Throughout our track's history, some of the best drivers in the history of NASCAR have earned their way into Victory Lane here at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a strong testament to the skill and driving ability required to win at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Names like Allison, Petty, Earnhardt, Johnson (both Jimmie and Junior) and Gordon are but some of the drivers that have created fond memories by winning here at Atlanta. As the Chase for the Championship moves forward, the 12 drivers in NASCAR's 10-race playoff are not short on success at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Overall, seven of the 12 drivers in the Chase have an Atlanta win on their resume.

What's more is that of the four current Chase drivers that have won a Championship, each has an Atlanta victory with Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon being among them. For Johnson, Stewart and Gordon, an Atlanta victory came in the same year as at least one of their championships, so success at Atlanta Motor Speedway can, at times, be a precursor to a championship.

That's what Stewart is likely hoping for on the heels of his win in the Emory Healthcare 500 on Labor Day Weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

On Labor Day weekend each year, the best drivers race under the lights at AMS. This year's Chase field is just another reminder. 

On behalf of the entire staff of Atlanta Motor Speedway, we would like to thank you, the best fans in NASCAR, for a fantastic Labor Day weekend of night racing! It truly was the Biggest Labor Day Party in the USA! We had it all - great fans, great music and great racing! It was a pleasure to see so many fans here this weekend, from the ones who have been coming for many years to the first-timers choosing to spend their time with us! And just think - Labor Day 2011 will be he here before you know it, and it'll be time for another big Labor Day bash under the lights at AMS!

And don't forget - next year we will have three NASCAR night races in one weekend with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series!

Thanks again to you, the fans!

With the finish of each race, we are always anxious to hear from our fans. You are a tremendous asset to us in letting us know what we are doing well in addition to what we can do to improve your experience at future events at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With the Emory Healthcare 500 now in the books, one thing we have heard many rave reviews of is the National Anthem prior to Sunday's Emory Healthcare 500, performed by Ernie Haas and Signature Sound. Within minutes of the stirring rendition of the National Anthem, we began receiving messages praising the performance, and we are still hearing from fans expressing their approval.

In case you missed it, here's a link to a video of their performance. AMS President and General Manager Ed Clark has noted that in 18 years at the track, he has never received such a positive response from a National Anthem. 

"We at Atlanta Motor Speedway have received an incredible number of positive calls and e-mails complimenting the performances of Ernie Haase and Signature Sound during Sunday's Emory Healthcare 500 pre-race show," Clark said. "Both "I Pledge My Allegiance" and "The Star Spangled Banner" were spine
chilling renditions which touched every person in attendance as well as those watching on national television. In my 18 years here at Atlanta Motor Speedway never have we received this level of praise for the
performance of our national anthem before one of our events."

If you'd like more information on Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, you can get more info on their Web site at www.erniehaase.com.

We've seen no shortage of memorable moments here at Atlanta Motor Speedway through the years. And thanks to Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, we have another. It's just another reason why you cannot miss being at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Labor Day weekend!

If today feels a lot like Christmas for race fans, that's because it may as well be! Finally, it's time for Sprint Cup Series night racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the Emory Healthcare 500! That's right - 500 miles of night racing, an event you just cannot pass up! The atmosphere, fun at-track activities for all ages and finally – racing under the lights at NASCAR's fastest track! And you know what's even better – there are still ticket available for tonight's race! We've brought in extra help in the ticket office for one reason only – to meet the needs of all of our face to help you enjoy the magic that is night racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Concerts and other appearances at the Coca-Cola Fan Stage - including music by Colt Ford at 1 p.m. and Drivin' N Cryin at 3:45 p.m.. Great times with friends. A rockin' pre-race concert by Foreigner. Night Racing! It's the Biggest Labor Day Party in the USA – and you don't want to miss it!

There are a few givens at Atlanta Motor Speedway: It's going to be fast, it's going to have a lot of racing lines, and there's a good chance for a photo finish. But Jeff Burton said Saturday that Atlanta Motor Speedway also has a couple of factors that are always changing. "This race track has a bigger split personality from qualifying to racing of anywhere we go," Burton said. "Qualifying is so fast, crazy fast. And then you get 20 laps into the race and you're like 'my God, you cannot believe how slow it gets.' To me, that's what's fun about it. Because the track is so slick, small changes make a big difference in how the car drives."

Gordon Looks Back On 2001

It's not often you hear a driver say he's glad he didn't win a race, but Jeff Gordon did just that Saturday in the Atlanta Motor Speedway media center.

Gordon was asked to reflect on his photo-finish loss to Kevin Harvick in March 2001, just three weeks after Dale Earnhardt had died in a crash at the Daytona 500.

"At the time, I was really wanting to be the spoiler," Gordon said. "Looking back, it was a special moment for our sport. It was just meant to be. Now I'm kind of glad I didn't win that race that day."

That race and its thrilling photo finish was recently recognized as one of the most memorable moments in Atlanta Motor Speedway's 50 years of racing.

An overwhelming serving of racing awaits fans purchasing tickets to Saturday's Great Clips 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race not only features multiple attention-grabbing storylines, but also a day filled with NASCAR track activity for one affordable price that will be capped off by that night's Nationwide Series race. Tickets for the Great Clips 300, available for as low as $30, not only allow fans to see the Great Clips 300, but also two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice sessions, Nationwide Series qualifying and Sprint Cup qualifying. Also, all kids 12 and under are admitted free if accompanied by an adult general admission ticket.

Fans with tickets to the Great Clips 300 can also see some of the best drivers in all of NASCAR battle it out under the lights for a low price! A total of 14 full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers are entered the Great Clips 300 – including last September's Sprint Cup winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne. In addition to Nationwide Series points leaders Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth will also be among the drivers racing. Kenseth is no stranger to success on Atlanta's fast, high banks. In 10 Nationwide Series starts at Atlanta, Kenseth has two wins, seven top-fives, eight top-10s and one pole award.

And speaking of Edwards and Keselowski, the Great Clips 300 will mark both drivers' first race at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the late-race incident in March's Kobalt Tools 500 when Edwards made contact with Keselowski, whose car went airborne.

There will be no shortage of excitement Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. And for just $30, you can be here to see it!

After months of waiting, the time has finally arrived! You've planned for this. You've made your list of what to bring and mapped out your weekend of racing under the lights at NASCAR's fastest track. Well, you have to wait no longer - Labor Day Night Racing is back at Atlanta Motor Speedway. There's just something special about a race track as a race weekend begins - the air is filled with the smoke of grills and cookers in the early morning, and fans are already enjoying being here at the track!  We've dubbed this weekend the Biggest Labor Day Party in the USA, and we'll be starting it out with a bang tonight with the Friday Fan Fest Presented by Your Georgia Best Chevy Dealers!

We'll have Q&As with Jeff Burton, David Ragan and Clint Bowyer, a concert by Drivin' N Cryin and a 150-lap late model race on the 1/4-mile track on our frontstretch! 

Admission is free if you have a Saturday or Sunday NASCAR ticket. Otherwise, it's just $10!

Looking to know what's going on this weekend? Be sure to check out this link for a schedule of track activity, known driver appearances, the Coca-Cola Fan Stage schedule and a listing of who is set up in the vendor display lot!

And of course, we have tickets available for you to be part of this unforgettable weekend of night racing! Just call our ticket office at 877-9-AMS-TIX or go to www.atlantamotorspeedway.com!

After nearly of year of waiting, the time has finally arrived! It's race week at Atlanta Motor Speedway! And not just any race week – it's time for NASCAR Night Racing's return to Atlanta Motor Speedway on Labor Day weekend! On behalf of our entire staff, it is my honor to welcome each and every one of you to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Largest Labor Day Celebration the USA! Whether you're young or old, come from just a few miles from the Speedway or from as far away as Australia, we're very excited that you have chosen to  or are at the moment making plans to join us for a weekend of night racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway!

As a staff, this weekend is what we work all year for – to put together a first-class event for each of our fans. One of the truly exciting things about being at the track as a race weekend gets closer is seeing how, in a matter of days, our facility, slowly and piece by piece, is transformed into one of the largest cities in the state of Georgia, filled with excited fans, competitors, and many others! We are committed to providing a first-class experience for you, whether it's your first of 50th time at Atlanta Motor Speedway!

We'll start our on-track action Friday night with the Friday Fan Fest Presented by Your Georgia Best Chevy Dealers. It'll include Q&As with Jeff Burton, David Ragan and Clint Bowyer, a concert by Drivin' N Cryin' and the Georgia Best Chevy Dealers 150 late model race on our ¼-mile frontstretch 'Thunder Ring." Best of all, admission is free if you have a Saturday or Sunday NASCAR admission ticket!

On Saturday, we'll get things going early with NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series practice with qualifying in both series to follow. That'll set the table for that night's NASCAR Nationwide Series race, the Great Clips 300!

Then, on Sunday, it'll be the Sprint Cup Series drivers' turn! After a few days of tailgating, friends and fun at the racetrack, it'll be time for the Emory Healthcare 500! But before the racing starts, we've got a very exciting pre-race show for our fans! One of the most legendary rock n roll groups of all time, Foreigner, will take the Pre-Race Party stage for a concert, and the introduction of the field for the Emory Healthcare 500 will follow right after that! Then, it'll be time for 500 miles of Sprint Cup night racing!

On Monday, the race weekend isn't over. We're hosting a Breakfast on Bruton, a free breakfast for fans with Emory Healthcare 500 tickets in the Nationwide Series garage. It's our way of saying thanks to our fans for their support for the past 50 years!

There's just something about night racing that sets it apart from any other type of racing in NASCAR. To start with, the temperatures are cooler at night. The cars just look different. Maybe it's the way that they look as the light reflects off of them. Perhaps it's how you can see sparks very easily as cars make contact with either one another, the wall or the asphalt. Night racing gives many of us a flashback to racing on the local short tracks that many of us grew up attending. It's almost as if it's the way that racing was meant to be!

We're very excited to have each of our fans with us for not only a weekend of night racing, but here with us as we celebrate our 50th anniversary. As a facility, we have seen some of the most historical moments in NASCAR at Atlanta Motor Speedway. We not only have some of the best racing, but we also have the best fans in all of NASCAR. It's you, the fans who have made Atlanta Motor Speedway a success, and we appreciate you for it.

Travel safely to Atlanta, and get ready for lots of great racing as you are part of the "Greatest Labor Day Party in the USA."

We look forward to seeing each and every one of you at the track this weekend!

Sincerely,

Ed Clark
President and General Manager, Atlanta Motor Speedway

We already know that the racing will be great this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend with three nights of racing, capped off by the Emory Healthcare 500. We already know that the atmosphere will be great this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway with all the fun, tailgating and activities at the Coca-Cola Fan Stage that'll include concerts by Drivin' N Cryin' and Colt Ford. And now, it appears that the weather this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be nothing short of fantastic. One look at this weekend's weather forecast indicates that the weather will be nothing short of great, with partly cloudy or sunny skies and little chance of rain.

According to weather.com, Friday's high will be 95 with a low of 68. Saturday's high is forecast to be 85 with a low of 62 with Sunday's high expected to be 85 with a low temperature of 62 degrees. And best of all, there is currently a zero percent chance of rain all three days!

Brian Neudorff, a meteorologist in Rochester, NY who is also known as an unofficial "NASCAR Weatherman," offers this analysis of this week's weather patterns at Atlanta Motor Speedway on his NASCAR weather blog.

"With the exception of a weak cool front that crosses Georgia Friday night into Saturday there doesn’t seem to be much to talk about. That front will be dry, there may be a few more clouds during the day Friday and behind the front, cooler less humid air will arrive for the weekend."

It's shaping up to be a great weekend here at Atlanta Motor Speedway, even as far as Mother Nature is concerned! So come on out and join us for the Largest Labor Day Party in the USA!