After a pothole in Daytona and two misfiring caution lights at Las Vegas experts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage are expecting a fast race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
"With a well-seasoned track surface yielding lower grip than at most other tracks, the skills of the best drivers and teams will be rewarded with fast race cars,” explained Pat Suhy, GM Racing NASCAR Group Manager.
“The lower grip puts more emphasis on the driver's ability, along with the crew chief and his engineers' decisions about setups and changes during the race. Having fast set-ups under the Impalas when they unload for the first practice is critical. That will allow the teams to focus on finding a fast qualifying setup and still have time left over for race runs to get a feel for how the car will respond to the changing conditions. With three wins in three races thus far this year, it's pretty clear that the Bowtie contingent will be leading the way. I'm looking forward to seeing which Team Chevy driver will get to winners circle next Sunday,"
Kevin Harvick has been fast this year, definitely in the hunt, and leads the points’ standings after three races, with a seventh at Daytona and two-straight second place results.
His victory at the Shoot-Out at Daytona was a non-points race. He’s just knocking on the door of his first Sprint Cup victory since he won the Daytona 500 in 2007. And for good measure he’s won the Nationwide race at Las Vegas last Saturday.
“Atlanta, over the last few years, has just been one of those places that seem to fit everything that we do,” said Harvick.
“We have had chances to win there, whether it’s been in a truck, a Nationwide car or our Shell-Pennzoil car, we have had a chance to win there in anything the last few years. So, hopefully, nothing has changed. Atlanta has just always been really good to us. We go there expecting to be in contention for the win, and anything short of that will be a disappointment,” said Harvick who was runner up at the fall race at this 1.5-mile track.
To be victorious Harvick will have to contend with an equally hot Jimmie Johnson, winner of the last two races in 2010 and Kurt Busch the defending winner of the Atlanta Motor Speedway race.
Busch lead 234 laps of last spring’s race and was on the pole last week at Las Vegas. Unfortunately he got caught up in the crash that claimed Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya.
photo:NASCAR Getty Images
"With a well-seasoned track surface yielding lower grip than at most other tracks, the skills of the best drivers and teams will be rewarded with fast race cars,” explained Pat Suhy, GM Racing NASCAR Group Manager.
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| Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson |
“The lower grip puts more emphasis on the driver's ability, along with the crew chief and his engineers' decisions about setups and changes during the race. Having fast set-ups under the Impalas when they unload for the first practice is critical. That will allow the teams to focus on finding a fast qualifying setup and still have time left over for race runs to get a feel for how the car will respond to the changing conditions. With three wins in three races thus far this year, it's pretty clear that the Bowtie contingent will be leading the way. I'm looking forward to seeing which Team Chevy driver will get to winners circle next Sunday,"
Kevin Harvick has been fast this year, definitely in the hunt, and leads the points’ standings after three races, with a seventh at Daytona and two-straight second place results.
His victory at the Shoot-Out at Daytona was a non-points race. He’s just knocking on the door of his first Sprint Cup victory since he won the Daytona 500 in 2007. And for good measure he’s won the Nationwide race at Las Vegas last Saturday.
“Atlanta, over the last few years, has just been one of those places that seem to fit everything that we do,” said Harvick.
“We have had chances to win there, whether it’s been in a truck, a Nationwide car or our Shell-Pennzoil car, we have had a chance to win there in anything the last few years. So, hopefully, nothing has changed. Atlanta has just always been really good to us. We go there expecting to be in contention for the win, and anything short of that will be a disappointment,” said Harvick who was runner up at the fall race at this 1.5-mile track.
To be victorious Harvick will have to contend with an equally hot Jimmie Johnson, winner of the last two races in 2010 and Kurt Busch the defending winner of the Atlanta Motor Speedway race.
Busch lead 234 laps of last spring’s race and was on the pole last week at Las Vegas. Unfortunately he got caught up in the crash that claimed Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya.
photo:NASCAR Getty Images