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  ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Hampton, Georgia

Jamie Squire/Getty Images
2006 Dates
Golden Corral 500, March 19
Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500, October 29
Track Specs
1.5 mile oval
Banking/Turns: 24 degrees
Banking/Straightaways: 5 degrees
March 2005 Results
Winner: Carl Edwards
Pole: Ryan Newman
October 2005 Results
Winner: Carl Edwards
Pole: Ryan Newman
What to watch for
Atlanta is a super-fast 1.5-mile track that provides plenty of room for drivers to find their line or sling it around if need be. Therefore, Carl Edwards should continue to be the AMS favorite. Edwards stunned all the prognosticators with his narrow win over Jimmie Johnson in the Atlanta spring race (right), and repeated the back flip in November. Add in the fact that Edwards finished third in his first career start at AMS in ’04 and you have a sure-fire winner.

Another Roush pilot, Mark Martin, is just a bit of good luck away from not only winning at AMS, but sweeping. He finished third and fourth last season and was good enough to win each race.

Greg Biffle is Roush entry No. 3. Biffle and crew chief Doug Richert have figured out the Atlanta oval to the tune of four consecutive top 10 runs, including a third-place finish in the spring of ’05 when he led 151 laps. As with any cookie cutter, Biffle will be in contention.

Jimmie Johnson will once again bring his A game to AMS. Throw out last fall’s 16th-place finish, and JJ has consecutive runs of second, first, fourth and third.

Keep an eye on...
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- With Tony Eury Jr. turning the wrenches, Earnhardt was back up to speed at AMS. Junior led 142 of the 325 laps on his way to a fourth-place run. Junior won the spring ’04 event at Atlanta.

• Kasey Kahne -- In four career AMS starts, Kahne has three top 5 runs. If the Evernham organization has figured out the Charger’s aero woes, Kahne will be back in contention.

• Jeff Burton -- Since coming over to the Richard Childress organization, Burton has recorded eighth-, 15th- and sixth-place runs. If RCR can up its downforce program, JB should enjoy some success.


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