Local Flavor on Track This Weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway

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This weekend’s AdvoCare 500 weekend will feature several drivers and teams with local ties to the area or the state of Georgia.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race features a tribute to a local driver, as Ryan Newman will pilot the No. 08 Chevrolet to honor Macon-native Beau Slocumb. The No. 39 Chevrolet will feature Tucker-native Ryan Sieg behind the wheel. Colin Braun will drive the No. 51 for Georgia businessman Billy Ballew, a truck that has won at AMS three times with Kyle Busch. All four of Busch’s CWTS wins at Atlanta have been in Ballew equipment.

In the Great Clips 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday night, a couple of local drivers will do battle on the 1.54-mile high banks of Atlanta Motor Speedway. Peachtree City native Reed Sorenson will be behind the wheel of the No. 32 as he looks to move up in the championship battle. Sorenson is currently third in the points standings, only 10 markers out of the lead. Meanwhile Chase Miller, who hails from Canton, will wheel the No. 46 for Key Motorsports.

Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 features a couple of drivers with local sponsorship. Unadilla native David Ragan will race the No. 6 with the familiar colors of UPS, while Joey Logano, a graduate of the AMS Legends series, will look for the checkered flag in his No. 20 Home Depot Toyota. Both of the Michael Waltrip Racing entries feature local sponsorship, with David Reutimann driving the Aaron’s colors and Martin Truex, Jr. sporting the NAPA scheme. Carl Edwards will feature his familiar Aflac look for the Columbus-based company. And Andy Lally will be behind the wheel of the No. 71. While not a native of the Peach State, Lally now resides in Dacula when not on the road.

Manufacturer Breakdown of Sprint Cup Action at AMS

With this weekend’s AdvoCare 500 featuring entries from all four of NASCAR’s current manufacturers, Atlanta Motor Speedway takes a look at what makes have made up the fields during competition at AMS.

Of 4,270 entries (not including DNQs) for the 103 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races that have been held at Atlanta from 1960-2010, Chevrolet has the most starts with 1,366. Ford follows behind with 1,236, which includes six entries by the T-Bird. Dodge has 492 starts, followed by Pontiac with 447, Buick with 179 and Oldsmobile at 174 starts. Following these are Mercury’s 137 entries, Plymouth with 133 starts, Toyota with 78 Cup races, Chrysler with 20 and the Matador (AMC) with eight starts.

This year’s AdvoCare 500 entry list features 47 cars vying to make the 43-car field. Among them are 18 Chevrolets, 14 Fords, 12 Toyotas and three Dodges.

Chevrolet leads all makes in victories at AMS with 36 wins. Ford has 29, followed by Pontiac’s 11, nine for Dodge and eight by Mercury. Buick and Plymouth have both won four races, while Oldsmobile and Toyota each have one win apiece.

Fans Can Receive Discount by Letting Everyone Know You Are at AMS

Race fans that visit Atlanta Motor Speedway during this year’s race weekend can gain a discount on merchandise by simply letting your friends and family know you are at the track.

During race weekend, fans are encouraged to check-in on Foursquare or Facebook with their mobile devices. Customers that do this will receive at 10 percent discount off the purchase of regularly priced merchandise at the Atlanta Motor Speedway gift shop. Simply show the cashier the check-in at the time of purchase the discount will be applied. The discount is only valid at the AMS gift shop and is valid through Sept. 4. The discount does not include sales tax.

Atlanta Motor Speedway PR

Speedway Digest Staff
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