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Posted on Wednesday, 09.02.09

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Date: Saturday, September 5th

Start Time: 7 p.m. (et)

Site: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1960) -- Hampton, Georgia

Track: 1.54-mile oval

Laps: 195

Miles: 300.3

Capacity: 75,000

Total purse: $1,151,315 (2008 figures)

Payouts: 1st Place - $56,000; 2nd Place - $37,175; 3rd Place - $28,850

Year: 18th

On TV: ESPN 2

Announcers: Ray Evernham, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree and Rusty Wallace

On Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN)/SIRIUS XM Satellite

Race record: Mark Martin, 1997 (151.751 m.p.h.)

Qualifying record: Greg Biffle, 2003 (192.300 m.p.h.)

2008 Finish

Defending champion: Matt Kenseth (not defending)

Runner up: Kevin Harvick

Pole winner: Jeff Burton (2008 owner points)

Top 10:

1. Matt Kenseth (Start: 10)

2. Kevin Harvick (6)

3. Jeff Burton (1)

4. Carl Edwards (3)

5. Bobby Labonte (27)

6. Brad Keselowski (17)

7. Mike Bliss (11)

8. Jason Leffler (8)

9. Kasey Kahne (7)

10. David Reutimann (5)

Average speed: 131.290 m.p.h.

Time of race: 2 hours, 19 minutes, 21 seconds

Margin of victory: 0.159 second

Caution flags: 8 for 30 laps

Lead changes: 22 among 11 drivers

Past winners

2008 Matt Kenseth, Ford, 131.290 m.p.h.

2007 Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 127.201 m.p.h.

2006 Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 127.984 m.p.h.

2005 Carl Edwards, Ford, 130.651 m.p.h.

2004 Matt Kenseth, Ford, 133.343 m.p.h.

2003 Greg Biffle, Chevrolet, 146.217 m.p.h.

2002 Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 138.788 m.p.h.

2001 Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 143.954 m.p.h.

2000 Mark Martin, Ford, 126.924 m.p.h.

1999 Mike Skinner, Chevrolet, 117.178 m.p.h.

1998 Mark Martin, Ford, 138.193 m.p.h.

1997 Mark Martin, Ford, 151.751 m.p.h. (race record)

1996 Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 139.656

1995 Johnny Benson, Chevrolet, 145.767 m.p.h.

1994 Harry Gant, Chevrolet, 127.649 m.p.h.

1993 Ward Burton, Chevrolet, 109.640 m.p.h.

1992 Jeff Gordon, Ford, 124.412 m.p.h.

Last race

Race: Napa Auto Parts 200 (August 30th)

Site: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve -- Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Miles: 205.884

Laps: 76

Finish line order: Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose, Andrew Ranger, Jacques Villeneuve, Brad Keselowski

Time of Race: 3 hours, 49 minutes, 19 seconds

Average speed: 53.869 m.p.h.

Margin of victory: 0.393 second

Caution flags: 11 for 31 laps

Lead changes: 7 among 4 drivers

Lap leaders: M. Ambrose 1-7; C. Edwards 8; M. Ambrose 9-16; J. VilleneuveM. Ambrose 1-7; C. Edwards 8; M. Ambrose 9-16; J. Villeneuve17-19; C. Edwards 20; A. Ranger 21-30; M. Ambrose 31-75; C.Edwards 76.

Entry list

#0 Kertus Davis (Gaffney, SC) Chevrolet/sponsordavis.com

#01 Mike Wallace (St. Louis, MO) Chevrolet/TBA

#1 Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) Chevrolet/Miccosukee Gaming Resort

#05 Casey Atwood (Antioch, TN) Chevrolet/31W Insulation

#5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Kannapolis, NC) Chevrolet/Degree

#6 David Ragan (Unadilla, GA) Ford/Discount Tire

#07 Chase Austin (Eudora, KS) Chevrolet/Cavi Clothing

#09 John Wes Townley (Waitville, GA) Ford/Zaxby's

#10 Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA) Toyota/Fritos

#11 Kelly Bires (Mauston, WI) Toyota/Ridemakerz

#12 Justin Allgaier (Riverton, IL) Dodge/Verizon Wireless

#15 Michael Annett (Des Moines, IA) Toyota/Pilot Travel Centers

#16 Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) Ford/CitiFinancial

#18 Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Toyota/NOS

#20 Joey Logano (Middleton, CT) Toyota/GameStop

#23 Robert Richardson Jr (McKinney, TX) Chevrolet/Mahindra

#24 Eric McClure (Chilhowie, VA) Ford/Hefty

#26 Brian Keselowski (Rochestr Hls, MI) Dodge/Fischer Honda

#27 Jason Keller (Greenville, SC) Ford/Scott Tissue

#28 Kenny Wallace (St. Louis, MO) Chevrolet/U.S. Border Patrol

#29 Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) Chevrolet/Holiday Inn

#32 Brian Vickers (Thomasville, NC) Toyota/Dollar General Stores

#33 Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) Chevrolet/Jimmy John's

#34 Tony Raines (LaPorte, IN) Chevrolet/Long John Silver's

#38 Jason Leffler (Long Beach, CA) Toyota/Great Clips

#40 Scott Wimmer (Wausau, WI) Chevrolet/TBA

#42 David Gilliland (Torrance, CA) Dodge/Smith Ironworks

#47 Chase Miller (Canton, GA) Toyota/TBA

#49 Mark Green (Owensboro, KY) Chevrolet/GetMoreVacations.com

#50 Jeremy Clements (Spartanburg, SC) Chevrolet/Saxon Group

#52 To Be Announced Chevrolet/TBA

#60 Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) Ford/Save A Lot

#61 Matthew Carter (Denver, NC) Ford/Specialty Racing

#62 Brendan Gaughan (Las Vegas, NV) Chevrolet/5 Hour Energy ES

#66 Steve Wallace (Charlotte, NC) Chevrolet/U.S. Fidelis

#70 Shelby Howard (Greenwood, IN) Chevrolet/ForeTravel Motorcoach

#73 Derrike Cope (Spanaway, WA) Dodge/TBA

#77 Peyton Sellers (Danville, VA) Chevrolet/SFP

#78 Kevin Lepage (Shelburne, VT) Dodge/TBA

#81 Bobby Hamilton Jr. (Nashville, TN) Dodge/D.H. Griffin Companies

#87 Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL) Chevrolet/NEMCO Motorsports

#88 Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hls, MI) Chevrolet/Delphi

#89 Morgan Shepherd (Conover, NC) Chevrolet/Lagina Plumbing Eldora

#90 Johnny Chapman (Stony Point, NC) Chevrolet/MSRP Motorsports

#91 Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) Chevrolet/MSRP Motorsports

#96 Dennis Setzer (Newton, NC) Dodge/ConelyAuto.com

#98 Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI) Ford/Menards/Richmond

#99 Trevor Bayne (Knoxville, TN) Toyota/TBA

Leading contenders

Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Kevin Harvick	8th		9th	15th		11th	2nd	2nd
Jeff Burton						Won	Won	3rd
Carl Edwards					Won	24th	4th	4th
Brad Keselowski							25th	6th
Jason Leffler			22nd	5th		6th	41st	8th
Kasey Kahne		21st	7th	3rd	5th	2nd	7th	9th
Dale Earnhardt Jr.								15th
David Ragan							20th	16th
Greg Biffle	2nd	5th	Won	5th	6th	3rd	40th	21st
Brian Vickers	12th	31st				7th		22nd
Kyle Busch				2nd		40th	3rd	24th
Ryan Newman	32nd					39th
Joey Logano
Justin Allgaier

Notes

Last held in March of 2008, this race was captured for the second time byMatt Kenseth, as he raced to victory ahead of Kevin Harvick. Kenseth clippedHarvick by 0.159 of a second for his 24th career Nationwide Series title.Kyle Busch was in a league of his own as he led 153 of 198 laps. But with 25laps to go Busch's right-front tire went flat causing him to crash into thefirst-turn wall to ruin another great performance. Busch finished the race ina disappointing 24th place. With just 13 laps remaining, Kenseth reclaimed thelead and was able to fend off Harvick to take the checkered flag. Jeff Burton,who started on the pole due to owner points, placed third after winning thisrace in back-to-back seasons.Burton only led twice for a total of 29 laps, but it included the final 26, ashe clipped Kevin Harvick by 1.064 seconds for his 24th Nationwide Series winin 2007. Pole sitter Kyle Busch dominated this race, as he led five times fora race-high 143 laps. Busch, who has sat on the pole the last two years,placed third, his second top-3 finish in three appearances at this race. Withthe win, Burton joined Mark Martin as the only back-to-back winners of thisrace. Martin accomplished the feat in 1997-98.Back in 1992, Jeff Gordon won his first national series race at Atlanta inNationwide Series competition, the inaugural year for this event.Burton crossed the finish line 1.420 seconds ahead of Kasey Kahne to win forthe 21st time in his Nationwide Series career in 2006. Burton, who led on fourdifferent occasions throughout the race for 75 laps, reclaimed the lead on lap176 and held on to take the checkered flag in front of 75,000 at Atlanta MotorSpeedway. Pole sitter Kyle Busch led the first 25 laps, but failed to finishdue to an accident.In 2005, pole sitter Carl Edwards captured his first-ever Nationwide Seriestitle, as he edged out Tony Stewart by less than two seconds. Edwards, who wonthe pole position earlier in the day, led the first 29 laps then fell as lowas 13th before making his final move.In the previous 17 years, the pole sitter has captured this event three timesand the top five spots have won six of the 17 races. The farthest a driver hasstarted and won this race was 28th, when Kenseth won in 2004.The Nationwide Series heads to Richmond International Raceway on September 11,as Carl Edwards will attempt to defend his title in the Virginia 529 CollegeSavings 250.09/02 09:06:57 ET

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