The Sports Network - NASCAR Sprint Cup

2011 Finish
Finish	Driver	Start	Finish	Driver	Start
1	Jeff Gordon	5	6	Brad Keselowski	6
2	Jimmie Johnson	17	7	Kevin Harvick	21
3	Tony Stewart	20	8	Denny Hamlin	13
4	Kurt Busch	10	9	Matt Kenseth	6
5	Carl Edwards	7	10	A.J. Allmendinger	11

2011 AdvoCare 500 Facts and Figures
AVERAGE SPEED: 124.623 m.p.h.
TIME OF RACE: 4 hours, 0 minutes, 58 seconds
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.598 second
CAUTION FLAGS: 9 for 64 laps
LEAD CHANGES: 35 among 14 drivers
POLE WINNER: Kasey Kahne (186.196 m.p.h.)

Past AdvoCare 500 Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed

2011 -- Jeff Gordon (5th) -- Chevrolet -- 124.623 m.p.h.

2010 -- Tony Stewart (5th) -- Chevrolet -- 129.041 m.p.h.

2009 -- Kasey Kahne (2nd) -- Dodge -- 134.033 m.p.h.

2008 -- Carl Edwards (4th) -- Ford -- 134.272 m.p.h.

2007 -- Jimmie Johnson (6th) -- Chevrolet -- 135.260 m.p.h.

2006 -- Tony Stewart (11th) -- Chevrolet -- 143.421 m.p.h.

2005 -- Carl Edwards (2nd) -- Ford -- 146.834 m.p.h.

2004 -- Jimmie Johnson (8th) -- Chevrolet -- 145.847 m.p.h.

2003 -- Jeff Gordon (19th) -- Chevrolet -- 127.769 m.p.h.

2002 -- Kurt Busch (8th) -- Ford -- 127.519 m.p.h.

2001 -- Bobby Labonte (39th) -- Pontiac -- 151.756 m.p.h.

2000 -- Jerry Nadeau (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 141.296 m.p.h.

1999 -- Bobby Labonte (37th) -- Pontiac -- 137.932 m.p.h.

1998 -- Jeff Gordon (21st) -- Chevrolet -- 114.915 m.p.h.

1997 -- Bobby Labonte (21st) -- Pontiac -- 159.904 m.p.h.

1996 -- Bobby Labonte (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 134.661 m.p.h.

1995 -- Dale Earnhardt (11th) -- Chevrolet -- 163.633 m.p.h.

1994 -- Mark Martin (5th) -- Ford -- 148.982 m.p.h.

1993 -- Rusty Wallace (20th) -- Pontiac -- 125.221 m.p.h.

1992 -- Bill Elliott (11th) -- Ford -- 133.322 m.p.h.

1991 -- Mark Martin (4th) -- Ford -- 137.968 m.p.h.

1990 -- Morgan Shepherd (20th) -- Ford -- 140.911 m.p.h.

1989 -- Dale Earnhardt (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 140.229 m.p.h.

1988 -- Rusty Wallace (1st) -- Pontiac -- 129.024 m.p.h.

1987 -- Bill Elliott (1st) -- Ford -- 139.047 m.p.h.

1986 -- Dale Earnhardt (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 152.523 m.p.h.

1985 -- Bill Elliott (3rd) -- Ford -- 139.597 m.p.h.

1984 -- Dale Earnhardt (10th) -- Chevrolet -- (134.610 m.p.h.

1983 -- Neil Bonnett (15th) -- Chevrolet -- 137.643 m.p.h.

1982 -- Bobby Allison (9th) -- Buick -- 130.884 m.p.h.

1981 -- Neil Bonnett (5th) -- Ford -- 130.391 m.p.h.

1980 -- Cale Yarborough (12th) -- Chevrolet -- 131.190 m.p.h.

1979 -- Neil Bonnett (4th) -- Mercury -- 137.643 m.p.h.

1978 -- Donnie Allison (13th) -- Chevrolet -- 124.312 m.p.h.

1977 -- Darrell Waltrip (8th) -- Chevrolet -- 110.052 m.p.h.

1976 -- Dave Marcis (2nd) -- Dodge -- 127.396 m.p.h.

1975 -- Buddy Baker (3rd) -- Ford -- 130.900 m.p.h.

1974 -- Richard Petty (2nd) -- Dodge -- 131.651 m.p.h.

1973 -- David Pearson (5th) -- Mercury -- 130.211 m.p.h.

1972 -- Bobby Allison (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 131.295 m.p.h.

1971 -- Richard Petty (3rd) -- Plymouth -- 120.061 m.p.h.

1970 -- Richard Petty (6th) -- Plymouth -- 142.712 m.p.h.

1969 -- LeeRoy Yarborough (2nd) -- Ford -- 133.001 m.p.h.

1968 -- LeeRoy Yarborough (5th) -- Mercury -- 127.068 m.p.h.

1967 -- Dick Hutcherson (8th) -- Ford -- 132.286 m.p.h.

1966 -- Richard Petty (5th) -- Plymouth -- 130.244 m.p.h.

1965 -- Marvin Panch (2nd) -- Ford -- 110.120 m.p.h.

1964 -- Ned Jarrett (17th) -- Ford -- 112.535 m.p.h.

1963 -- Junior Johnson (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 121.139 m.p.h.

1962 -- Rex White (5th) -- Chevrolet -- 124.896 m.p.h.

1961 -- David Pearson (5th) -- Pontiac -- 125.230 m.p.h.

1960 -- Bobby Johns (5th) -- Pontiac -- 134.596 m.p.h.

NOTE: Formerly called Atlanta 500 (1960), Dixie 400 and 500 (1961-79), Atlanta

Journal 500 (1980-90), Hardee's 500 (1991), Hooters 500 (1992-94), NAPA

500 (1995-2002), Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 (2003-06), Pep Boys Auto 500

(2007-09), Emory Healthcare 500 (2010). Race changed from 400 to 500

miles (1967).

Past AdvoCare 500 Pole Winners (Finish)

2011 -- Kasey Kahne -- 34th

2010 -- Denny Hamlin -- 43rd

2009 -- Martin Truex Jr -- 26th

2008 -- None -- Weather

2007 -- Greg Biffle -- 22nd

2006 -- None -- Weather

2005 -- Ryan Newman -- 23rd

2004 -- Ryan Newman -- 17th

2003 -- Ryan Newman -- 29th

2002 -- None -- Weather

2001 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr -- 7th

2000 -- Jeff Gordon -- 4th

1999 -- Kevin Lepage -- 17th

1998 -- Kenny Irwin Jr -- 16th

1997 -- Geoffrey Bodine -- 33rd

1996 -- Bobby Labonte -- 1st

1995 -- Darrell Waltrip -- 16th

1994 -- Greg Sacks -- 39th

1993 -- Harry Gant -- 28th

1992 -- Rick Mast -- 28th

1991 -- Bill Elliott -- 3rd

1990 -- Rusty Wallace -- 9th

1989 -- Alan Kulwicki -- 13th

1988 -- Rusty Wallace -- 1st

1987 -- Bill Elliott -- 1st

1986 -- Bill Elliott -- 3rd

1985 -- Harry Gant -- 8th

1984 -- Bill Elliott -- 2nd

1983 -- Tim Richmond -- 29th

1982 -- Morgan Shepherd -- 25th

1981 -- Harry Gant -- 20th

1980 -- Bobby Allison -- 38th

1979 -- Buddy Baker -- 39th

1978 -- Cale Yarborough -- 8th

1977 -- Sam Sommers -- 28th

1976 -- Buddy Baker -- 5th

1975 -- Dave Marcis -- 2nd

1974 -- Cale Yarborough -- 14th

1973 -- Richard Petty -- 33rd

1972 -- David Pearson -- 3rd

1971 -- Buddy Baker -- 25th

1970 -- Fred Lorenzen -- 22nd

1969 -- Cale Yarborough -- 7th

1968 -- Buddy Baker -- 36th

1967 -- Darel Dieringer -- 18th

1966 -- Curtis Turner -- 24th

1965 -- Fred Lorenzen -- 23rd

1964 -- Junior Johnson -- 27th

1963 -- Marvin Panch -- 3rd

1962 -- Fireball Roberts -- 10th

1961 -- Fireball Roberts -- 3rd

1960 -- Fireball Roberts -- 34th

Last Race Results
RACE: IRWIN Tools Night Race (August 25th)
SITE: Bristol Motor Speedway -- Bristol, Tennessee
MILES: 266.5
LAPS: 500
WINNER: Denny Hamlin
RUNNER-UP: Jimmie Johnson
THIRD: Jeff Gordon
FOURTH: Brian Vickers
FIFTH: Marcos Ambrose
POLE WINNER: Casey Mears (Finished 21st)
TIME OF RACE: 3 hours, 9 minutes, 27 seconds
AVERAGE SPEED: 84.402 m.p.h.
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.103 seconds
CAUTION FLAGS: 13 for 87 laps
LEAD CHANGES: 22 among 13 drivers
LAP LEADERS: C. Mears 1-26; J. Logano 27-84; D. Hamlin 85; J. Logano 86-107;
	K. Kahne 108-149; J. Logano 150-192; D. Earnhardt Jr. 193-205; D.
	Hamlin 206-226; G. Biffle 227-253; M. Kenseth 254-272; J. Johnson
	273-324; D. Hamlin 325; M. Kenseth 326-331; T. Stewart 332; J.
	Logano 333-348; M. Ambrose 349; G. Biffle 350-363; M. Truex Jr.
	364-407; D. Hamlin 408-415; C. Edwards 416-443; B. Vickers 444;
	C. Edwards 445-461; D. Hamlin 462-500.

AdvoCare 500 Entry List
Car	Driver, Hometown	Car/Name
1	Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO)	Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops
2	Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI)	Dodge/Miller Lite
5	Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA)	Chevrolet/hendrickcars.com
9	Marcos Ambrose (Launceston, Australia)	Ford/DeWalt
10	Danica Patrick (Roscoe, IL)	Chevrolet/GoDaddy.com
11	Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA)	Toyota/Sports Clips
13	Casey Mears (Bakersfield, CA)	Ford/Geico
14	Tony Stewart (Columbus, IN)	Chevrolet/Mobil 1/Office Depot
15	Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS)	Toyota/5-Hour Energy
16	Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA)	Ford/3M/Manheim Auctions
17	Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI)	Ford/Roush Fenway Racing
18	Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV)	Toyota/Wrigley
19	Mike Bliss (Milwaukie, OR)	Ford/Plinker Tactical
20	Joey Logano (Middletown, CT)	Toyota/Home Depot
21	Trevor Bayne (Knoxville, TN)	Ford/Good Sam/Camping World
22	Sam Hornish Jr. (Defiance, OH)	Dodge/Shell/Pennzoil
23	Scott Riggs (Bahama, NC)	Chevrolet/North Texas Pipe
24 *	Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA)	Chevrolet/DuPont
26	Josh Wise (Riverside, CA)	Ford/MDS Transport
27	Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI)	Chevrolet/Menards/Quaker State
29	Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA)	Chevrolet/Rheem
30	David Stremme (South Bend, IN)	Toyota/Inception Motorsports
31	Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA)	Chevrolet/Caterpillar
32	Ken Schrader (Fenton, MO)	Ford/TBA
33	Stephen Leicht (Asheville, NC)	Chevrolet/littlejoesautos.com
34	David Ragan (Unadilla, GA)	Ford/Glory Foods
36	Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH)	Chevrolet/Tommy Baldwin Racing
37	J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ)	Chevrolet/TBA
38	David Gilliland (Riverside, CA)	Ford/House Autry
39	Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN)	Chevrolet/U.S. Army
42	Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Colombia)	Chevrolet/Target
43	Aric Almirola (Tampa, FL)	Ford/AdvoCare
47	Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX)	Toyota/Kingsford
48	Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, CA)	Chevrolet/Lowe's/Kobalt Tools
49	Jason Leffler (Long Beach, CA)	Toyota/America Israel Racing
51	Kurt Busch (Las Vegas, NV)	Chevrolet/hendrickcars.com
55	Mark Martin (Batesville, AR)	Toyota/Aaron's Dream Machine
56	Martin Truex Jr. (Mayetta, NJ)	Toyota/NAPA Shocks and Struts
78	Regan Smith (Cato, NY)	Chevrolet/Furniture Row
83	Landon Cassill (Cedar Rapids, IA)	Toyota/Burger King
87	Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL)	Toyota/AM FM Energy Wood&Pellet
88	Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Kannapolis, NC)	Chevrolet/Diet Mt. Dew/Nat Guard
91	Reed Sorenson (Peachtree City, GA)	Toyota/Plinker Tactical
93	Travis Kvapil (Janesville, WI)	Toyota/Burger King
95	Scott Speed (Manteca, CA)	Ford/Jordan Truck Sales
98	Michael McDowell (Glendale, AZ)	Ford/Phil Parsons Racing
99	Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO)	Ford/Subway

* - Defending champion

Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years)
Driver	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Jeff Gordon	Won	34th	2nd	6th	7th	9th	8th	13th	Won
Jimmie Johnson	3rd	Won	16th	2nd	Won	2nd	36th	3rd	2nd
Tony Stewart	2nd	9th	9th	Won	30th	17th	11th	Won	3rd
Kurt Busch	8th	42nd	36th	14th	8th	6th	38th	6th	4th
Carl Edwards	---	3rd	Won	7th	2nd	Won	37th	2nd	5th
Brad Keselowski	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	25th	6th
Kevin Harvick	20th	35th	22nd	31st	15th	13th	2nd	33rd	7th
Denny Hamlin	---	---	19th	8th	24th	3rd	6th	43rd	8th
Matt Kenseth	11th	41st	5th	4th	4th	4th	12th	11th	9th
A.J. Allmendinger	---	---	---	---	16th	14th	20th	18th	10th
Greg Biffle	34th	10th	7th	5th	22nd	10th	10th	36th	12th
Jeff Burton	23rd	6th	8th	13th	5th	18th	34th	4th	13th
Martin Truex Jr	---	37th	40th	37th	31st	15th	26th	12th	14th
Juan Pablo Montoya	---	---	---	---	34th	40th	3rd	9th	15th
Jamie McMurray	15th	8th	6th	40th	26th	7th	28th	15th	16th
Mark Martin	39th	2nd	3rd	36th	43rd	22nd	5th	21st	17th
Paul Menard	---	---	---	---	27th	31st	15th	35th	18th
Dale Earnhardt Jr	6th	33rd	4th	3rd	25th	11th	17th	22nd	19th
Ryan Newman	29th	17th	23rd	30th	37th	16th	9th	8th	20th
Marcos Ambrose	---	---	---	---	---	29th	23rd	10th	21st
Kyle Busch	---	43rd	12th	27th	20th	5th	13th	5th	23rd
Joey Logano	---	---	---	---	---	---	22nd	27th	24th
David Reutimann	---	---	---	---	---	28th	4th	16th	31st
Kasey Kahne	---	5th	35th	38th	9th	33rd	Won	32nd	34th
Clint Bowyer	---	---	---	25th	6th	20th	29th	7th	36th

Mover of the Week

Jimmie Johnson - Started in the 37th position and finished 2nd

Sports Network Selections

Pick to Win - Carl Edwards

Darkhorse - Kasey Kahne

Last Week's Pick to Win (Dale Earnhardt Jr) - Finished 12th

Last Week's Darkhorse (Paul Menard) - Finished 10th

NOTES:

With two races to go before the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, the top-10 drivers in points are beginning to solidify their spots in the playoffs.

The top-nine positions are almost locked in, but spots 10-12 are up for grabs, as the series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.

Tony Stewart is currently ranked 10th in the standings, just 16 points ahead of 11th-place Kasey Kahne, while 12th-place Carl Edwards is on the bubble, 34 points behind Stewart.

The current top-three drivers in points -- Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- clinched their spots in the Chase last Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

One year ago, Gordon overcame a vibration issue late in the race and then held off a furious challenge from his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jimmie Johnson, during the closing laps to win the AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta -- a race delayed two days due to Tropical Storm Lee.

Gordon claimed his 85th career victory, which placed him in sole possession of third on the Cup Series' all-time race winners list. Richard Petty holds the record with 200 wins, followed by David Pearson with 105.

With less than 50 laps remaining, Gordon told crew chief Alan Gustafson over the team radio that he was experiencing a bad vibration, probably due to a loose wheel. When Gordon made his final pit with 41 laps to go, his team made adjustments to the car, which put him into the lead for good after a cycle of stops under green concluded with 38 laps left.

Johnson chased down Gordon with 10 laps remaining and ran side-by-side with him for the lead at one point, but Johnson's car got loose several times during the last four laps. Gordon crossed the finish line 0.6 seconds ahead of Johnson for his third win of that season.

Following a win in 2006, Tony Stewart responded with three lackluster performances in Atlanta, placing outside the top-10 in all three races. That all changed in 2010, as he snapped a 31-race winless streak in the Sprint Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Stewart led 176 of 325 laps, but the three-time NASCAR Cup champion had to pass Carl Edwards for the lead just after a restart with 25 laps remaining.

The eighth and final caution occurred on lap 303. Then defending champion Kasey Kahne made contact with Kurt Busch after he was hit from behind by Ryan Newman. Kahne cut a tire and shredded debris on the track. After the final restart with 18 laps to go, Stewart quickly pulled away and then held off Edwards by 1.3 seconds.

Never a serious contender in Atlanta, Kasey Kahne raced to victory in 2009, as he defeated Kevin Harvick for his 11th and last Sprint Cup title. Kahne started second on the grid and led for the first time on lap 39. Battling with Harvick throughout the race, Kahne reclaimed the lead for the sixth and last time on lap 315 and held on for a 1.766 seconds victory. Pole sitter Martin Truex Jr led three times for a race-high 68 laps, but faded to 26th. 37 of the 43 entrants finished the race, with 21 on the final lap.

Prior to 2009, Carl Edwards had dominated this race, just as Jimmie Johnson has done previously. Edwards defeated Johnson by over two seconds in 2008, winning this race for the second time in four years. In eight trips around the Atlanta track, Edwards has two wins, two seconds, a third, fifth, seventh and a 37th-place finish. In 2008, Edwards reclaimed the lead with 26 laps remaining to post a 2.684 seconds victory. Edwards led six times for 98 laps, while Johnson, who started on the pole, led twice for 28. Matt Kenseth, who finished fourth, led five times for a race-high 128 laps.

In 2007, Johnson captured this race for the second time in four years, as he held off Edwards for his eighth win of the 2007 season and the 31st of his Sprint Cup career. Johnson, a three-time winner this year, owns 58 titles.

Edwards crossed the finish line 2.712 seconds ahead of Jeff Gordon for his third win of 2005. Edwards, who led several times during the race, reclaimed the lead on lap 290 of the 325-lap event and held on the rest of the way for the third of his 19 career Sprint Cup titles. Pole sitter Ryan Newman finished 23rd while Dale Earnhardt Jr, who led for a race-high 142 laps placed fourth.

Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was a 1.5-mile paved speedway, holding its first Sprint Cup race on July 31, 1960. AMS has been re-configured twice, once in 1970 to 1.522 and again in 1997 to its present length of 1.54 miles. There have been 104 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta Speedway, two races per year except 1961, which had three.

The pole sitter has only won this race three times, the last coming in 1996 when Bobby Labonte turned the trick. Over the years, the pole winner has won 14 times in Atlanta. Labonte won the 2001 fall race from the 39th starting position, the deepest in the field a race winner has started. Labonte is a six-time winner in Atlanta, the most of all active drivers. The top five starting positions have won 60 of the 104 races, while the top-10 spots have captured 82.

Two drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Atlanta: Carl Edwards (3/20/2005) and Kevin Harvick (3/11/2001).

The 2012 Sprint Cup Series "regular season" concludes on Sept. 8 with the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Kevin Harvick is the defending race winner.

08/28 11:45:36 ET

As of August 28, 2012, at 11:45 AM ET

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