CONCORD, N.C. – This weekend, the Sprint Cup Series heads to chilly Atlanta.
"Atlanta Motor Speedway holds a special place in my heart," Jeff Gordon said.
It's a track of many firsts for Gordon and career bests for Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. It's also the track where Kasey Kahne secured his place in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2014.
This Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers will have another chance to make memories at the 1.54-mile oval. Below is a look at some key notes to keep in mind before and during the second race of the 2015 Sprint Cup season.
THIS WEEK'S PAINT SCHEMES: Kahne will compete for another win at the Atlanta track in the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS. Gordon will drive the No. 24 3M Chevrolet SS in his final Atlanta race, Johnson will pilot the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet SS and Earnhardt will race the No. 88 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet SS.
QUALIFYING: This weekend's qualifying will take place tonight, Feb. 27, at 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Practices can also be viewed on FOX Sports 1 on Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. ET and on Feb. 28 at noon ET.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT ATLANTA: Hendrick Motorsports has 12 wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which ranks the organization second all-time. Kahne most recently won for Hendrick Motorsports at the 1.54-mile oval in 2014, assuring all four of the organization's drivers a place in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the third consecutive season.
THREE-TIME ATLANTA WINNER: Kahne has earned a total of three Sprint Cup wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which ranks as his second-best track in career wins. In 2006, he started from the pole position, led 85 laps and crossed the finish line as the winner. Kahne's second victory happened in 2009, when he led a total of 60 laps. In August 2014, Kahne earned his third straight Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup appearance with Hendrick Motorsports – the fifth of his career – after leading 25 laps and winning at Atlanta.
KAHNE AT ATLANTA: In 18 Sprint Cup starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kahne has three wins, seven top-five finishes and nine top-10 finishes and has led 353 laps. After the Daytona 500, the No. 5 team currently ranks second in green-flag speed, second in quality passes (379), fifth in fastest drivers late in a run, fifth in fastest speed in traffic, sixth in laps in top 15 (183), sixth in average running position (9.143), seventh in driver rating (104.5) and 10th in fastest drivers early in a run.
FIRSTS AT ATLANTA: On March 14, 1992, Gordon won from the pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway to capture his first ever NASCAR victory in what is now known as the XFINITY Series. His first start in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series occurred at Atlanta in the 1992 season finale, which also marked Richard Petty's final race. Gordon also clinched his first Cup Series championship at Atlanta in the final race of 1995.
GORDON AT ATLANTA: The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion leads active drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway with 16 top-five finishes, 26 top-10 finishes and 1,297 laps led. In 41 Sprint Cup starts at the track, Gordon has five wins, the last of which came in 2011.
JOHNSON AT ATLANTA: Johnson has a few series bests at Atlanta. He owns the series-best average running position (9.1), the series-best average green flag speed of 171.523 mph and the series-high laps in the top 15 with 4,381 or 84 percent. Johnson also has the second-best driver rating at the 1.54-mile track with a 104.9. The No. 48 driver has three wins, 12 top-five finishes and 14 top- 10 finishes in Atlanta.
EARNHARDT AT ATLANTA: In 27 Sprint Cup starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Earnhardt has one win, eight top-five finishes and 12 top-10 finishes and has led 632 laps. Earnhardt's two pole positions at Atlanta tie his personal best at a track. He holds the same number at Michigan International Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. His average finish of 12.3 at Atlanta is his best at any track.