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Around SBN: Celtics Need To Get In The Zone

Allison_davey

A_Rosser14

Jan 20, 2010 May 30, 2012 619 520

I'm a lifelong NASCAR fan from Georgia. Lifelong only equates to 24 years, but still. I've studied the sport religiously and clung to every detail I could, and its served me relatively well, I guess.

On race day, I am as ferverent a Tony Stewart fan as you will find and even during the week I can be found on Tony Stewart fan sites and talking with other fans (or arguing with his detractors) on Twitter. He's been my guy since May of 1998. Its pretty cool to be able to say I was on Tony's bandwagon when short track fans around the country knew him well, as did the fans in the IRL (where I discovered him, obviously), but aside from his occasional starts in the Busch Series, most NASCAR fans had never even heard of the guy.

As a writer, I'm a fan of all the drivers. Even guys I don't root for on race day, I find their good points (and the faults of the guys I DO pull for) and then try to write it out to the best of whatever writing ability I may have and without bias towards or against a particular driver.

I may reference being a fan of Tony Stewart's the other guys I like (Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, David Ragan, Martin Truex, Juan Pablo Montoya), but I'll never write something driven by fandom. If I write it, its because as an unbiased wannabe racing writer, I believe it in my head and heart.

As a cartoonist, I try to bring humor to this sport I love and to the folks I love: race fans. I get as much out of genuine laughter at one of my cartoons (well, as long as it's at the material IN the cartoon and not at the cartoon itself) as I do out of compliments on a story I've written.

Besides NASCAR I'm a pretty big fan of the Atlanta Braves and while I have pretty diverse interests when it comes to music, my main man is John Mellencamp. I also love writing fiction, looking at pretty girls, collecting 1/64 NASCAR & Hot Wheels cars and stuffed animals, and daydreaming.

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Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball Team

Tony Stewart NASCAR Driver(s)

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Dover: All Three Top Divisions Invade The Monster Mile

DOVER, DE - MAY 15:  Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 Wiley X Sunglasses Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on May 15, 2011 in Dover, Delaware.  (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Charlotte Results: Kasey Kahne Gets First Hendrick Motorsports Victory, Third Coca-Cola 600 Win

Kasey Kahne's first few races with Hendrick Motorsports were nothing short of a nightmare. He has been on quite the rebound of late, and Kahne's maiden victory for Hendrick Motorsports and his 13th-career win came in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. It is his fourth victory at Charlotte including three in the 600 and the 201st for Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne becomes the 16th winner in the team's storied history.

Denny Hamlin finished second, followed by Kyle Busch, a dominant Greg BIffle who led 204 laps, and Brad Keselowski. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-10. Only nine cars completed all 400 laps, with long green-flag stretches of racing and the torrid pace set by Biffle, Busch, and Kahne at different stretches of the race taking its toll on the field.

After not winning since last September at the Kansas Speedway, Hendrick claimed its milestone 200th victory two weeks ago at Darlington with Jimmie Johnson. Johnson then won last Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race, and now Kahne has given the team three wins (two official) in a row.

Kahne joins Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears as drivers who picked up their first Hendrick victory in the 600. In the case of both of those drivers, it was their first (and in Mears' case, only to date) win in NASCAR's top division.

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SB Nation Atlanta Coca-Cola 600 Update: Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch Lead At Halfway, Matt Kenseth Surging

Driving the same Ford Fusion he raced to victory at Texas Motor Speedway last month, Greg Biffle seems intent on a repeat performance. The Roush-Fenway Racing driver has been dominant throughout most of the first half of the Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway as he seeks his first win at the historic 1.5-mile venue.

Kyle Busch, seeking his first Cup win at Charlotte despite several great performances there, runs second and has led 55 laps in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The top-five is completed by Kasey Kahne, Sprint All-Star Race champion Jimmie Johnson, and Matt Kenseth.

Kenseth scored the first victory of his Sprint Cup career in this race in 2000, becoming the first and to-date only rookie to win NASCAR's longest race. He has gone onto a career that has seen him win two Daytona 500s and a championship in 2003. The sly Wisconsinite's resume would already almost assure him of eventual enshrinement in NASCAR's Hall of Fame, and will only get better as he continues to write it.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Charlotte Update: Ford Dominating Clean Coca-Cola 600

The Coca-Cola 600 ran more than one-quarter in the books before the caution flag for the first time for debris on the race track.

A trio Ford drivers have dominated clean race thus far, leading all 114 laps. Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose swapped the lead early before point leader Greg Biffle asserted himself as the dominant force in the pre-dusk run of NASCAR's longest race.

Ambrose ran second ahead of Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and Kasey Kahne. Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-10.

Almirola had dropped steadily after starting from the pole position, backsliding to 17th before the caution flag flew. The Tampa native is seeking to give Richard Petty's famous No. 43 its first victory since John Andretti won at Martinsville in 1999. Almirola is also looking for his first true win in either of the top-two divisions in NASCAR. He officially won a Nationwide Series race at Milwaukee in 2007, but Denny Hamlin actually completed the event after the car's sponsor demanded that Hamlin - delayed by traffic and thus kept from starting the race as scheduled - be put into the car during a pit stop.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Charlotte Update: Point Leader Greg Biffle Leads Coca-Cola 600 Early

It has been a revolving door at the top of the scoring pylon thus far in the Coca-Cola 600, as Marcos Ambrose, Aric Almirola, Ambrose, Greg Biffle, Ambrose again, and now Biffle have taken turns out front in the first 30 laps of the 400-lap marathon that is NASCAR's longest night.

Almirola started on the pole in Richard Petty's famous No. 43, but teammate Ambrose took the lead on the opening lap. The Tasmanian played the role of team player, letting Almirola past to lead a lap and pick up a Sprint Cup point. He retook the lead before being chased down by Biffle, who started fourth. The Sprint Cup point leader gave up the lead shortly therafter as he struggled with debris on his grill and high engine temperatures, but chased Ambrose back down to reclaim the top spot.

At 30 laps, Biffle and Ambrose run one-two, ahead of Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, and Mark Martin. Rounding out the top-10 are Kasey Kahne, Almirola, Jeff Gordon (who started 23rd), Denny Hamlin, and Regan Smith. Defending Coke 600 champ Kevin Harvick sits just outside the top-10 in 11th place.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Charlotte: Coca-Cola 600 Paint Schemes

Not surprisingly, being that this is Memorial Day Weekend, the Coca-Cola 600 field will have quite a patriotic look as it does battle on the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Sunday's race marks the kick-off event for the NASCAR Unites "Salute to America," a six-week program that runs from Charlotte through the July race at Daytona. Several cars are carrying full-on special paint schemes, while many others have red, white, and blue stars lining their regular paint scheme.

Kevin Harvick's No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet will run this flag-themed race car for all six events of the Salute to America. Dale Earnhardt Jr's National Guard-sponsored Chevy has an added flair for this weekend. Jimmie Johnson is running the same red, white, and blue Chevrolet he raced to a win in last weekend's Sprint All-Star Race. Several other drivers, including Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin, and Brad Keselowski have dedicated paint schemes for the 600.

Many of those who are running one of their sponsors' standard paint schemes have gotten into the patriotic act for the weekend. For example, here is Tony Stewart's No. 14 Office Depot Chevy with blue and white stars on the side skirts, spoiler, and rear sharkfin in addition to blue trim on the car number.

Jayski.com has a full paint scheme chart for every Sprint Cup race. Head on over there and scroll down to the Coca-Cola 600 chart and click the links on the right hand side to view all of the NASCAR Unites paint schemes that will blaze around the track Sunday evening.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Charlotte: Greg Biffle Maintains Series Points Lead Over Matt Kenseth

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Charlotte: Stock Car Racing's Longest And Most Patriotic Night

CHARLOTTE, NC - MAY 18:  Jimmie Johnson drives the #48 Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 18, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Photo by Jamey Price/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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SB Nation Atlanta Atlanta Motor Speedway To Feature Food Items Made With Coca-Cola Products; Fan Voting Underway

This September at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR fans will be able to take in the on-track action while enjoying a variety of menu items cooked with Coca-Cola products.

Okay, let your mouth stop watering from reading that first line and wipe yourself off, but keep those napkins handy because you're gonna need 'em.

Coca-Cola is easily our great state's most recognized company and product. What started as a medicinal drink invented by Dr. John Pemberton in an Atlanta Pharmacy - Jacob's Pharmacy in fact, I dunno who Jacob was but I'm sure glad he hired Dr. John - and was built into a national phenomenon by Asa Candler now puts smiles on the faces of folks worldwide. It continues to hold significant local meaning, though, with the World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta drawing over a million visitors each year.

Now Levy Restaurants has created a handful of recipes featuring Coca-Cola products and some of Georgia's other great food exports that are exclusive to the race track. Fans will be able to vote on each recipe to decide which items will be sold at "Taste of Coca-Cola" concessions at the track.

Got your napkins handy? Good, because here is the savory list of products featuring the Official Soft Drink of Southern Hospitality (and NASCAR). It's unfortunate we can't vote for them all, because I'd be eating every one of them over the three days of the race weekend:

Coke Zero Braised-Beef Tacos (My kind of Taco!)

Coca-Cola Chili Dog (Oh my goodness.)

Fries with Coca-Cola Dipping Sauce (They should market that sauce!)


Georgia Peaches and Sprite Elephant Ear (I dunno what the heck that is, but it sure sounds good)

Cherry Coke BBQ Pork Sandwich with Vidalia Onions
(Oh my goodness, part two).

Goodness gracious me! Sounds like a hungry Southerner's dream weekend, and that's before you throw in the stars of NASCAR's top-three divisions doing battle on the track!

Needless to say, this scrumptious menu is just another reason Atlanta Motor Speedway will be home of the "Biggest Labor Day Party in the USA."

To vote, visit this page at the Atlanta Motor Speedway website.

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SB Nation Atlanta Atlanta Motor Speedway Offering Coca-Cola Food Items, Fan Voting Underway

HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06:  A view of race action during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2011 in Hampton, Georgia.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Results: Jimmie Johnson Claims Third All-Star Victory

Jimmie Johnson became the third three-time champion of the Sprint All-Star Race Saturday night, joining Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon as drivers to three-peat. Johnson also won in 2003 and 2006. Johnson led every lap of the final ten-lap dash to pick up the $1 million payday. It continues a terrific week for Johnson, who won last Saturday's Southern 500 at Darlington to give Rick Hendrick his 200th win. His team then claimed the win in Thursday's Pit Crew Challenge.

It is the seventh All-Star win for Hendrick. The legendary car owner easily leads his peers in that category.

Brad Keselowski finished second, ahead of Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kevin Harvick, Marcos Ambrose, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-10. A.J. Allmendinger, who contended all night after transferring with his runner-up finish to Earnhardt in the Sprint Showdown, took 11th-place.

All but two drivers finished the race. Defending race champ Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle each blew their Roush-Fenway Ford engines in a spectacular fireball.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Update: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Segment Four

Dale Earnhardt Jr. showed he had a strong Chevrolet by leading all 40 laps of the Sprint Showdown. He continued his great night by winning segment four of the Sprint All-Star Race. It sets him up to be fourth, behind Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Brad Keselowski, when the cars head to pit road for mandatory final stop. They must at least stop in their box, but are not required to do any service to their cars before the final ten-lap segment

Marcos Ambrose, A.J. Allmendinger, Kasey Kahne, and Jeff Gordon completed the top-five.

Kenseth might be on edge as he pursues his second All-Star win. One teammate, Carl Edwards' engine blew sky high in the second segment, while Greg Biffle's went up in flames early in segment four. The Sprint Cup point leader had a brief scare as his car filled with smoke while he appeared to struggle to get free of his radio cords. Finally removing the helmet, Biffle scrambled to safety and walked away under his own power.

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SB Nation Atlanta Sprint All-Star Race Update: Brad Keselowski Edges Kasey Kahne To Win Segment Three

The $1 million payday doesn't come until later, but you'd never know it by the way Brad Keselowski and Kasey Kahne dueled in the final laps of the third segment. Kahne chased Keselowski down and tried valiantly to pass him both high and low, but the Penske driver held serve.

Coming to the line to complete the 60th lap, Kahne got a run off turn four and cut to the inside of Keselowski and came within .006 seconds of leading the lap that would have given him the segment triumph. tThat's six one-thousandths of a second.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Allmendinger, and Marcos Ambrose completed the top-five.

The racing has gradually gotten better as the race has worn along. The first segment saw Jimmie Johnson pass Kyle Busch late and pull away to win handily. Matt Kenseth scooted past Denny Hamlin near the end of Segment Two but was within reasonable distance of a great duel between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin for second-place, won by Earnhardt.

The paper-thin margin of victory for segment three is likely a harbinger of things to come in the final 20 lap segment and the 10-lap dash for the $1 million prize.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Update: 2004 Winner Matt Kenseth Wins Second Segment

Matt Kenseth overhauled Denny Hamlin near the end of segment two of the Sprint All-Star Race and held on to claim the second 20-lapper of the evening. Kenseth joins segment one winner Jimmie Johnson as drivers locked into the front four positions before hitting pit road for the final 10-lap segment.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. edge passed Denny Hamlin on lap 40 to take second spot, while Marcos Ambrose and A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the top-five. Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, and Kevin Harvick completed the top-10 finishers

Defending race champion Carl Edwards became the first driver officially out of the race when his engine blew after just 26 laps.

Johnson, with his spot for the final segment's pit stop solidified, pitted a second time before segment two to start at the rear of the field and came to the green flag for that start and the restart from Edwards' explosive exit well behind the rest of the field to preserve his very fast Chevrolet.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Defending Champion Carl Edwards Blows Engine

There hasn't been a repeat champion of the Sprint All-Star Race since the late Davey Allison claimed it in back-to-back seasons in 1991 and 1992. That string will continue to 2013, as defending winner Carl Edwards' Roush-Fenway Ford erupted in a plume of smoke and flames as his engine expired just into the second segment.

Thanks to a variety of strategies on pit road after the opening segment, Denny Hamlin holds the lead ahead of Marcos Ambrose, Matt Kenseth, Paul Menard, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Of the drivers who pitted under the yellow, Kyle Busch is seventh.

The racing was wild in the middle of the pack after Kurt Busch slapped the wall off turn four and stacked the field up. Several cars jostled back and forth, often three-wide, with the scramble only paused when Edwards' engine failure drew the first caution flag of either race tonight, competition cautions aside.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Update: Jimmie Johnson Wins Segment One

Jimmie Johnson tracked down Kyle Busch after 14 laps and led from there to claim the opening segment of the Sprint All-Star Race. With the win, the two-time event champ will be one of the first four drivers to pit road prior to the final ten-lap segment. Busch maintained second place, ahead of Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin, and Greg Biffle.

Two former race champions have already been in the wall. Tony Stewart, who won in 2009, slapped the wall off turn two as the defending series champion struggled with a very tight race car. Shortly before the end of the segment, teammates Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard had a moment off turn two as they raced for sixth place. Later that same lap, on the exit of four, Harvick put the bumper to Menard but it was his No. 29 Chevrolet that smacked the wall. Harvick, the 2007 winner, was less than pleased with his Richard Childress Racing counterpart.

A.J. Allmendinger, who started 22nd after transferring from the Sprint Showdown with a runner-up finish, drove to 12th-place in the opening 20 circuits. Showdown winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 15th, while Fan Vote honoree Bobby Labonte picked up one spot from his 23rd-place starting spot.

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SB Nation Atlanta Sprint All-Star Race: Bobby Labonte Wins Sprint Fan-Vote

Former Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte has edged out Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano in the voting. Labonte, who finished 12th in the Showdown, will take the final starting spot in tonight's Sprint All-Star Race starting grid. He joins 1-2 Sprint Showdown finishers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger in the field.

Labonte, who along with his brother Terry are the only brothers to claim Sprint Cup titles and are two of the most popular drivers ever, was the 2000 series champion. Though he has not won a Sprint Cup event since 2003, that title put him in the starting field for every All-Star event through 2010. Earnhardt won the fan vote last year, a testament to the sheer size of his fan-base - though Labonte always ranks near the top in the Most Popular Driver voting - but his dominant Showdown performance opened the door for the beloved champion and his No. 47 Toyota team to extend their night by 90 laps in tonight's All-Star Race.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Sprint Showdown, A.J. Allmendinger Second

Dale Earnhardt Jr. led all 40 laps of the Sprint Showdown, claiming his first win in a Sprint Cup race of any kind since 2008, but A.J. Allmendinger stole the show.

After being forced to hit pit road to replace a flat left-front tire as the rest of the field was taking the green flag, Allmendinger barely stayed on the lead lap in the first 20-lap segment. He was one of several drivers to hit pit road at the caution flag for four tires, then blasted his way through the field to chase down Jamie McMurray, who himself had made a valiant effort to climb from the rear of the field at the start of the race to run second.

On the penultimate lap, Allmendinger's Dodge slipped underneath McMurray in turns one and two. The pair made slight contact exiting the corner, and Allmendinger grabbed the position in turns three and four. McMurray brushed the wall off four, effectively giving the second transfer spot to the Penske Racing driver.

One transfer spot remains, with the results of the Sprint Fan Vote to be determined. Earnhardt Jr's victory opens up the vote for another driver to claim the vote and take the final starting spot in tonight's All-Star Race.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Leads Showdown After 20 Laps

Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn't won a Sprint Cup race since claiming his last points-paying win at Michigan in 2008. Saturday's Sprint Showdown doesn't count in the record books, but a win in the preliminary to tonight's Sprint All-Star Race would no doubt be a boost for Earnhardt and his fans. He's halfway there after leading every lap of the opening 20-lap segment of the race.

Martin Truex Jr. dueled with Earnhardt side by side for the first lap and a half before the Hendrick Motorsports driver pulled away. Truex remained second for the rest of the segment. Jeff Burton was third, ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya and Aric Almirola.

Jamie McMurray, who started dead last in the Showdown after having to make adjustments to his car after qualifying, tore through the field to be scored sixth at the completion of lap 20.

Polesitter A.J. Allmendinger's left front tire went flat on the pace laps, forcing him to follow pace car driver Brett Bodine down pit road before the start of the race. Despite the pit stop, Allmendinger remained on the lead lap and turned lap times consistently as quick or quicker than Earnhardt, validating his pole run.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Qualifying: Kyle Busch, A.J. Allmendinger Claim Pole Positions

Kyle Busch will lead the field to the green flag in Saturday night's Sprint All-Star race. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, the final driver to take a qualifying time, edged out Stewart-Haas Racing pilot Ryan Newman to take the top spot. Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five.

There were a bevy of penalties, affecting Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Marcos Ambrose, and Mark Martin.

Kasey Kahne was on pace for a great, possibly pole-winning qualifying effort but lost control and slammed the turn three wall, destroying his No. 5 Chevrolet. He will start from the rear of the field tomorrow night in a backup car.

A.J. Allmendinger won the pole for the preliminary Sprint Showdown, a 30-lap last-chance race from which three drivers - the top-two finishers and the winner of a Fan Vote - advance to the All-Star Race. Martin Truex Jr. was second, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, and Aric Almirola.

Visit NASCAR.com for the full Sprint All-Star Race and Sprint Showdown qualifying results.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Paint Schemes

Starting with this Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, we at SB Nation Atlanta's NASCAR hub are going to provide a chart of the different paint schemes you can expect for an up-coming race.

Regular Sprint Cup viewers already have an idea of what one or two paint schemes the star drivers usually alternate, but with the grid never having the same look as it did one week prior, we've decided to give fans a heads-up on what scheme each driver is scheduled to use for that up-coming weekend.

There was a time when the All-Star Race, then known as The Winston, was as popular for the variety of special paint schemes as it was for the on-track action. The 1995 race saw Dale Earnhardt's No. 3 Chevrolet carry the "Silver Select" look in honor of R.J. Reynolds' 25th anniversary as title sponsor of what was then the Winston Cup Series. Though there had been one-off paint schemes here and there throughout the years, that car started it all in terms of special paint schemes being run with regularity and heavily merchandised as well.

In recent years, most teams have tended to run the regular scheme for one of their alternating primary sponsors. One of the few drivers who has continued to run a one-off scheme every year is Dale Earnhardt Jr. His No. 88 Chevrolet has carried a Dale Jr. Foundation since 2009.

To see this year's black, white, and orange car Earnhardt will drive in the Sprint Showdown - and likely the All-Star Race itself courtesy of either the Sprint Fan Vote or a top-two finish in the Showdown - visit Jayski.com's paint scheme page for the No. 88 car and scroll down. By the way, the quartet of The Dark Knight Rises schemes are entries in a fan-vote contest to select Earnhardt's scheme for the June event at Michigan International Speedway. You can vote by visiting the Dew Crew Facebook Page.

Defending Sprint Cup champion and 2009 Sprint All-Star Race winner Tony Stewart will have a one-off scheme of his own Saturday night. Stewart fans like yours truly will be hoping he gobbles up (sorry) the competition in his Bass Pro Shops/National Wild Turkey Federation Chevrolet (again, scroll down. Trust me, you can't miss this car).

Atlanta-based Rheem Heating, Cooling, and Water Heating Products will be the primary sponsor of 2007 All-Star champ Kevin Harvick and his No. 29 Chevrolet. The black and red paint scheme (you know the drill, scroll down. Hint: It's the car with RHEEM on the hood) has appeared on Chevrolets driven by Harvick since 2008, first on his Nationwide Series entry and on his Sprint Cup car in a pair of races last season. The car will be run again this September at Atlanta Motor Speedway during the Advocare 500, so be sure to get a good look of it this weekend.

Harvick's Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton will also have a one-off scheme. The sharp-as-a-tack black and silver Chevrolet will be jointly sponsored by Caterpillar and BB&T, which are splitting time along with General Mills as primary sponsors of Burton's No. 31 machine this season.

The last two champions of the Daytona 500 will have new schemes as well. Matt Kenseth will be debuting his new No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Fusion Saturday night. The scheme is scheduled to run in three more races later in the season. Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers, meanwhile, will be carrying the colors of Camping World and Good Sam this weekend. As with Harvick's car, you'll see the blue, red, and yellow Ford again at Atlanta in September.

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NASCAR Ranting and Raving Cartoon: In Honor of Chevrolet's Next Stock Car

It appears that the 2013 Sprint Cup season will see the Bowtie Brigade piloting a rebadged Holden Commodore. Six of Chevy's top stars are already getting in the spirit...

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Understanding The Format

CHARLOTTE, NC - MAY 21:  Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Aflac Ford, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 21, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Darlington Results: Jimmie Johnson Gives Rick Hendrick 200th Sprint Cup Win

For the 200th time in his career, Sprint Cup team owner Rick Hendrick is headed to victory lane after Jimmie Johnson won the Bojangles Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway. It is Johnson's 56th-career win and his first since he claimed last September's race at the Kansas Speedway.

Denny Hamlin finished second ahead of Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. Completing the top-10 were Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Marcos Ambrose, and Joey Logano.

Johnson picked up his third Darlington victory, after sweeping the final season the track hosted two races in 2004. Jeff Gordon, who finished 35th after mechanical woes to continue his miserable season, has seven Darlington wins to go along with Ricky Rudd's 1991 triumph there in a Hendrick Chevy.

Hendrick's 200 victories have been marked by three Daytona 500 wins with Gordon and one each with Bodine and Johnson, five Brickyard 400 triumphs with Gordon and three more Indianapolis wins with Johnson, and have been a big part of him claiming ten Sprint Cup championships with Johnson (5), Gordon (4), and Terry Labonte (1, in 1996).

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Darlington Update: First Caution Flies At Lap 172

In the longest green-flag run at Darlington Raceway since NASCAR began recording caution flag statistics in 1979, the Bojangles Southern 500 went 171 laps before the first yellow flag of the race flew. Debris in turn two drew the caution to bring the field to pace car speed for the first time since the green flag flew.

Jimmie Johnson was in the process of running away with the lead as he seeks to give Rick Hendrick his 200th-career win as a Sprint Cup team owner. Positions second through fourth had been a constant back-and-forth among polesitter Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr., with Denny Hamlin sitting fifth.

A side-effect of the long green-flag run, only thirteen cars were on the lead-lap when the caution flag flew. Clint Bowyer was the first driver one lap down and thus was moved back onto the lead-lap as a recipient of the Aaron's Lucky Dog.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Darlington Update: Greg Biffle Dominates Clean Opening Run

Greg Biffle started from the pole in Saturday evening's Bojangles Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway and led the opening stint of the race all-but uncontested. Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne challenged him just prior to the first round of pit stops, which occurred under green flag conditions, but Biffle did not relinquish the lead until taking his Ford to pit road. Kyle Busch then assumed the lead, with Biffle sitting second, ahead of Kahne, Johnson, and Denny Hamlin.

The race has been clean for Darlington standards, with only the occasional rub with the wall in the corners. Among the drivers who have already picked up their "Darlington Stripe" are defending race winner Regan Smith and Jeff Gordon, who's seven Darlington wins lead all active drivers.

As expected, Danica Patrick didn't set the world on fire in her opening laps at Darlington, falling off the lead lap and hovering in the mid-30s in the running order. Her pre-race goals were to simply learn and try to complete the race.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Darlington: Joey Logano Wins Nationwide Race Despite Incident With Elliott Sadler

Joey Logano took a bittersweet victory Friday, winning the VFW Sport Clips 200 at the Darlington Raceway but only after an incident that ruined the night for Nationwide Series point contender Elliott Sadler. It is his second-straight series win after claiming last Saturday's Talladega 312-miler and winning at Fontana in March.

On a late restart, Logano nudged Sadler, sending him across the nose of Denny Hamlin's car and into the outside retaining wall. Sadler, who came into the race trailing Ricky Stenhouse by a slim margin, wound up with a heart-breaking 24th-place finish.

Logano was able to hold off Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, for the win. Brad Keselowski, Sam Hornish Jr., and Austin Dillon rounded out the top-five. Compounding Sadler's dismay, Stenhouse placed sixth and stretched his margin in the points race to 23 points over his rival in last year's title fight which the Roush-Fenway Racing driver won.

Completing the top-10 were Brian Scott, Kurt Busch, James Buescher, and Cole Whitt. Danica Patrick, in her first Darlington race, was a solid 12th. Extreme sports legend Travis Pastrana was a respectable 17th in his second-career series start.

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Darlington: Greg Biffle Takes Bojangles Southern 500 Pole

Sprint Cup point leader Greg BIffle snared his second pole of the 2012 season, taking the top-spot for Saturday's Bojangles Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway. The Roush-Fenway Racing driver toured the legendary circuit in 27.281 seconds for an average speed of just over 180 miles per hour.

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne each turned a lap time of 27.386, but Johnson gets the outside front-row position by virtue of his No. 48 Chevrolet being higher in car owner points than Kahne's No. 5 mount.

The top-five was completed by Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch. Rounding out the top-10 were Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, defending Southern 500 champion Regan Smith, and Jeff Burton.

Unadilla's David Ragan was 37th-fastest, whiile Reed Sorenson was slowest with the 47th-fastest time. His No. 32 Ford is locked into the race courtesy of car owner points, and he will race Saturday night.

In her return to the Sprint Cup Series, Danica Patrick turned the 38th-quickest time. Missing the show were Scott Riggs, Michael McDowell, Stephen Leicht, and Mike Bliss.

Visit NASCAR.com for the full starting grid.

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SB Nation Atlanta Atlanta Motor Speedway Hosting Annual Open House May 12

HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06:  A view of race action during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2011 in Hampton, Georgia.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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SB Nation Atlanta NASCAR At Darlington: The Southern 500 - NASCAR's Original 500-Mile Legend

DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 07:  The field drives into turn three during a caution at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SHOWTIME Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 7, 2011 in Darlington, South Carolina.  (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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