Round 33 of 36
Bass Pro Shops 500
Atlanta
Car No.: 20 — Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot Chevrolet Monte CarloTeammates: Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet and J.J. Yeley in the No. 18 VESIcare® (solifenacin succinate) Chevrolet
|
Primary Team Members |
|---|
| Driver: Tony Stewart |
Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli |
| Car Chief: Jason Shapiro |
Engine Builder: Mark Cronquist |
| Engine Specialist: Jarrad Egert (pronounced "Egg-ert") |
Spotter: Mark Robertson |
|
Over-The-Wall Crew Members |
|---|
| Gas Man: Jeff "Gooch" Patterson |
Front Tire Changer: Ira-Jo Hussey |
| Catch Can: Brian "Shaggy" Larson |
Front Tire Carrier: Tom Dean |
| Windshield: Scott Geerts (pronounced "Gurtz") |
Rear Tire Changer: Todd Foster |
| Jackman: Jason Lee |
Rear Tire Carrier: Jody Fortson |
|
Other Crew Members |
|---|
| Truck Drivers: Scott "Scooter" Crowell |
Danny "Gumby" Hiedtke (pronounced "Hide-key") |
| Tire Specialists: Jerold Shires |
Bill Byrne |
| Shock Specialists: Ronny Crooks and Dave Hansen |
Engineer: Adam Stevens |
| Pit Support: Jerry Cook, Alan Copley, Byron Goggin and Jim Williams |
|
Team History at Atlanta Motor Speedway |
|---|
| Year |
Event |
Start |
Finish |
Status/Laps |
Led |
Earnings |
| 2006 |
Golden Corral 500 |
21 |
5 |
Running/325 |
50 |
$154,961 |
| 2005 |
Golden Corral 500 |
9 |
17 |
Running/325 |
0 |
$115,861 |
| 2005 |
Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500 |
10 |
9 |
Running/325 |
1 |
$143,311 |
| 2004 |
Golden Corral 500 |
19 |
7 |
Running/325 |
127 |
$133,778 |
| 2004 |
Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500 |
15 |
9 |
Running/324 |
0 |
$130,063 |
| 2003 |
Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500 I |
8 |
5 |
Running/325 |
17 |
$113,328 |
| 2003 |
Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500 II |
24 |
2 |
Running/325 |
109 |
$207,678 |
| 2002 |
MBNA America 500 |
9 |
1 |
Running/325 |
143 |
$174,978 |
| 2002 |
*%NAPA 500 |
1 |
4 |
Running/248 |
39 |
$137,178 |
| 2001 |
Cracker Barrel 500 |
5 |
12 |
Engine/320 |
0 |
$55,020 |
| 2001 |
NAPA 500 |
12 |
9 |
Running/325 |
33 |
$78,650 |
| 2000 |
Cracker Barrel 500 |
27 |
34 |
Accident/270 |
0 |
$44,035 |
| 2000 |
NAPA 500 |
17 |
38 |
Accident/195 |
0 |
$54,625 |
| 1999 |
Cracker Barrel 500 |
3 |
11 |
Running/325 |
0 |
$35,815 |
| 1999 |
NAPA 500 |
30 |
15 |
Running/324 |
1 |
$55,815 |
* Race cut short due to weather.
% Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via car owner points.
Chassis No. 120
The fall California race marked the debut for Chassis No. 120, where it enjoyed a solid outing, rallying from 22nd to finish ninth in a race dictated by fuel mileage. But its second start at Kansas went even better, as Chassis No. 120 notched its first career win in a race dictated by fuel mileage. It led the last five laps, spending much of the final lap coasting along the track's apron. But it had just enough momentum to make it across the finish line first, beating a handful of others who also tried to go the last 71 laps on one tank of fuel. Its third career start came at the fall Charlotte race, where it struggled in practice and qualifying, as its 31st place starting spot proved. But the team continued to make adjustments to the car throughout the 334-lap race, and the end result was a gain of 18 positions to nab a solid 13th place finish.
| Year |
Event |
Start |
Finish |
Status/Laps |
Led |
Earnings |
| 2006 |
California (Fall) |
22 |
9 |
Running/250 |
0 |
$149,611 |
| 2006 |
Kansas |
21 |
1 |
Running/267 |
5 |
$346,361 |
| 2005 |
Charlotte (Fall) |
31 |
13 |
Running/333 |
0 |
$125,336 |
Notes of Interest
The Bass Pro Shops 500 will mark Stewart's 281st career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start and his 16th career Nextel Cup start at Atlanta.
Stewart is currently 11th in the Nextel Cup point standings with 4,108 points, 246 points ahead of 12th place Carl Edwards. Stewart maintained his position after his 4th place finish last Sunday at Martinsville. At this point last year (where the points were recalibrated for the Chase for the Championship) Stewart was first in the standings with 5,957 points. Last year, Stewart won the championship.
What If... there was no Chase and the points weren't readjusted following the Sept. 9 race at Richmond? How would the top-10 currently look?
- Matt Kenseth (4,583 points)
- Jimmie Johnson (4,490 points, -93)
- Kevin Harvick (4,253 points, -330)
- Denny Hamlin (4,119 points, -464) +5
- Tony Stewart (4,108 points, -475) +3
- Jeff Burton (4,107 points, -476) -2
- Mark Martin (4,068 points, -515) -2
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (4,067 points, -483) -2
- Kyle Busch (4,066 points, -517) -2
- Kasey Kahne (4,063 points, -520)
- Jeff Gordon (4,018 points, -565)
What If, Take Two... Stewart made the Chase as the 11th driver via a wild card? How would the top-11 currently look?
- Matt Kenseth (5,848 points) +1
- Kevin Harvick (5,812 points, -36) +1
- Jimmie Johnson (5,807 points, -41) +5
- Tony Stewart (5,805 points, -43) +2
- Denny Hamlin (5,801 points, -47) +2
- Jeff Burton (5,800 points, -48) -5
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5,754 points, -94) -2
- Mark Martin (5,752 points, -96) -4
- Kasey Kahne (5,749 points, -99)
- Jeff Gordon (5,707 points, -141) +1
- Kyle Busch (5,677 points, -171) -1
Stewart is fourth in miles led this season, pacing the field for 1,020.26 miles. Matt Kenseth is first with 1,429.73 miles led. Greg Biffle is second with 1,337.41 miles led. Kasey Kahne is third with 1,060.28 miles led. Jeff Gordon is fifth with 914.89 miles led. Jimmie Johnson is sixth with 820.96 miles led. And Stewart's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin is seventh with 820.48 miles led. No other drivers have led more than 800 miles this season. Stewart has led at least one lap in 17 of the 32 races held this season. Stewart's total of 936 laps led is third best behind Matt Kenseth who has led a total of 1,130 laps this season and Greg Biffle who has led 946 laps. Jimmie Johnson is fourth in laps led with 796. Kasey Kahne is fifth in laps led with 652. Jeff Burton is sixth in laps led with 649. Jeff Gordon is seventh in laps led with 643. And Kevin Harvick is eighth in laps led with 634. No other drivers have led more than 600 laps. As a result, Stewart has earned a total of 105 lap leader bonus points.Stewart has the 10th-best average running position (14.275) in the 32 races held this season. Jeff Gordon leads this category with an average running position of 10.955, just 3.32 positions better than Stewart.Stewart has recorded the fastest lap on the race track a total of 452 times in the 32 races held this season, seventh best among Nextel Cup drivers. Kasey Kahne leads this category with 607 fastest laps while Greg Biffle is second with 559 fastest laps. Kyle Busch is third with 476 fastest laps. Jeff Gordon is fourth with 463 fastest laps. Matt Kenseth is fifth with 461 fastest laps. And Jimmie Johnson is sixth with 456 fastest laps, just four more than Stewart.
Stewart has the seventh-best driver rating 32 races into the season. His 95.2 rating is 7.6 points lower than first-place Matt Kenseth (102.8). Jimmie Johnson is second (100.2). Jeff Gordon is third (98.8). Jeff Burton is fourth (96.7). Kevin Harvick is fifth (96.0). And Greg Biffle is sixth (95.4). The driver rating is a formula consisting of wins, finishes, top-15s, average running position while on lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, laps led and lead lap finishes.
Stewart is the third-fastest driver early in a run in the 32 races held this season. His season rank of 8.333 is 1.833 points below series leader Greg Biffle (6.500), the best among Nextel Cup drivers during the first 25 percent of laps in a pit window under green flag conditions. Jeff Burton is second with an 8.143 rating. Stewart's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin is fourth with an 8.586 rating. Jimmie Johnson is fifth with a 9.133 rating. And Kyle Busch is sixth with a 9.154 rating.
Stewart is the second-fastest driver late in a run in the 32 races held this season. His season rank of 8.519 is .586 of a point lower than series leader Jimmie Johnson (7.933), the best among Nextel Cup drivers during the last 25 percent of laps following a pit stop. Jeff Gordon is third (8.720). Kyle Busch is fourth (9.385). And Jeff Burton is fifth (9.893).
Stewart is the second-fastest driver under green in the 32 races held this season. His season rank of 7.630 is .963 points below series leader Greg Biffle (6.667). Jimmie Johnson is third (7.800). Jeff Burton is fourth (7.964). Jeff Gordon is fifth (8.040). And Matt Kenseth is sixth (8.500).
Stewart is the fastest driver in traffic in the 32 races held this season. His season rank of 7.444 is .018 of a point higher than second-place Kyle Busch (7.462). Matt Kenseth is third (8.733). Jimmie Johnson is fourth (8.833). Jeff Burton is fifth (9.143). And Jeff Gordon is sixth (9.320). "Traffic" is determined when there is another car within one car length.
Of the four races remaining on this year's Nextel Cup schedule, Stewart has won at three of those venues - Atlanta (3/10/2002), Phoenix (11/7/1999) and Homestead (11/14/1999 & 11/12/2000). The only venue where Stewart has yet to record a victory is Texas.
Stewart's win in the 2002 spring Atlanta race was his first win in a 500-mile Nextel Cup race. It was also his 13th career Nextel Cup victory. Stewart now has three wins in 500-mile races - spring Atlanta in 2002, spring Pocono in 2003 and fall Charlotte in 2003.
Prior to that Atlanta win, Stewart's best finish at the 1.54-mile oval was ninth in the 2001 NAPA 500, for what was then his only top-10 finish at Atlanta. Since winning at Atlanta, Stewart has finished within the top-10 all but once, as he finished 17th in last year's spring race.
Model of improvement - Stewart's average finish in his last 10 Atlanta races (2001-2006) is seventh. His average finish in his first five Atlanta races was 22nd.
In his past 10 Atlanta races Stewart has led 519 of a possible 3,173 laps (16.4 percent).
Stewart earned his 17th career win in October of 2003 at Charlotte, the sister track to Atlanta Motor Speedway. He now has 27 wins to his resume, with the last one coming four races ago at Kansas.
Home Depot store No. 1228, located in Cheektowaga, N.Y., will be represented on the lower rear quarterpanel of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet during the Golden Corral 500. Store No. 8523 was judged to be the outstanding store of the past week, thereby earning its place on the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing machine.
Atlanta is home to Stewart's Nextel Cup sponsor - The Home Depot.
The Atlanta area has been very good to Joe Gibbs Racing. The team has earned a total of seven Nextel Cup wins, two Nextel Cup poles and one Busch Series pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., while also garnering two NHRA Top Fuel victories and one NHRA Funny Car win at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga. Pole: Mike Bliss on Oct. 29, 2004 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Busch Series
Win: Bobby Labonte on March 9, 2003 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Nextel Cup Series
Win: Tony Stewart on March 10, 2002 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Nextel Cup Series
Win: Bobby Labonte on Nov. 18, 2001 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Nextel Cup Series
Pole: Bobby Labonte on March 12, 1999 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Nextel Cup Series
Win: Bobby Labonte on Nov. 21, 1999 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Nextel Cup Series
Win: Cory McClenathan on April 18, 1998 at Atlanta Dragway in NHRA Top Fuel
Win: Cruz Pedregon on April 18, 1998 at Atlanta Dragway in NHRA Funny Car
Win: Bobby Labonte on March 9, 1998 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Nextel Cup Series
Win: Bobby Labonte on Nov. 16, 1997 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Nextel Cup Series
Win: Bobby Labonte on Nov. 10, 1996 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Nextel Cup Series
Pole: Bobby Labonte on Nov. 8, 1996 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Nextel Cup Series
Win: Cory McClenathan on April 25, 1995 at Atlanta Dragway in NHRA Top Fuel
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