Atlanta Motor Speedway is a fast mile and a half track with a history of sling shot finishes and the highest speeds in NASCAR Sprint Cup. The drivers who perform well on the hot Atlanta cookie cutter track are the same drivers who are not afraid to drive a loose car close to the wall.
Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards have experienced the most success in recent second NASCAR Sprint Cup races on the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The first winner of the Labor Day race at Atlanta last season was Kasey Kahne. Kahne's win was the first win for Dodge at Atlanta since 1976 in the second Atlanta race. Kurt Busch won Atlanta in a Dodge in the spring race earlier this season.
Fantasy NASCAR Driver Top Pick is Jimmie Johnson to Win Emory Healthcare 500
The reports of the No. 48 teams demise have been premature. Jimmie Johnson is an expert at this high banked house of speed and he is usually around when the checkered flag waves at the end of the day. If Johnson isn't winning the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta, don't blink. He soon will be reeling in the leader.
Johnson has mastered the high end of the track and has the ability to adjust and run the low side also. Johnson has won two of the last six second Atlanta races and he has been there at the end several more races in that span. Johnson cannot be ignored as an A list fantasy NASCAR driver for the Emory Healthcare 500.
2nd Choice for a Fantasy NASCAR Driver is Kevin Harvick in the Emory Healthcare 500
Kevin Harvick is another Chevy driver that has won on the Atlanta high banks since his first season in NASCAR Sprint Cup. Harvick's first win ever was in the spring race at Atlanta. Harvick is another NASCAR driver that knows how to keep his car wound up tight on the high side of hot and slick track. Harvick is a solid A list fantasy NASCAR driver for the Emory Healthcare 500.
3rd Choice for a Fantasy NASCAR Driver is Kurt Busch in the Emory Healthcare 500
The last time Kurt Busch won the second Atlanta race was in the 2002 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Busch was driving for Jack Roush and on his way to winning his only NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Busch is now in prime position to win on this hot slick track in the heat of a Labor Day weekend. Kurt Busch is a solid A list fantasy NASCAR driver for the Emory Healthcare 500.
4th Choice for a Fantasy NASCAR Driver is Juan Pablo Montoya in the Emory Healthcare 500
The progression of Formula One legend Juan Pablo Montoya has been kicked into high gear in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Although Montoya has no chance to make the NASCAR Chase, Montoya has one goal in mind, to win a second race in 2010. Montoya has performed well on high banked cookie cutter tracks and this could be a top five or better race for the Ganassi driver. Montoya is a solid B list fantasy NASCAR driver for the Emory Healthcare 500.
5th Choice for a Fantasy NASCAR Driver is Always a Gamble Pick: Martin Truex Jr
For a fifth choice in NASCAR fantasy leagues a great pick for the Atlanta race is Martin Truex Jr. Truex loves to wind it up on the high side of most tracks and Atlanta is one of his favorites. Truex should have a solid shot at a top 10 and this will make him a great pick for a C list driver in the Emory Healthcare 500.
Todd Jacobs - Todd Jacobs is a freelance writer with publishing credits including USA Today, Orange County Register and Speed TV.
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