HAMPTON, Ga. – Carl Edwards sounded downright giddy after a practice session Friday, not at all like someone who's in danger of missing out on a chance to race for his first Cup title.
NASCAR's only stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway couldn't have come at a better time for him. "We could not be at a better place," Edwards said.
This 1.54-mile tri-oval is one of Edwards' most successful tracks. His first Cup victory came at Atlanta in 2005. Overall, he has three wins at the high-banked speedway, along with seven other top-10 finishes.
Edwards, last year's Sprint Cup runner-up, is struggling to make the Chase for the championship. He is ranked 12th in the point standings going into Sunday's AdvoCare 500. The top 10 get in, plus two wild cards based on season victories, and Edwards has yet to win this season.
"We recognize the position we're in," Edwards said. "We don't like it. The only thing we can do is go out and race like we've got nothing to lose because, in a way, we don't."
Sprint Cup – Defending Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart won the pole for Sunday night's NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He turned a fast lap of 186.121 mph to take his first pole of the season.
Greg Biffle (185.648) will start on the outside of the front row for the AdvoCare 500. Kyle Busch (185.493) and Matt Kenseth (185.319) are on the second row.
Trucks in Atlanta – Ty Dillon, 20, got the first NASCAR win of his career, passing Kyle Busch with six laps to go to take the Truck victory. Busch finished second, followed by James Buescher.
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