Ford engine was spared, but many of his teammates weren’t so lucky. With his solid finish he moved up to third in the point standings. Atlanta is a fast track and Biffle had 2 top tens there in 2008.
+3	Greg Biffle
6		Carl Edwards was running solidly in the top 10 until his engine blew up right at the very end. Fortunately for him it lasted much longer then some of his other teammate’s engines. Atlanta is like medicine for the 99 team and Carl Edwards won the fall race last year. In the spring race Edwards had perhaps the best car, but unfortunately his engine blew up.
-	Carl Edwards
7		Tony Stewart had a good race at Vegas but unfortunately his finish position didn’t reflect how good the 14 team performed. Stewart was consistently in the top 10 until a loose wheel ruined his day. With strong performances early for this team they will be in excellent shape when the chase starts.
-2	Tony Stewart
8		Clint Bowyer finished 2nd at Las Vegas with his gutsy pit strategy. With his strong finish Bowyer also moved up to 2nd in the point standings. Clint Bowyer now trails Jeff Gordon by 18 points.
+4	Clint Bowyer
9		Kevin Harvick had a nice late rally to finish 12th at Las Vegas. Kevin Harvick won his first race at Atlanta, but that doesn’t mean I would recommend using him there. At Atlanta Harvick has an average finish of 22.6 and has only 3 top tens in 16 races.
-2	Kevin Harvick
10		Kurt Busch had a top 5 car, but about 100 laps into the race the 2 car was down to 7 cylinders. Luckily Kurt was able to nurse the 2 car to the finish line. In 2008 Kurt finished 11th and 6th at Atlanta.
+1	Kurt Busch
11		Denny Hamlin started in the back and worked his way into the top 10. Then at lap 171 Hamlin slapped the wall and his day was over. He finished in the 22nd position.
-1	Denny Hamlin
12		Jeff Burton had a traditional Jeff Burton day at Las Vegas. He started mid pack and crept his way into getting a good finish.The 31 team must be relieved after their California nightmare performance.
+3	Jeff Burton
13		Mark Martin doesn’t work in the motor department so this low ranking isn’t his fault. This team needs to build a car with some durability.
-4	Mark Martin
14		The 88 car had their best finish of the season at Las Vegas. Earnhardt Jr really needs to step up his pit road performance because this problem is avoidable. Atlanta is Junior’s best Intermediate track and he has an average finish of 11.7.
-	Dale Earnhardt Jr
15		Jaime McMurray makes his first appearance in my power rankings with his 9th place finish. The 26 has been perhaps the most consistent car of the season with good runs everywhere.
Not Rated	Jamie McMurray

What is The C-List?
The weekly guide on getting the most out of low-rent fantasy drivers; C-List drivers in the Yahoo! game and/or drivers valued at $20.00 or less in salary cap games.

AJ Allmendinger – (last season @ Pep Boys Auto 500: 14th, 2007 @ Pep Boys Auto 500: 16th)
Allmendinger has never started in the March race at Atlanta, but he’s done pretty well in his only two starts– both coming in October races. Although he has a mediocre average starting position, 35.0, Allmendinger has picked up 20 spots to finish 15.0, on the average. Following a surprise third place finish at Daytona, Allmendinger has not finished on the lead lap in two straight races but is a strong candidate to recover this week.

Reed Sorenson – (last season: 31st, 39th @ Pep Boys Auto 500)
Last season, his average finish was a disappointing 30.0. On the other hand, in 2007 Sorenson’s average finish was 6.0. Which Sorenson will show up this week? Sorenson is a decent option as a reserve in the event he had a good qualifying run.

Also consider…
Robby Gordon – (average finish of 21.0 in the last four starts, improved position in six straight starts)
Sam Hornish Jr. - (last season: 25th, 24th @ Pep Boys Auto 500)

C-List results last week @ Shelby 427:

Starts: Marcos Ambrose (20th)

C-List 2009 season tally:

Starts average finish: 17.2

“

“Is anyone else going to hear Mike Joy saying, “Caution on the racetrack” in their sleep? Actually the calls for “Trouble in Turn 2″ were refreshing and brought back fond memories.

Fourteen cautions that felt like forty and cars may still be spinning around.

The race actually contained a fair amount of intrigue with the variety of pit strategies and the way some of the favorites fell off. Matt Kenseth lost an engine before anyone could spell USG, followed later by teammates David Ragan and ultimately Carl Edwards.

Jimmie Johnson made a rare mistake entering the pits and then later wrecked thanks to some questionable clean-up of some Speedy Dry.

Jeff Gordon finished in the top ten despite a car with a huge patch on the left front. Some people may say his luck had changed. Maybe, but more significantly is his running position on the track. He’s running where he was in 2007 (at the front) and is more capable of recovering from “bad luck” or to capitalize on “good luck”.

In the end Kyle Busch patiently made his way to the front and took off, winning in his home state. It seemed like a popular win, something that the Busch brothers don’t always experience despite their massive talents. As talented as they are behind the wheel, they are equally quirky away from it. From Kurt Busch doing snow angels in Texas to Kyle Busch trying to kiss the Vegas finish line through his helmet, their victory celebrations still need some work.

Other Thoughts and Notes

• during the broadcast Ask.com quizzed viewers on Las Vegas Motorspeedway’s nicknames. I confess, along with Larry McReynolds, that I had no idea that LVMS had one nickname, let alone multiple monikers. Apparently Las Vegas is the House of Roush and the Diamond in the Desert. I thought the House of Roush was Michigan Speedway?
• It’s clearly early but who else is surprised?
• Penske Championship Racing had a strong day with all three cars on the lead lap for the majority of the day. Unfortunately Kurt Busch had mechanical problems and David Stremme suffered a late spin to spoil their deserved finishes. Sam Hornish Jr did finish in 16th on the lead lap.
• On the subject of Penske Championship Racing, shouldn’t they have to win a NASCAR championship before applying that title? I realize Penske has 10 CART/IRL championships and that Kurt Busch and Rusty Wallace were both past champions, but it’s not quite the same. It would be like me suddenly dubbing myself Dr. Mike Maruska.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr had possibly the quietest top ten of his career. Despite several articles proclaiming his demise, Jr has actually had top 5 or top 10 cars in all three races so far. His progress was stunted at Daytona by rain and a sour engine at California and he overcame a pit road speeding penalty at Vegas for his first top ten. He was one of the fastest cars on green flag runs, but was bogged down by the multiple cautions late.
• Mark Martin has two engine failures in the last two races. His last engine failure prior? Try Pocono in 2004, 143 races ago.
• How bad have you got it? I have a friend who has it bad. Last year he made plans with his brothers and dad to go to the Daytona 500. Then he and his wife found out they were expecting in February. The baby was born the Wednesday before Speedweeks, my friend flew immediately after to Daytona for the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500, capping off one of the most memorable weeks in his life. Why am I bringing this up now? He named his daughter Shelby, which made me smile this week. He’s a car guy and well, he has it bad.

What caught your eye during Sunday’s race? How many wins can Shrub rack up this year? Can Mark Martin make the Chase?
“

This week the series heads to Atlanta for the first time this early in the season. NASCAR believes that they should get much better weather this time of the year and thus be able to bring more fans to this venue. I’m not sure if this is going to work because it sounds like every track is having a hard time selling out because of the economy this year.

There are only 2 races left before the top 35 in the standings for this season are guaranteed a starting spot in the race. Some of the big names that are currently in the top 35 but are in danger of dropping out and having to qualify on speed include Mark Martin, Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

My pick to win this weekend’s Kobalt Tools 500 in Atlanta is Jimmie Johnson.

• Jimmie Johnson has struggled a little bit during the early going this season but there is nothing to worry about. Since Daytona, Jimmie has had pretty good handling cars with a lot of power built into them. A mistake on pit road forced him to the back of the pack last weekend and he was over driving his car trying to get as many spots back as he could. Jimmie has been very good at Atlanta with 2 wins and 2 runner-up finishes in his last 5 starts there. Engines will be a concern for the Hendrick teams once again this coming weekend with a 500-mile race

• Jeff Gordon seems to be back in championship run mode right now. For the last few years Jeff has struggled on the intermediate tracks but came away with a great finish at Las Vegas last week and has finished in the top 10 in 6 of his last 7 starts in Atlanta.
• Carl Edwards was the king of the intermediate tracks last season but the Roush teams had some major problems with engines last weekend. Heading into another 500-mile race this weekend could be of some concern for all of these teams once again. Losing 3 engines in 5 cars and having the other 2 drivers saying that their engines were sounding funny and giving them vibrations is raising some red flags for me right now. Carl does have 3 wins here in 9 starts and will be a contender if the engines hold up next weekend.
• Kyle Busch struggled here early in his short career but made a turn around last season, winning in the spring and finishing 5th in the fall race. As I say every week, Kyle can win at any track at any time. The trick is to use him when he doesn’t have some sort of problem during the race. It’s a long season and the Toyota’s haven’t had the greatest luck with their engines either so far.
• Tony Stewart has run surprisingly well so far this year and usually runs very well at Atlanta. Tony has 12 top 10 finishes in his last 15 starts here including 2 wins and 3 runner-up finishes during that stretch.
• Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 5 at Atlanta in 5 of the last 7 races run there. However, Matt has one of those Roush engines which he lost after less than 9-miles of the race was run last weekend at Las Vegas. Once the Roush teams have this issue behind them they are going to be very tough week in and week out.
• Greg Biffle is yet another of the Roush drivers that is having a very good year so far. Once again Greg loves to run at Atlanta and if his engine holds on he will be there at the end to challenge for the win. Greg has never won at Atlanta but has dominated some of these races before mechanical failures or accidents have taken him out of the races.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has one of the best finishing averages of all drivers at Atlanta but has been struggling a bit so far this season. I think that there is a lot of pressure on Junior right now to improve on his performance. I really believe that he needs a crew chief change for starters and then he needs to get a win under his belt to remove some of this pressure.

Yahoo Picks for Atlanta

Group A

• Jimmie Johnson
• Jeff Gordon

Group B

• Tony Stewart
• Jamie McMurray
• Brian Vickers
• David Ragan

Group C

• AJ Allmendinger
• Bobby Labonte

Top 5 Overall at Atlanta

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Carl Edwards
4. Kyle Busch
5. Matt Kenseth

Dark Horse: Jamie McMurray
Stay Away From: Martin Truex Jr.

As always you can Email me with your questions, comments or suggestions at gutsamaniac@hotmail.com. Good luck once again this weekend!

WOW…Is Vegas the new ‘Dega? No, we didn’t see the “big one” but we did see some crazy stuff happen early and often. 14 Times the Yellow Flag waved and still it did not encapsulate all the craziness of the day, for instance, the last lap with Edwards running out of fuel/blowing an engine. (I have yet to hear the reason they plan on sticking with.)

Anyway, here is what you came to read:

Champs:

Ky. Busch = 190
B. Labonte= 155

Chumps:

Kenseth= 34
Ragan= 37

Sleepers:

Vickers= 142
Burton= 170

Total= 586

This was a heck of a week for Chumps. You scored “big” if you had either one on your list.

With Atlanta coming up, I suppose the man to beat will have to be Johnson. There you go, everyone will pick Johnson again this week.

The OBW Experts will get together the day after the Sprint Cup race to discuss the hot topics of the week.

This week we chat about Las Vegas, Kyle Busch’s hometown victory and all those exploding engines. We will also take a look ahead to Sunday at Atlanta.

What is the bigger story coming out of the Shelby 427? Kyle Busch getting his first Cup victory in his hometown or the rash of engine problems that plagued the race.

Jeff Gutowski: I think the engine problems are due to the teams trying to push the envelope a bit early in the season. Even with a 500-mile race next week, I think you’ll see a lot less problems for the engine builders. Kyle Busch can win anywhere and it was only a matter of time before he won at home.

Ryan Rantz: The story of the weekend was the engine problems. There must of been a dozen engine failures between practice, qualifying and the race. Kyle winning at his home track is big for him, but for me it’s just another race.

Eric McClung: The engine issues certainly dominated the race. From Matt Kenseth, who had his run at history end as soon as it began, to Mark Martin, who had been running in the top-five all day, to Carl Edwards becoming the third Rouch car to blow.

Kyle Busch won the Kobalt Tools 500 last season and finished fifth at the Pep Boys Auto 500. Besides those two races, Busch has a mediocre history at Atlanta. What do you expect from him on Sunday?

Mike Maruska: I think Busch will run in the top-five or top-10 all day at Atlanta. It’s not really fair to look at Busch’s history because he’s young and his first two years were spent learning, so it is a very small sample size. The CoT has also altered things, so I’d trust his record last year over his prior seven races. In 2007, he led 77 laps before getting caught up in a crazy wreck at the end of the race, so it’s not like Busch suddenly turned it on last year.

Eric Brewer: I believe Kyle is a threat every week. I imagine he might be my pick for next week. Until Johnson and Edwards get their acts together, Kyle is the man with the momentum and will gather points with in any fantasy league.

Darren Fauth: I think he could win it. Busch has come in to his own with the Gibbs organization, so I’d just as soon throw out any stats for Kyle prior to last year. The way I see it, Kyle has an average finish of third at Atlanta.

Ryan Rantz: I think Kyle will contend for a win at Atlanta but he will face stiff competition from the Roush Fenway Fords and the Hendrick Chevys. Atlanta will be more challenging than Las Vegas because more lines around the track are established.

Before he head out, any other thoughts?

Eric McClung: Between the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races, the only thing that rivaled the blown engines (and the awful Vegas puns) was the speeding penalties in pit road. Either raise it or move the commitment cone back.

Darren Fauth: I know it is early and the standings will continue to take some dramatic swings, but it is great to see Jeff Gordon on top– I think this is his year to win the championship. Also, David Reutimann, Tony Stewart (I was a serious doubter), Bobby Labonte and Michael Waltrip remain the top-12 in driver standings.