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. 1RankDriversPointsStartsWinsStagesPlayoff PtsPoints From Cutoff1William Byron541105In On Wins2Alex Bowman501000263Christopher Bell441000204Chase Elliott421011185Bubba Wallace391000156John H. Nemechek371000137Kyle Larson371000138Kyle Busch371000139Erik Jones3510001110Corey LaJoie331000911Austin Cindric331000912Denny Hamlin301000613Chase Briscoe291000514Zane Smith #291000515Noah Gragson281000416Martin Truex Jr.241000017Ross Chastain241000018Tyler Reddick241000019Ty Gibbs231000-120Daniel Hemric211000-321Chris Buescher211000-322* David Ragan171000-723Ryan Blaney171011-724Daniel Suarez171000-725Ryan Preece141000-1026Josh Berry #121000-1227Justin Haley121000-1228* Jimmie Johnson91000-1529Ricky Stenhouse Jr.91000-1530Joey Logano91000-1531Brad Keselowski81000-1632Carson Hocevar #81000-1633Harrison Burton71000-1734Todd Gilliland21000-2235Michael McDowell11000-2336Austin Dillon11000-2337* Kaz Grala #11000-23Note: 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 10sAverage Finish of 16.429, eighth-bestAverage Running Position of 14.152, ninth-bestDriver Rating of 80.5, 10th-best1,055 Laps in the Top 15 (54.4%), 10th-most
Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford)
One win, four top fives, six top 10sAverage Finish of 11.364, series-bestAverage Running Position of 9.867, series-bestDriver Rating of 98.0, second-best2,605 Laps in the Top 15 (80.3%), series-most
Alex Bowman (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
Two top fives, three top 10sAverage Finish of 17.636, 10th-bestAverage Running Position of 16.607, 13th-bestDriver Rating of 79.6, 12th-best1,608 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 poleAverage Finish of 12.481, fourth-bestAverage Running Position of 12.946, seventh-bestDriver Rating of 92.6, sixth-best5,413 Laps in the Top 15 (63.8%), eighth-most
William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
Two wins, two top fives, three top 10sAverage Finish of 17.778, 12th-bestAverage Running Position of 16.417, 11th-bestDriver Rating of 80.5, 11th-best1,271 Laps in the Top 15 (49.1%), 12th-most
Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
One win, two top fives, seven top 10sAverage Finish of 11.500, third-bestAverage Running Position of 11.092, fourth-bestDriver Rating of 94.4, fifth-best2,370 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 poleAverage Finish of 16.852, ninth-bestAverage Running Position of 11.567, fifth-bestDriver Rating of 94.6, fourth-best6,143 Laps in the Top 15 (72.4%), sixth-most
Brad Keselowski (No. 6 RFK Racing Ford)
Two wins, five top fives, 11 top 10sAverage Finish of 13.944, fifth-bestAverage Running Position of 11.666, sixth-bestDriver Rating of 91.8, seventh-best4,130 Laps in the Top 15 (74.4%), fifth-most
Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
Two top fives, four top 10sAverage Finish of 17.750, 11th-bestAverage Running Position of 13.265, eighth-bestDriver Rating of 86.9, eighth-best2,297 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 polesAverage Finish of 16.000, seventh-bestAverage Running Position of 14.561, 10th-bestDriver Rating of 86.3, ninth-best3,703 Laps in the Top 15 (59.7%), ninth-most
Tyler Reddick (No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota)
One top five, two top 10sAverage Finish of 19.571, 13th-bestAverage Running Position of 16.419, 12th-bestDriver Rating of 79.1, 13th-best896 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 poleAverage finish of 14.815, sixth-bestAverage Running Position of 10.782, third-bestDriver Rating of 95.1, third-best6,686 Laps in the Top 15 (78.8%), third-most
The NASCAR Cup Series 2024 Top 16 in the Driver Standings at Atlanta
Rk.DriverRacesPolesWinsTop FivesTop 10sDNFsAverage FinishDriver Rating1William Byron90223217.880.52Alex Bowman110023117.679.63Christopher Bell70012016.480.54Chase Elliott100127111.594.45Bubba Wallace90000021.058.96John H. Nemechek10000023.052.57Kyle Larson120024317.886.98Kyle Busch2812913213.692.69Erik Jones100013014.572.910Corey LaJoie90022022.456.511Austin Cindric50011116.076.412Denny Hamlin2711610416.994.613Chase Briscoe60000019.260.314Zane Smith0000000.00.015Noah Gragson40000229.040.016Martin Truex Jr2810613415.695.1
* — 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.RankDriversDateRankDriversDateRankDriversDate1Harrison Rhodes2/25/201824Ken Ragan3/27/198347Don Tarr8/6/19672Cody Ware3/5/201725Jerry Bowman11/7/198248Eldon Yarbrough8/7/19663Jeb Burton3/1/201526Rodney Combs11/7/198249Wayne Woodward3/27/19664Ty Dillon8/31/201427Delma Cowart11/8/198150Jesse Samples6/13/19655Erik Darnell9/6/200928Charlie Chamblee11/2/198051Cotton Wallace4/11/19656Bill Lester3/19/200629Clay Young11/2/198052Jim Conway4/11/19657Reed Sorenson10/30/200530Rusty Wallace3/16/198053Bob Gray6/7/19648Mike Garvey3/20/200531Buck Simmons11/4/197954Jimmy Helms4/5/19649Martin Truex Jr10/31/200432Keith Davis3/18/197955Ken Anderson4/5/196410Scott Wimmer11/20/200033Dave Watson11/5/197856Ken Spikes4/5/196411Buckshot Jones11/16/199734Connie Saylor3/19/197857H.B. Bailey10/28/196212Gary Bradberry11/13/199435Billy McGinnis11/7/197658A.F. Nichols6/10/196213Jeff Gordon11/15/199236Gene Felton11/7/197659Jim Locke6/10/196214Wally Dallenbach Jr3/18/199137Skip Manning3/23/197560Troy Ruttman6/10/196215Steve Grissom11/18/199038Jody Ridley7/22/197361Frank Graham7/9/196116Brad Noffsinger3/20/198839Randy Tissot7/22/197362Bill Gazaway10/30/196017Jeff Swindell11/2/198640Charles Barrett4/1/197363Bob Eichlor10/30/196018Tom Bigelow11/2/198641Tony Bettenhausen4/1/197364LeeRoy Yarbrough10/30/196019Chet Fillip11/3/198542Lem Blankenship3/26/197265Paul Norris10/30/196020Sammy Swindell11/3/198543Hoss Ellington8/4/196866Herb Shannon7/31/196021Randy LaJoie3/17/198544Willie Crane8/4/196867Johnny Miller7/31/196022Bob Penrod11/11/198445Serge Adams3/31/1968 23Eddie Bierschwale3/27/198346Tony Tantarelli3/31/1968
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)
RankAll-Time DriversAvg StartRacesRankActive DriversAvg StartRaces1Fred Lorenzen4.1191Kyle Larson8.8172Fireball Roberts4.5102Chase Briscoe10.263Cotton Owens5.023Jimmie Johnson11.3344Earl Balmer5.544Denny Hamlin11.5325Dick Hutcherson5.855Kyle Busch11.7336Banjo Matthews6.566Chase Elliott12.1157Joe Weatherly7.097Ryan Blaney12.2168Nelson Stacy7.568Tyler Reddick13.9129Junior Johnson8.4139Austin Cindric14.4510Marvin Panch8.51310Brad Keselowski14.923
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 WinnersPolesSeasonsJoey Logano22023, 2015Kyle Busch12018Ricky Stenhouse Jr12013Denny Hamlin12010Martin Truex Jr12009
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 AtlantaDateRicky Stenhouse JrSunday, September 1, 2013Kevin LepageSunday, November 21, 1999Kenny Irwin JrSunday, November 8, 1998Robby GordonSunday, March 9, 1997Johnny BensonSunday, March 10, 1996Rick MastSunday, November 15, 1992Terry LabonteSunday, March 15, 1981Sam SommersSunday, November 6, 1977Cale YarboroughSunday, April 2, 1967A 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 OrganizationsPolesSeasonsTeam Penske102023, ’15, ’07, ’05 sweep, ’04 sweep, ’03 sweep, ’93Wood Brothers Racing91984, ’74, ’72, ’71, ’70, ’69, ’67, ’65, ’63Stewart-Haas Racing62023, ’19, ’17, ’16, ’14, ’12Hendrick Motorsports52010, ’09, ’08, ’00, ’88Joe Gibbs Racing42018, ’10, ’99, ’96RFK Racing42013, ’07, ’99, ’92Richard Childress Racing31995, ’87, ’86Team 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 WinnersWinsSeasonsWilliam Byron22023, 2022Brad Keselowski22019, 2017Kyle Busch22013, 2008Joey Logano12023Chase Elliott12022Ryan Blaney12021Denny Hamlin12012NASCAR 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 WinnersDateCarl EdwardsSunday, March 20, 2005Kevin HarvickSunday, March 11, 2001Jerry NadeauMonday, November 20, 2000Jim HurtubiseSunday, March 27, 1966Bob BurdickSunday, March 26, 1961Bobby JohnsSunday, October 30, 1960All 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 PositionWinsWinning %Starting PositionWinsWinning %11613.45%1421.68%21210.08%1510.84%3108.40%1721.68%4108.40%1821.68%51613.45%1932.52%643.36%2021.68%765.04%2121.68%875.88%2210.84%986.72%3110.84%1032.52%3510.84%1143.36%3721.68%1221.68%3910.84%1310.84% StatsWinning %WinsWinning from the Pole:13.45%16Winning from the Front Row:23.53%28Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position:53.78%64Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position:77.31%92Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20:6.72%8In 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 WinnersWinsSeasonsHendrick Motorsports172023, ’22 sweep, ’16, ’15, ’14, ’11, ’07 sweep, ’04, ’03, ’00, ’98, ’95, ’91, ’89Wood Brothers Racing121993, ’81, ’79, ’76, ’73 sweep, ’71, ’69, ’68, ’67, ’65 sweepJoe Gibbs Racing112013, ’12, ’08, ’06, ’03, ’02, ’01, ’99, ’98, ’97, ’96Richard Childress Racing92001, ’00, ’96, ’95, ’90, ’89, ’88, ’86, ’84Team Penske72023, ’21, ’19, ’17, ’10, ’09, ’93RFK Racing62008, ’05 sweep, ’02, ’94, ’91Stewart-Haas Racing32020, ’18, ’10The 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)
RankAll-Time DriversRunner-UpsRankActive DriversRunner-Ups1Dale Earnhardt71Brad Keselowski2David Pearson7 Kyle Busch23Richard Petty6 Kyle Larson24Dale Jarrett5 Ross Chastain2Jeff Gordon55Daniel Suárez1 Joey Logano1 Martin Truex Jr1
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)
RankAll-Time DriversTop FivesRankActive DriversTop Fives1Dale Earnhardt261Kyle Busch92Cale Yarborough232Denny Hamlin63Richard Petty22 Martin Truex Jr64Darrell Waltrip184Brad Keselowski55Bobby Allison175Ryan Blaney4Buddy Baker17 David Pearson17
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)
RankAll-Time DriversTop 10sRankActive DriversTop 10s1Richard Petty331Kyle Busch132Dale Earnhardt30 Martin Truex Jr133Cale Yarborough293Brad Keselowski114Darrell Waltrip284Denny Hamlin105Bobby Allison275Chase Elliott7Buddy Baker27 Joey Logano7
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)
RankAll-Time DriversAvg FinishRacesRankActive DriversAvg FinishRaces1Dick Hutcherson3.60051Ryan Blaney11.364112Lee Petty7.00022Chase Elliott11.500103Troy Ruttman7.00023Kyle Busch13.571284Speedy Thompson8.00024Brad Keselowski13.944185Dale Earnhardt9.543465Erik Jones14.500106Billy Wade10.25046Martin Truex Jr15.607287Bob Welborn10.28677Austin Cindric16.00058Rex White10.455118Joey Logano16.000209Ryan Blaney11.364119Christopher Bell16.429710Chase Elliott11.5001010Alex Bowman17.63611
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)
RankAll-Time DriversRacesLedCompleted% Led1Cale Yarborough473,28312,89125%2Dale Earnhardt462,65513,83419%3Richard Petty651,82717,51310%4David Pearson391,4829,44416%5Kevin Harvick361,36011,08312%6Jeff Gordon421,29712,59010%7Bobby Allison48116612,6729%8Bill Elliott62101717,4296%9Tony Stewart289748,69011%10Bobby Labonte3895911,0169%
Top 10 NASCAR Cup Series Lap Leaders at Atlanta (Active)
RankActive DriversRacesLedCompleted% Led1Kyle Busch285588,3617%2Denny Hamlin274377,8996%3Kyle Larson124233,33313%4Martin Truex Jr283888,5595%5Joey Logano203586,1656%6Brad Keselowski182015,4674%7William Byron91732,4177%8Chase Elliott101642,8796%9Ryan Blaney111103,2413%10Ross Chastain8792,1854%
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.)WinnerRunner-UpDate0.006Kevin HarvickJeff GordonSunday, March 11, 20010.010Dale EarnhardtBobby LabonteSunday, March 12, 20000.028Carl EdwardsJimmie JohnsonSunday, March 20, 20050.145William ByronRoss ChastainSunday, March 20, 20220.190Jeff GordonBobby LabonteSunday, March 12, 19950.193Joey LoganoBrad KeselowskiSunday, March 19, 20230.218Brad KeselowskiMartin Truex JrSunday, February 24, 20190.293Jimmie JohnsonMark MartinSunday, October 31, 20040.332Kurt BuschJeff GordonSunday, March 8, 20090.350Ernie IrvanMorgan ShepherdSunday, March 13, 19940.376Tony StewartDale Earnhardt JrSunday, March 10, 2002There have been six NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in a NASCAR Overtime finish at Atlanta:DateWinnerRunner-UpScheduled LapsActual LapsOvertime Laps2/28/2016Jimmie JohnsonDale Earnhardt Jr32533058/31/2014Kasey KahneMatt Kenseth325335109/2/2012Denny HamlinJeff Gordon32532723/7/2010Kurt BuschMatt Kenseth325341163/8/2009Kurt BuschJeff Gordon325330510/28/2007Jimmie JohnsonCarl Edwards3253294
Six times the NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta race was shortened due to weather:
DateWinnerRunner-UpScheduled LapsActual LapsNumber of Fewer Laps7/9/2023William ByronDaniel Suarez260185-7510/27/2002Kurt BuschJoe Nemechek325248-7711/8/1998Jeff GordonDale Jarrett325221-1043/21/1982Darrell WaltripRichard Petty328287-4111/6/1977Darrell WaltripDavid Pearson328268-606/10/1962Fred LorenzenBanjo Matthews334219-115Three-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.
DriverStarting PositionFinishing PositionDateDanica Patrick24173/5/2017Danica Patrick25202/28/2016Danica Patrick18163/1/2015Danica Patrick2768/31/2014Danica Patrick21219/1/2013Danica Patrick23299/2/2012Average23.018.2Shawna Robinson31343/10/2002Janet Guthrie23103/19/1978Janet Guthrie191611/6/1977Janet Guthrie34303/20/1977Average25.318.7
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 GeorgiaCityCupXfinityTruckCombinedFirst YearAtlanta Motor SpeedwayHampton11935221761960Augusta International SpeedwayAugusta1200121962Lakewood SpeedwayAtlanta1100111951Savannah SpeedwaySavannah1000101962Middle Georgia RacewayMacon90091966Central City SpeedwayMacon70071951Jeffco SpeedwayJefferson23051969Lanier SpeedwayGainesville05051988Valdosta 75 SpeedwayValdosta30031962Oglethorpe SpeedwaySavannah20021954Road Atlanta SpeedwayAtlanta02021986Augusta International RacewayAugusta10011964Columbus SpeedwayColumbus10011951Hayloft SpeedwayAugusta10011952Totals1784522245
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.RankNASCAR Winners From GeorgiaCupXfinityTruckCombined1Bill Elliott4410452Jack Smith2100213Fonty Flock1900194Chase Elliott1853265Bob Flock40046Frank Mundy30037David Ragan22048Gober Sosebee20029Harold Kite100110Sam McQuagg100111Jody Ridley100112Austin Hill0781513Brandon Jones051614Reed Sorenson040415Buckshot Jones020216Ronald Cooper010117Chandler Smith015618Corey Heim005519John Wes Townley0011Totals1162823167
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