Race 2 Win: Bass Pro Shops 500

Nextel Cup Series

Atlanta Motor Speedway

Track data
Race #: 33 of 36 (10-29-06)
Track Size: 1.54 Miles
Event: Bass Pro Shops 500
Number of Laps: 325
Location: Atlanta, GA
Length of Event: 500.5 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 2,332 Ft
Length of Back Stretch: 1,800 Ft.
Degree of Banking in Corners: 24 degrees
Degree of Banking on Straights: 5 degrees

Qualifying/Race Data: All records are on the 1.54-mile configuration (since fall 1997)
Last year's pole winner: Ryan Newman 193.928 mph 10-28-05 28.588 seconds
Last year's race winner: Carl Edwards 146.834 mph 10-30-05 3 hr, 24 min, 31 sec
Track qualifying record: Geoffrey Bodine 197.478 mph 11-15-97 28.074 seconds
Track race record: Bobby Labonte 159.904 mph 11-16-97 3 hr, 7 min, 48 sec

Historical Data:
Previous winners at Atlanta:
Dale Earnhardt (9) Cale Yarborough (7) Bobby Labonte (6) Richard Petty (6) Bobby Allison (5) Bill Elliott (5) David Pearson (4) Fred Lorenzen (4) Jeff Gordon (4) Darrell Waltrip (3) Neil Bonnett (3) Morgan Shepherd (3) L. Yarborough (2) Marvin Panch (2) Buddy Baker (2) Rusty Wallace (2) Mark Martin (2) Carl Edwards (2) Dave Marcis (1) A.J. Foyt (1) Junior Johnson (1) Rex White (1) Jim Hurtubise (1) Fireball Roberts (1) Ned Jarrett (1) Dick Hutcherson (1) Bobby Johns (1) Bob Burdick (1) Donnie Allison (1) Benny Parsons (1) Ricky Rudd (1) Ken Schrader (1) Ernie Irvan (1) Dale Jarrett (1) Jerry Nadeau (1) Kevin Harvick (1) Tony Stewart (1) Kurt Busch (1) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1) Jimmie Johnson (1) Kasey Kahne (1)
Races won from the pole: 14 of 94 events (15%)
Races won from in top 10: 74 of 94 events (79%)
Races won from outside top 10: 20 of 94 events (21%)

Track Milestones

Fireball Roberts won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole at Atlanta in July 1960.

Fireball Roberts won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Atlanta, the Dixie 300 on July 31, 1960.

The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970.

The track was re-configured in the fall of 1997 with the frontstretch and backstretch designations swapped and the track size increased from 1.522 to 1.54 miles.

Qualifying Update
Ryan Newman has scored six consecutive Bud Poles at Atlanta (March 2003 through October 2005). The last time a driver scored seven consecutive Bud Poles at a track was by David Pearson at Charlotte (October 1975 through October 1978). Those seven completed his all-time record of 11 straight Bud Poles at Charlotte that began in October 1973.

Track Update
There have been eight different race winners in the last nine NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races held at Atlanta. Carl Edwards, who swept both races in 2005, is the only repeat winner there since 2002. Edwards was just the sixth driver to sweep both races at Atlanta since the track opened in 1960. Though there have 12 back-toback wins at Atlanta, no one has ever won three straight at the Georgia speedway.

Track Milestone
Geoffrey Bodine's 197.478 mph qualifying lap at Atlanta in November 1997 (the first on the new configuration) remains the fastest qualifying lap on a non-restrictor-plate track in NASCAR history.

Manufacturer Note
Kasey Kahne won the Golden Corral 500 in March 2006, the first Dodge victory at Atlanta since Richard Petty won there in the spring of 1977.

The Money
Purse: $6,070,505
NASCAR NEXTEL Leader Bonus $50,000

Tire/Fuel Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4066; Right-side -- D-4070
Other NEXTEL Cup Tracks At Which This Tire Combination Is Run: None
Estimated Pit Window: Every 60-65 laps, based on fuel mileage

Would You Believe?
Atlanta has produced three of the 10 closest finishes since electronic timing was introduced in May 1993. All three races occurred on the new configuration.

Dale Earnhardt finished 0.010 second ahead of Bobby Labonte in the fifth-closest race (tied with Rockingham-2004) on March 12, 2000.

Kevin Harvick beat Jeff Gordon by 0.006 second on March 11, 2001, in the third-closest finish.

Carl Edwards beat Jimmie Johnson by 0.028 second on March 20, 2005, the ninth-closest finish.

Slow Starter
Tony Stewart finished 11th in his career-first race at Atlanta (March 1999) and did not post a top-10 until his sixth race there (ninth-October 2001). He led just four laps in his first five Atlanta races. Turning it around, Stewart has posted nine top-10s and led in eight races, leading the most total laps (519) in the past 10 races at Atlanta.

Hot-Lanta
Ryan Newman has started on the front row in all eight of his qualifying efforts at Atlanta (second in March 2002 then six Bud Poles then second again this past March). He started sixth in October 2002, when qualifying was canceled. He has posted only four top-10 finishes in nine Atlanta races, including consecutive finishes of 10th in each of his first three races there.

Notebook

There have been 94 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the first race was held there in 1960. There have been two races a year except for 1961 which had a third event, the 250- mile Festival 250. Additionally, one race was a 300-mile event, six were 400 miles and all the others were 500 miles.

Ryan Newman is the defending Bud Pole winner for the Bass Pro Shops 500.

Buddy Baker holds the record for Bud Poles at Atlanta, with seven.

Ryan Newman leads all active drivers with six Bud Poles at Atlanta. All of his Bud Poles came in the six races between March 2003 and October 2005.

Fireball Roberts (1960), Cale Yarborough (1978), Buddy Baker (1979), Alan Kulwicki (1989) and Ryan Newman (2003, 2004 and 2005) are the only drivers to win both poles in the same year at Atlanta. Roberts also won two poles there in 1961 but one was for a 250-mile race that was one of three Atlanta races that year.

Fourteen races at Atlanta have been won from the Bud Pole. Ten drivers have won from the second-place starting position, giving 26 percent of the victories posted there to the front-row starting positions.

Fifty-four of 94 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from the first five starting positions. Eight of the last nine races there have been won from a top-10 starting position.

Dale Earnhardt scored nine victories at Atlanta, more than any other driver. Bobby Labonte (six) heads the list of active drivers with Atlanta victories.

Carl Edwards is the defending race winner for the Bass Pro Shops 500.

Bobby Labonte won the 2001 NAPA 500 from the 39th starting position – the deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Atlanta.

There have been six sweeps at Atlanta since the track opened in 1960: Marvin Panch (1965), Bobby Allison (1972), David Pearson (1973), Bill Elliott (1985 and 1992) and Carl Edwards (2005).

The Wood Brothers are the most productive car owners at Atlanta with 12 victories. The Wood Brothers last won there in the spring of 1993 with Morgan Shepherd as their driver.

Richard Childress and Junior Johnson each have nine victories at Atlanta as car owners.

Three Atlanta races have been shortened by rain: 1962 Atlanta 500; 1982 Coca-Cola 500; 1998 Primestar 500.

Two Atlanta races have been completed on Monday: 1991 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 and 2005 Golden Corral 500.

Bobby Labonte has scored six of his 21 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories at Atlanta: two in the spring and four in the fall.

Carl Edwards posted top-five starts and top-three finishes, including two victories, in his first three races at Atlanta. His average finish in those three races was 1.33. He started 18th and finished 40th in his fourth race, this past spring.

Back-to-Back at Atlanta
Though there have been 12 back-to-back victories posted at Atlanta since 1960, there have been only six season sweeps:

Marvin Panch Both 1965

Bobby Allison Both 1972

David Pearson Both 1973

Richard Petty Fall 1974 and Spring 1975

Cale Yarborough Fall 1980 and Spring 1981

Bill Elliott Both 1985

Dale Earnhardt Fall 1989 and Spring 1990

Dale Earnhardt Fall 1995 and Spring 1996

Bill Elliott Both 1992

Bobby Labonte Fall 1997 and Spring 1998

Jeff Gordon Fall 1998 and Spring 1999

Carl Edwards Both 2005

Chase For the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Drivers (Ranked by Average Finish)
Driver Starts Average Finish Laps Led
1. Kasey Kahne 5 9.800 89
2. Jimmie Johnson 10 11.800 176
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 14 11.857 474
4. Jeff Gordon 28 13.607 976
5. Mark Martin 41 15.707 924
6. Matt Kenseth 13 17.461 49
7. Jeff Burton 24 17.958 101
8. Kyle Busch 4 19.750 4
9. Kevin Harvick 11 24.636 59
10. Denny Hamlin 2 25.000 16

Jeff Gordon leads all Chase drivers with four Atlanta victories. Mark Martin (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one), Kasey Kahne (one) and b (one) also have victories there.

Five Chase drivers posted top-10 finishes in the spring race at Atlanta: Kasey Kahne (first), Mark Martin (second) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (third), Jeff Gordon (fourth) and Jimmie Johnson (sixth).

Three Chase drivers posted finishes of 25th or worse at Atlanta in March: Jeff Burton (25th), Denny Hamlin (31st) and Kevin Harvick (39th).

Kevin Harvick posted his ninth-consecutive finish of 19th or worse at Atlanta, extending a streak that began with a 39th-place finish in March 2002.

All-time Standouts

Richard Petty holds the record for most Atlanta starts – 65.

Buddy Baker holds the record for most Bud Poles at Atlanta, with seven.

Dale Earnhardt had nine victories and 26 top-five finishes at Atlanta, the most of all drivers.

Richard Petty scored 33 top-10 finishes in 65 races at Atlanta, the most of all drivers.

Cale Yarborough led 3,316 laps at Atlanta, the most of any driver.

“Tough Track”
No driver has competed in more than seven races at Atlanta without posting a DNF.

Current Standouts

Ryan Newman has started first or second in eight of his nine races at Atlanta. Newman has posted nine straight top-10 starts at Atlanta, the longest current streak.

Mark Martin has posted four straight top-five finishes at Atlanta, the longest current streak.

Tony Stewart has posted nine top-10 finishes in his last 10 races at Atlanta.

Starting Up Front is Important
Eight of the last nine races at Atlanta have been won from a top-10 starting position, including Kasey Kahne's victory from the Bud Pole in March. That was the 14th time a driver won at Atlanta from a first-place starting position, the most productive starting position in the 94 races there. However, that victory was the first from the Bud Pole in the last 19 Atlanta races, since November 1996.

Back-to-Back at Atlanta
Though there have been 12 back-to-back victories posted at Atlanta since 1960, there have been only six season sweeps:

Marvin Panch Both 1965

Bobby Allison Both 1972

David Pearson Both 1973

Richard Petty Fall 1974 and Spring 1975

Cale Yarborough Fall 1980 and Spring 1981

Bill Elliott Both 1985

Dale Earnhardt Fall 1989 and Spring 1990

Dale Earnhardt Fall 1995 and Spring 1996

Bill Elliott Both 1992

Bobby Labonte Fall 1997 and Spring 1998

Jeff Gordon Fall 1998 and Spring 1999

Carl Edwards Both 2005

Sweeps

There have been six season sweeps at Atlanta since the track opened in 1960.

Carl Edwards (2005) is the most recent driver to have a season sweep at Atlanta.

Ryan Newman swept the Bud Poles at Atlanta in 2003, 2004 and 2005. He is the only driver to post six straight Bud Poles at Atlanta.

Bill Elliott is the only driver to sweep the races at Atlanta twice (1985 and '92).

Owner Wins
The Wood Brothers leads all car owners, scoring 12 victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Those victories were scored by six different drivers: Cale Yarborough (three), David Pearson (three), Marvin Panch (two), Neil Bonnett (two), A.J. Foyt (one) and Morgan Shepherd (one). The Wood Brothers last victory at Atlanta was scored by Shepherd in March 1993.

Leading The Way
Jeff Gordon has led 976 laps in 28 races at Atlanta – the most by any active driver, and seventh all-time. Cale Yarborough holds the record for laps led – 3,316 laps in 47 races.

Best Averages

Ryan Newman has a 1.78 average start in nine races at Atlanta, the best among the 514 drivers that have competed at Atlanta.

Kasey Kahne has a 9.80 average finish in five races at Atlanta, the best among active drivers.

Milestones
Mike Bliss and Kyle Busch are each expected to make their 75th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Who's Hot

Kasey Kahne has won six races in 2006, the most of all drivers. Kahne has scored top-10 finishes in his last three races.

Kevin Harvick has climbed from fifth to second in the championship standings in the last three races.

Jeff Burton is the only Chase driver to score four top-10 finishes in the six races in the Chase.

Matt Kenseth is the only Chase driver to score five top-15 finishes in the six races in the Chase.

Jimmie Johnson is the only Chase driver to post five top-10 starts in the six races in the Chase.

Carl Edwards has scored five straight top-15 finishes. Edwards remains 12th in the point standings.

Matt Kenseth is the only driver to score 14 top-five finishes in the first 32 races of 2006. Kenseth ranks first in the standings.

Bobby Labonte has scored four top-10 finishes in the last five races.

Jeff Green has posted two top-10 finishes in the last three races.

Top 10 in Points at This Track

First
Matt Kenseth finished 11th in the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway. He has scored five top-15 finishes in the six Chase races, the only driver to do so. Kenseth has scored 14 top-five finishes in 2006, the most among all drivers. He has scored top-10 finishes in three of the first six races in the Chase. Kenseth scored four victories in 2006, winning at California, Dover and the second Michigan and Bristol events. Kenseth climbed from second to first in the standings following Martinsville, becoming the third different leader in six Chase races. He now leads second-place Kevin Harvick by 36 points. Kenseth led Jimmie Johnson at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase by 57 points, prior to the point adjustment, and by five after the adjustment. He is one of only three drivers to participate in all three years of the Chase. One year ago he ranked ninth in the standings after race No. 6 of the Chase. Kenseth finished eighth in 2004 and seventh in the 2005 final standings. Kenseth has ranked among the top-five in the standings since his victory in race No. 2 at California, 31 straight races. Kenseth has been running at the finish in the last 26 races (since Texas in April). Kenseth has 26 top-15 finishes in 2006. Kenseth is one of four drivers who have led four of the six Chase races. He has competed in 13 races at Atlanta, scoring six top-10 finishes. His best Atlanta finish of fourth has occurred twice, most recently in March 2003. He finished fifth in this race one year ago and 13th in March. He has only one top-10 finish in his last four races Atlanta. Kenseth has led in just three of his 13 races at Atlanta. He has a 17.461 average finish there, ranking sixth among the 10 Chase drivers. Kenseth has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).

Second
Kevin Harvick finished ninth in the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway and climbed from third to second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. It marked his fifth top-20 finish in the first six races in the Chase. Harvick trailed then-leader Matt Kenseth by 304 points at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase, prior to the point adjustment, and by 10 after the adjustment. Harvick trails current leader Matt Kenseth by 36 points and has just a 12- point lead on fifth-place Jeff Burton, also his Richard Childress Racing teammate. Harvick has led in just one of the six Chase races, earning 10 lap leader bonus points at New Hampshire for leading the most laps. This marks Harvick's first year in the Chase along with Burton, the first time team owner Richard Childress has had a driver in the Chase since the program's 2004 inception. Harvick is one of five “first-timers” to compete in the Chase. Harvick has ranked among the top 10 in the last 26 races, since Texas in April. One year ago he ranked 12th in the standings after 32 races. Harvick has scored 17 top-10 finishes in 2006 and top-15 finishes in 14 of his last 16 races. He has competed in 11 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, scoring one victory (March 2001) and two top-10 finishes. Both of those top 10s came in his first two races there. He won in his first Atlanta start and followed with a third-place finish that November. He has finished 19th or worse in the following nine races there. He finished 22nd in this race one year ago and 39th in March. He has led in just two of his 11 races at Atlanta. Harvick has a 24.636 average finish at Atlanta, ranking ninth among the 10 Chase drivers.

Third
Jimmie Johnson won the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway, posting his fourth top-15 finish in the Chase. He climbed from seventh to third in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. Johnson was the point leader after all but four of the first 26 races in 2006 and trailed then-leader Matt Kenseth by 57 points at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase, prior to the point adjustment, and by five after the adjustment. Johnson trails current leader Matt Kenseth by 41 points. He is one of only three drivers to compete in all three years of the Chase. One year ago he ranked second in the standings after the sixth Chase race. Johnson finished second in 2004 and fifth in the 2005 final standings. This will be the fifth straight season that Johnson has finished in the top 10 in the final standings. Johnson joins Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon in the Chase, giving car owner Rick Hendrick the most drivers in this year's Chase. Johnson has scored 20 top-10 finishes in 32 races this season, the most of all drivers. He has scored four victories in 2006 (Daytona, Las Vegas, the May event at Talladega and Indianapolis), all prior to the Chase. In 2004 Johnson posted four victories in the Chase, the most wins by a driver in the three-year history of the Chase. Johnson has 26 top-15s in the first 32 races. Johnson has ranked among the top 10 for 101 straight races, since Atlanta in March 2004. Johnson held a 124-point lead over Matt Kenseth after Race No. 22 at Watkins Glen, the biggest lead of the season. He has competed in 10 races at Atlanta, scoring one victory (October 2004) and six top-10 finishes. Johnson finished 16th in this race one year ago and sixth there in March. Johnson has an 11.8 average finish at Atlanta, ranking second among the top-10 drivers. Johnson has led in the just four races at Atlanta. Johnson has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).

Fourth
Denny Hamlin finished second in the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway and climbed from sixth to fourth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. Hamlin scored three top-10 finishes in the first six races in the Chase. He trailed then-leader Matt Kenseth by 437 points at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase, prior to the point adjustment, and by 20 after the adjustment. He now trails current leader Matt Kenseth by 47 points. He is just one point ahead of fifth-place Jeff Burton. Hamlin is the first Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender to make the Chase since the program's 2004 inception. Hamlin has two victories in 2006, sweeping both races at Pocono Raceway. He has 16 top-10 finishes in 2006, the most among all rookie contenders. Hamlin has been the highest finishing rookie in 15 of the 32 races this season. Hamlin has been running at the finish in the last 26 races. He has competed in two races at Atlanta, scoring a 19th-place finish in this race one year ago and a 31st-place there in March. Hamlin led 16 laps at Atlanta in March. His 25.0 average finish ranks last among the top-10 Chase drivers.

Fifth
Jeff Burton finished 42nd in the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway and dropped from first to fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings, ending a four-week run as the leader. Burton has scored four top-10 finishes in the six races in the Chase, the only driver to do so. He now trails leader Matt Kenseth by 48. He trailed thenleader Matt Kenseth by 463 points at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase, prior to the point adjustment, and by 35 after the adjustment. This marks Burton's first year in the Chase (along with Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick, and the first time team owner Richard Childress has had a driver in the Chase since the program's 2004 inception. Burton's teammate, Harvick, began the Chase in third place. RCR has won two of the six races in the Chase. Burton has led in four of the six Chase races, but not in the last two. He has posted 24 top-15 finishes in 2006. He has scored 19 top-10 finishes in 32 races this season. One year ago he ranked 18th in the standings after 32 races. Burton has competed in 24 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, scoring 10 top-10 finishes. His best Atlanta finish of fourth has occurred three times, most recently in March 1999. He finished eighth in this race one year ago and 25th there in March. Burton has only three top-10 finishes in his last 13 races at Atlanta. He has led in seven races at Atlanta, but only one lap in his last nine races there. Burton has a 17.958 average finish at Atlanta, ranking seventh among the 10 Chase drivers.

Sixth
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 22nd in the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway and dropped from fifth to sixth in the standings. He and Matt Kenseth are the only drivers to score top-25 finishes in all six Chase races. He trailed then-leader Matt Kenseth by 447 points at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase, prior to the point adjustment, and by 25 after the adjustment. Earnhardt Jr. trails Kenseth, the current leader, by 94 points. This marks his second year in the Chase. One year ago he ranked 21st in the standings. He missed the 2005 Chase by 216 points. He finished fifth in 2004, the inaugural year of the Chase. Earnhardt finished 19th in the final standings in 2005. He has scored 21 top-15 finishes this season. Earnhardt Jr. has one victory in 2006, winning at Richmond in May. He has competed in 14 races at Atlanta scoring one victory (March 2004) and eight top-10 finishes. He finished fourth in this race one year ago and third in March. Earnhardt has an 11.857 average finish at Atlanta, ranking third among the 10 Chase drivers. He has led in nine of his 14 races there.

Seventh
Mark Martin finished 24th in the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway and dropped from fourth to seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. Martin has scored four top-15 finishes in the first six races in the Chase. He trailed then-leader Matt Kenseth at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase by 449 points, prior to the point adjustment, and by 30 after the adjustment. He now trails current leader Matt Kenseth by 96 points. Martin is one of only three drivers to compete in all three years of the Chase. A year ago he ranked seventh after race No. 32. Martin finished fourth in 2004 and fourth again in the 2005 final standings. During 2004 and 2005 he scored just one Chase victory (Kansas-2005), but five second-place finishes. Martin has not won in 2006 and his best Chase finish in the first six races is third at Kansas. He has two victories and 21 top-10 finishes in 41 races at Atlanta. Martin has finished fourth or better in his last four races at Atlanta. His last victory at Atlanta came in November 1994. Martin finished third in this race one year ago and second there in March. Martin has a 15.707 average finish at Atlanta, ranking fifth among the 10 Chase drivers. Martin is the only Chase driver who has not won in 2006. Martin has not won a race since his victory at Kansas in October 2005, 38 races ago.

Eighth
Kasey Kahne finished seventh in the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway and remained eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. He was the only driver who didn't change positions following Martinsville. It was his third top-10 finish in the Chase, all in the last three races. Kahne made the Chase by beating 11th-place Tony Stewart by just 16 points. He trailed then-leader Matt Kenseth by 466 points at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase, prior to the adjustment, and by 45 after the adjustment. This marks Kahne's first year in the Chase and the third by an Evernham Motorsports driver (Jeremy Mayfield finished 10th in 2004 and ninth in 2005). Kahne has scored six victories in 2006, more than any other driver. Kahne has posted 19 top-15 finishes in 2006. He has 17 top-10 finishes in 32 races this season. One year ago he ranked 21st in the standings after 32 races. Kahne has competed in five races at Atlanta, scoring one victory and four top-five finishes. He finished 35th in this race one year ago, his only DNF and only finish outside the top-five. He finished first at Atlanta in March. Kahne has led in two of his races at Atlanta. He has a 9.8 average finish at Atlanta, ranking first among the 10 Chase drivers.

Ninth
Jeff Gordon finished fifth in the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway and climbed from 10th to ninth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. He joined Jeff Burton as one of just two drivers that have scored three top-five finishes in the first six races in the Chase. He also is the only driver with three DNFs in the first six races in the Chase. Gordon trailed then-leader Matt Kenseth by 464 points at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase, prior to the point adjustment, and by 40 after the adjustment. He trails current leader Matt Kenseth by 141 points. This marks Gordon's second year in The Chase. One year ago he ranked 15th in the standings. He finished third in 2004, the inaugural year of The Chase. Gordon finished 11th in the standings in 2005. Gordon has two victories in 2006, winning at Infineon and Chicago. He has scored 20 top-15 finishes in 32 races in 2006. Gordon has four victories and 17 top-10 finishes in 28 races at Atlanta. His last Atlanta victory came in this race in 2003. Gordon has finished in the top-10 in six of his last eight races at Atlanta. Gordon finished second in this race one year ago and fourth there in March. Gordon has a 13.607 finishing average at Atlanta, ranking fourth among all Chase drivers.

10th
Kyle Busch finished 18th in the 2006 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway and dropped from ninth to 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. Busch has scored 17 top-10 finishes in 2006. He has scored two top-10 finishes in the first six races of The Chase. One year ago Busch ranked 19th after 32 races. He trailed then-leader Matt Kenseth by 361 points at the conclusion of the Race to The Chase, prior to the point adjustment, and by 15 after the adjustment. He now trails current leader Matt Kenseth by 171 points. This marks Busch's first year in The Chase, one of five drivers new to The Chase. He has scored 23 top-15 finishes in 2006. Busch has competed in four races at Atlanta, finishing outside the top-10 in all four. He finished 12th in this race one year ago and 12th there in March, his third straight 12th-place finish at Atlanta. Busch finished 43rd and scored a DNF in his first race at Atlanta. He has led in just one race at Atlanta leading four laps. Busch has a 19.75 average finish at Atlanta, ranking eighth among the 10 Chase drivers.

The Chase

Ten races at 10 different tracks

3,227 Laps; 4,095.980 Miles

Nine superspeedways and one short track

Five 1.5-mile ovals (Kansas, Charlotte, Texas, Homestead and Atlanta at 1.54)

One 2.66-mile restrictor-plate oval (Talladega)

Three one-mile tracks (Dover, Phoenix and New Hampshire - at 1.058)

One .526-mile short track (Martinsville)

Eight of the 10 tracks have already held races this season. Kansas City and Homestead are single-event tracks.

The Drivers

Jeff Burton is one of five driver competing in the Chase for first time. His previous best point position at the 26-race mark in a Chase season was 21st, which he posted in both 2004 and 2005.

Kyle Busch is one of five “first-timers” to compete in The Chase. His previous best point position at the 26- race mark in a Chase season was 19th, which he posted in 2005.

Jeff Gordon is competing in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup for the second time in three years. He is one of just two drivers that have competed in two of the three. Gordon finished third in 2004 then missed the Chase in 2005 but finished 11th in the final standings.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of just two drivers that have competed in two of the three editions of the Chase Earnhardt Jr. finished fifth in 2004 then missed the Chase in 2005, finishing 19th in the 2005 final standings.

Denny Hamlin is competing in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup for first time. He is the first Raybestos rookie contender to compete in The Chase.

Jimmie Johnson is competing in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup for the third straight year. Johnson finished second in 2004 and fifth in 2005.

Kevin Harvick is one of five “first-timers” to compete in The Chase. His previous best point position at the 26-race mark in a Chase season was 14th, which he posted in both 2004 and 2005.

Kasey Kahne is competing in the 2006 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup for first time.His previous best point position at the 26-race mark in a Chase season was 12th 2004.

Matt Kenseth is competing in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup for the third straight year. He is one of just three drivers to do so. Kenseth finished eighth in 2004 and seventh in 2005.

Mark Martin is competing in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup for the third straight year. He is one of just three drivers to do so. Martin finished fourth in 2004 and 2005.

The Teams

Six different car owners are represented in the 2006 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup: Hendrick Motorsports (Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon), Jack Roush Racing (Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin), Richard Childress Racing (Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton), Joe Gibbs Racing (Denny Hamlin), Dale Earnhardt Inc. (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and Evernham Motorsports (Kasey Kahne).

Seven Chevrolets, two Fords and one Dodge are competing in the 2006 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL

Lap Leaders

Jeff Gordon is the only driver to lead in 22 races this season.

Thirteen different drivers have led the most laps in at least one race this season.

Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth have each led the most laps in four races. Jeff Gordon (three), Kasey Kahne (three), Denny Hamlin (two), Jeff Burton (two), Kyle Busch (two), Kevin Harvick (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two) and Jimmie Johnson (two) are the other drivers that have led the most laps more than once.

The driver that led the most laps in the race went on to win that race 13 times this season.

Every driver that has completed in every race this season has led at least one lap.

Lap Leader Would You Believe?
Jeff Burton has led 649 laps in 2006 - more than his total for 2002 through 2005 combined. Burton led 124 laps in 2002, 98 in 2003, 56 in 2004 and just seven last season for a total of 385 in the four previous seasons.

Lucky Dogs

Forty-six drivers have been the beneficiary of the free lap back rule in 2006; including Kurt Busch (Bristol) and Kasey Kahne (Michigan), who received the lap back and went on to win the race.

Sterling Marlin (10) HAS received the lap back more than any other driver this season.

A driver has received the pass back more than once in the same race 31 times this season, including Kyle Busch, who set the all-time record of five times at Watkins Glen.

Car Owner
Petty Enterprises has enjoyed a resurgence in 2006.

Petty drivers have posted 10 top-10 finishes in 2006. The last time that Petty drivers posted more than three top-10s in a season was 1999: John Andretti (10) and Kyle Petty (nine).

Two Petty cars qualified in the top 10 at second Bristol (Bobby Labonte - third) and Kyle Petty - eighth) - the first time Petty Enterprises has had two top-10 qualifiers since Talladega in October 2001 (John Andretti - seventh and Kyle Petty - eighth).

Bobby Labonte (third) and Kyle Petty (10th) at second Martinsville gave Petty their first time with two top- 10s in the same race since Phoenix in 1999 - Kyle (seventh) and John Andretti (eighth).

Points

There have been eight changes among four drivers in the points lead in 2006, including three in The Chase.

There have been 15 changes among nine drivers in the second position in the points this season, including five in The Chase.

Matt Kenseth took the lead in the point standings for the third time in 2006 following the second Martinsville race.

Jeff Burton took the lead in points following the second Chase race and held it through Charlotte - the first time he held the top spot in the point standings since May 1999.

Jeff Gordon returned to the top 10 following Las Vegas after a 14-race absence, the longest streak outside the top 10 since his full time career began in 1993.

Jeff Burton returned to the top-10 of the point standings following Las Vegas, ending a 90-race absence that dated to Pocono in July 2003. He moved into the top five following Chicago - his first time in the top five since Las Vegas in 2003.

Three drivers will finish in the top-10 in the final point standings for the first time in their careers in 2006: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne. Hamlin will be the first rookie candiate that has finished in the final top 10 since Jimmie Johnson finished fifth and Ryan Newman sixth in 2002 .