Race 2 Win: Nicorette 300

NASCAR Busch Series

Nicorette 300 - Race Notes

2006 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES
RACE #5 of 35 - NICORETTE 300
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Event #: 15th Busch Series Race at Atlanta, ninth race on the quad-oval configuration
Date: March 18th, 2006 Race Time: 3:05 P.M., E.T.
Television: FX Radio: PRN
Track Size: 1.54 miles
Race Distance: 300.3 miles, 195 laps
Track: Banking: Corners - 24 degrees Straightaways - 5 degrees Straights: Front - 1,552 feet Back - 1,320 feet
New Track Configuration (quad oval), 11/97

2005 WINNER: Carl Edwards (F) (one of his two career first wins on the same weekend)

Three Atlanta Races Won From Pole: 2003, Greg Biffle and 1992, Jeff Gordon

Worst Starting Position of an Atlanta Race Winner: 28th, Matt Kenseth, 2004

Average Starting Position of Atlanta Race Winners: 9.64

Most Wins at Atlanta: Mark Martin - three

Most Laps Led at Atlanta: Mark Martin - 641

Most Poles at Atlanta: Mark Martin, Dick Trickle - two

Qualifying at Atlanta:
Driver Date Speed Time
2005 Race: Carl Edwards (F) 191.364 mph 28.971 sec
Track Record: Greg Biffle (C) 10/03 192.300 mph 28.830 sec

Atlanta Race Speeds:
2005 Race: Carl Edwards (F) 130.651 mph 2:23:34
Race Record: Mark Martin (F) 03/97 151.751 mph 1:58:55

Starting Position of Atlanta Race Winners: Last Year’s Winner Started First.
Start # Times
Pole - 3
2nd - 0
Front Row - 3
3rd - 5th - 3
Top Five 6
6th - 10th - 3
Top Ten - 9 - 64%
11th - 20th - 3
21st + - 2
Total 14
- Two of last three Atlanta won by the pole winner.
- Five of last six Atlanta won from a top eight start.

Milestones at Atlanta:
First NASCAR Busch Series Win:

Driver Date (# of races)
Carl Edwards 03/05 (7)
Jeff Gordon 03/92 (35)
Jamie McMurray 10/02 (66)
Mike Skinner 03/99 (9)

First NASCAR Busch Series Start: Active
Driver Date (Finish)
Kevin Conway 10/03 (27th)
Gus Wasson 11/98 (18th)

First NASCAR Busch Series Pole:
Driver Date (# of races)
Tim Bender 03/97 (15)
Shawna Robinson 03/94 (44)

First NASCAR Busch Series Top Ten: Active
Driver Date (Finish)
Stanton Barrett Jr. 03/96 (5th)
Michel Jourdain Jr. 03/05 (10th)
Mike Skinner 03/99 (1st)
Hut Stricklin 03/92 (3rd)

Nextel and Busch Series Sweeps at Atlanta: one time - Carl Edwards - 3/19 Aaron’s 312 and 3/20 Golden Corral 500

Birthdays:
Matt Kenseth, 34 on 3/10
John Andretti, 43 on 3/12
Casey Mears - 28 on 3/12
Jeff Spraker - 48 on 3/13
Tina Gordon - 37 on 3/14
Clint Vahsholtz - 35 on 3/14
Gus Wasson - 32 on 3/20

Best Finish of 2005 was at Atlanta:
Driver Finish
Blake Feese 23rd
Jimmie Johnson 3rd
Jimmy Spencer 27th

Atlanta Fast Facts:

Mark Martin is the only multiple race winner at Atlanta (three). He is one of only two drivers to win more than one pole there (two); Dick Trickle also won two poles.

Mark Martin has won two times on the 1.54 mile quad-oval configuration; he won the 1998 and the 2000 race.

In 2005, the Busch Atlanta returned to the spring after being held in October the previous three seasons. 2006 will be the 10th spring NBS appearance at Atlanta in 15 seasons.

Carl Edwards 2005 victory was the first of his NBS career, in his seventh start. Edwards is the third driver to win from the pole at Atlanta. Other drivers who have won from the pole: Jeff Gordon, 1992 (inaugural Atlanta NBS race); Greg Biffle, 2003.

Last March at Atlanta, Carl Edwards became the first driver in NASCAR to score his first Busch Series and NEXTEL Cup Series victory on the same weekend.

Atlanta Track Facts: (all-time)
1. Most Cars Starting a Race: 43 - 3/94, 3/96, 11/98 - 3/95
2. Most DNFs in a Race: 19 - 11/93
3. Fewest DNFs in a Race: four, 3/97
4. Most Laps Led by a Race Winner: 165 by Mark Martin, 3/00
5. Most Laps Led by a Non-Winner: 126 by Dale Earnhardt Jr., 11/98
6. Fewest Laps Led by a Race Winner: one by Jamie McMurray, 10/02
7. Race Top Five All Same Make: two, 03/94 and 03/96, Chevrolet
8. Driver With Most DNFs: Tim Fedewa - five
9. Most Starts in Top Five: six by Mark Martin
10. Average Lead Changes per Race: 14.3
11. Average Leaders Per Race: 7.43
12. Average Cautions Per Race: 5.86

NASCAR Busch Series 2006 Pole Winners:
Driver Number Race Career NBS Poles
Carl Edwards 1 California 5
Matt Kenseth 1 Las Vegas 9
Boris Said 1 Mexico 2
J.J. Yeley 1 Daytona *1
*First NASCAR Busch Series Pole

NASCAR Busch Series 2006 Race Winners:
Driver Number Race Career NBS Wins
Greg Biffle 1 California 18
Denny Hamlin 1 Mexico *1 (39th start)
Kasey Kahne 1 Las Vegas 4
Tony Stewart 1 Daytona 2
*First NASCAR Busch Series victory.

Drivers with Four Top Fives in 2006: None

Drivers with Four Top 10s in 2006: Two
Driver Daytona California Mexico Vegas Average
Kevin Harvick 5th 8th 3rd 3rd 4.8
J.J. Yeley 8th 7th 4th 8th 6.8

Most Races Led in 2006: Eight drivers with two

Busch Series Milestones:

Matt Kenseth’s next start will be the 180th of his NASCAR Busch Series career.

Kevin Harvick is $31,266 away from the $6 million in career money won, a mark reached by only six drivers.

David Green made the 360th of his NASCAR Busch Series career at Las Vegas, finishing 29th. He is fourth all-time in number of career starts, behind Tommy Houston (417); Jason Keller (395); and Elton Sawyer (392).

2006 Point Leaders:
Driver # Led (After)
Tony Stewart 1 (Daytona)
Kevin Harvick 3 (California - Vegas)

Current Busch Series Consecutives:
Category Driver Streak
Races Competed In Jason Keller 275 (started 9/97 at Richmond)
Top Five Finish Kevin Harvick two (started at Mexico)
Top 10 Finish Kevin Harvick seven (started at Texas 2 ’05)
Running at Finish Kenny Wallace 29 (started at Darlington 1 ’05)
Finish in Lead Lap Jason Keller 10 (started at Kansas ‘05)

Races Led the Most Laps in 2006:
Driver Led Most Won*
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 0
Greg Biffle 1 1
Denny Hamlin 1 1
Kevin Harvick 1 0
*Races won in which the driver led the most laps.

2006 Bonus Points:
Driver Points
Greg Biffle 15
Kevin Harvick 15
Denny Hamlin 15
Jeff Burton 10
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10
Carl Edwards 10
Kasey Kahne 10
Matt Kenseth 10
Jamie McMurray 10

Best Average Finish in 2006:
Driver Average Finish + or - from Average Start
Kevin Harvick 4.8 +10.2
J.J. Yeley 6.8 +4.7
Denny Hamlin 7.8 +2.0
Jamie McMurray 9.5 +4.0
Clint Bowyer 11.0 -1.5

Highest in Points with no Top Five: Jason Leffler, seventh (best finish 6th, Dayt.)

Highest in Points with no Top 10: Jason Keller, 9th (best finish 11th, Dayt.)

Worst in Points having run in all four races: Aaron Fike, 34th

Best in Points having run Fewer than four races: Greg Biffle, 16th