NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top Story News Schedule Race Update/Results Statistics Point Standings Starting Grid Race Preview Driver Info Team Info Track Info Season Chart All-Time Wins Odds Weather NASCAR - Sprint Cup - Advocare 500 Preview From The Sports Network   DATE: Sunday, September 4th SITE: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1960) -- Hampton, Georgia TRACK: 1.54-mile oval - 2,332 feet (Frontstretch); 1,800 feet (Backstretch) CAPACITY: 99,000 (Grandstand Seating) ANNUAL: 52nd TELEVISION: ESPN ANNOUNCERS: Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree RADIO: Performance Racing Network (PRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (et)/Green Flag: 7:46 p.m. (et) DEFENDING CHAMPION: Tony Stewart RUNNER-UP: Carl Edwards POLE WINNER: Denny Hamlin (Finished 43rd) LAPS: 325 MILES: 500.5 QUALIFYING RECORD: Geoffrey Bodine, 1997 (197.478 m.p.h.) RACE RECORD: Bobby Labonte, 1997 (159.904 m.p.h.) TOTAL PURSE: $6,058,035 PAYOUTS: 1st Place - $357,198; 2nd Place - $239,323; 3rd Place - $213,078 2010 Finish Finish Driver Start Finish Driver Start 1 Tony Stewart 5 6 Kurt Busch 11 2 Carl Edwards 4 7 Clint Bowyer 14 3 Jimmie Johnson 7 8 Ryan Newman 2 4 Jeff Burton 26 9 Juan Pablo Montoya 8 5 Kyle Busch 3 10 Marcos Ambrose 32 2010 Advocare 500 Facts and Figures AVERAGE SPEED: 129.041 m.p.h. TIME OF RACE: 3 hours, 52 minutes, 43 seconds MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.316 seconds CAUTION FLAGS: 8 for 53 laps LEAD CHANGES: 22 among 7 drivers POLE WINNER: Denny Hamlin (187.380 m.p.h.) Past Advocare 500 Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed 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) 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 27th) SITE: Bristol Motor Speedway -- Bristol, Tennessee MILES: 266.5 LAPS: 500 WINNER: Brad Keselowski RUNNER-UP: Martin Truex Jr THIRD: Jeff Gordon FOURTH: Jimmie Johnson FIFTH: Jamie McMurray POLE WINNER: Ryan Newman (Finished 8th) TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 45 minutes, 16 seconds AVERAGE SPEED: 96.753 m.p.h. MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.951 second CAUTION FLAGS: 6 for 42 laps LEAD CHANGES: 22 among 10 drivers LAP LEADERS: R. Newman 1-4; J. Gordon 5-33; B. Keselowski 34-37; M. Kenseth 38-105; B. Keselowski 106; J. Johnson 107-182; J. Gordon 183-238; B. Keselowski 239; J. McMurray 240-241; Kyle Busch 242-245; J. Logano 246-247; D. Starr 248-249; M. Kenseth 250-266; J. Gordon 267-305; B. Keselowski 306; M. Kenseth 307-325; J. Gordon 326-363; B. Keselowski 364; M. Kenseth 365-370; J. Gordon 371-414; B. Keselowski 415; M. Truex Jr. 416-420; B. Keselowski 421-500. Advocare 500 Entry List Car Driver, Hometown Car/Name 00 David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) Toyota/Aaron's Dream Machine 1 Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO) Chevrolet/McDonald's 2 Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI) Dodge/Miller Lite 4 Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA) Toyota/Red Bull 5 Mark Martin (Batesville, AR) Chevrolet/GoDaddy.com 6 David Ragan (Unadilla, GA) Ford/UPS 7 Robby Gordon (Orange, CA) Dodge/Speed Energy 9 Marcos Ambrose (Launceston, Australia) Ford/Kwikset 11 Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA) Toyota/Charter Communications 13 Casey Mears (Bakersfield, CA) Toyota/GEICO 14 * Tony Stewart (Columbus, IN) Chevrolet/Office Depot/Mobil 1 16 Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) Ford/3M 17 Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI) Ford/Crown Royal 18 Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Toyota/Pedigree 20 Joey Logano (Middletown, CT) Toyota/Home Depot 22 Kurt Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Dodge/Shell/Pennzoil 24 Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA) Chevrolet/Drive to End Hunger 27 Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI) Chevrolet/Menards/Quaker State 29 Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) Chevrolet/Budweiser 30 David Stremme (South Bend, IN) Chevrolet/TBA 31 Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) Chevrolet/Caterpillar 32 Mike Bliss (Milwaukie, OR) Ford/FAS Lane Racing 33 Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) Chevrolet/TBA 34 David Gilliland (Riverside, CA) Ford/A&W All American Ford 35 Geoffrey Bodine (Chemung, NY) Chevrolet/Luke & Associates 36 Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) Chevrolet/Golden Corral 37 To Be Announced Ford/TBA 38 J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ) Ford/Vampt 39 Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) Chevrolet/U.S. Army Reserve 42 Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Colombia) Chevrolet/Target 43 A.J. Allmendinger (Los Gatos, CA) Ford/Best Buy 46 Scott Speed (Manteca, CA) Ford/Property Masters 47 Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) Toyota/Bush's Baked Beans 48 Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, CA) Chevrolet/Lowe's 50 T.J. Bell (Reno, VA) Chevrolet/Green Smoke 51 Landon Cassill (Cedar Rapids, IA) Chevrolet/Phoenix Construction 55 Travis Kvapil (Janesville, WI) Ford/TBA 56 Martin Truex Jr. (Mayetta, NJ) Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 60 Mike Skinner (Susanville, CA) Toyota/Big Red 66 Michael McDowell (Glendale, AZ) Toyota/HP Racing 71 Andy Lally (Northport, NY) Ford/Interstate Moving Services 78 Regan Smith (Cato, NY) Chevrolet/Furniture Row Racing 83 Brian Vickers (Thomasville, NC) Toyota/Red Bull 87 Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL) Toyota/ATBD 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Kannapolis, NC) Chevrolet/Amp Energy/Nat'l Guard 95 David Starr (Houston, TX) Ford/AdvoCare 99 Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) Ford/Aflac * - Defending champion Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years) Driver 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Tony Stewart 4th 2nd 9th 9th Won 30th 17th 11th Won Carl Edwards --- --- 3rd Won 7th 2nd Won 37th 2nd Jimmie Johnson 22nd 3rd Won 16th 2nd Won 2nd 36th 3rd Jeff Burton 12th 23rd 6th 8th 13th 5th 18th 34th 4th Kyle Busch --- --- 43rd 12th 27th 20th 5th 13th 5th Kurt Busch Won 8th 42nd 36th 14th 8th 6th 38th 6th Clint Bowyer --- --- --- --- 25th 6th 20th 29th 7th Ryan Newman 10th 29th 17th 23rd 30th 37th 16th 9th 8th Juan Pablo Montoya --- --- --- --- --- 34th 40th 3rd 9th Matt Kenseth 9th 11th 41st 5th 4th 4th 4th 12th 11th Martin Truex Jr --- --- 37th 40th 37th 31st 15th 26th 12th Jeff Gordon 6th Won 34th 2nd 6th 7th 9th 8th 13th Jamie McMurray 7th 15th 8th 6th 40th 26th 7th 28th 15th David Reutimann --- --- --- --- --- --- 28th 4th 16th Regan Smith --- --- --- --- --- --- 30th --- 17th Mark Martin 8th 39th 2nd 3rd 36th 43rd 22nd 5th 21st Dale Earnhardt Jr 5th 6th 33rd 4th 3rd 25th 11th 17th 22nd Brad Keselowski --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 25th Joey Logano --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 22nd 27th Kasey Kahne --- --- 5th 35th 38th 9th 33rd Won 32nd Kevin Harvick 40th 20th 35th 22nd 31st 15th 13th 2nd 33rd Paul Menard --- --- --- --- --- 27th 31st 15th 35th Greg Biffle --- 34th 10th 7th 5th 22nd 10th 10th 36th Denny Hamlin --- --- --- 19th 8th 24th 3rd 6th 43rd Brian Vickers --- 43rd 7th 15th 19th 10th 21st 7th --- Mover of the Week Martin Truex Jr - Started in the 27th position and finished 2nd Sports Network Selections Pick to Win - Carl Edwards Darkhorse - Dale Earnhardt Jr Last Week's Pick to Win (Kyle Busch) - Finished 14th Last Week's Darkhorse (Kurt Busch) - Finished 17th NOTES: 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 last year, 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 two-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. Winless this season, Stewart has nine top-10's in 24 starts and is 10th on the points list, as the Race for the Chase nears. Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson are tied atop the points list, but eight drivers stand within 81 points of the lead. Five of the 12 spots in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup have been clinched. Here's who's in: Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick. Harvick has clinched at least a Wild Card spot, and will likely lock up a top-10 spot this weekend. Though unlikely, the rest of the top-10 spots can mathematically be clinched. Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch are the most likely candidates. All three control their own destiny. 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 seven trips around the Atlanta track, Edwards has two wins, two seconds, a third, a 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 one-time winner this year, owns 54 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 103 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 59 of the 103 races, while the top-10 spots have captured 81. The 2011 Sprint Cup Series "regular season" concludes on September 10th with the Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Denny Hamlin won last year's race there. 08/30 15:40:45 ET As of August 30, 2011, at 03:41 PM ET