2009 Kobalt Tools 500

December 2018 December 2018 CUST Race 4 of 36 in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season Kobalt Tools 500 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule https://www.espn.com/racing/schedule/_/year/2009 ESPN December 29, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20101201160600/http://espn.go.com/racing/schedule/_/year/2009 December 1, 2010 liveThe Race: Kobalt Tools 500 http://www.jayski.com/next/2009/4ams2009.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20090326021553/http://www.jayski.com/next/2009/4ams2009.htm March 26, 2009 dead mdy-all2009 Kobalt Tools 500 https://www.racing-reference.info/race/2009_Kobalt_Tools_500/W Racing-Reference December 3, 2018 https://archive.today/20181203120406/https://www.racing-reference.info/race/2009_Kobalt_Tools_500/W December 3, 2018 live mdy-all 2009 03 8 2009 4 36 2009_Kobalt_Tools_500_program_cover.png 2009 Kobalt Tools 500 program cover Kobalt Tools 500 Permanent racing facility Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 1.54 2.48 330 508.2 817.868 325 500.5 805.476 Temperatures up to 73.9 F C; wind speeds up to 15 mph km/hhttp://www.almanac.com/weather/history/GA/Hampton/2009-03-08 Weather information for Hampton, Georgia Old Farmer's Almanac June 14, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002257/http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/GA/Hampton/2009-03-08 March 4, 2016 live 127.573 mi/h Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports 29.640 Kurt Busch Penske Racing 234 2 Kurt Busch Penske Racing Fox Broadcasting Company Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds 5.5/12 (Final) 4.7/10 (Overnight)2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup TV Ratings http://www.jayski.com/pages/tvratings2009.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site January 3, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20110909024117/http://www.jayski.com/pages/tvratings2009.htm September 9, 2011 dead 8,877,000 millionSmith Michael NASCAR ratings take hit https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2009/05/11/This-Weeks-News/NASCAR-Ratings-Take-Hit.aspx SportsBusiness Daily May 11, 2009 December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181203123117/https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2009/05/11/This-Weeks-News/NASCAR-Ratings-Take-Hit.aspx December 3, 2018 live 94,400 The 2009 Kobalt Tools 500 was the fourth stock car race of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was held on March 8, 2009, in Hampton, Georgia, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, before a crowd of 94,400 attendees. The circuit is an intermediate track that holds NASCAR races. The 325-lap race was won by Penske Racing Championship's Kurt Busch from a second position start. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports took second, with Roush Fenway Racing driver Carl Edwards in third. Mark Martin won his first pole position since the 2001 season by posting the fastest lap in qualifying, and he held the lead for the first six laps, until Busch overtook him on the seventh lap. He lost it after the first pit stop cycle to Ryan Newman but he passed him on the 18th lap to retake the position. After that, Busch ceded the lead to Jimmie Johnson after a refuelling problem during a pit stop, but he returned to the lead on lap 103. At the green–white–checker restart on lap 330, Edwards was in the first position, but he was passed by Kurt Busch on the outside lane soon after, and the latter held off Gordon for the remainder of the race to win. There were eleven cautions and thirteen lead changes amongst eight different drivers during the course of the event. The victory was Busch's first of the season, his second at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the 19th of his career, since he debuted in the 2000 season. The result advanced him from seventh to third in the Drivers' Championship; 46 points behind Gordon (whose second-place finish enabled him to increase his points advantage over Clint Bowyer). In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet lowered Ford's lead to two points, while Toyota and Dodge were tied for third with 33 races left in the season. The race had a television audience of 8,877,000 million. Background 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series#Teams and drivers thumb|left|An aerial view of Atlanta Motor Speedway The Kobalt Tools 500 was the fourth out of thirty-six scheduled stock car races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was held on March 8, 2009, in Hampton, Georgia, at Atlanta Motor Speedway; an intermediate track that holds NASCAR races.http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ NASCAR Race Tracks NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20101012082703/http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ October 12, 2010 dead January 7, 2016 mdy-all The standard track at Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.54 mi km on four-turn quad-oval.https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/track-profile-atlanta-motor-speedway-032009 Track profile: Atlanta Motor Speedway Fox Sports https://web.archive.org/web/20181203125100/https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/track-profile-atlanta-motor-speedway-032009 December 3, 2018 dead December 3, 2018 The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, and the back stretch are banked at five degrees. Before the race, Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon led the Drivers' Championship with 459 points, ahead of Clint Bowyer in second, and Matt Kenseth third. Greg Biffle and David Reutimann were fourth and fifth, and Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick, and Michael Waltrip rounded out the top twelve.2009 Official Driver Standings: Shelby 427 http://www.nascar.com:80/races/cup/2009/3/data/standings_official.html NASCAR December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20090527191900/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/3/data/standings_official.html May 27, 2009 dead mdy-all In the Manufacturers' Championship, Ford led with 22 points; Chevrolet were in second place with 18 points. Toyota placed third with 16 points, and Dodge were fourth with ten points.Manufacturers' Championship Classification http://www.jayski.com/stats/2009/manu2009.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site January 1, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20140707174849/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2009/manu2009.htm July 7, 2014 dead Kyle Busch was the race's defending champion from the 2008 event.https://www.theautochannel.com/news/2009/03/02/452266.html Atlanta Motor Speedway Kobalt Tools 500 News and Notes – March 2, 2009 March 2, 2009 The Auto Channel https://web.archive.org/web/20181203151823/https://www.theautochannel.com/news/2009/03/02/452266.html December 3, 2018 live December 3, 2018 Starting from the Atlanta round, NASCAR established a regulation that determines how long the restart zone is on each track. This added to a new rule devised by NASCAR at the start of the season, when they created a zone from which the race leader was required to commence the race for better consistency. NASCAR's vice-president of competition Robin Pemberton explained series officials would double the figure of the pit road speed limit, and then establish it as the distance in feet of the restart area, "It will be twice the pit-road speed. It's a means to get variable lengths in there for the race track itself. It's something the garage area asked us to do. Is it perfect; maybe, maybe not. But, it's a start."http://www.racingone.com:80/article.aspx?artnum=47790 Formula for Restart Zone Created March 6, 2009 Motor Racing Network https://web.archive.org/web/20090312075657/http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=47790 March 12, 2009 dead December 3, 2018 mdy-all Practice and qualifying Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race; one on Friday and two on Saturday. The first session lasted 90 minutes, and the second, scheduled for 45 minutes, was shortened to 20 minutes because of fog delaying qualifying for the Camping World Truck Series round. The final session ran for an hour. In the first practice session, Mark Martin was fastest with a 30.180 seconds lap, ahead of Harvick in second, and Brian Vickers in third. David Stremme was fourth-fastest, Juan Pablo Montoya placed fifth, and Kasey Kahne sixth. Kurt Busch, Edwards, Marcos Ambrose, and A. J. Allmendinger rounded out the session's top ten competitors.http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/practice/1/2009/atlanta-motor-speedway/kobalt-tools-500/148 NASCAR Practice #1 Speeds for the 2009 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway March 6, 2009 Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet https://web.archive.org/web/20131029182807/http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/practice/1/2009/atlanta-motor-speedway/kobalt-tools-500/148 October 29, 2013 live December 3, 2018 thumb|Mark Martin (pictured in 2007) had the 42nd pole position of his career. Forty-seven drivers attempted to qualify on Friday evening,https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/kobalt-tools-500-entry-list-030609 Kobalt Tools 500 entry list March 6, 2009 Fox Sports https://web.archive.org/web/20181203153019/https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/kobalt-tools-500-entry-list-030609 December 3, 2018 live December 3, 2018 according to NASCAR's qualifying procedure forty-three were allowed to race. Each driver ran two laps, with the starting order determined by the competitor's fastest times. Martin took his first pole position since the 2001 Pontiac Excitement 400, and the 42nd of his career,http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Mar06/0,4670,CARNASCARAtlantaQualifying,00.html Mark Martin takes first pole since 2001 Newberry Paul March 6, 2009 December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20101119011433/http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Mar06/0,4670,CARNASCARAtlantaQualifying,00.html November 19, 2010 Fox News Associated Press with a time of 29.640 seconds.http://www.autosport.com:80/news/report.php/id/73598 Martin claims Atlanta Cup pole Meija Diego March 7, 2009 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20090310021158/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73598 March 10, 2009 live December 3, 2018 mdy-all He was joined on the grid's front row by Kurt Busch whose best lap was 0.108 seconds behind because of his slower corner entry speed.https://www.crash.net/nascar/news/143729/1/martin-streaks-to-atlanta-pole Martin secures Atlanta pole Salisbury Matt March 7, 2009 Crash https://web.archive.org/web/20181203160918/https://www.crash.net/nascar/news/143729/1/martin-streaks-to-atlanta-pole December 3, 2018 live December 3, 2009 Jamie McMurray was the highest-placed Ford driver in third. Montoya qualified fourth after a minor loss of car control leaving turn four, Biffle took fifth, and Denny Hamlin sixth. Jimmie Johnson, Joe Nemechek (the fastest driver to qualify on merit outside the top 35), Kyle Busch, and Harvick completed the top ten starters. The four drivers who did not qualify were Todd Bodine, Scott Riggs, Jeremy Mayfield, and Geoff Bodine. Tony Raines withdrew prior to qualifying. Martin said afterward, "I feel like a rookie, I really, really do. I'm still shaking. I thought I ran out of talent in turn four. There was no possible way to hold my foot on the floor and not hit the wall, back end first, in turn four. But that was really fun. I live to scare myself like that." On Saturday morning Biffle was the fastest driver in the second practice session with a time of 30.030 seconds. Edwards was second, and Stremme in third. Hamlin was fourth-fastest, Kenseth came fifth, and Jeff Gordon sixth. Kyle Busch, Montoya, David Ragan, and Johnson followed in positions seven through ten.http://www.nascar.com:80/races/cup/2009/4/data/practice2_speeds.html Practice Two Speeds March 8, 2009 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20090309232821/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/4/data/practice2_speeds.html March 9, 2009 dead December 3, 2018 mdy-all Later that day, Edwards paced the final practice session with a lap of 30.880 seconds, with Kahne three-hundredths of a second behind in second. Hamlin was third-fastest; Kurt Busch came fourth, McMurray placed fifth, and Biffle was sixth. Stremme was seventh-fastest, Jeff Gordon eighth, Martin ninth, and Aric Almirola completed the top ten ahead of the race.http://www.nascar.com:80/races/cup/2009/4/data/practice3_speeds.html Practice Three Speeds March 8, 2009 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20090309232827/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/4/data/practice3_speeds.html March 9, 2009 dead December 3, 2018 mdy-all During practice, Martin Truex Jr. was in pain due to a small kidney stone.Ganguli Tania NASCAR notes: Martin Truex Jr. treated for kidney stones http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-03-08/sports/nascarnotes08_1_johnson-truex-earnhardt-ganassi-racing Orlando Sentinel March 8, 2009 December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20151001010118/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-03-08/sports/nascarnotes08_1_johnson-truex-earnhardt-ganassi-racing October 1, 2015 dead He was transported directly to the infield medical centre to undergo an examination, and later to Spalding Regional Medical Center in Griffin, Georgia for observation and further treatment.Pearce Al NASCAR: Truex slowed by kidney stones https://autoweek.com/article/nascar/nascar-truex-slowed-kidney-stones Autoweek March 6, 2009 December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181203093304/https://autoweek.com/article/nascar/nascar-truex-slowed-kidney-stones December 3, 2018 live Because of NASCAR's drug regulations, he elected to forgo medications while passing the stone so that he could compete in the race.Earnhardt Ganassi Racing' Martin Truex Jr. respects NASCAR's drug policy http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Earnhardt_Ganassi_Racing_Martin_Truex_Jr_respects_NASCARs_drug_policy.html NASCAR Scene May 15, 2009 December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20090518024325/http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Earnhardt_Ganassi_Racing_Martin_Truex_Jr_respects_NASCARs_drug_policy.html May 18, 2009 dead mdy-all Qualifying results Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Time Time in seconds Speed Speed in MPH 1 5Mark MartinHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet 29.640187.044 2 2Kurt BuschPenske Championship RacingDodge 29.748186.365 3 26Jamie McMurrayRoush Fenway RacingFord 29.757186.309 4 42Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 29.773186.209 5 16Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 29.777186.184 611Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota 29.780186.165 7 48Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet29.798186.053 8 87Joe NemechekNEMCO Motorsports Toyota 29.819185.922 9 18Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota29.824185.891 10 29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress Racing Chevrolet 29.833185.835 11 14Tony StewartStewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 29.848185.741 12 39Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 29.874185.579 13 9Kasey KahneRichard Petty Motorsports Dodge 29.898185.430 14 19Elliott Sadler Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 29.913185.337 15 31Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 29.922185.282 16 24Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.924185.269 17 83Brian VickersRed Bull Racing Team Toyota 29.976184.948 18 00David ReutimannMichael Waltrip Racing Toyota 29.989184.868 19 7Robby GordonRobby Gordon Motorsports Toyota 30.023184.658 20 88Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 30.049184.499 21 33Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 30.049184.499 22 28Travis KvapilYates RacingFord 30.088184.260 23 1Martin Truex Jr. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 30.113184.107 24 55Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 30.129184.009 25 7Casey Mears Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 30.130184.003 2682Scott Speed Red Bull Racing Team Toyota30.134183.978 27 66Dave BlaneyPrism Motorsports Toyota 30.139183.948 28 12David Stremme Penske Championship Racing Dodge 30.143183.923 29 99Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 30.150183.881 30 17Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 30.164183.795 31 71David GillilandTRG Motorsports Chevrolet 30.169183.765 32 43Reed SorensonRichard Petty Motorsports Dodge 30.171183.753 33 98Paul Menard Yates Racing Ford 30.248183.285 34 47Marcos AmbroseJTG Daugherty Racing Toyota30.250183.273 35 21Bill ElliottWood Brothers Racing Ford 30.251183.267 36 77Sam Hornish Jr. Penske Championship Racing Dodge 30.254183.249 37 8Aric Almirola Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 30.306182.934 38 44A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 30.308182.922 39 6David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 30.319182.8561 40 96Bobby LabonteHall of Fame Racing Ford 30.331182.753 41 34John AndrettiFront Row Motorsports Chevrolet 30.358182.621 42 20Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 30.472181.938 43 09Mike BlissPhoenix Racing Dodge 30.354182.645Failed to qualify 44 35Todd BodineGermain Racing Toyota 30.443182.111 45 36Scott RiggsTommy Baldwin Racing Toyota 30.584181.271 46 41Jeremy Mayfield Mayfield Motorsports Toyota 30.811179.936 47 64Geoff BodineGunselman Motorsports Toyota 31.018178.7351 Moved to the back of the grid for changing engines (#6) Source:Race Lineup: Kobalt Tools 500 http://www.nascar.com:80/races/cup/2009/4/data/lineup.html NASCAR March 8, 2009 December 4, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20090328154827/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/4/data/lineup.html March 28, 2009 dead mdy-all Race Live television coverage of the event, the 100th in NASCAR Cup Series competition at Atlanta Motor Speedway,https://bleacherreport.com/articles/134654-right-sides-only Right Sides Only: A NASCAR Weekend Preview South Reno March 5, 2009 Bleacher Report https://web.archive.org/web/20181203152246/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/134654-right-sides-only December 3, 2018 live December 3, 2018 commenced in the United States on Fox at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (UTC−04:00).Lap-by-Lap: Atlanta http://www.nascar.com:80/2009/races/lapbylap/03/07/atlanta/index.html NASCAR March 9, 2009 December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20090310105356/http://www.nascar.com/2009/races/lapbylap/03/07/atlanta/index.html March 10, 2009 dead mdy-all Around the start of the race, weather conditions were clear and warm with the air temperature at 73.3 F C on. Lead pastor Chris Patton of Southside Church in Peachtree City, Georgia began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation. Country music artist and songwriter Richie McDonald performed the national anthem, and the command for drivers to start their engines was given by Kelly Brown, vice president of merchandising for Lowe's. During the pace laps, Ragan dropped to the rear of the field because of an engine change. Poor track grip caused drivers to battle for control of their cars during the event. The race commenced at 2:18 local time. Martin maintained the first position on the entry to turn one. The first caution was waved on the next lap as Reed Sorenson made contact with the wall lining the track at turn one after a car component failure. He drove to his garage for repairs. Martin held the lead at the lap six restart, followed by Kurt Busch and McMurray. On the following lap, Kurt Busch passed below Martin to take the lead. Bobby Labonte triggered the second caution five laps later, when he spun in turn 4, but avoided damage to his car. During the caution, some drivers including Kurt Busch, made pit stops for tires and car adjustments. Nemechek led for one lap before making his pit stop on the 14th lap. Ryan Newman then took the lead, and held it at the restart on lap 16. Kurt Busch overtook Martin for second place on the next lap. On the 17th lap, Kurt Busch steered right to the outside lane and passed Newman to reclaim the first position. Hamlin got ahead of Newman for second two laps later. Martin attempted to do the same for third, but he was unsuccessful. After starting 16th, Jeff Gordon advanced to ninth by the 23rd lap. Similarly, Edwards was in seventh by lap 31 after beginning from 29th place. Eight laps later, Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost tenth to Kyle Busch. left|thumb|upright|Carl Edwards (pictured in 2007) finished in third after losing his chance of the victory at the green–white–checker restart. Green flag pit stops for tires, fuel, and car adjustments began on lap 53. Fourteen laps later, a tire escaped from Ambrose's pit crew, and rested approximately 70 ft m on in the infield.http://www.nascar.com:80/2009/news/headlines/cup/03/18/mambrose.crewman.penalty/index.html Ambrose OK with decision to suspend gas man Watts Menzer Joe March 18, 2009 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20090320234804/http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/03/18/mambrose.crewman.penalty/index.html March 20, 2009 dead December 3, 2018 mdy-all Ambrose's gas man and firefighter Jimmy Watts ran across the grass, and was within 25 yards m on of the track when he retrieved the tire.https://lasvegassun.com/news/2009/mar/08/kurt-busch-runs-away-dominating-win/ Kurt Busch runs away with dominating win Newberry Paul March 8, 2009 Las Vegas Sun December 3, 2018 https://archive.today/20181203134809/https://lasvegassun.com/news/2009/mar/08/kurt-busch-runs-away-dominating-win/ December 3, 2018 live Associated Press mdy-allhttp://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-1s12motors22032-racing-lost-more-lap-sunday-atlant-2009mar12-htmlstory.html Racing lost more than a lap Sunday in Atlanta Center Bill March 12, 2009 The San Diego Union-Tribune December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181205145718/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-1s12motors22032-racing-lost-more-lap-sunday-atlant-2009mar12-htmlstory.html December 5, 2018 live Because Watts ventured into the infield, considered by NASCAR to be part of the track,https://www.upi.com/NASCAR-suspends-gas-man-Jimmy-Watts/15231236795067/ NASCAR suspends gas man Jimmy Watts March 11, 2009 December 3, 2018 United Press International https://web.archive.org/web/20181203152424/https://www.upi.com/NASCAR-suspends-gas-man-Jimmy-Watts/15231236795067/ December 3, 2018 live and with cars leaving turn four at near to 200 mph km/h on, series officials waved the third caution. NASCAR officials escorted Watts from pit road, and he was suspended for the remainder of the event. Kurt Busch made a second pit stop after a refueling problem at a prior stop. The caution meant 15 drivers were on the lead lap, and Johnson led at the lap-74 restart. Two laps later, Jeff Gordon's clutch developed a problem. On lap 78, Edwards overtook Hamlin for second. Edwards got past Johnson on the outside lane for the lead on the 80th lap. Three laps later, Johnson was passed by Hamlin on the inside line while in slower traffic for the third position. On the 103rd lap, Kurt Busch passed Edwards around the outside to claim the first position. Labonte spun on the frontstretch on the same lap, necessitating the fourth caution. Under caution, lapped drivers made pit stops for adjustments to their cars. At the lap 112 restart, Kurt Busch kept the lead over Edwards and Bowyer. Edwards drove on the inside lane, while Kurt Busch ran on the outside line. As some drivers began another phase of green flag pit stops on the 155th lap, the fifth caution came out when fluid was found in turn two. Kurt Busch again held the lead at the lap 162 restart, followed by Bowyer. Two laps later, Bowyer fell to fifth when Jeff Gordon, Johnson, and Edwards got past him. He lost a further position to Martin on lap 166. Jeff Gordon caught and overtook Kurt Busch for first on the 172nd lap, but he did not hold it, as Kurt Busch re-passed him before crossing the start-finish line. On lap 183, Ambrose's car billowed smoke, and he stopped on the apron below the track. The sixth caution was issued two laps later as debris was located on the track. The leaders elected to make pit stops for tires and car adjustments during the caution. Truex led lap 190 but Kurt Busch was first at the lap 192 restart. Ragan made contact with his teammate Biffle on the 196th lap, causing him to go sideways into the wall, and prompting Biffle to regain control of his car. Six laps later, Kurt Busch glanced the wall, and Jeff Gordon passed him for the lead, but lost it to Busch before the conclusion of the lap. thumb|upright|Kurt Busch (pictured in 2015) took his 19th career victory after leading a race high 234 laps On lap 204, Sam Hornish Jr. collided with the turn one wall, drifted back down the track, and collected Bill Elliott, prompting the seventh caution. The leaders, including Kurt Busch, chose to make pit stops for car adjustments and tires during the caution. Jeff Gordon took the lead and held it at the lap 209 restart, with Kurt Busch in second and Martin third. Five laps later, the eighth caution was given; Martin cut his right-rear tire, and went backward into the turn one barrier. His car sustained heavy rear sheet metal damage but he continued to pit road.http://www.autosport.com:80/news/report.php/id/73621 Kurt Busch dominates at Atlanta Meija Diego March 9, 2009 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20090312033827/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73621 March 12, 2009 dead December 4, 2018 mdy-all The leaders again made pit stops under caution. Jeff Gordon led at the lap 222 restart. Hamlin was passed around the outside by Kurt Busch for third on lap 235. Five laps later, he caught and overtook Johnson for the second position. Kurt Busch narrowed Jeff Gordon's lead, and passed him on the outside lane leaving turn four to retake the lead on the 251st lap. The ninth caution came out nine laps later as debris from Robby Gordon's car was located in turn four. During the caution, the leaders went to pit road for fuel, tires and car adjustments. The restart on lap 265 was led by Kurt Busch from Vickers, and Bowyer. On lap 267, Scott Speed hit the wall leaving turn four, and slid into the front of Ragan's car. Biffle was collected by Speed, and was spun into the outside wall, and Jeff Burton went through the grass, activating the tenth caution. Five drivers elected not to make pit stops under caution. Kurt Busch led the field back to racing speed on the lap 275 restart, with Vickers second. Earnhardt was passed by Stewart, and Burton after running close by Almirola on lap 279, and fell to 14th. Vickers reduced the lead of Kurt Busch, when the final caution was necessitated after Robby Gordon's tire shredded and scattered debris on the circuit. All of the leaders, including Kurt Busch, made pit stops for tires and fuel. Edwards won the race off pit road, and led on the green–white–checker restart (extending the race to 330 laps) on lap 329. Edwards lost the lead on the outside lane to Kurt Busch on the backstretch, and he was then passed by Jeff Gordon. Kurt Busch held off Jeff Gordon on the final lap to take his first win of the season, his second at Atlanta Motor Speedway,https://www.motorsport.com/us/nascar-cup/news/kurt-busch-dominates-for-atlanta-victory/2875232/ Kurt Busch dominates for Atlanta victory March 8, 2009 motorsport.com https://web.archive.org/web/20181204173317/https://www.motorsport.com/us/nascar-cup/news/kurt-busch-dominates-for-atlanta-victory/2875232/ December 4, 2018 live December 4, 2018 and the 19th of his career. Jeff Gordon finished second, ahead of Edwards in third. Harvick was fourth, and Vickers fifth. Bowyer, Kahne, Stewart, Johnson, and Truex completed the top ten finishers. There were thirteen lead changes among eight different drivers during the course of the race, Kurt Busch led six times for a total of 234 laps, more than any other driver. Post-race A guy like Kurt could drive for any team out there. His brother is a great driver, but there's not many people out there who can hold a candle to Kurt, and that's why we hired him. Roger Penske on Kurt Busch ending a 22-race winless streak for Penske Championship Racing.Ryan Nate This time, Kurt makes his mark http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A195171496/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=GPS&xid=a2711bfd USA Today 12C March 9, 2009 December 4, 2018 Biography in Context subscription left 40% Kurt Busch appeared in victory lane after his Polish victory lap to celebrate his first victory of the season in front of a crowd of 94,400 attendants; the win earned him $164,175. Kurt Busch thanked his team for providing him with a car that won him the race, "This car was unbelievable. I guess good things come to those who wait. I just drove (against) the track, not the competition, We had strong pit stops, a great-handling car, a strong motor and a great assistant spotter." Jeff Gordon was encouraged with his second-place finish, "It was a great day for us, though. Just driving to the front, battling up front, leading laps, battling for the lead at times. We lost a little something there in the long runs there, middle of the way on and those guys were a little bit stronger than us. But on the restarts, we were real strong."http://www.nascar.com:80/2009/news/headlines/cup/03/09/post.race.jgordon.atlanta/story_single.html Gordon has another solid run despite clutch issues Aumann Mark March 9, 2009 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20090314000458/http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/03/09/post.race.jgordon.atlanta/story_single.html March 14, 2009 dead December 4, 2018 mdy-all Edwards said of his third-place finish, "Third place, considering our pit debacle down there — we were boxed in, It was just a bad pit stall selection and it didn't work out like we planned, but we made the most of it." Two days after the race, it was announced that Watts was suspended for the next four races of the season by NASCAR for transgressing Section 12–1: "actions detrimental to stock car racing", and Article 9-15-U, a regulation which forbids crew members from entering the boundaries of the track while cars were circulating for any reason. Additionally, he was placed on probation until December 31, 2009. Crew chief Frank Kerr was also put on probation until the end of the year because he was deemed responsible for Watts' actions.http://nascar.speedtv.com:80/article/cup-crew-member-suspended-for-rule-violations-at-atlanta/ CUP: Crew Member Suspended For Rule Violations At Atlanta March 10, 2009 Speed https://web.archive.org/web/20090314215812/http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-crew-member-suspended-for-rule-violations-at-atlanta/ March 14, 2009 dead December 3, 2018 mdy-all NASCAR stated that had Watts not ventured into the infield, they would have waved the caution once all cars had made their pit stops.Newton David NASCAR bans Watts 4 races http://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/cup/news/story?id=3968422 ESPN March 10, 2009 December 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181203153341/http://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/cup/news/story?id=3968422 December 3, 2018 live Watts admitted to reacting inappropriately and apologized for his actions. According to Ambrose, the decision to suspend Watts was the correct move to take, "It was a disaster. But I think the penalty was a good one. You can't have guys running out to the race track. It's just not the thing to do. Jimmy is a great guy. He went on instinct. You can't blame the guy for that, either. I mean, he just went on a reaction and it was the wrong reaction. He needs to be an example for others not to do the same." The result of the race meant Jeff Gordon extended his lead in the Drivers' Championship to 43 points ahead of Bowyer in second place. By winning the race, Kurt Busch advanced from seventh to third, while Edwards' third-place finish meant he was in the third position after being in eighth place going into the race. Kenseth fell to fifth in the standings. Stewart, Kyle Busch, Harvick, Kahne, Biffle, Vickers, and Reutimann rounded out the top twelve drivers.http://www.nascar.com:80/races/cup/2009/4/data/standings_official.html 2009 Official Driver Standings: Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20090312050648/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/4/data/standings_official.html March 12, 2009 dead December 4, 2018 mdy-all In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet cut Ford's lead to two points. Dodge tied with Toyota in third place with 33 races left in the season. The event had a television audience of 8,877,000 million; it took 3 hours, 59 minutes and 1 second to complete the race, and the margin of victory was 0.332 seconds. Race results Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Points 1 2 2 Kurt BuschPenske Championship Racing Dodge 3301951 2 16 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 3301752 3 29 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 3301702 4 10 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 330160 5 17 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 330155 6 21 33 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 330150 7 13 9 Kasey Kahne Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 330146 8 11 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 330142 9 7 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 3301432 10 23 1 Martin Truex Jr Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 3301392 11 20 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 330130 12 30 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 330127 13 6 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 329124 14 15 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 329121 15 3 26 Jamie McMurray Roush Fenway Racing Ford 328118 16 25 7 Casey Mears Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 328115 17 38 44 A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 328112 18 9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 327109 19 39 6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 327106 20 14 19 Elliott Sadler Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 327103 21 37 8 Aric Almirola Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 327100 22 12 39 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 3271022 23 28 12 David Stremme Penske Championship Racing Dodge 32694 24 31 71 David Gilliland TRG Motorsports Chevrolet 32691 25 24 55 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 32688 26 19 7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota 32685 27 4 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 32582 28 33 98 Paul Menard Yates Racing Ford 32579 29 41 34 John Andretti Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 32476 30 42 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 32473 31 1 5 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 316752 32 18 00 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 30567 33 32 43 Reed Sorenson Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 26464 34 5 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 26261 35 26 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 26258 36 35 21 Bill Elliott Wood Brothers Racing Ford 20155 37 36 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Penske Championship Racing Dodge 19952 38 34 47 Marcos Ambrose JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 17949 39 8 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 110512 40 40 96 Bobby Labonte Hall of Fame Racing Ford 10343 41 27 66 Dave Blaney Prism Motorsports Toyota 8240 42 22 28 Travis Kvapil Yates Racing Ford 3237 43 43 09 Mike Bliss Phoenix Racing Dodge 2134Sources:2009 Official Race Results : Kobalt Tools 500 http://www.nascar.com:80/races/cup/2009/4/data/results_official.html NASCAR March 8, 2009 December 4, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20090312032109/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/4/data/results_official.html March 12, 2009 dead mdy-all1 Includes ten bonus points for leading the most laps2 includes five bonus points for leading a lap Standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos Position +/– Driver Points 1 10px Jeff Gordon 634 2 10px Clint Bowyer 591 (−43) 3 10px 4 Kurt Busch 588 (−46) 4 10px 5 Carl Edwards 547 (−87) 5 10px 2 Matt Kenseth 546 (−88) 6 10px 2 Tony Stewart 521 (−113) 7 10px 1 Kyle Busch 514 (−120) 8 10px 3 Kevin Harvick 511 (−123) 9 10px 4 Kasey Kahne 484 (−150) 10 10px 6 Greg Biffle 480 (−154) 11 10px 6 Brian Vickers 477 (−157) 12 10px 7 David Reutimann 475 (−159)Sources: thumb|right|upright|Jeff Gordon remained the points leader after coming third in the race. Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Position +/– Manufacturer Points 1 10px Ford 26 2 10px Chevrolet 24 (−2) 3 10px Toyota 19 (−7) 4 10px Dodge 19 (−7)Source: Note: Only the top twelve positions are included for the driver standings. References 30em Sprint Cup Series 2009 2009 Shelby 427 2009 Food City 500 collapsed Sports Georgia (U.S. state) United States Kobalt Tools 500 Kobalt Tools 500 Category:NASCAR races at Atlanta Motor Speedway Category:March 2009 sports events in the United States