Open Thread Atlanta

Atlanta Motor Speedway, just five hours up the road in Hampton, GA and the fastest track the good ole boys run at, is known for some close finishes, like the one pictured below as the late Dale Earnhardt edges Bobby Labonte in 2000.

There is quite a bit of intrigue as we got here, with the economic crisis hitting anyone and everybody, and in particular General Motors. Some drivers in the Chevrolet camp spoke about the issues, including Jeff Burton, driver of the #31 Caterpillar Chevy.

Bruton Smith, legendary track owner and President of Speedway Motorsports (TRK:NYSE)apparently went off on a tangent as reporters arrived at AMS. He blasted Auto Club and Homestead Speedways, the late starting times of races and President Barack Obama. Read the Orlando Sentinel article here.

The field is set for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Mark Martin as our polesitter. Carl Edwards was fastest in Happy Hour practice on Saturday. Green flag scheduled to drop at 2:15PM.

Feel free to add your comments below on the Kobalt Tools 500!