Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, going into the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart on July 11 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Atlanta Motor Speedway Data:
Season Race #: 21 of 36 (07-11-21)
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: 260 laps / 400.4 miles
Stage 1 & 2: 80 Laps (each)
Final Stage: 100 Laps
Atlanta Qualifying/Race Data
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:
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 114 NASCAR Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the first race there in 1960.
STARTS
A total of 587 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 399 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 31 starts; followed by Kurt Busch with 30 and Ryan Newman with 29.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).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 an 8.138 in 29 starts.
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 of the Atlanta NASCAR Cup Series pole winners are active this weekend.
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:
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).
· Ryan Newman holds the record for most consecutive poles at Atlanta with six; from the spring of 2003 through 2005.
WINS
· A total of 45 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 25 have won more than one, and six former Atlanta winners are active this weekend.
· 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:
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 and Kyle Larson 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)
RankAll-Time DriversRunner-UpsRankActive DriversRunner-Ups1Dale Earnhardt71Kevin Harvick2David Pearson7Kyle Larson23Richard Petty63Brad Keselowski14Dale Jarrett5Joey Logano1Jeff Gordon5Kyle Busch1Martin Truex Jr1
Top-Five Finishes
A total of 113 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished inside the top-five at Atlanta Motor Speedway.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)
RankAll-Time DriversTop FivesRankActive DriversTop Fives1Dale Earnhardt261Kevin Harvick92Cale Yarborough232Kurt Busch73Richard Petty22Kyle Busch74Darrell Waltrip184Denny Hamlin65Bobby Allison175Martin Truex Jr5Buddy Baker17David Pearson17
Top-10 Finishes
A total of 205 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished inside the top-10 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-10 finishes at Atlanta with 33.Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with 16 top-10 finishes at Atlanta.
Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Atlanta (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversTop 10sRankActive DriversTop 10s1Richard Petty331Kevin Harvick162Dale Earnhardt302Kurt Busch153Cale Yarborough293Martin Truex Jr114Darrell Waltrip284Kyle Busch105Bobby Allison275Denny Hamlin9Buddy Baker27Ryan Newman9
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.Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a 12.143 in 12 starts.
Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Atlanta (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversAvg FinishRacesRankActive DriversAvg FinishRaces1Dick Hutcherson3.60051Kyle Larson12.143122Lee Petty7.00022Kyle Busch13.478283Troy Ruttman7.00023Ryan Blaney13.667114Speedy Thompson8.00024Chase Elliott14.667115Dale Earnhardt9.543465Kurt Busch15.400366Billy Wade10.25046Kevin Harvick15.581367Bob Welborn10.28677Brad Keselowski15.615188Rex White10.455118Martin Truex Jr15.957289Ernie Irvan11.850209Joey Logano16.5332110Jimmie Johnson11.8623410Denny Hamlin16.72727
LAP LEADERS
A total of 169 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 31 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.
NASCAR IN GEORGIA
There has been a total of 233 NASCAR national series races among 14 different tracks in the state of Georgia dating all the way back to 1951.
GEORGIA IN NASCAR
A total of 191 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Georgia.17 of 191 drivers from Georgia have won at least once in one of NASCAR‘s national series for a combined total of 141 victories.11 of the 191 driver from Georgia have posted at least one victory in the NASCAR Cup Series.
NASCAR National Series winners from Georgia
RankWinnersCupXfinityTruckCombined Wins1Bill Elliott4410452Jack Smith2100213Fonty Flock1900194Chase Elliott1353215Bob Flock40046Frank Mundy30037David Ragan22048Gober Sosebee20029Harold Kite100110Sam McQuagg100111Jody Ridley100112Brandon Jones041513Reed Sorenson040414Buckshot Jones020215Ronald Cooper010116Austin Hill006617John Wes Townley0011Totals1111911141
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