NASCAR recap: Montoya rebounds well

NASCAR's fastest mile-and-a-half track gave everyone plenty of action Sunday as the Sprint Cup circus came to town. Tire problems were the order of the day and punctuated the race with cautions. Robby Gordon and David Ragan were the first to get a taste of the outside wall due to tire failure, but many drivers followed suit, and the race's finish will certainly stick in everyone's mind for some time.

The Atlanta track surface has become more abrasive with time, and it caused major problems for teams. Prior to the race, drivers were comparing the surface with the notorious tire-shredding track Darlington. Evidence to the contrary wasn't plentiful Sunday as a number of teams suffered from not looking after their tires. The key to the race was having a car that could preserve the grip from new tires through the length of the run until the next pit stop while, at the same time, avoiding a failure. Drivers gentle on the car with a chassis that behaved well were the leaders of the day.

The race ended with two tries at a green-white-checkered finish after Carl Edwards took his disagreement with Brad Keselowski to the track. Keselowski ended up on his lid, ruining a very strong day. NASCAR's new embrace of aggressive driving was severely tested with that particular incident, but, fortunately, no one was injured. The incident set up a very exciting final run, though - a duel to the finish with all the excitement that could be expected as drivers ran over each other and battled for victory.

UPGRADE

Kurt Busch: Just like last season, Busch was the strongest car in Atlanta's spring race. When the checkered flag waved, it was he who was doing his signature backward victory lap. He seemed to be able to pull away from nearly every car at will throughout the day and virtually won three times before it was finally official. At the end of the scheduled distance he was being stalked by Juan Pablo Montoya, but to no avail. Montoya was running out of time until a caution sent the race into overtime. The extra laps were also dominated by the No. 2, though. Bad news for everyone else is that Busch's Bristol resume is stout as well. He has five wins at the Tennessee bullring, and he’s never a driver to look past when the circus rolls into Bristol.

Kasey Kahne: Kahne was at the front of the pack quite a bit Sunday, and that’s beginning to look normal for him this season. He said before the race that he thought his car was well prepared and that he should be a contender for a strong finish. After winning the last Atlanta round in 2009, it wasn't a huge surprise that he was in the mix Sunday. He notched his first top-five finish of the year as a result of Sunday afternoon's efforts and looked strong while doing it. With two top fives and three top 10s in the last five Bristol races, he’s worth paying attention to in the next race as well. He’s on a roll with back-to-back top 10s now.

Juan Montoya: Montoya had a strong run Sunday after crashing out of last weekend's Las Vegas race. He ran steadily in the top 10 throughout the afternoon and avoided the tire problems his competitors faced. Despite losing the race on the final restarts and having not scored a top 10 since the Daytona 500, he still has to be pleased with his efforts. Bristol isn’t a bad place for the Colombian, either. He's nabbed two top-five finishes in six visits to the track. His aggressive driving style can work to his detriment at some tracks, but Bristol was made for bumping and banging. Watch out for him when racing resumes in two weeks.

Brad Keselowski: Keselowski scored his first Sprint Cup victory last season and was storming through the field for another strong finish in Atlanta. He hasn't reached the heights of Victory Lane yet in 2010, but he showed Sunday he could become a factor this year too. He had a strong car at the race's beginning, hit the wall, but came right back to the front again. Unfortunately, he came into contact with Carl Edwards in the race's closing laps in a very bad crash. Still, prospects are bright for his future. While he hasn't had a Sprint Cup start at Bristol yet in his career, it’ll be interesting to see how he runs. His teammate, Kurt Busch, has one of the best Bristol records of any active driver, and if that experience can transfer to the No. 12 car, Keselowski may just find himself in the mix at the front of the field again.

A.J. Allmendinger/Paul Menard: Honorable mentions have to be given to Allmendinger and Menard. Allmendinger scored his first top 10 of the season with a solid run, and Menard bagged a top five. Menard also finds himself ninth in points leaving Atlanta.

DOWNGRADE

Carl Edwards: Edwards was one of the many drivers who had an afternoon to forget. He spent much of the race in and out of the pits after early contact with Brad Keselowski, who he then repaid at the end of the race. Damage from the first incident forced Edwards into the pits often, and that frustration manifested itself when he ended Keselowski's impressive run just before the finish. NASCAR parked him for overly aggressive driving, marking the No. 99's first finish outside the top 20 this season. While he hasn't been the best driver this year, until now he’s been extremely consistent, and consistency wins championships. He must be looking forward to Bristol, where he boasts a decent record, but he may have to deal with some NASCAR penalties after his rough driving in Atlanta.

Robby Gordon: Gordon’s living a nightmare start to the 2010 season. Making things even worse, he was the first person out of Sunday's race on lap eight with hard contact against the wall. He recorded the first tire failure of the day ruining his brand new chassis, a problem many teams would face. Robby Gordon Motorsports had high expectations for this year after finishing 34th in points last season, but there’s been no noticeable improvement so far. One might think his aggressive style would fit the high banks of Bristol in the next race, but his average finish there in 18 career starts is 27.7. With his current luck, coupled with his track record at Bristol, most won’t bank heavily on him turning it around in the next race, and neither will we.

Joey Logano: Logano's short run of top-10 finishes ended Sunday in Atlanta. After finishing the last two races in the top 10, he suffered a myriad of problems Sunday. He was caught up in another driver's problem early on, but also had tire issues of his own that relegated him to a 35th-place finish. The disappointment of this finish and how he overcomes it will be important for him and the team. His ability to get back on track at Bristol could foreshadow whether this team will be able to make a serious run for the Chase. They expect it, but can they do it? Logano's best Bristol finish is 22nd, so he'll probably be content with a solid points day in Tennessee.

Jeff Gordon: Disappointingly, Gordon took a top-five starting position and only came away with an 18th-place result. That isn’t normal territory for him or Hendrick Motorsports. He struggled with front-tire issues throughout the day and was lucky not to end in the wall after wearing a number of treads down to the core. Despite the disappointing finish, he still ranks 11th in points. Consistency is what he’ll need to maintain that position and begin moving forward. That shouldn't be a tall order for the four-time champion, though. His career average finish at Bristol is a stellar 10.6 in an astonishing 28 races. He's scored four wins, 13 top fives and 18 top 10s on that track, so good things may be in store.

Article first appeared 3/8/10