Petty On a “Fast Track” To Atlanta
45 Dodge Team Riding a Momentum Wave

This weekend, Kyle Petty and the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge team will head to the 1.54-mile Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway (AMS) for Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500.

AMS has become one of the favorite tracks for the competitors of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup circuit. Its high banks and quad-oval design are conducive to intense, side-by-side racing. As one of the garage area’s elder statesmen, Petty is part of a small contingent that has competed on both the old 1.5 mile oval and the new configuration that was done following the 1997 season.

Petty will be making his 52nd start at AMS this weekend. Petty has two top five and 11 top 10 finishes at the track located in Hampton, Ga. He finished eighth in the Golden Corral 500 at AMS in March of this year.

Comments from Petty as he prepares for Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500:

After a very successful race at Martinsville last weekend are you guys anxious to get back to the track?
“Without a doubt. I am always ready to get back to the track. But, hey, any time you have the weekend that both of the Petty Enterprises Dodge Chargers had at Martinsville, you want to race the next day. It feels good to get both cars back in the top 10 again. There is a great vibe in the shop this week. It was great for all our sponsors and supporters. It was good for Wells Fargo to have a great finish like that. I feel like we can go out and get Marathon a top 10 finish too.”

“However, you could not pick two animals any more different than Martinsville and Atlanta. Atlanta is all about downforce, more-so than probably anywhere we go. We have been making considerable strides in that department. This will be another important race for us when we go over our notes in the off-season.”

You mention the premium placed on downforce. What is it like to race 42 other guys at AMS?
“Extremely intense is the best way to describe it. The speeds are well documented. It is consistently one of the fastest tracks we go to. But, with the progressive banking, you have so much room to race. You’ll see some guys go to the high groove right at the drop of the green flag. Some guys work to get there cars able to stick to the bottom line for the whole race.”

“There is still nothing like setting sail down into Turn One at Atlanta at 200 mph. That corner has made many drivers wonder if they chose the right profession. Atlanta is exciting, no doubt, for the drivers and fans. They have great fans down there that love the speed.”

Few tracks have undergone as many facelifts, whether it be from Mother Nature or just remodeling, as AMS. Did you ever envision it would be the showplace it is today?
“I knew it would always have a strong foothold in NASCAR because it is in one of stock car racing’s hotbeds. It is the home of some huge corporations too that are big supporters of NASCAR. Coca-Cola has its headquarters in Atlanta. We do a lot of things for them. It’s important that we still go to Atlanta.

“Bruton’s (Smith) style has transformed the place into one of the jewels of the circuit. Not even a tornado could deter that man from what he knew Atlanta Motor Speedway could become and is now. You have to give him and Ed (track president Ed Clark) a lot of credit.”

“When we would come to the old oval you knew pulling in that you were going to have to beat the man from Dawsonville, Ga.-that was a hard thing to do. Today, after it was reconfigured, Bobby (Labonte) became the man to beat. Six wins is pretty phenomenal. I am glad he is on my side. We’re pretty excited about our team too. We are ready to get to the track this weekend. ”