The race was interesting beyond this event with Kurt Busch taking the win. There were multiple grooves available and plenty of passing.
This is the new NASCAR.
Qualifying
There were three Hendrick Motorsports drivers in the top five as NASCAR's most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. put his Hendrick Chevy on the pole along side Kyle Busch in second. Juan Montoya and Hendrick driver Mark Martin made up row number two while another Hendrick driver, Jeff Gordon, rounded out the top five.
Drop Of The Green
Kyle Busch got a run on the outside and beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. back to the line to lead lap one. It wasn't long before Robby Gordon got into the wall on lap four to bring out the first caution.
After the yellow Kasey Kahne moved to the front and held down the lead for the rest of the early going.
Storylines
This race featured some good racing. Atlanta Motor Speedway can put a good race on the track.
As the drivers crossed the line with three laps to go Carl Edwards was underneath Brad Keselowski. Those two got together and Keselowski's car got upside down and into the wall. Edwards continued on.
Those two drivers have a history. Last year at Talladega Keselowski got Edwards upside down. Then just earlier today Keselowski got into the back of Edwards again and put Edwards in the wall.
It sure looked to me like Edwards did it on purpose. You can see his hands in the replay clearly turnright into him.
I understand that Carl Edwards is unhappy with Keselowski. However, Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the fastest race tracks on the schedule. This is no place for revenge.
Edwards was rightly parked by NASCAR. It remains to be seen what the final punishment will be. NASCAR typically hands out penalties on Tuesday.
Chasing The Checkers
Kurt Busch was way out front with fifteen laps to go with Juan Montoya and Kasey Kahne in pursuit. Kurt Busch was the defending champion of this event. Montoya was closing the gap fast with 5 laps to go but the Edwards/Keselowski incident would set up an overdrive green-white-checkers sprint to the finish.
Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard were out front for the final restart but Kurt Busch threaded his car through the middle and took the lead going into turn one. There was a big mess behind him that looked like "The Big One" from Daytona or Talladega.
Kurt Busch was in command for the final restart with Montoya along side. Busch jumped out on the restart and nobody had anything for him for the last two laps.
Top Ten
- Kurt Busch
- Matt Kenseth
- Juan Montoya
- Kasey Kahne
- Paul Menard
- AJ Allmendinger
- Brian Vickers
- Greg Biffle
- Kevin Harvick
- Scott Speed
The Points
Kevin Harvick's fourth straight top ten finish of 2010 keeps him in the point lead. Kurt Busch jumps up nine places with the victory today and now holds down a Chase spot in tenth.
The top twelve are now:
- Kevin Harvick
- Matt Kenseth -26
- Greg Biffle -59
- Jimmie Johnson -74
- Clint Bowyer -86
- Jeff Burton -106
- Mark Martin -123
- Tony Stewart -134
- Paul Menard -139
- Kurt Busch -142
- Jeff Gordon -162
- Scott Speed -162
