A T L A N T A - 500

[4bubba]

This should be a excellent test of the 1 engine rule. Atlanta is probably the fastest track in NASCAR. It is designed like Vegas (shape and distance) but it is banked much more, and 100 miles longer.

I dont expect any teams to push practice, qualifying or happy hour events. No one knows how the engines will hold up.

 

[4bubba]

The Vegas 400 was run almost calmly. At the end there were 37 cars within 2 laps of the leader. that should be a good guage of how to rate the cars and drivers right now. As I mentioned in earlier threads, all drivers are taking a cautious approach. no one knows how the engines will last. This week will be even more unknown. Atlanta is one of the faster tracks now (no restrictor plates) and longer (500 miles).
Last week it was obvious that the older, veteran drivers were not going to push their engines in practices or qualifying.
Vegas 400 -- the first dozen qualifiers:

qualifying position -/- final race position

1 -/- 29
2 -/- 4
3 -/- 20
4 -/- 10
5 -/- 22
6 -/- 3
7 -/- 32
8 -/- 14
9 -/- 31
10 -/- 18
11 -/- 30
12 -/- 37

T Bodine set a record in qualifying and then finished 29th. do you think he feels it was worth it now?

 

[djv]

No is answer. As i said in your other post. The chevs better run strong here or the bitching will start about advatage Dodge and Ford with rule changes. Believe some gear playing around will be done here. they will want speed. However they may try to keep rev's down a little. Not sue if they can. They keep speed up around most of the track. There is not much let up. One thing for sure those who love fast do well at this track. There are a few that will go easy a little this week. Practice time will help tell story more then glfy.

 

[4bubba]

A couple of veteran drivers have already come out and said they will run the minimum laps in practice to get the car close.

 

[4bubba]

A guess for the top 10 for this weekends Atlanta 500 (not necessarily in this order)

S Marlin
W Burton
D Jarrett
J Gordon
K Harvick
B Labonte
D E Jr.
J Nadeau
R Wallace
T Stewart

B Elliott , Mark Martin, and J Burton could sneak in.

D Blaney could be in there if he could only stay out of accidents.
R Newman has been good, but didnt run either time at Atlanta last year

 

[4bubba]

Positional matchups for the Atlanta 500 (from the Palms)

J Burton -4.5
M Martin

W Burton-4.5
B Elliott

J Gordon -7
K Busch

R Wallace -2.5
M Kenseth

T Stewart
B Labonte -4.5

J Johnson -3.5
R Craven

E Sadler
D Jarrett -8.5

M Waltrip
J Mayfield -4.5

J Benson -4.5
D Blaney

 

[4bubba]

Of the Palm positional matchups, I really like

Dale Jarrett -8.5 (-110) vs Elliott Sadler

 

[djv]

4bubba your list above of drivers for top ten is not that bad. they all like to go fast. One thing last couple of years i have seen martin back off some what. Skinner likes to go fast. But he seems to find trouble. R Gordon much like Stewart really likes fast.

 

[Yates 28/88]

Hi,guys IMO for this weeks race you have to keep putting money on S.Marlin.He is a proven racer at fast tracks.Nuff said.
But what I see is that big name drivers are slowly dropping back.They have to start showing up a little bit more than finishing the race out.Like the cars #29 ,18,2,20,8,28,88.
Going to put $$ on #24 car,you know he's going to win a race pretty soon.Also going to put $$$ on 28 & 88(yes my boys& teammates).They really haven't done that much this year so far,but they won $$last week for me.Some people weren't that lucky.Robert Yates doesn't f**k up.He probably would have two or three championships by now if D. Allison didn't die in that helicopter crash.S.Marlin started the year off perfect,keep betting him until he belly's up.LOL

 

[4bubba]

I agree Yates in that Marlin is still the one to beat, especially since he has 2 tremendous cars now.
As far as #24 goes, remember that B Labonte won 2 years ago and did mostly nothing last year. JGs car designs dont seem to be quite as competitive at this time, but I wont bet against him in the matchups.

 

[djv]

Yates28/88 I would not put that 20 car in the show up field. He had them covered last week till last pit stop. In 1st out 5th and stayed there. Bad set of tires he said. Even so he thought if stop had been alittle better he had a top 2 car. We will never know but with out last caution he may have held them all off for the win. No one was catching him at that time. I agree the 29. He may have came out fast last year. But may just have a little off year this year. The 2 Rusty cant seem to get over the top to easy anymore. Reminds me of Martin a little last year. Well to early to know for sure. Next two races should show if a pattern is here to stay for the year. One thing for sure Marlin is hot and has darn good equipment. Will the 24 be down some from last year. I think yes. After all that was one hell of a 2001 for JG. GL

 

[4bubba]

It will be interesting to see if most drivers take it easier at first to make the engines last. that should make for less caution flags and more drivers on the final lap.

 

[djv]

Becareful today. Big Weather change since Qlfy and pactice. We may see strange things today. Cars looking under powered. Loss of engines early. With 8700 to 9000 rpm almost steady at this track. That's tough enough. But any miss setting on the carburtor due to weather change and they could double the trouble. The temp will be about 10 to 12 degrees differant then a day ago.
These hybrids can react to that change real easy. Im watching today only. GL to you who play.

 

[4bubba]

Like any sport, when the weather takes a dump, go with the veterans that have seen it all and driven in many different conditions.