News

At most speedways, $99 won¿t even get you inside the gate on race day. At Atlanta Motor Speedway, it not only includes a ticket to the big show ¿ the March 14 Golden Corral 500 ¿ it also includes a one-night stay at a nearby hotel (based on double occupancy). For a limited time only, Vroomz.com is offering this phenomenal one-stop shopping holiday package for race fans. It will include one Weaver Grandstand (backstretch) ticket to the March 14 Golden Corral 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as well as a one-night stay at a nearby hotel. Fans can also add other premium items to the package for an additional fee, including shuttle passes, pre-race pit passes and tickets to the popular Speed Zone fan hospitality tent, this time featuring Team Lowe¿s Racing driver Jimmie Johnson.

It¿s getting closer to the holidays, and many are starting to stress about what to get their loved ones. Atlanta Motor Speedway has taken the stress out of holiday shopping this year by reworking a favorite holiday carol to include gifts that any race fan would be happy to receive. All of the gifts mentioned in our 12 Days of Atlanta Motor Speedway¿s Christmas are available from the AMS ticket office and gift store (except the Cokes, which are available at stores nationwide). For more information about any of the gifts mentioned, call (770) 946-4211 or visit us online at www.atlantamotorspeedway.com. 12 Days of Atlanta Motor Speedway's Christmas On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me A Dale Jr. ornament for the tree...

The Atlanta chapter of the Speedway Children¿s Charities Foundation will deliver holiday cheer and goodwill to 16 area charities when it presents more than $136,000 in donations at the Tuesday, Dec. 2 annual holiday celebration. Representatives from each charity, including many of the children who benefit directly from the Speedway Children¿s Charities¿ year-round fundraising efforts, will attend Tuesday¿s events, which began at 6 p.m. The program will be held in the Atlanta Motor Speedway ballroom and will feature a performance by the Mt. Carmel Elementary School Choir, as well as a very special visit from Santa Claus. Speedway Children¿s Charities works year-round to raise money for local children¿s organizations through special charity auctions, raffles, receptions and donations from race fans. The culmination of their efforts is the actual check presentations to each organization, which occurs during this annual holiday celebration.

Atlanta native Mike Garvey made laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Wednesday, becoming the first American Speed Association (ASA) racer to drive on the 1.54-mile high banked oval since it was reconfigured in 1997.

Testing at least 10 tire combinations for BF Goodrich in preparation for the fall 2004 ASA race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Garvey ran a top speed of 170.218 mph (32.57 seconds).

ASA President and CEO Steve Dale, also a Georgia native, was expecting the fiberglass-bodied ASA stock cars to turn fast laps before Garvey ever took to the track.

¿We aren¿t going to be Winston Cup fast, but what will amaze everybody is that we have 350 less horsepower and our speeds are still very close,¿ Dale said. NASCAR Winston Cup drivers generally test in the 30-second range, while the qualifying record is 28.074 seconds.

Dale said the team spent most of Wednesday looking for the right tire compound and would spend Thursday working on speed and stability.

When the American Speed Association (ASA) returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway in the fall of 2004, none of the series¿ regular drivers will have ever raced on the 1.54-mile oval. One local ASA driver, however, will get a sneak peak at the track this Wednesday and Thursday. BF Goodrich will sponsor a two-day tire test this week with Atlanta native Mike Garvey, who will be the first current competitor to run an ASA car at Atlanta Motor Speedway. ASA last raced in Atlanta almost two decades ago, before many of the series¿ young drivers were born.

Already a veteran of Atlanta Motor Speedway at the ripe old age of 18, Shelby Howard toured the high-banked speedway in a different vehicle Tuesday: a Toyota Tundra. Howard, the development driver for Toyota and Bill Davis Racing, is helping the team gather information for its truck program next year, which will race for the first time at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck race on Saturday, March 13. Howard hopes to be the driver in those events, but so far no official announcement has been made. Either way, Howard is trying to learn as much as he can for Toyota and BDR, and also trying to acclimate himself to a completely new vehicle. ¿It¿s a lot different than what I drove here in the past,¿ Howard said. ¿It has a lot more drag overall and a smaller motor, so we shouldn¿t have to lift ¿ but so far we are.¿ The team wasn¿t looking for speed during Tuesday¿s test, when Howard had a fast lap at 32.23 seconds (172.014 mph). Also testing was Matt Crafton, who turned the fast lap of the day in 31.44 seconds (176.336 mph).

NASCAR Busch Series Driver Ron Young will be Matt Stewart¿s guest on CSS Sports Unlimited tonight at 6:00 p.m. ET. Sports Unlimited is a live, one-hour interview/viewer call-in show every weeknight at 6 pm (ET) on CSS (Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast). NASCAR fans can call-in and talk to Ron at 1-866-200-6730, or they can email their questions to Stews_News@cable.comcast.com. CSS is available to four million Comcast and Charter Cable Subscribers in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Virginia and West Virginia.

Race weekend for $199.

It sounds too good to be true. But thanks to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Vroomz.com, that¿s the average price that hundreds of very happy fans paid for three days of race tickets and two nights¿ accommodations to last month¿s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500.

The campaign was such an overwhelming success that Vroomz.com plans to expand it for the March 12-14 Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta, allowing even more race fans to save a tremendous amount of money, time and hassle by providing one-stop shopping for race weekend packages.

For the spring race, fans may once again purchase the complete weekend package, which will include tickets to the March 12 Georgia Power Qualifying Day, March 13 NASCAR Craftsman Truck race and March 14 Golden Corral 500, as well as two nights at a nearby hotel, with prices at around $199 per person. But there will also be many more options, including a one-night hotel/race package beginning at just $99 per person.

While most young race fans will be watching the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 on TV this weekend, Hunter Moates from Daviston, Alabama and Zachary "Z-man" Morgan from Lebanon, Missouri will be doing something every NASCAR fan would love to have the opportunity to do. Hunter has been named one of the Grand Marshals this Sunday at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Grandpa Jim Ryan and Grandma Angie Ryan, both members of the RedHead Pro Hunting Team, say Hunter is taking this all in stride. What else can you expect though from a 6-year old who has already called in many a wild turkey and even an elk for his "granny." Z-man is a 10-year old who loves to fish and is a devout NASCAR fan with a smile as big as his heart. He will take part in the official start of Sunday's race. NASCAR drivers who competed in the first Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 in Atlanta back in March still remember the outgoing youngster on crutches making his way through the pit area greeting every driver he saw. Zachary suffers from cerebral palsy but that doesn't stop him from doing just about anything he wants to do. "Kids like Hunter and Zach are the future to continuing our outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing," said Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris. "They are the ones who will continue our conservation efforts and protect our fish and wildlife for generations to come."

Bobby Labonte was 18 years old when he first raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was a Daytona Dash race ¿ now called Goody¿s Dash Series ¿ on the 1.5-mile oval that was then called Atlanta International Raceway. Everything about the track in those days was different ¿ the name, the track layout, the start/finish line, the grandstands, the garages, the press box, Victory Lane. About the only thing that hasn¿t changed in the 21 years since is Labonte¿s love for Atlanta. "I hadn¿t run anything over a half-mile track before and had probably only run five races in my life, and we came down here that day and ran third," Labonte said. "That was an exciting day, to come here and run third my first time here." Things have just gotten better for Labonte through the years. He now leads all active drivers in wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway with six (Georgia native Bill Elliott has five, plus one non-points race win). He¿ll be looking for No. 7 when the NASCAR Winston Cup drivers return to Atlanta this weekend for the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500.

Can I bring a cooler? Yes, coolers are allowed. They may be made of any material, as long as they are 14x14x14 or smaller. Please, no glass is allowed. As always, please allow extra time if you are carrying in a cooler, as all bags are subject to search. Can I bring alcoholic beverages into the speedway? Unless you are seated in a grandstand section that is designated as a family no-alcohol section, you are welcome to bring alcoholic beverages. No glass containers are allowed. Is there parking at the speedway? Yes, there is plenty of FREE PARKING at Atlanta Motor Speedway. We have 870 acres, and there is plenty of room for everyone who wants to park on our grounds to do so. Be aware that if you are being charged to park, you are not on speedway property. We do not encourage parking off of speedway grounds, because we cannot assure that you will be exited from the speedway in a timely manner. Is there handicapped parking? Yes, there are a limited number of handicapped parking spaces available. We suggest that you arrive early to secure a handicapped parking space. There are three areas where handicapped parking is available: Gate 10 (for access to Weaver Grandstand on the backstretch), between Gates 1-2 (for access to East Turn and Petty Grandstands) and the paved parking lots near Gates 12 and 13 (for Champions and Earnhardt Grandstands). Simply show your state-issued handicapped parking hangtag or license plate to park in these areas.

Just a few days remain to purchase tickets to the Speed Zone Fan Hospitality tent on the morning of the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500, which will feature appearances by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Sterling Marlin. Tickets will be available through Saturday, Oct. 25, and a limited number of seats remain. Interested fans should call the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211. The schedule for the morning¿s activities will be as follows: · 8:30 a.m. ¿ Sterling Marlin · 9 a.m. ¿ Dale Earnhardt Jr. · 9:30 a.m.¿Kurt Busch There are still two different packages available for the race morning Speed Zone fan hospitality tent, including: Speed Zone ¿ $89 · See Earnhardt Jr., Busch and Marlin in person on race morning, as they answer your questions and talk about the day¿s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 · Enjoy a continental breakfast, lunch buffet and free non-alcoholic beverages · Take advantage of a cash bar · Take home a free souvenir program Speed Zone PLUS ¿ $199 · See Earnhardt Jr., Busch and Marlin in person on race morning, as they answer your questions and talk about the day¿s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 · Enjoy a continental breakfast, lunch buffet and free non-alcoholic beverages · Take advantage of a cash bar · Take home a free souvenir program · PLUS receive a free pre-race pit pass (value $125)

Overview of Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 traffic plan The concept will remain unchanged from the spring race: if you come in from the north, you¿ll leave from the north. If you come in from the south, you¿ll leave from the south. Below are the specific guidelines that will be followed: ENTERING THE SPEEDWAY: · If you come in from the North (traveling South on Hwy 19/41 thru Jonesboro, traveling West from McDonough Road or traveling West from Hwy 81) you will be directed to parking lots on the North side of the property. · If you come to the facility from the South (traveling North on Hwy 19/41 from Griffin or traveling West on Hwy 20 or Hampton-Locust Grove Road) you will be directed to parking lots on the South side of the property. EXITING THE SPEEDWAY: Fans will leave the same way they came in. If they entered from the North, they will be directed Northbound on Hwy 19/41. From there, fans can proceed on Hwy 19/41 through Jonesboro to I-75, or they can turn east onto Hwy 81 or McDonough Road. Fans who enter from the South or West you will be directed out on the same roads. Again this race, fans exiting on Petty Blvd. (south access road for the speedway) will not be allowed to turn left at the intersection and go North on Hwy 19/41. They must proceed east on Hwy 20 or go south on Hwy 19/41 toward Griffin.

Sometimes being a couch potato does pay off. Just a couple of years ago, T.J. Majors spent his days in his parent¿s New York home playing online video games. His favorite was a racing simulation game, one he quickly mastered. His only competition came from another video game fan in North Carolina. Majors and his online rival became fast friends, exchanging e-mails and engaging in hard-fought online racing battles. It wasn¿t long before Majors learned the identity of his new friend. Imagine his surprise when he found out it was NASCAR Winston Cup superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. "If you ask me, I beat Dale Jr. 80 percent of the time, but Dale would say it was around 50-50," Majors said. "I was pretty good at changing setups and making adjustments to the car, so I would try to help Dale on those things. Those simulated games are so realistic now and it really carries over to the track. Things just progressed from there with Dale and I." Now Majors is putting what he learned online to use on the track. He is leading the rookie of the year standings in the NASCAR Goody¿s Dash Series and will try to cement that award during his first trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend in the Oct. 24 Brawny 150 Presented by Pork The Other White Meat. The Goody¿s Dash cars will put on a 150-lap shootout on the tight quarter-mile frontstretch track at Atlanta.

Want to hear the rumble of engines? Watch the crew work feverishly on a car as race day approaches? Maybe even catch a glimpse of your favorite driver? Then you'll want to take a look at the lap sponsorship package for the Oct. 24-26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 weekend. Lap sponsors will have a lap to call their own in the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. They will also receive two coveted passes into the pre-race pit area, the heart of the action during any race weekend. The pits are open Friday through Sunday, giving race fans a true behind-the-scenes look at the entire weekend. Not only that, lap sponsor will also receive a pair of tickets to the Friday, Oct. 24 Georgia-Pacific Qualifying Night and Brawny 150 presented by Pork The Other White Meat, as well as tickets to the Saturday, Oct. 25 Aaron's 312 Busch Series race.

When Ron Young locks the door of his Conyers, Ga., garage and heads home after a 12-hour day, he isn¿t thinking about watching television or relaxing on the couch. He¿s thinking about race set-ups and shock packages. Young, a driver-owner in the NASCAR Busch Series, prepares his own car each week and travels to the racetrack from his home in Conyers, sometimes pulling his car to the track himself. ¿I¿ve been working to get to this point all of my life,¿ Young said. ¿¿I¿ve been working on race cars since I was 10, and never wanted to do anything else. We¿ve had to work harder than anyone out there just to get to where we are today.¿ As one of the only Busch Series drivers based in Georgia, Young often travels more than four times the 300-mile race distance just to get to the track. He¿ll be in luck on Oct. 25, though, when the Busch Series hits Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Aaron¿s 312. ¿One thing¿s for sure about Atlanta,¿ Young said. ¿No matter the outcome of the race, I won¿t have nearly as long a drive home as usual.¿

NASCAR Winston Cup driver Buckshot Jones will be Matt Stewart's guest on CSS Sports Unlimited, Thursday, October 16th at 6:00 p.m. ET. Sports Unlimited is a live, one-hour interview/viewer call-in show every weeknight at 6 pm (ET) on CSS (Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast). Jones, a Georgia native, will be attempting to make next weekend's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Car owned by Michael Waltrip. He tested at Atlanta two weeks ago in preparation. NASCAR fans can call-in and talk to Buckshot at 1-866-200-6730 or they can email their questions to Stews_News@cable.comcast.com.

Mercury Records recording artist Mark Wills will sing the national anthem prior to the start of the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Winston Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. ¿It¿s always an honor to get the sing the national anthem because it¿s our country¿s song,¿ Wills said. ¿But singing it at Atlanta Motor Speedway is especially an honor because I get to sing in my own backyard and in front of more than 100,000 people with as much interest in racing that I have.¿ Wills will be reprising his role as anthem singer; he also performed ¿The Star Spangled Banner¿ prior to the 1999 fall race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Wills¿ most recent chart-topper, ¿19 Something¿ topped the singles charts for seven weeks and set a record for most plays for one song during a single week.

Eight NASCAR drivers made laps Monday on the high-banked 1.54-mile oval at Atlanta Motor Speedway, preparing for the Oct. 24- 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Weekend. Part-time Winston Cup racer Bobby Hamilton Jr. knew his No. 35 Winston Cup machine was going to be good when he posted the fastest lap of the day just three laps into the test session. Hamilton, who is also a full-time Busch Series driver, circled the speedway in 29.56 seconds (187.551 mph). "We were fast out of the box, even in a race setup mostly leftover from Kansas,¿ Hamilton said. ¿It¿s given us a chance to just have a fun, relaxing day and tinker around and just try some things we¿ve been thinking about.¿ Hamilton will be running both the Oct. 25 Aaron¿s 312 Busch race and the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500, a natural since Atlanta is one of his favorite tracks. ¿This is a real race track,¿ Hamilton said. ¿You can race here no matter what your car is doing. You can go high and you can go low. There¿s racing grooves from the inside wall to the catchfence.¿

NASCAR Busch Series Driver Ashton Lewis Jr. will be featured on tonight's Sports Unlimited show on Comcast Sports Southeast with host Matt Stewart. Lewis, 31, drives the No. 46 Civil Air Patrol Chevrolet in the Busch Series. He's currently 13th in points and has finished in the top 10 in two of the last three races. Lewis will be at Atlanta Motor Speedway in two weeks competing in the Oct. 25 Aaron's 312 Busch race, which features the drama of 12 extra miles. Sports Unlimited is a one-hour show beginning at 6 p.m. in which Stewart goes one-on-one with celebrity guests in this interview and viewer call-in show airing live each weekday.

Looking for the most affordable way to see three days of racing action? Then you've come to the right place, because Atlanta Motor Speedway is offering a new specially priced ticket package for the Oct. 24-26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 weekend, the three-day thriller package, for just $69. The three-day thriller ticket will allow race fans to attend the Oct. 24 Georgia-Pacific Qualifying Night and the Brawny 150 Presented by Pork The Other White Meat Goody¿s Dash shootout, the Oct. 25 Aaron¿s 312 Busch race and the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Winston Cup race for the extremely low price of $69.

Most of the time when teams test at Atlanta Motor Speedway, they are looking for tenths of a second. When Busch Series regular Scott Wimmer tested a Winston Cup car for Bill Davis Racing on Monday, he was looking for far more than a little bit of speed. Wimmer was trying to decide if his entry into the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Winston Cup event would be a Dodge or a Chevrolet. ¿We don¿t really have a loyalty to either make, so we can take the liberty of seeing if our Chevy or our Dodge is better at Atlanta and running whichever one is faster,¿ Wimmer said. But Wimmer wasn¿t the only NASCAR regular on-track Monday. Two Craftsman Truck Series drivers ¿ Rick Crawford and Carl Edwards ¿ also took to the track, testing primarily for the inaugural 200-mile truck series event just added to Atlanta¿s 2003 schedule. Crawford spent time in both his 2003 No. 14 Circle Bar Motel/RV Park Ford and the new 2004 F150 model. Edwards, a rookie at Roush Racing, tested both his own No. 99 Superchips Ford and the No. 50 Graham For President Ford of his teammate, Jon Wood. As expected, Wimmer set the fastest laps of the test, piloting the No. 27 Chevrolet around the 1.54-mile track in 30.1 seconds (184.186 mph). Crawford led the trucks with a 31.35-second lap (176.846 mph) in his 2003 Ford; he also wheeled the new 2004 Ford around the track in 31.64 seconds (175.221 mph). Edwards was third fastest on the day with a lap at 176.056 mph.

Finding affordable hotel accommodations can be a daunting task for fans attending NASCAR Winston Cup races. But Atlanta Motor Speedway has teamed up with Vroomz.com to simplify the process, offering a one-stop source for affordable hotel rooms for events at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With prices starting at just $60 per night for the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500, Vroomz.com has secured hundreds of rooms for race fans at Atlanta hotels. Vroomz.com has also worked closely with hotel personnel on minimum stay requirements, reducing them in most cases and eliminating them in others. Fans may view photos of the hotels, as well as maps detailing distances from the track, at Vroomz.com. Rooms may be booked either online or through the call center at (877) FAN-ROOM

Michael Waltrip won his second race of the season Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, but the celebration had to wait ¿ he had a helicopter to catch. Less than 12 hours after leaving Talladega, Waltrip was at Atlanta Motor Speedway, testing his No. 15 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet in preparation for the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Also testing Monday was Georgia native Buckshot Jones, who will drive the No. 99 Aaron¿s car for Waltrip in the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Waltrip¿s fastest lap was 29.86 seconds (185.666 mph), which only eclipsed Jones¿ quick lap (185.109 mph) by 0.09 seconds. Busch Series racer David Green, who is fourth in points, also tested. His fastest lap was 180.293 mph (30.75 seconds). ¿You work so hard to do your best to win each week,¿ Waltrip said. ¿That¿s your goal every time you go to the track. When you win, you did your job and when you don¿t, you know you have to work harder the next time. Especially at a track like Talladega, you¿re really more relieved than excited when you win. You have a little party and then you get back to work.¿

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Sterling Marlin will all be at Atlanta Motor Speedway¿s Speed Zone Fan Hospitality tent on the morning of the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. For as little as $89 per person, you could be too. Due to popular demand, there are now two packages currently available for the race morning Speed Zone fan hospitality tent, but space is limited and seats are going quickly. The packages available are: Speed Zone -- $89 · See Earnhardt Jr., Busch and Marlin in person on race morning, as they answer your questions and talk about the day¿s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 · Enjoy a continental breakfast, lunch buffet and free non-alcoholic beverages · Take advantage of a cash bar · Take home a free souvenir program

Busch drivers Scott Wimmer, Coy Gibbs, Hank Parker Jr., Georgia native Joey Clanton and points leader David Green were all at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Monday for media day to promote the Oct. 25 Aaron's 312. Wimmer, Gibbs and Clanton took the media on ride-alongs in the specially prepared Busch Series 2-seater race car, exposing journalists from the area to a 160-mph ride. Green is hopeful that when he returns to Atlanta next month, it will be to help clinch his first Busch Series title. But he's got young guns Brian Vickers and Scott Riggs right on his tail, and veterans Ron Hornaday and Jason Keller aren't far behind. Green currently leads by just 48 points, with 111 points separating the top 5 drivers. Gibbs came to town a day early, catching part of the Washington Redskins-Atlanta Falcons game on Sunday at the Georgia Dome. The son of former Redskins coach and current Falcons minority owner Joe Gibbs, Coy was asked who he was rooting for. He politely evaded the question, claiming to be a fan of both teams. Gibbs is currently leading the chase for the rookie title this year, barely holding off Stockbridge's Joey Clanton.

After concentrating on finding some speed Monday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR Busch driver Scott Riggs and his PPC racing team spent Tuesday trying out different race setups on the No. 10 Nesquik Ford. Riggs, currently third in the NASCAR Busch Series points standings, was a tick slower Tuesday, recording a fast lap of 184.677 mph (30.02 seconds), concluding a two-day test in preparation for the Oct. 25 Aaron¿s 312 Busch Series race. ¿We¿re just trying to see what things will affect the car and to what degree it will affect the car,¿ Riggs said. ¿We¿re learning which adjustments to make when the car does different things on the track. Not real exciting, but it should be very helpful when we return next month.¿

Atlanta Motor Speedway officials announced today the addition of Steve Leonard as an Account Executive in the sales department. ¿Steve has a proven track record of new business development and marketing expertise,¿ said Atlanta Motor Speedway Director of Sales Greg Walter. ¿He will bring great energy to our staff.¿ Before joining Atlanta Motor Speedway, Leonard worked for two years as an account executive at Cumulus Broadcasting in Savannah, Ga. While there, he was awarded certification as both a Radio Marketing Associate and Master. He also managed more than 30 local and national accounts for the company.

Right now, Scott Riggs is atop the NASCAR Busch Series point standings -- but he¿s got four drivers breathing down his neck. With nine races remaining, Riggs is going to have be near-perfect to hold off his competitors. That¿s why Riggs¿ test Monday and Tuesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway is of such importance. The Oct. 25 Aaron¿s 312 will be one of the final races of the season, and every driver will be scrapping for every available point in the race for the title. Riggs wants to make sure he has a leg up and will spend the first two days of next week prepping for the race. "If there were only two going after the championship, you might be tempted to pay more attention to what the other guy is doing," Riggs said. "Since we don¿t have that luxury, we¿re more focused on what we need to be doing. It¿s up to us to get the job done and stay on top."

In the last 40 years, very little about Atlanta Motor Speedway has stayed the same. The name has changed, the track configuration has changed and the ownership has changed at least four times. One thing that has remained constant is the presence of ticket manager Frances Goss. But after 38 years, at the close of business on Friday, Aug. 28, 2003, that too changed. Frances Goss is retiring. "I¿ve spent the last 38 years having fun, and by retiring I get a chance to expand my horizons for having fun," Goss said. "I¿m sad to be leaving everyone here, but the plan now is to have a little more time to enjoy life and my family." Goss began at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1965, just five years after the structure was built, when it was a 1.5-mile track known as Atlanta International Raceway. She was a perky young 26-year-old then, starting the second job she¿d ever had, one she found through the unemployment office. To put it in perspective, when Goss started at Atlanta, Lyndon B. Johnson was president. A new house cost $40,000. A gallon of gas cost 24 cents. A loaf of bread cost 21 cents. A postage stamp was 5 cents.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver Rick Crawford and the folks at Ford Racing planned to use all of Thursday to learn the ins and outs of the new 2004 Ford F-150. Instead, they lost an engine only 2 hours into the test and had to pack up and head home. ¿We didn¿t get nearly as much on-track time as we¿d hoped for on our maiden voyage, but I think we still learned a lot,¿ Crawford said. ¿This truck has a lot of promise and potential. We were creeping up on it; every run was faster and faster. This truck has surely not reached its peak.¿ Still, in the 25 or so laps Crawford was able to run, he managed a top speed of around 170 mph. ¿Today was just about getting ready for 2004, trying to get a leg up,¿ said Robert Brooks, NASCAR truck program manager for Ford Racing. ¿We¿ll give all of the information we gathered today and give it to the whole Ford family for next year. It wasn¿t as much as we¿d hoped for, but it¿s still a great start.¿

Bobby Hamilton has raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway plenty of times in the past, and he knows how much fun it can be. But that doesn¿t mean he¿s ready to have a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race there - unlike most of his competitors. ¿I hear all these guys moaning all the time about how they¿d like to race here, and how it¿s so fast and great for racing,¿ Hamilton said. ¿And don¿t get me wrong, it is all those things. But I don¿t want to lose our testing time here. We always like to leave an Atlanta test in our hip pocket for later in the season, when we need some time on a track like the other big ones coming up on our schedule - Texas, Las Vegas, California. I¿m not ready to give that up yet.¿ That¿s why Hamilton and the others were at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Tuesday, taking advantage of a test booked by Dodge Racing for its Craftsman Truck teams. Hamilton, his Atlanta-area driver Bill Lester, his other driver Chad Chaffin and Ultra Motorsports driver Ted Musgrave also tested Tuesday, looking for ways to improve their aero package for upcoming races. The day¿s top speed went to Hamilton, who sped around the high-banked 1.54-mile oval is 31.63 seconds (175.277 mph).

Just because Atlanta Motor Speedway isn¿t on their 2003 schedule doesn¿t mean teams from NASCAR¿s Craftsman Truck Series aren¿t interested in testing out its 24-degree banking. That¿s just what they¿ll be doing this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, as eight NASCAR truck teams visit Atlanta. Bobby Hamilton Racing, Orleans Racing, Ultra Motorsports and Ware Racing Enterprises will all hit the track Tuesday and Wednesday during a Dodge test. The session will be open to the media but closed to the public. On Thursday, driver Rick Crawford will help Ford Racing test the 2004 model. The session is closed to both the media and the public. Of the eight Craftsman Truck Series drivers who will be on-track at Atlanta Motor Speedway this week, three are in the top 5 in points, and more than half of the top 15 will be making laps. Drivers expected to attend the Dodge test Tuesday and Wednesday are are Bobby Hamilton, Chad Chaffin, Bill Lester, Brendan Gaughan, Jerry Hill, Jason Leffler and Ted Musgrave.

Atlanta Motor Speedway officials announced today that Bass Pro Shops, the nation¿s leading outdoor retailer, and MBNA America, the world¿s largest independent credit card lender, will co-sponsor the track¿s fall NASCAR Winston Cup race for the next four years. The race, which will be held this year on the Oct. 24-26 weekend, will be known as the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Bass Pro Shops and MBNA also sponsored the spring Winston Cup race this season, providing some of the most memorable moments of the racing season, including a unique largemouth bass winner¿s trophy. ¿NASCAR racing excitement in Atlanta provides us a wonderful opportunity to co-promote with Bass Pro Shops, one of MBNA¿s outstanding retail-oriented customers,¿ said Michael Rhodes, Executive Vice Chairman of MBNA. MBNA America Bank, N.A., is the issuer of the official NASCAR credit card and is celebrating its 10th year of partnership with NASCAR. The two will team together to make the fastest weekend of racing in the country¿s fastest growing sport even more exciting. Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pro Shops currently operates stores in 20 cities nationwide, including Atlanta.

Ford Racing completed the on-track portion of the submission test for the 2004 Ford Taurus Wednesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It took only about 10 minutes for driver Dale Jarrett to post a series of laps at the minimum speeds required by NASCAR for submission. The car will now be taken to the Lockheed wind tunnel in Marietta, Ga., to complete the submission test. ¿It went according to plan,¿ said Greg Specht, operations manager for Ford Racing. ¿DJ said the car felt stable and was able to quickly turn the lap times required.¿ Although NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd was originally expected to test the Ford Racing car, he was unavailable due to prior commitments, and Jarrett stepped in to perform the test for Ford. "I can see to where the car has potential when you get it in total race trim,¿ Jarrett said. ¿Something that most of the Fords fight is a little more front downforce, and it seems like this car may have that without creating a lot of drag. And I think that¿s something that we were interested in: Could we make something that was good for us still on the straightaways, but get us through the corners a little bit, too?¿ More testing will be on tap for Atlanta Motor Speedway in the coming months, as drivers prepare for the Oct. 24-26 Georgia 500 weekend.

Atlanta Motor Speedway officials announced a new specially priced ticket package for the Oct. 24-26 Georgia 500 weekend, offering for the first time the three-day thriller ticket for just $69. The three-day thriller ticket will allow race fans to attend the Oct. 24 Georgia-Pacific Qualifying Night and the Georgia-Pacific 150 Goody¿s Dash shootout, the Oct. 25 Aaron¿s 312 Busch race and the Oct. 26 Georgia 500 Winston Cup race for the extremely low price of $69. This limited $69 three-day thriller ticket offer will include: · One reserved Weaver grandstand ticket (rows 14-24) for the Oct. 26 Georgia 500, when fans can watch defending champion Kurt Busch battle Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and the rest of the field in a race that will be smack in the middle of the NASCAR Winston Cup title chase. · One unreserved East Turn grandstand ticket for Saturday¿s Aaron¿s 312, one of the longest races of the year for the Busch Series drivers. The best up-and-coming drivers in the country like Jason Keller and Scott Riggs will be scrapping for every point, as they too will be in the final weeks of the championship battle. · One unreserved Champions grandstand (front stretch) ticket for Friday¿s Georgia-Pacific Qualifying Night and Georgia-Pacific 150 Goody¿s Dash race. The three-day thriller ticket will be available while supplies last and can only be purchased by calling the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211.

At the beginning of the 2003 Thursday Thunder racing season, Trey Maughan of Fayetteville felt like he just couldn¿t catch the breaks he needed to score his breakthrough win. Things have changed considerably for Maughan since then. After blowing an engine the third week of competition, Maughan borrowed a car and won his first race in the Moore Machinery Movers Young Guns division the next week. ¿I was wondering if I was ever going to win, but once I got that first one, it was a lot easier,¿ Maughan said. ¿I really didn¿t have any clue I could have run this well this year, though. I guess things just went my way for once.¿ Maughan won five Thursday Thunder races in 2003, including both features on the final night of racing. Those wins vaulted Maughan ahead of competitor Ryan Bowman (Lilburn) to earn his first Thursday Thunder championship.

Atlanta Motor Speedway regrets to inform its fans that Ernie Irvan and Kevin Conway have cancelled their appearance at tomorrow¿s Papa John¿s Fan Appreciation Night at Thursday Thunder. Both 1960 NASCAR champion Rex White and current Busch competitor Ron Young will still be on hand to sign autographs from 6-7 p.m. on the concourse. And there will still be plenty more for the fans to see and do this week, beginning with the long-awaited return of the Kids Candy and Coin scramble at intermission. Kids age 12 and under will be invited down to track level to scoop as much candy and as many coins as their little hands will carry during this week¿s intermission. As always during Fan Appreciation Night, the first 500 fans through the gate will receive a free goody bag stocked with exciting things like Papa John¿s coupons and merchandise, as well as racing T-shirts, cars and more. One lucky fan will also get the chance to win $50 in the Redi.net Dash 4 Cash, while others will go home the lucky winner of tickets to the fall Winston Cup race at Atlanta and Richard Petty Driving Experience Ride-Along coupons. Fans will get even more racing for their money this week, as Thursday Thunder racers battle for the right to be called champions during this double features season finale. This week, officials are again expecting nearly 100 competitors from across the Southeast ranging from 8 to 68. Thursday Thunder is a fun and affordable activity for the whole family. Admission for adults is just $5, children 6-11 are $1, and children 5 and under are free. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the racing action will start immediately. For more information call (770) 946-4211, or purchase tickets Thursday evening at Gate 13.

Casey Roderick knows what he wants for his birthday. He hopes that by the time he turns 11 on Friday, the day after the conclusion of Atlanta Motor Speedway¿s Thursday Thunder racing series, he can call himself champion. In just his first season racing with the Bandolero Bandits division, Roderick leads second-place Hunter Robbins by just three points. With two rounds of features to complete Thursday before declaring a champion, Roderick knows he has a lot of racing ahead. ¿Hunter¿s been doing this a long time, and he¿s really good,¿ Roderick said. ¿I¿d be happy just to come in second to him, but I¿d rather take home the trophy.¿

The phrase ¿Are we there yet?¿ took on a new meaning for the Murphy family last week. Mom and Dad Murphy, along with sons Andrew (14), Austin (11) and Broc (9), left their Lancaster, Calif., home last Sunday, headed for the races. For the next four days, they covered more than 3,000 miles in their extended cab truck, three Bandolero cars packed into the trailer behind them. ¿Hurricane¿ Andrew Murphy was the Bandolero division track Champion at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2002 and ¿Awesome¿ Austin Murphy made his debut in Bandoleros last season after winning more than 20 mini-dwarf races. Broc ¿Bam Bam¿ Murphy made his Bandolero debut earlier this season. Thursday Thunder at Atlanta Motor Speedway was just one pit stop along the Murphys¿ journey to Bandolero Nationals in Orlando, Fla., to see where they stack up against the nation¿s best Bandolero racers.

The fur will fly during this Thursday¿s celebrity mascot events at Mascot Mania Night presented by Star 94 at Atlanta Motor Speedway¿s Thursday Thunder. Mascots from the Atlanta Hawks, Thrashers and Silverbacks, as well as Papa John's Pizza Slice and Atlanta Motor Speedway's own Monkey Wrench, will entertain the fans, sign autographs and mug for photos. The long-awaited return of the kids¿ candy and coin scramble will also be this week. Kids age 12 and under will be invited down to track level to scoop as much candy and as many coins as their little hands will carry during this week¿s intermission.

After taking the checkered flag, Andrew Brunnert of McDonough climbed from his yellow and blue No. 6 Bandolero and, in a move reminiscent of his favorite driver Mark Martin, pumped his fists in the air. Brunnert won his first race on Atlanta Motor Speedway¿s quarter-mile Thunder Ring Thursday night in a crash-filled Atlanta Dental Team Bandits division feature race. Brunnert win in just his eighth career Thursday Thunder race. John William Lee of Hampton finished second with Austin Murphy of Lancaster, Calif., in third. Mark Wallace, co-owner of the No. 77 Jasper Engines and Transmissions Winston Cup car driven by Dave Blaney, visited Papa John¿s Victory Lane for the fourth time this season in the Tanger Outlet Center Masters division race. Randy Thornton of Oxford finished second with Sam McCullough of Snellville finishing third. Atlanta Motor Speedway President and General Manager Ed Clark (Peach Tree City) finished a career-best sixth in the Masters division feature race.

Virgil Brown of Concord spends his days in the courtroom, defending cases and winning trials. He spends his evenings working on the two Legends cars he runs each Thursday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It¿s the time in between when you have to keep your eye on him. ¿In 1963 they caught me crawling over that fence right over there,¿ Brown said, pointing. ¿I wanted to be in here and be a part of things. Carl Tyler of Hollywood, Fla., put me on his team and he and a man named Steve Gregh let me help them out.¿ While the track was built in 1959 and 1960, the fence in question was installed as part of the track reconfiguration in 1997. When confronted with this, Brown laughed and shrugged his shoulders. ¿You have to admit it was a good try,¿ he said. ¿It¿s been a long time, maybe it was that fence over there.¿

Myron Guyton has visited Victory Lane three times this season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, becoming the first African-American driver to win there. Now he wants other African-American drivers to experience the same thrill of victory. Guyton, 35, owns several Burger King restaurants in the Atlanta area and hopes to bring young racers into the sport through his stores. ¿I want to have contests and give away a chance to try to drive a Legends car,¿ Guyton said. ¿When we find drivers who want to go further, we¿ll help them out. This isn¿t a cheap sport, so if you take the money aspect away, it¿ll be more enticing. I can¿t wait to get kids working with these cars. When they get excited, I get excited. I want to help them make their dreams come true like I had a chance to.¿

NASCAR Winston Cup Series star Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be the guest of honor at Atlanta Motor Speedway¿s Speed Zone Fan Hospitality Area before the start of the Oct. 26 Georgia 500. Earnhardt, driver of the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet, will make his appearance at the Speed Zone hospitality tent on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 26. The names of other drivers to appear at Speed Zone, will be announced over the next several weeks. The exact appearance schedule will be released the week prior to the Georgia 500. Earnhardt will be on hand to answer questions from fans that purchase the Speed Zone package. In addition to the driver appearances, Speed Zone attendees will receive a pre-race pit pass, continental breakfast, lunch buffet, a souvenir racing program and non-alcoholic beverages. This one-day Speed Zone package is available for $199 and is on sale now. Race fans can purchase the Speed Zone package by calling the speedway at (770) 946-4211.

They all share the same light hair, thin build and even the characteristic freckles ¿ genetic traits that are shared among brothers. But the Allison boys ¿ Austin, Will and Carson ¿ share more than just their looks. They also share a desire to be on the race track any time they can. The Allisons ¿ part of the Alabama gang as relatives of former Winston Cup drivers Bobby, Donnie, Davey and Clifford Allison ¿ have been fixtures at Thursday Thunder since 2000, when oldest brother Austin, now 13, began racing Bandoleros. At the time, Will had just finished kindergarten and Carson was still sucking a bottle and falling asleep in his mother¿s arms before the feature races ever began. The scene has changed, however. Will, now 8, made his Atlanta Motor Speedway debut on July 10, wearing a red firesuit emblazoned with ¿Austin Allison¿ in script across the belt. His car was painted blue to mirror the Bandolero machine of his big brother, and the smile on his face proved he was glad it was finally his turn to hit the track.

With the demand for AMS FOR LESS packages far exceeding the amount of hotel rooms available in Henry County for the Oct. 24-26 Georgia 500, vroomz.com has taken over the AMS FOR LESS package and opened the program up to hotels citywide. Vroomz.com is expected to begin taking orders for the new hotel and race ticket packages by Monday, July 14. Vroomz.com will take over where the Henry County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Atlanta Motor Speedway left off as demand began outpacing supply. ¿We weren¿t sure what to expect when we first developed this program. What we found is that we couldn¿t keep up with all the calls, selling out of the original spate of rooms set aside in Henry County in less than three weeks,¿ said Ed Clark, President and General Manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway. ¿This program has been so wildly popular that it has far exceeded our expectations. We¿ve brought vroomz.com in to take the ball and run with it, which will allow more fans to take advantage of these low-cost weekend packages for the Georgia 500. We¿ve had people call from as far away as Alaska who are going to attend their first NASCAR race, since we¿ve made it so affordable.¿ Vroomz.com will offer several different options for fans. The first will be the traditional two-night hotel stay and three-day ticket package, with prices starting at under $400 for two people for the entire weekend. Fans may also purchase round-trip shuttle passes for the Oct. 26 Georgia 500.

Heavy rains across Georgia washed out feature racing Thursday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, postponing the races until next Thursday, July 17. The gates will open next week at 5:45 p.m. for a full slate of double features during Walker Concrete Night presented by TBS 17 and Turner South. Next week¿s regularly scheduled features will begin when the gates open at 5:45 p.m. The postponed features will be run immediately following the first set of features, around 8 p.m. The Faster Pastor race, scheduled for July 10, will also be held next Thursday.

Billy Hendrix loves the race track. Loves it so much that, at 49 years old, he just bought his first Legends car. He says he is now fulfilling a dream, racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Thursday Thunder series. You might wonder how that could be, given that Hendrix lost his father at a race track. Especially given that Hendrix, then 9 years old, was watching the night his father gunned the accelerator down the frontstretch during a warm-up lap and never turned, barreling straight into the wall. Given that the crew guys who had helped extricate his father from the car said it wasn¿t good, that J.C. Hendrix - once an aspiring NASCAR driver - had obviously severe injuries. Given that all of that is a lot for a 9-year-old to comprehend. Hendrix might wonder that sometimes, too. His mother, Etheleen, certainly does. ¿She liked to have a fit when I told her I was going to race,¿ Hendrix said. ¿It scares the hound out of her. But I¿ve been dreaming of doing this my whole life.¿

Four local ministers will trade the pulpit for the cockpit this week during Thursday Thunder at Atlanta Motor Speedway during the first Faster Pastor event at the track. The four pastors - Randy Valimont of First Assembly of God, Steve Stewart of Oak Hill Baptist Church, Ted Moody of Mt. Gilead Church and Dan Brown of First United Methodist - took their first laps in a Legends series car last week but are already pumped up about this Thursday's showdown. ¿Faster Pastor is going to be good for everyone - it will unite the community, help the kids who race and benefit the hungry,¿ Moody said. The starting positions will be determined by a canned food drive, with the food collected benefiting the Five Loaves and Two Fishes Food Pantry in Griffin. Each pastor will have a barrel at the gate, and the one with the most food starts on the pole.

¿Ravishing¿ Randy Rose is used to being in the ring. But the Thunder Ring is all new to him. A 14-year veteran of World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Rose was one of the founding members of the Midnight Express, well-known wrestling duo. Now he¿s making a name for himself on the race track, competing each week in the Masters (over 40) division of Thursday Thunder, Atlanta Motor Speedway¿s 10-week racing series. ¿Right now I¿m just learning and watching,¿ Rose said. ¿I¿m just out there trying to stay out of trouble.¿ That¿s a far cry from his wrestling days, when Rose looked for trouble. As part of one of the ¿evil¿ duos, Rose spent much of his time growling and scowling and breaking chairs over competitors¿ heads. He used full-nelsons and half-nelsons and a bunch of other moves that may or may not have been legal.

Atlanta Motor Speedway will light up the night sky with a brilliant display of fireworks and an equally intense show of racing thrills and excitement this Thursday, for the Adesa Atlanta Red, White and Blue Firework Spectacular night presented by 11 Alive. The 3rd of July celebration at Atlanta Motor Speedway is the perfect solution for families. While the children play entertaining games on the concourse ¿ such as a coloring contest and mini-basketball ¿ the adults will be thrilled by the excitement of Legends, Bandolero and Roadster racing. Plus, we¿ll cap the night off with a spectacular firework show.

Atlanta Motor Speedway is offering a new program for fans who don¿t want to be saddled with driving to the races. For the first time, Atlanta Motor Speedway has teamed up with the Henry County Convention and Visitors Bureau to offer round-trip shuttle packages for the Oct. 26 Georgia 500 race. For just $30, fans can ride to and from the Georgia 500 Winston Cup race without worrying about race traffic. These luxury shuttles come equipped with air conditioning, televisions and restrooms. Shuttles will depart at 7 a.m. from two different Henry County locations - Tanger Outlet Center (exit 212 off I-75) in Locust Grove and Henry Town Center (exit 221 off I-75) in McDonough.

There is no distance too far for Wayne Flick to travel for his children. Every other week, Flick proves it by traveling the 600 miles from Indianapolis to watch son Tyler compete in the Chargers division of Thursday Thunder at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Then again, it doesn¿t take Flick as long as it takes most people to complete 600 miles. Usually about a 9-hour drive (Mapquest estimates the journey at 9 hours, 32 minutes), Flick admitted it usually took him less than 7 ½ hours. ¿I¿m not afraid to speed,¿ Flick said. ¿I guess that¿s why. And I only stop once, to gas up.¿ Flick failed to mention until further interrogation that he was also an Indiana State Policeman.

In three weeks of Thursday Thunder at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Myron Guyton has visited Papa John¿s Victory lane in the Chargers division twice - during week one and week three. He spent week two sitting on the beach in Cancun, Mexico. ¿I really wanted to race last week,¿ Guyton said. ¿But we hadn¿t been on a vacation in years, and my wife told me ¿You can race, but I¿m going to Cancun,¿ and I thought it would probably be best for me to stay married. I went to Cancun, but I wanted to be here racing.¿

Eagle 106.7 FM¿s Rhubarb Jones and his March Across Georgia will stop at this week¿s Thursday Thunder summer racing event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, providing race fans with the chance make a difference in the fight against leukemia and lymphoma. Atlanta Motor Speedway officials will donate $1 for every paid adult admission to Thursday¿s activities, and in lieu of an autograph session, this week¿s featured division will go through the grandstands with their helmets. In addition, Atlanta Motor Speedway president Ed Clark has donated five pairs of weekend ticket packages to the Oct. 24-26 Georgia 500 weekend for the first five fans who present Rhubarb with at least $1000. Last year¿s stop at AMS netted $4,959 for Rhubarb¿s March Across Georgia, one of his top stops of the summer.

It was exactly four years ago that Hampton¿s Chris Dilbeck made his debut as a rookie in the Bandolero division of Thursday Thunder. Now 17 years old and competing in the top division, Dilbeck dominated the Pro race at Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday, leading every lap en route to winning his first race of the season. Bubba Pollard (Senoia) took second place, while T.J. Sneva traveled from his home in Indianapolis and scored a third place finish.

When Peyton Durflinger climbed from his car after the first practice of Thursday Thunder, everyone in the garage area took notice. Even though he¿d never raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway before last week, 8-year-old Durflinger, had already become a favorite among mothers, girlfriends and little sisters in the garage area. Durflinger ¿ the smallest driver in the Bandolero Bandits division ¿ is more than half the size of some of his Bandits competitors, all of which are between the ages of 8 and 11. ¿He powers a car that¿s 750 pounds and he¿s ¿ what ¿ 2 pounds?¿ asked Bandolero Young Guns driver Daniel Moore. ¿It¿s really kind of amazing someone that small can drive like he can.¿

Fans who attend Thursday Thunder series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2003 will have the chance to take home more than fast-paced memories of the nights¿ events. The Redi.net Dash 4 Cash will give one lucky fan the chance to drive away with $50 each night of Thursday Thunder. At every Thursday Thunder event, held Thursdays June 5 through Aug. 7, fans can register at the information booth for a bevy of prizes. One name will be drawn each week to participate in the Redi.net Dash 4 Cash. That lucky fan will automatically win $50. Plus, the fan will select a finishing position for the first race following intermission. The driver who finishes in that position will also pocket $50.

Since finding himself unemployed at the end of last season, driver Casey Atwood has been fishing on a Tennessee lake, as well as fishing for a Busch Series ride. He¿s attended several races, and lingered in the Busch Series garage, trying to catch the eye of an owner hungry for a young driver. And he finally caught one. ¿It¿s what I¿ve been looking for ¿ a real good Busch ride,¿ Atwood said. ¿I¿m hoping for a one-year or two-year full-season deal. The best thing for me to do is go back to Busch, win races, maybe win a championship, and then try to go back to Winston Cup in a few years.¿

It¿s Friday, Oct. 24, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The sun is down, the stadium lights are blazing, and the brightly painted cars of NASCAR Winston Cup racing are lined up on pit road as crews thrash to make last-minute changes. Forty-three of the best drivers in the world walk by, waving to the crowds and mentally preparing for the thrilling qualifying runs they are about to make under the cloak of night. And now you can be right there, watching the excitement from the best vantage point in racing ¿ the pits.

Atlanta Motor Speedway officials announced a new specially priced ticket package for the Oct. 24-26 Georgia 500 weekend, offering for the first time the three-day thriller ticket for just $69. The three-day thriller ticket will allow race fans to attend the Oct. 24 Georgia-Pacific Qualifying Night and the Georgia-Pacific 150 Goody¿s Dash shootout, the Oct. 25 Aaron¿s 312 Busch race and the Oct. 26 Georgia 500 Winston Cup race for the extremely low price of $69.

Hey race fans! My name is Monkey Wrench, and I'm the most famous (but not the only!) monkey here at Atlanta Motor Speedway. As the official mascot, I get a lot of cool duties, including shaking hands with the NASCAR drivers as they cross the stage for driver intros, playing with the kids who come to our races, participating in charity events and even attending birthday parties of some of our young fans. I'm really looking forward to our next big races -- Thursday Thunder, our weekly summer racing series -- which begins on Thursday, June 5. I love Thursday Thunder because I love to make all the children laugh. OK, I love driving my yellow convertible Legends car around too. I hope you can join me this summer!

Atlanta Motor Speedway will again offer a limited number of $125 pre-race pit passes that fans can purchase for the Oct. 26 Georgia 500 Winston Cup race. ¿The one thing fans just clamor for is more access to these behind-the-scenes areas, such as pit road,¿ said Ed Clark, president and general manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway. ¿That¿s why we¿ve decided to open up a limited number of tickets for these fans, so that they can experience the excitement of being on pit road the morning of the race. Believe me, it¿s something you won¿t forget - the air is just electric.¿

It's hard to believe that the largest single-day sporting event in Georgia could get any bigger, but it has. And tickets are on sale now through the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office (770-946-4211) and Ticketmaster so that you can be part of one of the biggest weekends of the year in racing. The Oct. 24-26 Georgia 500 weekend will start off with the fastest qualifying session in NASCAR as it moves under the lights for Georgia-Pacific Qualifying Night on Friday, Oct. 24. Again this year, the Goody¿s Dash Series will also take to the track immediately after qualifying for a 150-lap shootout on the frontstretch quarter-mile track, Thunder Ring. Saturday, Oct. 25, will feature the Aaron¿s 312 Busch Series race, a key event in the heart of the championship battle. As always, the weekend will culminate on Sunday, Oct. 26, with the running of the Georgia 500 Winston Cup race, one of the final events of the season, when every point will be at a premium.

Bobby Labonte became the winningest active driver at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, taking the checkered flag in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500, his sixth win at the Georgia track. Labonte surpassed Bill Elliott, who has five wins in points races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his last in 1992 (he also won the Winston in 1986, a non-points race that was held that year in Atlanta). ¿I don¿t know what it is about this place ¿ I just like it here,¿ Labonte said. ¿It¿s just one of those places, and I have a good feel for it.¿

Ryan Newman won the pole for Sunday's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Here's how the rest of the field stacks up: 1 12 Ryan Newman Alltel Dodge 28.963 191.417 2 9 Bill Elliott Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 28.991 191.232 3 38 Elliott Sadler Pedigree Ford 29.044 190.883 4 18 Bobby Labonte Interstate Batteries Chevrolet 29.088 190.594 5 7 Jimmy Spencer Sirius Satellite Radio Dodge 29.127 190.339 6 15 Michael Waltrip NAPA Chevrolet 29.135 190.287 7 2 Rusty Wallace Miller Lite Dodge 29.191 189.922 8 20 Tony Stewart Home Depot Chevrolet 29.218 189.746 9 97 Kurt Busch Rubbermaid Ford 29.224 189.707 10 19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 29.225 189.701

The field for Saturday's ARCA 400 with the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway was set by 2002 car owner points. The lineu for Saturday's race, which begins at 1 p.m., is as follows.

Up until last season, Tony Stewart didn¿t have a nice thing to stay about Atlanta Motor Speedway. And with good reason. Of the 23 tracks the NASCAR Winston Cup series races it, Atlanta was the one track where Stewart could never crack into the Top 5. In fact, it took Stewart five races at Atlanta just to crack the Top 10 - more races than it took at any other track on schedule. So when Stewart said he just didn¿t get Atlanta, he wasn¿t kidding. What changed between then and now is hard to say, but Stewart feels a lot differently about Atlanta these days.

Racin¿ and ropin¿ will collide this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, as the United States Cowboy Tour Championship Rodeo returns for another exciting night of bareback riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, saddle bronc riding, cowgirl¿s barrel racing, team roping and bull riding. Fox racing analyst Jeff Hammond will be the featured competitor in the team roping event, as more than 200 of the nation¿s best cowboys and cowgirls will be competing for over $40,000.

Linda Davis has been to a NASCAR Winston Cup event before to feel the thunder of the engines as they fire and watch in awe as the cars take the green flag at over 190 mph. And that¿s exactly why she¿s so excited to be performing the national anthem for the March 9 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and Senator Mike Crotts will host an Atlanta racing rally on Thursday, March 6, at the Georgia State Capitol, and fans are invited and encouraged to attend and show their support for the sport. Gov. Perdue will host a news conference at noon on Thursday, March 6, 2003, on the north side of the State Capitol building downtown. Fans interested in attending should be at the Capitol by 11:45 a.m.

Jeff Fultz might not be a name that race fans instantly recognize, but he¿s hoping that will all change at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he attempts to make his Winston Cup debut in the March 9 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Fultz will also attempt to make Saturday¿s ARCA 400, putting even more pressure on this young driver. Fultz was at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Tuesday with four NASCAR Winston Cup drivers -- Jamie McMurray, Robby Gordon, Elliott Sadler and Brett Bodine -- all testing for the March 9 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Bodine set the fast time during Tuesday¿s test, posting a lap of 29.56 seconds (187.551 mph).

Atlanta Motor Speedway officials have instituted a new policy stating that no fans will be allowed to bring golf carts or ATVs onto the Atlanta Motor Speedway property for the March 7-9 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 weekend. The only exclusions to this new policy are for handicapped patrons using a single-passenger purpose-built motorized.

Just two days removed from the series of violent flips he experienced down the Daytona frontstretch, and Ryan Newman doesn¿t look any worse for wear. There are no visible bruises or scars from his wild ride, and it certainly hasn¿t affected his performance on track. ¿I¿m a little sore, especially in my shoulders and my ankle,¿ Newman said, walking gingerly. ¿But luckily, I was able to walk away, and I¿m here today, smiling and driving.¿

Bill Elliott, ¿Awesome Bill From Dawsonville,¿ a 16-time Most Popular Driver winner, will be the guest of honor at the annual Atlanta Sports Council Motorsports Luncheon on Wednesday, March 5, 2003. The luncheon will be held downtown Atlanta at the Marriott Marquis in the Imperial Ballroom, Salon B, on the convention level. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and the program begins at noon. The cost is $25 per person ($250 per table of 10), and the public is welcome to attend. There will not be an autograph session for fans; however, there will be signed door prizes available for some lucky winners.

Two road improvement projects aimed at relieving traffic congestion in the area near Atlanta Motor Speedway are currently underway on State Route 20 in Henry County. These two projects are part of an effort by the Georgia DOT to four lane SR-20 from I-75 to US-19/41. DOT Commissioner Tom Coleman has said, "This is a heavily traveled section of road that has seen backups in the past, particularly on the weekends when events are held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, and it¿s my pleasure to offer relief to this overburdened corridor"

Given the conflicting reports this week from NASCAR officials, many loyal Atlanta Motor Speedway fans have called and written, concerned that AMS may be losing one of its race dates. Atlanta Motor Speedway officials would like to reassure fans that nothing could be further than the truth, and that Atlanta will continue to host two NASCAR Winston Cup races in the future. ¿Nothing has changed here; our company has no intention of moving any events to or from Atlanta or any other track,¿ said Atlanta Motor Speedway President and General Manager Ed Clark. ¿There will be two NASCAR Winston Cup events at our track this year, in March and October, and we anticipate having two races here for a long time.¿

Atlanta Motor Speedway announced a new official vehicle partnership with Chevrolet, a division of General Motors, to enlist Chevrolet vehicles as the official car, pace car, truck and sports utility vehicle of Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Because of the high demand for the specially priced Three-Day Thriller Ticket for last fall¿s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 weekend, Atlanta Motor Speedway officials have brought the package back with a new low price for next year¿s March 12-14 Golden Corral weekend. This special discount package will allow fans to see all three days of racing action for just $59. This limited offer at an unheard-of low price will include: · One reserved Weaver grandstand ticket (rows 11-25) for the March 14 Golden Corral 500, when fans will watch defending March race champion Bobby Labonte battle Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and the rest of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers. · One unreserved Champions grandstand (frontstretch) ticket for the inaugural EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck race on Saturday, March 13. Some of the best up-and-coming drivers in the country, as well as a handful of wily NASCAR veterans, will take on the high speeds and the high banks of Atlanta Motor Speedway for the first time in history. · One unreserved Champions grandstand (frontstretch) ticket for the Friday, March 12, Georgia Power Qualifying Day. The Three-Day Thriller ticket will be available while supplies last and can be purchased by calling the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211.