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2024 Spring Atlanta Race All News Cup News

Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Ambetter Health 400

February 21, 2024 at 6:45 PM

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, going into the Ambetter Health 400 on February 25 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

2024 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 1
Rank Drivers Points Starts Wins Stages Playoff Pts Points From Cutoff
1 William Byron 54 1 1 0 5 In On Wins
2 Alex Bowman 50 1 0 0 0 26
3 Christopher Bell 44 1 0 0 0 20
4 Chase Elliott 42 1 0 1 1 18
5 Bubba Wallace 39 1 0 0 0 15
6 John H. Nemechek 37 1 0 0 0 13
7 Kyle Larson 37 1 0 0 0 13
8 Kyle Busch 37 1 0 0 0 13
9 Erik Jones 35 1 0 0 0 11
10 Corey LaJoie 33 1 0 0 0 9
11 Austin Cindric 33 1 0 0 0 9
12 Denny Hamlin 30 1 0 0 0 6
13 Chase Briscoe 29 1 0 0 0 5
14 Zane Smith # 29 1 0 0 0 5
15 Noah Gragson 28 1 0 0 0 4
16 Martin Truex Jr. 24 1 0 0 0 0
17 Ross Chastain 24 1 0 0 0 0
18 Tyler Reddick 24 1 0 0 0 0
19 Ty Gibbs 23 1 0 0 0 -1
20 Daniel Hemric 21 1 0 0 0 -3
21 Chris Buescher 21 1 0 0 0 -3
22 * David Ragan 17 1 0 0 0 -7
23 Ryan Blaney 17 1 0 1 1 -7
24 Daniel Suarez 17 1 0 0 0 -7
25 Ryan Preece 14 1 0 0 0 -10
26 Josh Berry # 12 1 0 0 0 -12
27 Justin Haley 12 1 0 0 0 -12
28 * Jimmie Johnson 9 1 0 0 0 -15
29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 9 1 0 0 0 -15
30 Joey Logano 9 1 0 0 0 -15
31 Brad Keselowski 8 1 0 0 0 -16
32 Carson Hocevar # 8 1 0 0 0 -16
33 Harrison Burton 7 1 0 0 0 -17
34 Todd Gilliland 2 1 0 0 0 -22
35 Michael McDowell 1 1 0 0 0 -23
36 Austin Dillon 1 1 0 0 0 -23
37 * Kaz Grala # 1 1 0 0 0 -23
Note: Must compete in every race of the season to be eligible for the Playoffs or be granted a waiver by NASCAR.

ATLANTA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

(The following driver stats are from the Loop Data Era – 2005-Present)

Christopher Bell (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

  • One top five, two top 10s
  • Average Finish of 16.429, eighth-best
  • Average Running Position of 14.152, ninth-best
  • Driver Rating of 80.5, 10th-best
  • 1,055 Laps in the Top 15 (54.4%), 10th-most

Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford)

  • One win, four top fives, six top 10s
  • Average Finish of 11.364, series-best
  • Average Running Position of 9.867, series-best
  • Driver Rating of 98.0, second-best
  • 2,605 Laps in the Top 15 (80.3%), series-most

Alex Bowman (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • Two top fives, three top 10s
  • Average Finish of 17.636, 10th-best
  • Average Running Position of 16.607, 13th-best
  • Driver Rating of 79.6, 12th-best
  • 1,608 Laps in the Top 15 (49.5%), 11th-most

Kyle Busch (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

  • Two wins, nine top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 12.481, fourth-best
  • Average Running Position of 12.946, seventh-best
  • Driver Rating of 92.6, sixth-best
  • 5,413 Laps in the Top 15 (63.8%), eighth-most

William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • Two wins, two top fives, three top 10s
  • Average Finish of 17.778, 12th-best
  • Average Running Position of 16.417, 11th-best
  • Driver Rating of 80.5, 11th-best
  • 1,271 Laps in the Top 15 (49.1%), 12th-most

Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • One win, two top fives, seven top 10s
  • Average Finish of 11.500, third-best
  • Average Running Position of 11.092, fourth-best
  • Driver Rating of 94.4, fifth-best
  • 2,370 Laps in the Top 15 (79.4%), second-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

  • One win, six top fives, ten top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 16.852, ninth-best
  • Average Running Position of 11.567, fifth-best
  • Driver Rating of 94.6, fourth-best
  • 6,143 Laps in the Top 15 (72.4%), sixth-most

Brad Keselowski (No. 6 RFK Racing Ford)

  • Two wins, five top fives, 11 top 10s
  • Average Finish of 13.944, fifth-best
  • Average Running Position of 11.666, sixth-best
  • Driver Rating of 91.8, seventh-best
  • 4,130 Laps in the Top 15 (74.4%), fifth-most

Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • Two top fives, four top 10s
  • Average Finish of 17.750, 11th-best
  • Average Running Position of 13.265, eighth-best
  • Driver Rating of 86.9, eighth-best
  • 2,297 Laps in the Top 15 (64.2%), seventh-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)

  • One win, three top fives, seven top 10s; two poles
  • Average Finish of 16.000, seventh-best
  • Average Running Position of 14.561, 10th-best
  • Driver Rating of 86.3, ninth-best
  • 3,703 Laps in the Top 15 (59.7%), ninth-most

Tyler Reddick (No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota)

  • One top five, two top 10s
  • Average Finish of 19.571, 13th-best
  • Average Running Position of 16.419, 12th-best
  • Driver Rating of 79.1, 13th-best
  • 896 Laps in the Top 15 (46.2%), 13th-most

Martin Truex Jr (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

  • Six top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
  • Average finish of 14.815, sixth-best
  • Average Running Position of 10.782, third-best
  • Driver Rating of 95.1, third-best
  • 6,686 Laps in the Top 15 (78.8%), third-most

The NASCAR Cup Series 2024 Top 16 in the Driver Standings at Atlanta

Rk. Driver Races Poles Wins Top Fives Top 10s DNFs Average Finish Driver Rating
1 William Byron 9 0 2 2 3 2 17.8 80.5
2 Alex Bowman 11 0 0 2 3 1 17.6 79.6
3 Christopher Bell 7 0 0 1 2 0 16.4 80.5
4 Chase Elliott 10 0 1 2 7 1 11.5 94.4
5 Bubba Wallace 9 0 0 0 0 0 21.0 58.9
6 John H. Nemechek 1 0 0 0 0 0 23.0 52.5
7 Kyle Larson 12 0 0 2 4 3 17.8 86.9
8 Kyle Busch 28 1 2 9 13 2 13.6 92.6
9 Erik Jones 10 0 0 1 3 0 14.5 72.9
10 Corey LaJoie 9 0 0 2 2 0 22.4 56.5
11 Austin Cindric 5 0 0 1 1 1 16.0 76.4
12 Denny Hamlin 27 1 1 6 10 4 16.9 94.6
13 Chase Briscoe 6 0 0 0 0 0 19.2 60.3
14 Zane Smith 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
15 Noah Gragson 4 0 0 0 0 2 29.0 40.0
16 Martin Truex Jr 28 1 0 6 13 4 15.6 95.1

* – Based on Loop Data from the last 28 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2005 – 2023).

 Atlanta Motor Speedway

TRACK DATA

Season Race #: 2 of 36 (02-25-24)

Track Size: 1.54-miles

Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 28 degrees

Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 28 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch & Backstretch: 5 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  2,332 feet

Backstretch Length:  1,800 feet

Race Length: 325 laps / 500.5 miles

Stage 1 Length: 60 Laps

Stage 2 Length: 100 Laps

Final Stage Length: 100 Laps

QUALIFYING & RACE RECORDS

Track Qualifying Record:

Geoffrey Bodine, Ford, 197.478 mph, 28.074 secs. November 15, 1997

2023 Pole Winner (March Race):

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, 177.374 mph, 31.256 secs., March 18, 2023

Track Race Record:

Bobby Labonte, Pontiac, 159.904 mph, (03:07:48), November 16, 1997

 2023 Race Winner (March Race):

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, 138.800 mph, (02:53:05), March 19, 2023

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. The event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts driving a Pontiac for car owner Jim Hines. Roberts won 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). The 2021 season marked the first time since 2010, the series visited 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 2021, Atlanta Motor Speedway underwent a transformation starting shortly after the checkered flag on July 11. Over the course of five months, the speedway was reconfigured, sporting steeper 28-degree banked corners, new drainage technology, and brand-new asphalt.
  • In total, there have been 119 NASCAR Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the first race there in 1960.

STARTS

  • A total of 595 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 408 have competed in more than one at Atlanta.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway with 65 starts.
  • Top five all-time in NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Richard Petty (65), Bill Elliott (62), Dave Marcis (59), Ricky Rudd (58) and Darrell Waltrip (56).
  • Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. lead all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta with 28 starts each.
  • A total of 67 NASCAR Cup Series drivers have made their series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Rank Drivers Date Rank Drivers Date Rank Drivers Date
1 Harrison Rhodes 2/25/2018 24 Ken Ragan 3/27/1983 47 Don Tarr 8/6/1967
2 Cody Ware 3/5/2017 25 Jerry Bowman 11/7/1982 48 Eldon Yarbrough 8/7/1966
3 Jeb Burton 3/1/2015 26 Rodney Combs 11/7/1982 49 Wayne Woodward 3/27/1966
4 Ty Dillon 8/31/2014 27 Delma Cowart 11/8/1981 50 Jesse Samples 6/13/1965
5 Erik Darnell 9/6/2009 28 Charlie Chamblee 11/2/1980 51 Cotton Wallace 4/11/1965
6 Bill Lester 3/19/2006 29 Clay Young 11/2/1980 52 Jim Conway 4/11/1965
7 Reed Sorenson 10/30/2005 30 Rusty Wallace 3/16/1980 53 Bob Gray 6/7/1964
8 Mike Garvey 3/20/2005 31 Buck Simmons 11/4/1979 54 Jimmy Helms 4/5/1964
9 Martin Truex Jr 10/31/2004 32 Keith Davis 3/18/1979 55 Ken Anderson 4/5/1964
10 Scott Wimmer 11/20/2000 33 Dave Watson 11/5/1978 56 Ken Spikes 4/5/1964
11 Buckshot Jones 11/16/1997 34 Connie Saylor 3/19/1978 57 H.B. Bailey 10/28/1962
12 Gary Bradberry 11/13/1994 35 Billy McGinnis 11/7/1976 58 A.F. Nichols 6/10/1962
13 Jeff Gordon 11/15/1992 36 Gene Felton 11/7/1976 59 Jim Locke 6/10/1962
14 Wally Dallenbach Jr 3/18/1991 37 Skip Manning 3/23/1975 60 Troy Ruttman 6/10/1962
15 Steve Grissom 11/18/1990 38 Jody Ridley 7/22/1973 61 Frank Graham 7/9/1961
16 Brad Noffsinger 3/20/1988 39 Randy Tissot 7/22/1973 62 Bill Gazaway 10/30/1960
17 Jeff Swindell 11/2/1986 40 Charles Barrett 4/1/1973 63 Bob Eichlor 10/30/1960
18 Tom Bigelow 11/2/1986 41 Tony Bettenhausen 4/1/1973 64 LeeRoy Yarbrough 10/30/1960
19 Chet Fillip 11/3/1985 42 Lem Blankenship 3/26/1972 65 Paul Norris 10/30/1960
20 Sammy Swindell 11/3/1985 43 Hoss Ellington 8/4/1968 66 Herb Shannon 7/31/1960
21 Randy LaJoie 3/17/1985 44 Willie Crane 8/4/1968 67 Johnny Miller 7/31/1960
22 Bob Penrod 11/11/1984 45 Serge Adams 3/31/1968  
23 Eddie Bierschwale 3/27/1983 46 Tony Tantarelli 3/31/1968  

  • One active NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted their first career start at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Martin Truex Jr. (10/31/2004).
  • 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.
  • Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Atlanta with an 8.175 in 17 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 4.1 19 1 Kyle Larson 8.8 17
2 Fireball Roberts 4.5 10 2 Chase Briscoe 10.2 6
3 Cotton Owens 5.0 2 3 Jimmie Johnson 11.3 34
4 Earl Balmer 5.5 4 4 Denny Hamlin 11.5 32
5 Dick Hutcherson 5.8 5 5 Kyle Busch 11.7 33
6 Banjo Matthews 6.5 6 6 Chase Elliott 12.1 15
7 Joe Weatherly 7.0 9 7 Ryan Blaney 12.2 16
8 Nelson Stacy 7.5 6 8 Tyler Reddick 13.9 12
9 Junior Johnson 8.4 13 9 Austin Cindric 14.4 5
10 Marvin Panch 8.5 13 10 Brad Keselowski 14.9 23

POLES

  • A total of 53 different drivers have won at least one pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, 26 drivers have posted more than one pole at Atlanta.
  • In total five of the 53 NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway pole winners are active this weekend.
Active Atlanta Pole Winners Poles Seasons
Joey Logano 2 2023, 2015
Kyle Busch 1 2018
Ricky Stenhouse Jr 1 2013
Denny Hamlin 1 2010
Martin Truex Jr 1 2009

  • Buddy Baker (1968, 1971, 1976, 1979 sweep, 1980, 1984) and Ryan Newman (2003 sweep, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep, 2007) are tied for the NASCAR Cup Series most poles at Atlanta Motor Speedway with seven each.
  • Joey Logano leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Atlanta Motor Speedway with two (2015, 2023).
  • Fireball Roberts won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole 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).
  • Ryan Newman holds the record for most consecutive poles at Atlanta with six; from the spring of 2003 through 2005.
  • Winning consecutive poles has happened 10 times at Atlanta in the NASCAR Cup Series, among six different drivers:

o   Fireball Roberts (1960 sweep, 1961 second & third race),

o   Cale Yarborough (1969, 1970, 1978 sweep),

o   Dave Marcis (1975, 1976),

o   Buddy Baker (1979 sweep, 1980),

o   Alan Kulwicki (1989 sweep),

o   Ryan Newman (2003 sweep, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep).

  • A total of nine drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
First-Time Pole Winners at Atlanta 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
  • A total of 40 different organizations have won a NASCAR Cup Series pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
  • Seven of the 40 organizations that have won a pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta are active this weekend.
Active Organizations Poles Seasons
Team Penske 10 2023, ’15, ’07, ’05 sweep, ’04 sweep, ’03 sweep, ’93
Wood Brothers Racing 9 1984, ’74, ’72, ’71, ’70, ’69, ’67, ’65, ’63
Stewart-Haas Racing 6 2023, ’19, ’17, ’16, ’14, ’12
Hendrick Motorsports 5 2010, ’09, ’08, ’00, ’88
Joe Gibbs Racing 4 2018, ’10, ’99, ’96
RFK Racing 4 2013, ’07, ’99, ’92
Richard Childress Racing 3 1995, ’87, ’86
  • Team Penske leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Atlanta with 10 poles among three drivers: Rusty Wallace (1993), Ryan Newman (2003 sweep, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep, 2007), Joey Logano (2015, 2023).
  • A total of nine different manufacturers have won a NASCAR Cup Series pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway, led by Ford with 32 poles; followed by Chevrolet (25), Dodge (18), Pontiac (16), Mercury (7), Oldsmobile (5), Toyota (3), Buick (2) and Plymouth (1).
  • Dodge leads the NASCAR Cup Series in consecutive poles at Atlanta Motor Speedway with eight straight from 2002-2006.

WINS

  • A total of 48 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 26 drivers have won more than one Cup race at Atlanta.
  • Seven of the 48 NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway race winners are active this weekend.
Active Atlanta Race Winners Wins Seasons
William Byron 2 2023, 2022
Brad Keselowski 2 2019, 2017
Kyle Busch 2 2013, 2008
Joey Logano 1 2023
Chase Elliott 1 2022
Ryan Blaney 1 2021
Denny Hamlin 1 2012
  • 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).
  • William Byron (2022, 2023), Brad Keselowski (2017, 2019) and Kyle Busch (2008, 2013) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series winners at Atlanta Motor Speedway with two 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 six different drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Atlanta Motor Speedway:
First-Time Winners Date
Carl Edwards Sunday, March 20, 2005
Kevin Harvick Sunday, March 11, 2001
Jerry Nadeau Monday, November 20, 2000
Jim Hurtubise Sunday, March 27, 1966
Bob Burdick Sunday, March 26, 1961
Bobby Johns Sunday, October 30, 1960
  • All seven of the active NASCAR Cup Series winners at Atlanta Motor Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane.
  • Denny Hamlin competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway 12 times before winning in the spring of 2012; the longest span of any of the seven active NASCAR Cup Series winners.
  • Among the seven active NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta winners Denny Hamlin (12) is the only driver to have made 10 or more attempts before his first win.
  • Martin Truex Jr. leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta without visiting Victory Lane at 28 starts.
  • 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:

o   Kevin Harvick (2018, NCS/NXS)

o   Carl Edwards (2005, NCS/NXS); (Fall 2008, NCS/NXS)

o   Kyle Busch (Spring 2008, NCS/NCTS)

  • A total of 25 different starting positions on the grid have resulted in wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
  • The most proficient starting positions in the field at Atlanta Motor Speedway are the first and fifth starting positions – both have produced more wins (16) than any other starting position.
  • A total of 16 of the 119 NASCAR Cup Series races (13.45%) have been won from the pole or first starting position.
  • A total 15 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).
  • 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 19th, by Brad Keselowski in 2019.

 Wins by Starting Positions at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Starting Position Wins Winning % Starting Position Wins Winning %
1 16 13.45% 14 2 1.68%
2 12 10.08% 15 1 0.84%
3 10 8.40% 17 2 1.68%
4 10 8.40% 18 2 1.68%
5 16 13.45% 19 3 2.52%
6 4 3.36% 20 2 1.68%
7 6 5.04% 21 2 1.68%
8 7 5.88% 22 1 0.84%
9 8 6.72% 31 1 0.84%
10 3 2.52% 35 1 0.84%
11 4 3.36% 37 2 1.68%
12 2 1.68% 39 1 0.84%
13 1 0.84%  
Stats Winning % Wins
Winning from the Pole: 13.45% 16
Winning from the Front Row: 23.53% 28
Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position: 53.78% 64
Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position: 77.31% 92
Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20: 6.72% 8
  • 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 Seasons
Hendrick Motorsports 17 2023, ’22 sweep, ’16, ’15, ’14, ’11, ’07 sweep, ’04, ’03, ’00, ’98, ’95, ’91, ’89
Wood Brothers Racing 12 1993, ’81, ’79, ’76, ’73 sweep, ’71, ’69, ’68, ’67, ’65 sweep
Joe Gibbs Racing 11 2013, ’12, ’08, ’06, ’03, ’02, ’01, ’99, ’98, ’97, ’96
Richard Childress Racing 9 2001, ’00, ’96, ’95, ’90, ’89, ’88, ’86, ’84
Team Penske 7 2023, ’21, ’19, ’17, ’10, ’09, ’93
RFK Racing 6 2008, ’05 sweep, ’02, ’94, ’91
Stewart-Haas Racing 3 2020, ’18, ’10
  • The Hendrick Motorsports organization has the most wins at Atlanta in the NASCAR Cup Series with 17 victories among eight drivers: Darrell Waltrip (1989), Ken Schrader (1991), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011), Jerry Nadeau (2000), Jimmie Johnson (2004, 2007 sweep, 2015, 2016), Kasey Kahne (2014), William Byron (2022, 2023) and Chase Elliott (2022).
  • Nine different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta; led by Chevrolet with 44 victories; followed by Ford (35), Pontiac (11), Dodge (nine), Mercury (eight), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Toyota (three) and Oldsmobile (one).

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes

  • A total of 56 different drivers have finished runner-up in the NASCAR Cup Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 32 of the 56 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.
  • Brad Keselowski (2018, 2023), Kyle Busch (2020, 2021) Kyle Larson (2017, 2021) and Ross Chastain (2022, 2022) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with two runner-up finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway each.

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 Brad Keselowski 2
David Pearson 7   Kyle Busch 2
3 Richard Petty 6   Kyle Larson 2
4 Dale Jarrett 5   Ross Chastain 2
Jeff Gordon 5 5 Daniel Suárez 1
  Joey Logano 1
  Martin Truex Jr 1

Top-Five Finishes

  • A total of 123 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished inside the top-five at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 82 of the 123 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 Famers Cale Yarborough with 23 and Richard Petty with 22.
  • Kyle Busch 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 Kyle Busch 9
2 Cale Yarborough 23 2 Denny Hamlin 6
3 Richard Petty 22   Martin Truex Jr 6
4 Darrell Waltrip 18 4 Brad Keselowski 5
5 Bobby Allison 17 5 Ryan Blaney 4
Buddy Baker 17  
David Pearson 17  

 Top-10 Finishes

  • A total of 219 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished inside the top-10 at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 138 of the 219 have multiple top 10s at Atlanta in the series.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-10 finishes at Atlanta with 33; followed by NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt with 30 and Cale Yarborough with 29.
  • Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with 13 top-10 finishes at Atlanta.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Atlanta (All-Time & Active)

Rank All-Time Drivers Top 10s Rank Active Drivers Top 10s
1 Richard Petty 33 1 Kyle Busch 13
2 Dale Earnhardt 30   Martin Truex Jr 13
3 Cale Yarborough 29 3 Brad Keselowski 11
4 Darrell Waltrip 28 4 Denny Hamlin 10
5 Bobby Allison 27 5 Chase Elliott 7
Buddy Baker 27   Joey Logano 7

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.
  • Ryan Blaney leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a 11.364 in 11 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 Ryan Blaney 11.364 11
2 Lee Petty 7.000 2 2 Chase Elliott 11.500 10
3 Troy Ruttman 7.000 2 3 Kyle Busch 13.571 28
4 Speedy Thompson 8.000 2 4 Brad Keselowski 13.944 18
5 Dale Earnhardt 9.543 46 5 Erik Jones 14.500 10
6 Billy Wade 10.250 4 6 Martin Truex Jr 15.607 28
7 Bob Welborn 10.286 7 7 Austin Cindric 16.000 5
8 Rex White 10.455 11 8 Joey Logano 16.000 20
9 Ryan Blaney 11.364 11 9 Christopher Bell 16.429 7
10 Chase Elliott 11.500 10 10 Alex Bowman 17.636 11

LAP LEADERS

  • A total of 184 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.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Atlanta with 558 in 28 starts.
  • The most laps led by the NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway is 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 driver 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 and finished ninth.
  • 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 in fifth.

Top 10 NASCAR Cup Series Lap Leaders at Atlanta (All-Time)

Rank All-Time Drivers Races Led Completed % Led
1 Cale Yarborough 47 3,283 12,891 25%
2 Dale Earnhardt 46 2,655 13,834 19%
3 Richard Petty 65 1,827 17,513 10%
4 David Pearson 39 1,482 9,444 16%
5 Kevin Harvick 36 1,360 11,083 12%
6 Jeff Gordon 42 1,297 12,590 10%
7 Bobby Allison 48 1166 12,672 9%
8 Bill Elliott 62 1017 17,429 6%
9 Tony Stewart 28 974 8,690 11%
10 Bobby Labonte 38 959 11,016 9%

Top 10 NASCAR Cup Series Lap Leaders at Atlanta (Active)

Rank Active Drivers Races Led Completed % Led
1 Kyle Busch 28 558 8,361 7%
2 Denny Hamlin 27 437 7,899 6%
3 Kyle Larson 12 423 3,333 13%
4 Martin Truex Jr 28 388 8,559 5%
5 Joey Logano 20 358 6,165 6%
6 Brad Keselowski 18 201 5,467 4%
7 William Byron 9 173 2,417 7%
8 Chase Elliott 10 164 2,879 6%
9 Ryan Blaney 11 110 3,241 3%
10 Ross Chastain 8 79 2,185 4%

 TRACK / EVENT SPECIFIC STATS

  • Since the advent of electronic scoring in 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:

o   0.006 second – March 30, 2001 – Kevin Harvick beats Jeff Gordon to the finish.

o   0.010 second – March 12, 2000 – Dale Earnhardt beats Bobby Labonte to the finish.

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
0.145 William Byron Ross Chastain Sunday, March 20, 2022
0.190 Jeff Gordon Bobby Labonte Sunday, March 12, 1995
0.193 Joey Logano Brad Keselowski Sunday, March 19, 2023
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
  • There have been six NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in a NASCAR Overtime finish at Atlanta:
Date Winner Runner-Up Scheduled Laps Actual Laps 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

 Six times the NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta race was shortened due to weather:

Date Winner Runner-Up Scheduled Laps Actual Laps Number of Fewer Laps
7/9/2023 William Byron Daniel Suarez 260 185 -75
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:

o   Race Scheduled Date: Sept. 4, 2011 – Delayed due to weather – Actual Start Date: Sept. 6, 2011 (Jeff Gordon won)

o   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)

o   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 10 times:

o   Due to weather conditions seven times: Spring 1973, Spring 1990, Fall 2002, Fall 2006, Fall 2008, both races in 2022.

o   Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions three times: June 7, 2020, March 21, 2021 and July 11, 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 245 NASCAR national series races among 14 different tracks in the state of Georgia dating all the way back to 1951.

NASCAR Tracks In Georgia City Cup Xfinity Truck Combined First Year
Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton 119 35 22 176 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 1969
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 178 45 22 245

GEORGIA IN NASCAR

  • A total of 193 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Georgia.
  • A total of 19 of 193 drivers have won at least once in one of NASCAR’s national series; 11 of the 193 have posted at least one victory in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Rank NASCAR Winners From Georgia 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 18 5 3 26
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 Austin Hill 0 7 8 15
13 Brandon Jones 0 5 1 6
14 Reed Sorenson 0 4 0 4
15 Buckshot Jones 0 2 0 2
16 Ronald Cooper 0 1 0 1
17 Chandler Smith 0 1 5 6
18 Corey Heim 0 0 5 5
19 John Wes Townley 0 0 1 1
Totals 116 28 23 167

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