Current Sprint Cup leader
Jeff Gordon, whose four wins at Atlanta is the highest tally amongst active drivers expects Sunday's race at Atlanta to be one of survival, having been one of several drivers struggling for grip during practice.
Gordon, who will start Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 from 16th on the grid, believes tyres to be an issue during Sunday's race as he was anticipating having more grip than what he actually found in practice.
"We're going to have issues [with tyres] but I don't know if they're issues with wear. It's called grip, just trying to get hold of the race track," said Gordon.
Atlanta is probably one of the toughest tracks to build a tyre for, especially with the new Cup car. However, he expects Sunday's race to be demanding for drivers, as the lack of grip will probably keep them on their toes for 500 miles.