Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, going into the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on March 21 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Atlanta Motor Speedway Data
Season Race #: 6 of 36 (03-21-21)
Track Size: 1.54-miles
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,332 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,800 feet
Race Length: 325 laps / 500.5 miles
Stage 1 & 2: 105 Laps (each)
Final Stage: 115 Laps
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Atlanta
Kevin Harvick……………………… 102.2
Brad Keselowski……………………. 96.9
Martin Truex Jr……………………… 96.9
Kurt Busch…………………………… 96.7
Denny Hamlin……………………….. 94.7
Kyle Busch…………………………… 94.0
Chase Elliott…………………………. 93.1
Kyle Larson………………………….. 90.2
Joey Logano………………………… 83.6
Ryan Blaney…………………………. 83.6
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (22 total) among active drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2020 pole winner:
None – Due to Pandemic Restrictions
Starting Lineup set by Metric Qualifying;
Chase Elliott started in first.
2020 race winner:
Kevin Harvick, Ford
142.966 mph, (03:30:03), 06-07-20
Track qualifying record:
Geoffrey Bodine, Ford
197.478 mph, 28.074 secs. 11-15-97
Track race record:
Bobby Labonte, Pontiac
159.904 mph, (03:07:48), 11-16-97
Atlanta Motor Speedway Cup Pole Winners
Rank | Pole Winners (53) | Poles |
1 | Buddy Baker | 7 |
2 | Ryan Newman | 7 |
3 | Cale Yarborough | 6 |
4 | Bill Elliott | 5 |
5 | Fireball Roberts | 5 |
6 | Dale Earnhardt | 4 |
7 | Richard Petty | 4 |
8 | Alan Kulwicki | 3 |
9 | Fred Lorenzen | 3 |
10 | Geoff Bodine | 3 |
11 | Harry Gant | 3 |
12 | Marvin Panch | 3 |
13 | Rusty Wallace | 3 |
14 | Bobby Allison | 2 |
15 | Bobby Labonte | 2 |
16 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 2 |
17 | Dale Jarrett | 2 |
18 | Dave Marcis | 2 |
19 | David Pearson | 2 |
20 | Jeff Gordon | 2 |
21 | Junior Johnson | 2 |
22 | Kasey Kahne | 2 |
23 | Kevin Harvick | 2 |
24 | Mark Martin | 2 |
25 | A.J. Foyt | 1 |
26 | Aric Almirola | 1 |
27 | Banjo Matthews | 1 |
28 | Charlie Glotzbach | 1 |
29 | Curtis Turner | 1 |
30 | Darel Dieringer | 1 |
31 | Darrell Waltrip | 1 |
32 | Denny Hamlin | 1 |
33 | Greg Biffle | 1 |
34 | Greg Sacks | 1 |
35 | Joey Logano | 1 |
36 | John Andretti | 1 |
37 | Johnny Benson | 1 |
38 | Kenny Irwin Jr | 1 |
39 | Kevin Lepage | 1 |
40 | Kurt Busch | 1 |
41 | Kyle Busch | 1 |
42 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | 1 |
43 | Loy Allen Jr | 1 |
44 | Martin Truex Jr | 1 |
45 | Morgan Shepherd | 1 |
46 | Neil Bonnett | 1 |
47 | Rick Mast | 1 |
48 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 1 |
49 | Robby Gordon | 1 |
50 | Sam Sommers | 1 |
51 | Terry Labonte | 1 |
52 | Tim Richmond | 1 |
53 | Tony Stewart | 1 |
Atlanta Motor Speedway Race Winners
Rank | Race Winners (44) | Wins |
1 | Dale Earnhardt | 9 |
2 | Cale Yarborough | 7 |
3 | Bobby Labonte | 6 |
4 | Richard Petty | 6 |
5 | Bill Elliott | 5 |
6 | Bobby Allison | 5 |
7 | Jeff Gordon | 5 |
8 | Jimmie Johnson | 5 |
9 | David Pearson | 4 |
10 | Fred Lorenzen | 4 |
11 | Carl Edwards | 3 |
12 | Darrell Waltrip | 3 |
13 | Kasey Kahne | 3 |
14 | Kurt Busch | 3 |
15 | Kevin Harvick | 3 |
16 | Morgan Shepherd | 3 |
17 | Neil Bonnett | 3 |
18 | Tony Stewart | 3 |
19 | Brad Keselowski | 2 |
20 | Buddy Baker | 2 |
21 | Kyle Busch | 2 |
22 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | 2 |
23 | Mark Martin | 2 |
24 | Marvin Panch | 2 |
25 | Rusty Wallace | 2 |
26 | A.J. Foyt | 1 |
27 | Benny Parsons | 1 |
28 | Bob Burdick | 1 |
29 | Bobby Johns | 1 |
30 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 1 |
31 | Dale Jarrett | 1 |
32 | Dave Marcis | 1 |
33 | Denny Hamlin | 1 |
34 | Dick Hutcherson | 1 |
35 | Donnie Allison | 1 |
36 | Ernie Irvan | 1 |
37 | Fireball Roberts | 1 |
38 | Jerry Nadeau | 1 |
39 | Jim Hurtubise | 1 |
40 | Junior Johnson | 1 |
41 | Ken Schrader | 1 |
42 | Ned Jarrett | 1 |
43 | Rex White | 1 |
44 | Ricky Rudd | 1 |
The NASCAR Cup Series 2021 Top 16 in Driver Standings at Atlanta
Rk. | Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top Fives | Top 10s | DNFs | Average Finish | Driver Rating |
1 | Denny Hamlin | 21 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 17.3 | 94.7 |
2 | Brad Keselowski | 12 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 14.6 | 96.9 |
3 | Joey Logano | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 16.6 | 83.6 |
4 | Martin Truex Jr | 22 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 16.3 | 96.9 |
5 | Kyle Larson | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 13.8 | 90.2 |
6 | Chase Elliott | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10.0 | 93.1 |
7 | Kevin Harvick | 30 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 15.8 | 102.2 |
8 | Christopher Bell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18.0 | 71.6 |
9 | William Byron | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.7 | 52.2 |
10 | Kurt Busch | 29 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 14.6 | 96.7 |
11 | Michael McDowell | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 33.8 | 37.9 |
12 | Austin Dillon | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.4 | 66.6 |
13 | Ryan Blaney | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16.2 | 83.6 |
14 | Ryan Preece | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30.5 | 55.1 |
15 | Kyle Busch | 22 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 13.9 | 94.0 |
16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17.8 | 77.0 |
* – Based on Loop Data from the last 22 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2005 – 2020).
Atlanta Motor Speedway:
HISTORY
- Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway.
- The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960, won by Fireball Roberts from the pole position.
- The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970.
- It was renamed Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990.
- The track layout was reversed, and the track was re-configured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997.
- From 1960 – 2010, Atlanta Motor Speedway hosted multiple NASCAR Cup Series races during each season; starting in 2011 the series began only visiting Atlanta once a year (2011-2020). This season marks the first time since 2010, the series will visit the facility more than once a season.
- From 1987 to 2000 Atlanta Motor Speedway held the final championship race of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
- In total, there have been 113 NASCAR Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the first race there in 1960.
STARTS
- A total of 582 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 393 have competed in more than one at Atlanta.
- Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway with 65; followed by Bill Elliott (62) and Dave Marcis (59).
- Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta with 30 starts; followed by Kurt Busch with 29 and Ryan Newman with 28.
- A total of 67 NASCAR Cup Series drivers have made their series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
- Two active NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted their first career start at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Martin Truex Jr. (10/31/2004) and Cody Ware (3/5/2017).
NASCAR Cup Series | |
First-Time Starters at Atlanta since 1990 | |
Drivers | First Start Date |
Harrison Rhodes | February 25, 2018 |
Cody Ware | March 5, 2017 |
Jeb Burton | March 1, 2015 |
Ty Dillon | August 31, 2014 |
Erik Darnell | September 6, 2009 |
Bill Lester | March 19, 2006 |
Reed Sorenson | October 30, 2005 |
Mike Garvey | March 20, 2005 |
Martin Truex Jr | October 31, 2004 |
Scott Wimmer | November 20, 2000 |
Buckshot Jones | November 16, 1997 |
Gary Bradberry | November 13, 1994 |
Jeff Gordon | November 15, 1992 |
Wally Dallenbach Jr | March 18, 1991 |
Steve Grissom | November 18, 1990 |
- The best finish by a driver making their NASCAR Cup Series career debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway was runner-up by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace on March 16, 1980.
- Fred Lorenzen leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a 4.105 in 19 starts.
- Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Atlanta with a 7.429 in 28 starts.
Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Atlanta (All-Time & Active)
Rank | All-Time Drivers | Avg Start | Races | Rank | Active Drivers | Avg Start | Races |
1 | Fred Lorenzen | 4.105 | 19 | 1 | Ryan Newman | 7.429 | 28 |
2 | Fireball Roberts | 4.500 | 10 | 2 | Kyle Larson | 8.667 | 11 |
3 | Cotton Owens | 5.000 | 2 | 3 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 10.750 | 13 |
4 | Earl Balmer | 5.500 | 4 | 4 | Kyle Busch | 11.091 | 27 |
5 | Dick Hutcherson | 5.800 | 5 | 5 | Denny Hamlin | 11.762 | 26 |
6 | Banjo Matthews | 6.500 | 6 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | 15.000 | 17 |
7 | Joe Weatherly | 7.000 | 9 | 7 | Kurt Busch | 15.069 | 35 |
8 | Ryan Newman | 7.429 | 28 | 8 | Martin Truex Jr | 15.409 | 27 |
9 | Nelson Stacy | 7.500 | 6 | 9 | Erik Jones | 15.500 | 9 |
10 | Junior Johnson | 8.385 | 13 | 10 | Kevin Harvick | 16.067 | 35 |
POLES
- A total of 53 different drivers have won at least one Busch Pole Award at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, 24 have posted more than one, nine are active this weekend.
NASCAR Cup Series | |
Active Busch Pole Winners at Atlanta | |
Active Pole Winners (9) | Poles |
Ryan Newman | 7 |
Kevin Harvick | 2 |
Aric Almirola | 1 |
Denny Hamlin | 1 |
Joey Logano | 1 |
Kurt Busch | 1 |
Kyle Busch | 1 |
Martin Truex Jr | 1 |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 1 |
- Buddy Baker and Ryan Newman are tied for the NASCAR Cup Series most poles at Atlanta with seven each.
- Fireball Roberts won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1960 with a speed of 133.870 mph in a Pontiac.
- Youngest Atlanta pole winner: Terry Labonte (03/15/1981 – 24 years, 3 months, 27 days).
- Oldest Atlanta pole winner: Harry Gant (11/14/1993 – 53 years, 10 months, 4 days).
- Winning consecutive poles has happened 10 times at Atlanta in the NASCAR Cup Series, among six different drivers:
- Fireball Roberts (1960 sweep, 1961 second & third race),
- Cale Yarborough (1969, 1970, 1978 sweep),
- Dave Marcis (1975, 1976),
- Buddy Baker (1979 sweep, 1980),
- Alan Kulwicki (1989 sweep),
- Ryan Newman (2003 sweep, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep).
- Ryan Newman holds the record for most consecutive poles at Atlanta with six; from the spring of 2003 through 2005.
- A total of nine drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series pole at Atlanta.
Drivers | Date |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr | Sunday, September 1, 2013 |
Kevin Lepage | Sunday, November 21, 1999 |
Kenny Irwin Jr | Sunday, November 8, 1998 |
Robby Gordon | Sunday, March 9, 1997 |
Johnny Benson | Sunday, March 10, 1996 |
Rick Mast | Sunday, November 15, 1992 |
Terry Labonte | Sunday, March 15, 1981 |
Sam Sommers | Sunday, November 6, 1977 |
Cale Yarborough | Sunday, April 2, 1967 |
WINS
- A total of 44 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 25 have won more than one, and five former Atlanta winners are active this weekend.
Active Atlanta Winners | Wins |
Kevin Harvick | 3 |
Kurt Busch | 3 |
Brad Keselowski | 2 |
Kyle Busch | 2 |
Denny Hamlin | 1 |
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway with nine victories (1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000).
- Kevin Harvick (2001, 2018, 2020) and Kurt Busch (2002, 2009, 2010) lead all active series winners at Atlanta with three victories each.
- Youngest Cup Series Atlanta winner: Kyle Busch (03/09/2008 – 22 years, 10 months, 7 days).
- Oldest Cup Series Atlanta winner: Morgan Shepherd (03/20/1993 – 51 years, 5 months, 8 days).
- A total of seven different drivers, including one active NASCAR Cup Series driver, have posted their first career win at Atlanta Motor Speedway:
Cup Series First-Time Winners at Atlanta | Season |
Carl Edwards | 2005 |
Kevin Harvick | 2001 |
Jerry Nadeau | 2000 |
Jim Hurtubise | 1966 |
Bob Burdick | 1961 |
Bobby Johns | 1960 |
- Four of the five active NASCAR Cup Series winners at Atlanta Motor Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Kevin Harvick is the only active driver to win at Atlanta in his first appearance (2001).
- Denny Hamlin competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway 12 times before winning in the spring of 2012; the longest span of any of the five active NASCAR Cup Series winners.
- Among the five active NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta winners Denny Hamlin (12) is the only driver to have made 10 or more attempts before his first win.
- Ryan Newman leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta without visiting Victory Lane at 28; followed by Martin Truex Jr. at 22.
- No driver has swept the triple header weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway across all three NASCAR national series. Two drivers have won in multiple NASCAR national series races in the same weekend at Atlanta: Carl Edwards (2005, NCS/NXS); (Fall 2008, NCS/NXS),Kyle Busch (Spring 2008, NCS/NCWTS)
- 11 drivers have won consecutive races at Atlanta in the NASCAR Cup Series:
Drivers | Seasons | ||||
1 | Marvin Panch | 1965 Sweep | |||
2 | Bobby Allison | 1972 Sweep | |||
3 | David Pearson | 1973 Sweep | |||
4 | Richard Petty | 1974 Fall | 1975 Spring | ||
5 | Cale Yarborough | 1980 Fall | 1981 Spring | ||
6 | Bill Elliott | 1985 Sweep | 1992 Sweep | ||
7 | Dale Earnhardt | 1989 Fall | 1990 Spring | 1995 Fall | 1996 Spring |
8 | Bobby Labonte | 1997 Fall | 1998 Spring | ||
9 | Jeff Gordon | 1998 Fall | 1999 Spring | ||
10 | Carl Edwards | 2005 Sweep | |||
11 | Jimmie Johnson | 2007 Sweep | 2015, 2016 |
- The most proficient starting position in the field at Atlanta Motor Speedway is the fifth starting position – it has produced more wins (16) than any other starting position.
- A total of 13 of the 113 NASCAR Cup Series races (11.5%) have been won from the Busch Pole.
- 12 different drivers accomplished the feat of winning at Atlanta from the pole, NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty is the only driver to do it twice (1975, 1977).
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt is the only driver to start from the first position due to qualifying being cancelled and win in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway (1990).
Wins by Starting Positions at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Starting Position | Wins | Winning % | Starting Position | Wins | Winning % |
1 | 14 | 12.39% | 14 | 2 | 1.77% |
2 | 12 | 10.62% | 15 | 1 | 0.88% |
3 | 10 | 8.85% | 17 | 2 | 1.77% |
4 | 10 | 8.85% | 18 | 1 | 0.88% |
5 | 16 | 14.16% | 19 | 3 | 2.65% |
6 | 4 | 3.54% | 20 | 2 | 1.77% |
7 | 6 | 5.31% | 21 | 2 | 1.77% |
8 | 6 | 5.31% | 22 | 1 | 0.88% |
9 | 8 | 7.08% | 31 | 1 | 0.88% |
10 | 2 | 1.77% | 35 | 1 | 0.88% |
11 | 4 | 3.54% | 37 | 2 | 1.77% |
12 | 1 | 0.88% | 39 | 1 | 0.88% |
13 | 1 | 0.88% | |||
Stats | Winning % | Wins | |||
Winning from the Pole: | 12.39% | 14 | |||
Winning from the Front Row: | 23.01% | 26 | |||
Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position: | 54.87% | 62 | |||
Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position: | 77.88% | 88 | |||
Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20: | 7.08% | 8 |
- The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Atlanta is 39th, by Bobby Labonte in the fall of 2001.
- The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Atlanta is 37th, by Jimmie Johnson in 2015.
- In total 41 different owners have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway; eight Atlanta winning organizations are active this weekend.
Active Organization Winners | Wins |
Hendrick Motorsports | 14 |
Wood Brothers Racing | 12 |
Joe Gibbs Racing | 11 |
Richard Childress Racing | 9 |
Roush Fenway Racing | 6 |
Team Penske | 5 |
Stewart-Haas Racing | 3 |
Richard Petty Motorsports | 2 |
- The Hendrick Motorsports organization has the most wins at Atlanta in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14 victories: Darrell Waltrip (1989), Ken Schrader (1991), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011), Jerry Nadeau (2000), Jimmie Johnson (2004, 2007 sweep, 2015, 2016) and Kasey Kahne (2014).
- Nine different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta; led by Chevrolet with 40 victories; followed by Ford (33), Pontiac (11), Dodge (nine), Mercury (eight), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Toyota (three) and Oldsmobile (one).
- The longest consecutive wins streak by a manufacturer in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway is four victories and both Ford and Chevrolet have accomplished the feat three times.
- Ford – (1964 sweep-1965 sweep), (Nov. 1991, 1992 sweep, Mar. 1993), (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).
- Chevrolet – (1983 sweep-1984 sweep), (1995 sweep-1996 sweep), (2003 sweep-2004 sweep),
- Ford has the opportunity this weekend to become the first manufacturer to win five straight at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS
Runner-Up Finishes
- A total of 54 different drivers have finished runner-up in the NASCAR Cup Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 28 of the 54 have posted multiple runner-up finishes.
- NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and David Pearson lead the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway with seven each.
- Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with two runner-up finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2009, 2015).
Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Atlanta (All-Time & Active)
Rank | All-Time Drivers | Runner-Ups | Rank | Active Drivers | Runner-Ups |
1 | Dale Earnhardt | 7 | 1 | Kevin Harvick | 2 |
2 | David Pearson | 7 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | 1 |
3 | Richard Petty | 6 | Joey Logano | 1 | |
4 | Dale Jarrett | 5 | Kyle Busch | 1 | |
Jeff Gordon | 5 | Kyle Larson | 1 | ||
Martin Truex Jr | 1 |
Top-Five Finishes
- A total of 112 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished inside the top-five at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 74 of the 112 Cup drivers with top fives at Atlanta have multiple top-five finishes on the 1.54-mile track.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-five finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway with 26; followed by fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough with 23.
- Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-five finishes at Atlanta with nine.
Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Atlanta (All-Time & Active)
Rank | All-Time Drivers | Top Fives | Rank | Active Drivers | Top Fives |
1 | Dale Earnhardt | 26 | 1 | Kevin Harvick | 9 |
2 | Cale Yarborough | 23 | 2 | Kurt Busch | 7 |
3 | Richard Petty | 22 | 3 | Kyle Busch | 6 |
4 | Darrell Waltrip | 18 | 4 | Denny Hamlin | 5 |
5 | Bobby Allison | 17 | 5 | Martin Truex Jr | 5 |
Buddy Baker | 17 | ||||
David Pearson | 17 |
Top-10 Finishes
- A total of 202 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished inside the top-10 at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 126 of the 202 have multiple top fives at Atlanta in the series.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-10 finishes at Atlanta with 33.
- Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with 15 top-10 finishes at Atlanta each.
Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Atlanta (All-Time & Active)
Rank | All-Time Drivers | Top Fives | Rank | Active Drivers | Top Fives |
1 | Richard Petty | 33 | 1 | Kevin Harvick | 15 |
2 | Dale Earnhardt | 30 | 2 | Kurt Busch | 15 |
3 | Cale Yarborough | 29 | 3 | Martin Truex Jr | 10 |
4 | Darrell Waltrip | 28 | 4 | Kyle Busch | 9 |
5 | Bobby Allison | 27 | 5 | Ryan Newman | 9 |
Buddy Baker | 27 |
Average Finishing Position
- Dick Hutcherson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a 3.6 in five starts.
- Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a 10.0 in five starts.
Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Atlanta (All-Time & Active)
Rank | All-Time Drivers | Avg Finish | Races | Rank | Active Drivers | Avg Finish | Races |
1 | Dick Hutcherson | 3.600 | 5 | 1 | Chase Elliott | 10.000 | 5 |
2 | Lee Petty | 7.000 | 2 | 2 | Kyle Larson | 13.833 | 6 |
3 | Troy Ruttman | 7.000 | 2 | 3 | Kyle Busch | 13.864 | 22 |
4 | Speedy Thompson | 8.000 | 2 | 4 | Brad Keselowski | 14.583 | 12 |
5 | Dale Earnhardt | 9.543 | 46 | 5 | Kurt Busch | 14.586 | 29 |
6 | Chase Elliott | 10.000 | 5 | 6 | Erik Jones | 15.000 | 4 |
7 | Billy Wade | 10.250 | 4 | 7 | Kevin Harvick | 15.767 | 30 |
8 | Bob Welborn | 10.286 | 7 | 8 | Ryan Blaney | 16.200 | 5 |
9 | Rex White | 10.455 | 11 | 9 | Martin Truex Jr | 16.273 | 22 |
10 | Ernie Irvan | 11.850 | 20 | 10 | Joey Logano | 16.642 | 14 |
LAP LEADERS
- A total of 167 different drivers have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Atlanta Motor Speedway with 3,283 laps led in 47 starts. He is one of just seven drivers all-time to lead more than 3,000 laps at a single track, and the only one to do it on a 1.5-mile speedway.
- Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Atlanta with 1,197 in 29 starts.
- The most laps led by the NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway was 308 laps led of the scheduled 334 (92.2%) by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough on March 30, 1969; he started from fifth.
- The most laps led by a NASCAR Cup Series river that did not win the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway was 292 laps led of the scheduled 325 (89.8%) by Kevin Harvick on March 5, 2017; he started from the pole.
- The fewest laps led by the NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway was one lap – the final lap – of the scheduled 267 by NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson on September 17, 1961; he started the race fifth.
Top 10 NASCAR Cup Series Lap Leaders at Atlanta (All-Time & Active)
Rank | All-Time Drivers | Led | Completed | % Led |
1 | Cale Yarborough | 3,283 | 12,891 | 25.5% |
2 | Dale Earnhardt | 2,655 | 13,834 | 19.2% |
3 | Richard Petty | 1,827 | 17,513 | 10.4% |
4 | David Pearson | 1,482 | 9,444 | 15.7% |
5 | Kevin Harvick | 1,348 | 9,542 | 14.1% |
6 | Jeff Gordon | 1,297 | 12,590 | 10.3% |
7 | Bobby Allison | 1,166 | 12,672 | 9.2% |
8 | Bill Elliott | 1,017 | 17,429 | 5.8% |
9 | Tony Stewart | 974 | 8,690 | 11.2% |
10 | Bobby Labonte | 959 | 11,016 | 8.7% |
Rank | Active Drivers | Led | Completed | % Led |
1 | Kevin Harvick | 1,348 | 9,542 | 14.1% |
2 | Kurt Busch | 803 | 8,761 | 9.2% |
3 | Kyle Busch | 439 | 6,900 | 6.4% |
4 | Denny Hamlin | 391 | 6,398 | 6.1% |
5 | Martin Truex Jr | 351 | 6,945 | 5.1% |
6 | Joey Logano | 195 | 4,560 | 4.3% |
7 | Ryan Newman | 195 | 8,903 | 2.2% |
8 | Kyle Larson | 149 | 1,957 | 7.6% |
9 | Brad Keselowski | 135 | 3,856 | 3.5% |
10 | Ryan Blaney | 43 | 1,626 | 2.6% |
TRACK / EVENT SPECIFIC STATS
- Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993), the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway is the March 11, 2001 race won by Kevin Harvick over Jeff Gordon with a margin of victory of 0.006 second – which is the fifth closest finish in series history.
- Atlanta Motor Speedway holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for the two closest finishes on 1.5-mile tracks:
- 0.006 second – March 30, 2001 – Kevin Harvick beats Jeff Gordon to the finish.
- 0.010 second – March 12, 2000 – Dale Earnhardt beats Bobby Labonte to the finish.
- Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993), Atlanta Motor Speedway has seen 17 NASCAR Cup Series races conclude with a margin of victory of less than a second; including seven of the last 12 races.
Top 10 NASCAR Cup Series Closest Margins of Victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Margin of Victory (Secs.) | Winner | Runner-Up | Date |
0.006 | Kevin Harvick | Jeff Gordon | Sunday, March 11, 2001 |
0.010 | Dale Earnhardt | Bobby Labonte | Sunday, March 12, 2000 |
0.028 | Carl Edwards | Jimmie Johnson | Sunday, March 20, 2005 |
0.190 | Jeff Gordon | Bobby Labonte | Sunday, March 12, 1995 |
0.218 | Brad Keselowski | Martin Truex Jr | Sunday, February 24, 2019 |
0.293 | Jimmie Johnson | Mark Martin | Sunday, October 31, 2004 |
0.332 | Kurt Busch | Jeff Gordon | Sunday, March 8, 2009 |
0.350 | Ernie Irvan | Morgan Shepherd | Sunday, March 13, 1994 |
0.376 | Tony Stewart | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Sunday, March 10, 2002 |
0.378 | Denny Hamlin | Jeff Gordon | Sunday, September 2, 2012 |
- There have been six NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in a NASCAR Overtime finish at Atlanta:
Date | Winner | Runner-Up | Scheduled Laps | Actual Laps | NASCAR Overtime Laps |
2/28/2016 | Jimmie Johnson | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 325 | 330 | 5 |
8/31/2014 | Kasey Kahne | Matt Kenseth | 325 | 335 | 10 |
9/2/2012 | Denny Hamlin | Jeff Gordon | 325 | 327 | 2 |
3/7/2010 | Kurt Busch | Matt Kenseth | 325 | 341 | 16 |
3/8/2009 | Kurt Busch | Jeff Gordon | 325 | 330 | 5 |
10/28/2007 | Jimmie Johnson | Carl Edwards | 325 | 329 | 4 |
- Five times the NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta race was shortened due to weather:
Date | Winner | Runner-Up | Scheduled Laps | Actual Laps | Number of Fewer Laps |
10/27/2002 | Kurt Busch | Joe Nemechek | 325 | 248 | -77 |
11/8/1998 | Jeff Gordon | Dale Jarrett | 325 | 221 | -104 |
3/21/1982 | Darrell Waltrip | Richard Petty | 328 | 287 | -41 |
11/6/1977 | Darrell Waltrip | David Pearson | 328 | 268 | -60 |
6/10/1962 | Fred Lorenzen | Banjo Matthews | 334 | 219 | -115 |
- Three-times the NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway has been postponed to another day:
- Race Scheduled Date: Sept. 4, 2011 – Delayed due to weather – Actual Start Date: Sept. 6, 2011 (Jeff Gordon won)
- Race Start Date: March 17, 1991 – First 47 laps were run then the event was postponed due to weather – Race Finish Date: March 18, 1991 (remaining 281 laps were run; Ken Schrader won the race)
- Race Scheduled Date: March 15, 2020 – Delayed due COVID-19 pandemic – Actual Start Date: June 7, 2020.
- Qualifying has been cancelled in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway six times:
- Due to weather conditions five times: Spring 1973, Spring 1990, Fall 2002, Fall 2006 and Fall 2008.
- Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions twice: June 7, 2020 and March 21, 2021
FEMALE COMPETITOR STATS
- Three female drivers have competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Shawna Robinson and Danica Patrick.
Driver | Starting Position | Finishing Position | Date |
Danica Patrick | 24 | 17 | 3/5/2017 |
Danica Patrick | 25 | 20 | 2/28/2016 |
Danica Patrick | 18 | 16 | 3/1/2015 |
Danica Patrick | 27 | 6 | 8/31/2014 |
Danica Patrick | 21 | 21 | 9/1/2013 |
Danica Patrick | 23 | 29 | 9/2/2012 |
Average | 23.0 | 18.2 | |
Shawna Robinson | 31 | 34 | 3/10/2002 |
Janet Guthrie | 23 | 10 | 3/19/1978 |
Janet Guthrie | 19 | 16 | 11/6/1977 |
Janet Guthrie | 34 | 30 | 3/20/1977 |
Average | 25.3 | 18.7 |
NASCAR IN GEORGIA
- There has been a total of 230 NASCAR national series races among 14 different tracks in the state of Georgia dating all the way back to 1951.
Tracks in Georgia | ||||||
Track Name | City | Cup | Xfinity | Truck | Total Races | Years |
Atlanta Motor Speedway | Hampton | 113 | 29 | 19 | 161 | 1960 |
Augusta International Speedway | Augusta | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1962 |
Lakewood Speedway | Atlanta | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1951 |
Savannah Speedway | Savannah | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1962 |
Middle Georgia Raceway | Macon | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1966 |
Central City Speedway | Macon | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1951 |
Jeffco Speedway | Jefferson | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1968 |
Lanier Speedway | Gainesville | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1988 |
Valdosta 75 Speedway | Valdosta | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1962 |
Oglethorpe Speedway | Savannah | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1954 |
Road Atlanta Speedway | Atlanta | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1986 |
Augusta International Raceway | Augusta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1964 |
Columbus Speedway | Columbus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1951 |
Hayloft Speedway | Augusta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1952 |
Totals | 172 | 39 | 19 | 230 |
GEORGIA IN NASCAR
- A total of 187 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Georgia.
- 17 of 187 have won at least once in one of NASCAR’s national series; 11 of the 187 have posted at least one victory in the NASCAR Cup Series.
NASCAR Winners from Georgia | |||||
Driver | Cup | Xfinity | Truck | Combined | |
1 | Bill Elliott | 44 | 1 | 0 | 45 |
2 | Jack Smith | 21 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
3 | Fonty Flock | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
4 | Chase Elliott | 11 | 5 | 3 | 19 |
5 | Bob Flock | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
6 | Frank Mundy | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
7 | David Ragan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
8 | Gober Sosebee | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
9 | Harold Kite | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
10 | Sam McQuagg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
11 | Jody Ridley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
12 | Brandon Jones | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
13 | Reed Sorenson | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
14 | Buckshot Jones | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
15 | Ronald Cooper | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
16 | Austin Hill | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
17 | John Wes Townley | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Totals | 109 | 19 | 11 | 139 |
— NASCAR —