NASCAR WCUP: Chassis notes, Atlanta Motor Speedway

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

[The following are facts and figures regarding the cars Pontiac teams will be running this week during the NASCAR Winston Cup event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.]

10

Valvoline Grand Prix driver Johnny Benson comes to Atlanta this spring knowing he'll be in the race on Sunday. Last year Benson was a victim of too few 1999 owner's points and missed the show despite being 11th in points. This year he finds himself in sixth, just 74 points out of first, after posting back-to-back top 10 finishes. He is driving the same chassis that posted a 10th here in November.

14

Raybestos rookie leader Ron Hornaday, who is coming off a career-best ninth place finish last week at Las Vegas, is behind the wheel of a chassis that posted a front row start and 10th place finish in last September's race at Dover with driver Rick Mast. It was tabbed as the primary car for the team last fall at Homestead, but a practice crash sent it home early.

18

This chassis provided defending Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte with plenty of good memories in 2000, including a title-clinching fourth at Homestead and a win at the Brickyard 400. Labonte, who is 27th in points, has posted three wins, two seconds and six top five finishes in his last seven starts here at Atlanta.

20

Home Depot Grand Prix driver Tony Stewart has earned 45 top 10 finishes in 71 career Winston Cup starts and has at least one at every track the series visits - except Atlanta Motor Speedway. Currently ninth in points, Stewart is hoping to change all that this weekend and better his previous best finish of 11th (3/99). He is back in the car that crashed here in November and went on to a 38th place finish.

27

Kenny Wallace comes to Atlanta this week searching for his first top 20 finish of the 2000 season. Wallace's crew chief, Barry Dodson, has decided the chassis for the task is the same one that Jeff Fuller wheeled to a 22nd place finish for the team last March.

36

Newt Moore took over the crew chief duties on the M&M's Pontiac this week and is hoping to get Ken Schrader back on track. Schrader, who is 16th in the point standings after three events, owns one win, three top five and seven top 10 finishes in 33 previous starts here at Atlanta. He is driving the same chassis that finished 26th here in November.

Text Provided By Al Larsen

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