Before getting a job offer over the phone from Richard Childress as he worked at his job in a body shop in his hometown of Emporia, Kan., Clint Bowyer was a champion at one of the Midwest's top dirt short tracks.
Here's a look at the top five drivers in the Cup Series standings and five drivers to watch in Sunday night's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN). All statistical references are for Cup races at Atlanta unless otherwise indicated. Driver Rating is based on the past 11 races at the track.
Last week, NASCAR fans saw a lot of fresh faces in the Nationwide and Truck series races. In part, that was because the cars ran on the road course in Montreal and the trucks were part of an ARCA doubleheader at Chicagoland.
Furniture Row Racing on Thursday announced that Regan Smith has signed a contract extension through the 2012 season to drive the team's No. 78 Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series.
