2018 NASCAR Week 2: Atlanta

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

Atlanta Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

This is Where the Season Starts

• The Daytona 500 is great. I mean, come on, its "the great American race" after all. The season technically kicks off with the Daytona 500, but we don't learn a ton at superspeedways, especially the first one of the season. This Sunday, story lines will start to form that we will see play out into mid season. Things such as which drivers look fast and which teams/manufacturers have the early season edge.

Who has the Manufacturer Advantage?

• Speaking of the season getting started, AMS will give us our first real look at which teams and manufacturers have an early season jump on speed at 1.5 mile tracks. Last year Ford started out fast, but Toyota wasn't far behind and by mid season we saw Toyota take off. This year all the talk has been around ALL of the manufacturers. The talk about Toyota is how fast they were in 2017 and if anyone will catch them in 2018? The talk with Chevy is the all new Camaro and if it will push them to the top? The talk with Ford is that they could be trailing behind because the Ford Fusion hasn't got a redesign as recent as Toyota and Chevy. So, what will come true? Our first sign will be at AMS, but the story lines change throughout the season so what is true now may not be true by the ASR.

Driver (current and past) Reactions to the Track Surface

• After the success of the AMS race last year, the track decided to put off the track resurfacing they were planning to be in place for this season. Drivers from current to past chimed in saying how great it was to have a surface that wore tires out and have cars fall off (basically, most of the drivers loved it). It was such a positive response that the resurface never happened. The question is, could it get put off another year? I will be interested to hear what drivers and fans alike have to say all weekend long. One thing in certain, the track does eventually need the resurface before it starts falling apart mid race, but balancing that with how many races they can get out of it before doing it is worth the watch.

Tire Watch 2018

• We have a 100% chance tires will be a story line this weekend at AMS. Why? Well read the above section if you haven't yet and then come back to this one. Back yet? Ok here we go. This track surface is going to eat these Goodyears up and tire strategy will play a large role in Sundays drama. How drivers and teams manage tire ware on Sunday could have a huge effect on where they finish and who takes a trip to victory lane.

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Jimmie Johnson - New Camaro, five career AMS wins, two wins in his last three starts here, yeah I have JJ as a favorite this weekend.
• Kurt Busch - Will Ford hold him back? Last year in his first year with Ford at SHR he finished 7th but didn't have winning speed. He has nine top tens (two wins) in his last 13 starts at AMS.
• Kevin Harvick - Another Ford driver which will make the early season manufacturer story lines even more interesting, Harvick has nine top tens in his last eleven AMS races including two runner ups and two pole awards.

The Middle

• Kasey Kahne - Kasey has three AMS wins, including his clutch win in 2014 that got him into the then Chase (AMS was towards the end of the regular season then. However, he is with a new team and also has five finishes of 23rd or worse in his last eight starts.

The Bad

• Clint Bowyer - 17 career starts with just five top tens with his last one being in 2010. On the bright side he did finish 11th here last season.
• Austin Dillon - AD's best finish is 11th at AMS. His other four finishes are 19th or worse here.
• Paul Menard - New team, new number, and new manufacturer, maybe it means new results at AMS? If not, his past track record isn't great. Three top tens in his 16 career starts which his last being in 2012.

Weekend Links:

• Atlanta Motor Speedway Schedule
• Atlanta Motor Speedway Entry List

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 2: Atlanta

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

By Richard Tix

To repave or not to repave? That was the big storyline all weekend at every NASCAR level, that was until a late caution mixed with a dominate car getting a speeding penalty made everyone forget about the surface of Atlanta Motor Speedway.

I am staying mum on the repave issue since I like the current surface and the fall off it gives, but also can see the side of wanting/needing a new surface. So, with that said I will move along and let social media hash that topic out.

As for the race, this years current old surface gave us ton's of comers and goers everywhere but in front. The pack had a bunch of passing and the few restarts we had lead to a bunch of three wide's and movers and shakers during those restarts. However, most of the day was headlined by Kevin Harvick having a dominate car up front, all alone, with a five plus second lead for much of it.

I heard every excuse and complaint trying to blame NASCAR for a race being dominated by one guy, however I want to tell you this: races being dominated by one guy have always happened and always will happen from time to time. I mean on Sunday that No. 4 was just hooked up and no one could touch him. Kevin Harvick was truly running his own race out there for 90% of the race.

The thing is in sports, you can't leave (or stop watching) until the very end because the unexpected will happen every time you count it out. Sunday it happened to be a late caution when Austin Dillon couldn't get it to pit road -- or didn't try hard enough, which ever you believe. On top of that, a guy who had been perfect ALL DAY LONG became imperfect in the most important moment and was caught speeding on pit road during the last stop. That driver was obviously Kevin Harvick and it eventually lead to him not winning a race he lead 292 laps in.

During that moment everyone starting up front on what became the final restart of the day knew they finally had a shot to win at Atlanta because Kevin Harvick wasn't up there with them. Kyle Larson grabbed the early lead after that restart but eventually Brad Keselowski put enough pressure on him and took the lead from him when Larson tried out the high line instead of hooking the bottom. Would it have played out different if he held the bottom? Maybe, but maybe not. One thing is for sure, both Kyle and Brad had great cars on Sunday and only got overlooked because Harvick was just that much better then the field.

At the end of the day it's who is leading the last lap that counts. BK got a trip to Victory Lane, five playoff points for winning the race, and Harvick still had a fantastic day in the points standings as well as collecting two playoff points for winning stages one and two. AMS showcased a stage format that rewarded the best drivers for the entire day as well as the winner when all was said in done. 

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 2 (Week 1)

1. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- He lead staged one and two and a total of 292 laps on Sunday, but it came down to a speeding penalty late in the race to determine his fate. It was the No. 4 teams to lose on Sunday and unfortunately for them that happen, yet they still lead NASCAR in points after two races.
2. Brad Keselowski (LW-12)- BK was a top five car early, had right front issues, rotated back into the lead, then out of the lead, then back to a top five car, and then the hunter when reeling in Larson late. BK and the No. 2 had one heck of a day and it ended in a trip to VL.
3. Kurt Busch (LW-3)- Not his day on Sunday, yet they hung up in the top ten most of the day and finished it off with a 7th place finish. SHR has shown a strong start to 2017.
4. Chase Elliott (LW-4)- His trip to Victory Lane is coming, and probably coming soon. He has been strong to start this season. Too bad he couldn't have locked in his first win at his home track of AMS.
5. Joey Logano (LW-1)- JoLo also had an up and down day like his Penske teammate. Joey rebounded with a 6th place finish after being a couple laps down earlier.
6. Kyle Larson (LW-8)- Chase may finally get his first win, but the way things are looking Larson may get his next win soon as well. He had the lead late before BK took it from him.
7. Kasey Kahne (LW-10)- Quietly Kahne is having a nice start to 2017. Sunday the No. 5 team fought from being lapped all the way back to a top five.
8. Kyle Busch (LW-5)- Not his day, the No. 18 tea, hasn't shown it's dominance like last season. However, they did fight back from being lapped and finished 16th and on the lead lap.
9. Martin Truex Jr (LW-11)- The 78 seemed quiet all day even though he had a running average of 7th and ran 323 of 325 laps in the top 15. Maybe they will make more noise next week after a good 8th place finish at AMS.
10. Ryan Blaney (LW-6)- Another day full of rough luck, this time an early tire issue. They fought all day to gain ground and eventually finished 18th and the first car a lap down. Better days should be coming for this No. 21 team.
11. Trevor Bayne (LW-NR)- Hey, RFR looks sporty so far this year and leading that crew is the No. 6. No, really. Bayne has a 10th and 11th place finish already this year and spent most of Sunday in the top ten.
12. Matt Kenseth (LW-NR)- Two speeding penalties in the first (I believe) stage, multiple laps down, and this team fought back to a 3rd place finish. Seriously. I couldn't leave a team that did that off this weeks top 12.

Dropped Out: Jimmie Johnson (LW-7) and Denny Hamlin (LW-9)

Just Missed: Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

2017 NASCAR Week 2: Atlanta

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

Atlanta Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

Week two of the NASCAR season is where the real season starts. The jitters to get the season started are over with and the hopes of winning the 2017 Daytona 500 are now gone for everyone but Kurt Busch. The season grind is about to start and for the next 25 races we will figure out who is strong enough to make the 2017 Playoffs.

Daytona is fun and all, but it really doesn't give us a ton of information on how teams will attack the new season. It's hard to see which teams have an early season advantage on others and which teams are still fast. It's tough to see if a manufacturing change will effect SHR, its hard to see if JGR focusing on last years package and not the new one late in the season will mean anything. Its almost impossible to see if RCR or RFR may make strides in 2017 and none of those things are even mentioning how the young guns might fair in the new season.

However, some of those answers will start to take shape this week at AMS. Not only will some team storylines start taking shape but we can get a better grasp on how the new stages and 5 min rule will work on NASCAR's typical track (meaning, not a plate track). 1.5 mile tracks rule the NASCAR schedule so this weekend will be a good test to seeing how the rules were thought to actually play out on a typical week.

The real season will dip into full swing this week, so strap in folks, it's going to be a fun and wild ride.

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Jimmie Johnson- JJ has come away the victory at ATL the last two season's after starting 19th and 37th. If that doesn't say it all, I am not sure what does. Even though Atlanta is a place you can make moves early, it is still impressive what he has done here lately.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr- Junior's last five starts here include four top ten's and five finishes inside the top 11. He also has back to back top fives coming into this weekend (2016 and 2015).
• Kevin Harvick- Harvick's first career win came at Atlanta which most die hard NASCAR fans know and remember clearly. But in the middle of then and now he really fell off at Atlanta production wise. Since 2008 he has started to flip the script again with nine top ten's in twelve races, but he is still looking for win number two here.

The Middle

• Kyle Busch- It's tough to put a finger on Kyle at Atlanta. He has two career wins here (2008 and 2013), but in between it has been a rollercoaster. Last year he finished third after starting 39th so I tend to think he is heading up right now, hoping their is no fall this time.

The Bad

• Clint Bowyer- Six straight finishes of 24th or worse for Bowyer at Atlanta. Maybe the changing of teams to SHR will help him correct what's been going on at AMS?
• Jamie McMurray- Four top ten's in 23 career starts and an average finish of 20.6 are not stat's you want following your name around. His last top 10 came in 2008 and since then only has four top 15's in ten races.
• Kasey Kahne- Back to back weeks on the "Bad" list is concerning to me -- sorry Kahne fans, sorry PETM. The bright side? Kahne maybe the first driver on my "Bad" list to have three wins at a specific track which means he has the potential to turn it around and in a big way. However, sandwiching his 2014 win are finishes including 32nd, 34th, 23rd, 36th, 14th, and 23rd. 

About the Track: Atlanta

Track Stats

• Fireball Roberts won the first Cup race at Atlanta in 1960 after starting on the Pole.
• An Atlanta Cup race has been won 11 times from the Pole. Only twice since 1991.
• Last time the race was won from the Pole was 2006 when Kasey Kahne won.
• Bobby Labonte won after starting 39th in 2001. The furthest back anyone has started and won at ATL
• An Atlanta race has been won five times from 30+ starting position including 2015 when Jimmie Johnson won from 37th.
• Since 2011 NASCAR has only ran one race at ATL each season. For the 2015 season ATL was moved from towards the end of the regular season to the beginning of the season.
• Fords last win was in 2008 (Carl Edwards). Carl also won in 2005 (twice). The last Ford driver not named Carl Edwards to win was Kurt Busch in 2002.

Track Info

• Length - 1.54 miles
• Banking
• Turns: 24 degrees
• Straights: 5 degrees

2016 NASCAR Week 2: Atlanta Qualifying Results

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Qualifying Results

Photo: John Bazemore. AP

By Richard Tix

The rest of the Atlanta Weekend Schedule can bee viewed here.

Fold of Honor QuikTrip 500 Qualifying Results

1. Kyle Busch

2. Kurt Busch

3. Jamie McMurray

4. Trevor Bayne

5. Ryan Newman

6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

7. Kevin Harvick

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw

8. Carl Edwards

9. Austin Dillon

10. Martin Truex Jr.

11. Brian Scott

12. Kasey Kahne

13. Denny Hamlin

14. Matt Kenseth

15. Greg Biffle

16. Casey Mears

17. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

18. Brad Keselowski

19. Ty Dillon

20. Jimmie Johnson

21. Kyle Larson

22. Paul Menard

23. AJ Allmendinger

24. Ryan Blaney

25. Chase Elliott

26. Danica Patrick

27. Joey Logano

28. Aric Almirola

29. Clint Bowyer

30. Landon Cassill

31. Regan Smith

32. Chris Buescher

33. Michael McDowell

34. David Ragan

35. Michael Annett

36. Matt DiBenedetto

37. Cole Whitt

38. Josh Wise

39. Jeffrey Earnhardt

**Kyle Busch to the back for failing post qualifying tech.

2016 NASCAR Week 2 Preview: Atlanta

Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500

Atlanta Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

One race down and thirty five to go. The official start to the NASCAR season has now come and gone and we get to settle into the normal week to week. Preseason testing and adjusting to new rules and packages is over. All the work put it will now be tested during a long season with up's and downs.

No matter the style, pack racing or tandem, Daytona is Daytona. It is a great way to start the year but we learn the most after we leave Florida. Atlanta will be the first test for teams and for us to gauge where everyone is at. Will Roush Fenway Racing get it turned around in 2016? Will JGR keep their hot streak going? Will Team Penske be the team to keep up with JGR? Will Hendrick turn it back around an dominate?

All of these questions are hard to know 100% after Daytona, but we will start learning more about them after Atlanta. So, make sure to tune in this week and come back to Behind the Wall for the review as I am sure we will know a lot more.

NASCAR Cup Driver Averages at Atlanta

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Jimmie Johnson- JJ won last season at Atlanta and was the second driver locked into the 2015 Chase because of it. In the last 7 races here JJ has only once ran on average outside of 11th (2013) and finished top 5 in four of those. He has four career wins, 13 top 5's, and 15 top 10's in 24 Atlanta starts.
• Matt Kenseth- Kenseth has probably the best career numbers of current drivers at Atlanta without a win. Last year he actually didn't run all that great (only ran 67% of the race in the top 15) but he had a strong finish to notch a top 5 (5th).
• Kevin Harvick- Career long, ATL hasn't been "Happy's" best track, but lately he has been very good at this 1.5. He has eight top 10's in his last eleven starts here including runner up to JJ in 2015. He only has one win at AMS which was his first ever race here which many still remember. His five straight races of 100+ driver rating is nice and it includes three of the at 123+.

The Middle

• Paul Menard- Atlanta sure isn't one of Menards best tracks, but lately he has been finishing fairly well here. He will most likely be good for a top 20 finish but is a guy you can normally count out of the top 10. 

The Bad

• Clint Bowyer- 15 career starts and just five top 10's (zero top 5's). 2011 was the last time Bowyer ran 70% or more of a race in the top 15. 2010 was the last time he finished in the top 10 or even better then 24th (7th). Atlanta just hasn't been a good stop for Bowyer.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr- After starting on the pole in 2013, everything has been downhill for Ricky at Atlanta. He finished that 2013 race 16th (which is still his best finish). The last two years he finished 20th and 36th (2015). The worst thing is his drivers rating has gone down from the 70's in 2013, 60's in 2014, and 50's just last season. 
• Jamie McMurray- JMac maybe the best of this bunch, but that still isn't anything to be happy about. His last top to was 2008, however he does have five top 15's in that time (10 races). He has never (since 2005) posted a driver rating of 99 or above. 

About the Track

Track Stats

• Fireball Roberts won the first Cup race at Atlanta in 1960 after starting on the Pole.
• A Atlanta Cup race has been won 11 times from the Pole. Only twice since 1991.
• Last time the race was won from the Pole was 2006 when Kasey Kahne won.
• Bobby Labonte won after starting 39th in 2001. The furthest back anyone has started and won at ATL
• A Atlanta race has been won five times from 30+ starting position including 2015 when Jimmie Johnson won from 37th.
• Since 2011 NASCAR has only ran one race at ATL each season. For the 2015 season ATL was moved from towards the end of the regular season to the beginning of the season.
• Fords last win was in 2008 (Carl Edwards). Carl also won in 2005 (twice). The last Ford driver not named Carl Edwards to win was Kurt Busch in 2002 (Carl now drives Toyota).

Track Info

• Length
• 1.54 miles
• Banking
• Turns: 24 degrees
• Straights: 5 degrees

Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race	Cars	Winner(s)	St	Make / Model
1960-27	45	Fireball Roberts	1	'60 Pontiac
1960-44	45	Bobby Johns	5	'60 Pontiac
1961-09	46	Bob Burdick	7	'61 Pontiac
1961-33	42	Fred Lorenzen	5	'61 Ford
1961-46	42	David Pearson	5	'61 Pontiac
1962-24	46	Fred Lorenzen	7	'62 Ford
1962-53	44	Rex White	5	'62 Chevrolet
1963-11	46	Fred Lorenzen	2	'63 Ford
1963-28	36	Junior Johnson	2	'63 Chevrolet
1964-13	39	Fred Lorenzen	1	'64 Ford
1964-28	35	Ned Jarrett	17	'64 Ford
1965-09	44	Marvin Panch	1	'65 Ford
1965-25	42	Marvin Panch	2	'65 Ford
1966-08	44	Jim Hurtubise	5	'66 Plymouth
1966-37	44	Richard Petty	5	'66 Plymouth
1967-10	44	Cale Yarborough	1	'67 Ford
1967-36	44	Dick Hutcherson	8	'67 Ford
1968-07	44	Cale Yarborough	4	'68 Mercury
1968-33	40	LeeRoy Yarbrough	5	'68 Mercury
1969-10	40	Cale Yarborough	5	'69 Mercury
1969-36	40	LeeRoy Yarbrough	2	'69 Ford
1970-08	40	Bobby Allison	9	'69 Dodge
1970-31	40	Richard Petty	6	'70 Plymouth
1971-10	40	A.J. Foyt	1	'69 Mercury
1971-33	40	Richard Petty	3	'71 Plymouth
1972-06	40	Bobby Allison	1	'72 Chevrolet
1972-20	40	Bobby Allison	3	'72 Chevrolet
1973-06	40	David Pearson	9	'71 Mercury
1973-19	40	David Pearson	5	'71 Mercury
1974-06	36	Cale Yarborough	9	'74 Chevrolet
1974-19	36	Richard Petty	2	'74 Dodge
1975-06	36	Richard Petty	1	'74 Dodge
1975-29	36	Buddy Baker	3	'75 Ford
1976-06	36	David Pearson	2	Mercury
1976-29	36	Dave Marcis	2	Dodge
1977-05	42	Richard Petty	1	Dodge
1977-29	40	Darrell Waltrip	8	Chevrolet
1978-05	40	Bobby Allison	4	Ford
1978-29	39	Donnie Allison	13	Chevrolet
1979-05	40	Buddy Baker	1	Oldsmobile
1979-30	41	Neil Bonnett	4	Mercury
1980-05	41	Dale Earnhardt	31	Chevrolet
1980-30	40	Cale Yarborough	12	Chevrolet
1981-05	42	Cale Yarborough	17	Buick
1981-30	40	Neil Bonnett	5	Ford
1982-04	40	Darrell Waltrip	14	Buick
1982-29	40	Bobby Allison	9	Buick
1983-04	41	Cale Yarborough	22	Chevrolet
1983-29	39	Neil Bonnett	15	Chevrolet
1984-04	40	Benny Parsons	8	Chevrolet
1984-29	41	Dale Earnhardt	10	Chevrolet
1985-04	41	Bill Elliott	3	Ford
1985-27	42	Bill Elliott	3	Ford
1986-04	42	Morgan Shepherd	3	Buick
1986-28	42	Dale Earnhardt	4	Chevrolet
1987-04	41	Ricky Rudd	6	Ford
1987-29	42	Bill Elliott	1	Ford
1988-04	42	Dale Earnhardt	2	Chevrolet
1988-29	42	Rusty Wallace	1	Pontiac
1989-03	42	Darrell Waltrip	4	Chevrolet
1989-29	42	Dale Earnhardt	3	Chevrolet
1990-04	40	Dale Earnhardt	1	Chevrolet
1990-29	41	Morgan Shepherd	20	Ford
1991-04	40	Ken Schrader	5	Chevrolet
1991-29	40	Mark Martin	4	Ford
1992-04	42	Bill Elliott	4	Ford
1992-29	41	Bill Elliott	11	Ford
1993-04	40	Morgan Shepherd	7	Ford
1993-30	42	Rusty Wallace	20	Pontiac
1994-04	42	Ernie Irvan	7	Ford
1994-31	43	Mark Martin	5	Ford
1995-04	42	Jeff Gordon	3	Chevrolet
1995-31	42	Dale Earnhardt	11	Chevrolet
1996-04	41	Dale Earnhardt	18	Chevrolet
1996-31	42	Bobby Labonte	1	Chevrolet
1997-04	42	Dale Jarrett	9	Ford
1997-32	43	Bobby Labonte	21	Pontiac
1998-04	43	Bobby Labonte	14	Pontiac
1998-33	43	Jeff Gordon	21	Chevrolet
1999-04	43	Jeff Gordon	8	Chevrolet
1999-34	43	Bobby Labonte	37	Pontiac
2000-04	43	Dale Earnhardt	35	Chevrolet
2000-34	43	Jerry Nadeau	2	Chevrolet
2001-04	43	Kevin Harvick	5	Chevrolet
2001-35	43	Bobby Labonte	39	Pontiac
2002-04	43	Tony Stewart	9	Pontiac
2002-33	43	Kurt Busch	8	Ford
2003-04	43	Bobby Labonte	4	Chevrolet
2003-33	43	Jeff Gordon	19	Chevrolet
2004-04	43	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	7	Chevrolet
2004-33	43	Jimmie Johnson	8	Chevrolet
2005-04	43	Carl Edwards	4	Ford
2005-33	43	Carl Edwards	2	Ford
2006-04	43	Kasey Kahne	1	Dodge
2006-33	43	Tony Stewart	11	Chevrolet
2007-04	43	Jimmie Johnson	3	Chevrolet
2007-33	43	Jimmie Johnson	6	Chevrolet
2008-04	43	Kyle Busch	6	Toyota
2008-33	43	Carl Edwards	4	Ford
2009-04	43	Kurt Busch	2	Dodge
2009-25	43	Kasey Kahne	2	Dodge
2010-04	43	Kurt Busch	11	Dodge
2010-25	43	Tony Stewart	5	Chevrolet
2011-25	43	Jeff Gordon	5	Chevrolet
2012-25	43	Denny Hamlin	7	Toyota
2013-25	43	Kyle Busch	9	Toyota
2014-25	43	Kasey Kahne	10	Chevrolet
2015-02	43	Jimmie Johnson	37	Chevrolet

Weekend Articles:

• Power Rankings
• Qualifying Results
• TV Schedule
• Entry List
• Driver Averages at Atlanta