Rain showers postpone Atlanta race to Tuesday

HAMPTON, Ga. – Rain showers Sunday prompted officials to reschedule the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Tuesday. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 11 a.m. ET, and ESPN will televise the race.

When the race begins, Jeff Gordon will line up fifth. His Hendrick Motorsports teammates will start inside the top 32 with Jimmie Johnson in 17th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 29th and Mark Martin in 32nd.

Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, averages an 8.5 finish when starting eighth or better at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In 37 Cup starts at Atlanta, Gordon has four wins, 14 top-five finishes and 23 top-10s.  The driver of the No. 24 Chevy is 93 points ahead of 11th-place and has clinched at least a wild card spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Gordon can guarantee a top-10 spot in the Chase with at least a finish of 40th, or 41st and at least one lap led or 42nd and most laps led on Tuesday. Gordon’s two wins this season helped him achieve wild card status.

Johnson will line up 17th in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet on Tuesday. In 19 Cup starts at Atlanta, Johnson has three wins, 10 top-five finishes and 12 top-10s. His average finish at Atlanta is 10.4, and he earned a spot last month inside the Chase with a fourth-place finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Earnhardt will roll off the grid 29th on Tuesday at Atlanta. The driver of the No. 88 National Guard Military Intelligence/AMP Energy Chevrolet has one win, eight top-five finishes and 10 top-10s in 23 Cup starts at the 1.54-mile oval.  Earnhardt currently is ninth in points and can achieve a spot inside the Chase with a 49-point cushion after running at Atlanta. No specific finish will guarantee Earnhardt a postseason position.

Martin will line up 32nd in his No. 5 CARQUEST Auto Parts/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet on Monday. In 50 cup starts at Atlanta, Martin has two wins, 14 top-five finishes and 23 top-10s. Martin has a shot of making the Chase through the wild card seeding, but there are too many