> SOUTHERN INDIANA — There is no one happier than me that Kentucky Speedway has been awarded a NASCAR Sprint Cup race for next season.

I cannot help thinking that on July 9 of next year that Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch will be racing against each other 60 miles away from the Clark-Floyd area.

But Kentucky’s future Cup race is a bittersweet moment for me, too, because it cost Atlanta Motor Speedway one of its two Cup races for next season.

Even though Atlanta has struggled to sell out in recent years, it produces some of the best racing in NASCAR.

Atlanta is one of the fastest tracks on the Cup circuit as speeds exceed 190 mph. The racing surface is old school, as it wears out tires in no time and drivers and crew chiefs have no choice but to put four sticker tires on during pit stops.

The drivers can race side-by-side throughout the race track because they can pick at least two different racing grooves to steer their cars around.

That has produced some of the closest finishes in the history of NASCAR like Dale Earnhardt over Bobby Labonte in 2000, Kevin Harvick over Gordon in 2001 and Carl Edwards over Johnson in 2005.

Atlanta also hosted the Cup season finale for several seasons and produced a few dramatic championship battles.

The most notable was the 1992 finale where the late Alan Kulwicki nipped Bill Elliott by 10 points to win the Cup title. In addition, it was the last race for Richard Petty and the Cup debut for Gordon.

Despite Kentucky gaining a Cup race, it is awful to see another of NASCAR’s traditional tracks lose a Sprint Cup event.

Unfortunately, that trend will probably continue for years to come.



UPDATES ON LOCAL RACERS

• Will Kimmel, a member of the popular Clark County racing family, finished 21st in Friday’s Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It was the third-generation driver’s first race in any of NASCAR’s three national touring series.

Kimmel steered his No. 44 Ford F-150 for 148 laps, finishing two laps down to winner Todd Bodine. Kimmel’s father, Bill Kimmel Jr., was listed as the owner of the truck, with sponsorship from Lucas Oil, Ansell Gloves and Checkmate Boats.

Some of Kimmel’s racing relatives are the following: Bill Kimmel Sr., his grandfather and former ARCA Racing Series driver; Frank Kimmel, his uncle and nine-time ARCA series champion; and Frankie Kimmel, his cousin who has won two track championships at Salem Speedway and is currently in first place in the Lucas Oil Super Stocks division at the historic track.

• Cole Williams, a 14-year-old racer from Sellersburg, recently clinched the 2010 Miniature Motorsports Racing Association Eastern Pro Division Baby Grand Championship. It is the second year in a row he has claimed the championship.

Entering Friday’s race in Bowling Green, Ky., Williams had won 11 feature races this season.

Other past champions of this division include Will Kimmel and local racers Alec Webb and Brett Robinson. Plus Edwards (yes, the aforementioned Carl Edwards from NASCAR world) won the Baby Grand division in 2002.

To Cole — congratulations, kid.



TONIGHT’S EMORY HEALTHCARE 500

at Atlanta Motor Speedway

TOP-FIVE CONTENDERS

1. KURT BUSCH: Well, he has won two of the last three Atlanta races, including this year’s spring race, so I guess I have to pick him to win even though I’d rather watch my first-ever episode of Oprah than see Busch collect a checkered flag. I’m just wondering if Busch is still infatuated by the Hendrick Motorsports’ pretty boys.

2. KASEY KAHNE: If Kahne wants to make one last-ditch effort to get in the Chase, then Atlanta is a good track for him to do that. He has two wins and eight top-10s in his career at the mile-and-a-half oval. Five of his eight top-10 finishes have come in the last nine Atlanta events.

3. HARVICK: The points leader has a chance to continue to build momentum into the Chase, as he has been strong at Atlanta as of late. He has four top-10s in his last five Atlanta starts.

4. JOHNSON: Yes, I’m sticking with one of Busch’s pretty boys even though he is battling a rare bout of rotten luck as of late. I cannot leave a guy out of my top-five list when he has a career average finish at Atlanta of 10.8.

5. MATT KENSETH: The Roush Fenway veteran’s worst finish in the last eight Atlanta races has been 12th. And he was second here in the spring, so look for him to be strong tonight.



TONIGHT’S DARK HORSE

• KYLE BUSCH: If you have looked at this name about 10 million times in amazement and are thinking that this is a misprint or that I have completely gone nuts picking him as a dark horse, then please stop. Let me make my point. Do you know how many top-10 finishes NASCAR’s current villain has at Atlanta? Two. In other words, Kyle Busch has really stunk at Atlanta. But after seeing his recent accomplishments at Bristol, I think this guy has momentum on his side right now. Therefore, I think that continues at Atlanta tonight, where he has a chance to bow to the hissing crowd once again after he collects the checkered flag.



DRIVER MOST LIKELY TO STRUGGLE

• MARK MARTIN: He has really struggled at Atlanta lately. In the last seven Atlanta races, Martin has finished 22nd or worse five times. That includes a 43rd-place finish in this race in 2007. Plus Martin and the No. 5 team have been in a rut for the last few months. I’m afraid that might continue tonight, and if that happens his Chase chances are pretty much over.

Contact Kevin Harris at kevin.harris@newsandtribune.com.



OLD KEV’S POWER POLL

1. Kevin Harvick

2. Jimmie Johnson

3. Tony Stewart

4. Denny Hamlin

5. Kyle Busch

6. Kurt Busch

7. Carl Edwards

8. Jeff Gordon

9. Jeff Burton

10. Greg Biffle

11. Matt Kenseth

12. Clint Bowyer

13. Jamie McMurray

14. Mark Martin

15. Juan Montoya