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Practice Recap: Kobalt Tools 500

Brian Polking recaps the Saturday practice sessions for the Kobalt Tools 500 at AMS. More »

Driver Performance: Kobalt Tools 500

Brian Polking takes a look at driver performance at Atlanta Motor Speedway. More »

Cup Preview: Kobalt Tools 500

The series ends its West Coast swing this weekend as the action shifts to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Brian Polking previews the Kobalt Tools 500. More »

Practice Recap: Shelby American

Brian Polking breaks down the practice sessions for Sunday's Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. More »

Qualifying Recap: Shelby American

Brian Polking breaks down the starting lineup for Sunday's Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. More »

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Newsbreakers

03.10.10

Formula for Chase success

The News
Since the inception of the Chase in 2004, no driver that has averaged at least 123 points per race for the first 26 races of the year has ever missed the Chase, according to NASCAR.com.

Our View:Based on this formula, a driver would need to have at least 492 points at this point in the season in order to be a lock to make the Chase. The top 10 drivers in the standings all currently meet or exceed the 492 mark, while six other drivers are within 26 points of the mark.

03.10.10

Wreck slows Logano's momentum

The News
After back-to-back top-six finishes, Joey Logano finished 35th at Atlanta Motor Speedway, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Our View:Logano was an innocent victim in the first confrontation between Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards, and his afternoon was ended before he even had a chance to show his stuff. Despite the bad luck, Logano is establishing himself as a major factor in the Cup Series. Four races into the year, he is the highest ranking Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

03.10.10

Top 12 has some new names

The News
If the season ended today, six drivers that made the Chase in 2009 are on the outside looking in, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Our View:Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards are all outside the top 12, while Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman are all outside the top 20. There is plenty of time for all six drivers to recover and climb back into the top 12, but odds are, at least one of these guys is going to miss the Chase this season.

03.10.10

Waltrip to enter April race at Talladega

The News
According to Yahoo! Sports, Michael Waltrip will enter the No. 55 Toyota in April's race at Talladega.

Our View:Waltrip had mentioned that he might run at Talladega if he could find sponsorship, and NAPA decided to do just that. Waltrip hasn't raced since the season opener at Daytona as he transitions from driver/owner to just owner.

03.09.10

Newman in familiar territory

The News
For the second straight season, Ryan Newman finds himself outside the top 25 four races into the season, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Our View:However, the series heads to Bristol next - the same track where Newman started a hot streak last season. He recorded his first top 10 of 2009 at Bristol and went on a 10-race streak of finishes of 16th or better. The stretch vaulted Newman well inside the top 10 in points and allowed him to make the Chase. Newman is going to need a similar run to make the Chase this season, but the good news for the No. 39 team is that Newman is actually higher in points this year than at this time last year.

03.09.10

Smith finding success with Furniture Row

The News
In the three races since the Daytona 500, Regan Smith has compiled an 18.0 finishing average, according to MRN.com.

Our View:Smith hasn't finished worse than 21st during the stretch, and he scored a season-best 14th-place finish last Sunday at AMS. Those numbers aren't too shabby for a guy driving for a team that only ran a partial schedule in 2009. Smith is quickly establishing himself as a sleeper option for fantasy owners, and he could earn himself a ride with a major organization in the near future if he keeps up his current pace.

03.09.10

New year, new Harvick

The News
Kevin Harvick has yet to finish outside the top 10 this season and sits atop the point standings after four races, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Our View:The four top-10 finishes in four starts are far cry from Harvick's 2009 season when it took him 26 races to record four top 10s. Questions about his future with Richard Childress Racing don't seem to be bothering him on the track, and fantasy owners have to start considering Harvick as an elite option in 2010.

03.09.10

Ambrose starting to heat up

The News
After starting 2010 with two straight DNFs, Marcos Ambrose has recorded back-to-back top-15 finishes, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Our View:Ambrose notched a season-best 11th-place finish last Sunday at Atlanta, which also happened to be his best career result at the track. The week before, he scored a career-best finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The first two races of the season appear to have been a fluke, and Ambrose is now performing like the breakout star he was expected to be. Fantasy owners need to take note, especially as the series heads to Bristol where Ambrose finished in the top 10 in both events last season.

03.09.10

Sadler defends Goodyear

The News
While some drivers criticized Goodyear following the Cup race at Atlanta, Elliott Sadler defended the tire compound that the company brought to the track, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Our View:Sadler, along with Clint Bowyer and Marcos Ambrose, defended Goodyear despite at least a dozen drivers have some kind of tire issue during the Kobalt Tools 500 at AMS. "I think it's the best Goodyear tire we've had in Atlanta in years," Sadler said. "You can race really hard with it. You can race side-by-side."

03.09.10

Junior still regrets pitting under green

The News
According to SceneDaily.com, Dale Earnhardt, Jr is still upset about his decision to pit for what he thought was a tire problem during Sunday's race at Atlanta.

Our View:All his tires turned out to be fine, and pitting dropped him from sixth to outside the top 30. "We were running pretty good, but I don't know - we got two bad right-side tires and right-rear tires," Earnhardt Jr. said. "It felt like the damn wheels were coming off. We pitted and the wheel was fine, but the car was vibrating so bad I couldn't hardly see."

NEWS & STATS

Practice Recap: Kobalt Tools 500

Driver Performance: Kobalt Tools 500

Cup Preview: Kobalt Tools 500

Practice Recap: Shelby American

Qualifying Recap: Shelby American

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