If last week was any indication, Jimmie Johnson has a great shot at celebrating another victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday. When NASCAR arrives in Atlanta for the Pep Boys Auto 500, Johnson will be coming in with plenty of momentum. The California native just won the TUMS QuikPak 500 at Martinsville for his fourth victory since Aug. 31 and leads all drivers in the standings with 6,073 points. Greg Biffle is a distant second with 5,924.
Oh, and did I mention Johnson won the event last year and will be looking for his third Pep Boys Auto 500 victory since 2004?
LOOKING BACK
When NASCAR’s top drivers hit the track on Sunday, fans are sure to witness an exhilarating fight to the finish line. The Pep Boys Auto 500 will be the fourth-to-last race of the Sprint Cup Series (the final race will be the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16), and it will total 325 laps.
The race has had many different names over the past few decades—the Pep Boys Auto 500 is actually the 10th name the race has adapted since 1960—and has been 500 miles long since 1966. From 1987-2001, the race was the final event of the NASCAR season, and decided the overall champion on many occasions. Three more races follow the Pep Boys Auto 500, but a solid finish and point-total mean everything here as the season comes to a close – especially if Johnson comes out on top again.
This will also mark the final time the race takes place in late October. Beginning in 2009, the Pep Boys Auto 500 will move to Labor Day weekend.
Coverage begins at 1 p.m. on ABC and fans can also hear the action on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio.
FUN-FILLED WEEKEND
In addition to what promises to be an extraordinary race, the weekend will be packed with plenty of extra events and entertainment as well.
The fun starts on Friday when the gates open at noon, and the Atlanta 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Race’s final practice starts at 1:30 p.m. Fans will also get a brief preview of what to expect on Sunday when the first Pep Boys Auto 500 practice takes place at 3 p.m. For those looking for some more racing on Friday night, the Late Model 100—a 100-lap, quarter-mile race—kicks off at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday’s action starts even earlier, as the gates open at 9 a.m. The final Pep Boys Auto 500 practices take place at 10:30 a.m. and noon, and fans will then be treated to two races: the Atlanta 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Race (130 laps) at 1:30 p.m. and the Legends Races from 4-6 p.m. To top it off, 30 minutes after the Atlanta 200 concludes, an auction will be held in the Bruton Smith Park located next to the Speedway Children’s Charities Friends Wall. Items to be auctioned off will include a signed rear-quarter panel from Tony Stewart’s No. 20 Home Depot car, a signed bumper from Carl Edwards’s No. 99 Office Depot ride, and a signed Denny Hamlin helmet, as well as other racing gear from the NASCAR Sprint Cup series drivers.
And on Sunday, after the gates open at 9 a.m., the festivities kick off with the Speedway Children’s Charities Track Walk, the final one of the 2008 NASCAR season. Anyone interested in participating can pay $35 at the track and half of the money raised will benefit the NASCAR Foundation, while the remaining 50 percent will benefit the Atlanta Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. Old-school fans will enjoy a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Bill Elliot’s Winston Cup Championship, since he clinched the title at AMS. And just before the Pep Boys Auto 500 begins at 2 p.m., Michael Johns of “American Idol” fame will sing the National Anthem and perform a mini-concert.
PHOTO FINISH
Johnson is definitely the favorite going in but, as is the case in any race, anything is possible. Just ask second-place Biffle, who clearly proved he has not given up hope. After the close of the TUMS QuikPak 500, Biffle was asked if the rest of the Sprint Cup field was too far behind Johnson.
“I don’t think [it’s over],” he declared. “We can catch him.”
Though he is fourth in the standings, don’t count out Carl Edwards, the 2005 winner who is tied with Johnson for second-most wins this season with six. (Hopefully last week’s altercation with sixth-place Kevin Harvick will not be repeated, either.) Kyle Busch leads all drivers with eight wins, but after dominating earlier in the season, the brash 23-year-old has not won since Aug. 10.
If history means anything, there are plenty of stars who can come out on top including Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Of the three, only Earnhardt Jr. has not won a previous Pep Boys Auto 500, but his father won in 1995.
And if you’re looking for a wild card, look no further than Bobby Labonte. Yes, the 44-year-old is currently 20th in the standings, but he also won the event four times between 1996 and 2001.
Regardless of which driver comes out on top, however, there is no doubt that this race will be a thriller. With great entertainment, important charitable causes and incredible racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway, this is guaranteed to be a weekend you won’t want to miss.
Arapoglou can be reached at tarapoglou@scoreatl.com.
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