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NASCAR WCUP: Chassis Notes, NAPA 500, Atlanta Motor Speedway

18 November 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
[The following are facts and figures regarding the cars Pontiac teams will be running this weekend during the NASCAR Winston Cup event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.]

10

Johnny Benson ran this same Aaron's Grand Prix last week at Homestead. He finished 30th, which marked just his second finish outside the top 20 in the past nine weeks. This chassis posted a fifth-place finish at Michigan in August for Benson, who is looking for his first start at Atlanta this year after missing the spring race when second-round qualifying was rained out.

14

Conseco Pontiac driver Rick Mast is making his last start for A.J. Foyt Racing this weekend with the same chassis that he posted a 13th place finish in at Rockingham in October. Mast will hope to better the 21st place finish he earned here for owner Larry Hedrick in March.

18

Newly crowned Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte is hoping to close out the 2000 season with his fifth win of the season and fifth career victory here at Atlanta. The chassis he is driving was last seen in victory lane at Charlotte in October. In 11 career starts, this chassis owns an average finish of 2.0, with three wins, five seconds and three third place finishes

20

Home Depot Grand Prix driver Tony Stewart, who grabbed his ninth career victory last week at Homestead, won at Michigan in June with this chassis. Stewart, who leads the Winston Cup Series in 2000 with six wins, suffered one of his four DNFs this year during the spring race at Atlanta.

22

Ward Burton would love to close out the 2000 season with his first top five since the spring race at Bristol. He comes to Atlanta with the shame chassis he drove to an eighth place finish here in March.

27

Viagra Grand Prix driver Mike Bliss, who needs to snap a string of back-to-back DNFs, is driving the chassis he campaigned to a 28th place finish at Michigan in August. Bliss is looking for his first 2000 start at Atlanta after missing the show in March.

36

Ken Schrader is a former winner here at Atlanta and is hoping to close out the season with his first top five of the season. He last drove this version of the M&M's Pontiac in August at Michigan, where he finished 19th.

43

Petty Enterprises is paying a final tribute to STP with this week's No. 43 Grand Prix, which features the chassis John Andretti drove to a 28th place finish. Andretti wound up 18th in the March outing here at Atlanta.

44

Steve Grissom is looking for a start this weekend at Atlanta after missing five of the last six Winston Cup events. The team will make that effort with the chassis they took to Rockingham and Phoenix.

93

Amoco Pontiac driver Dave Blaney saved his best for last in 2000, posting a career-best eighth place finish at Phoenix and then a ninth-place finish last week at Homestead. He'll hope to continue his hot streak with the chassis he ran last weekend.

Text Provided By Al Larsen

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