The Winston

Cup points race is over and the champion has been decided. Though Bobby

Labonte clinched his first championship last weekend, he isn't about to

coast in the season's final race, the NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Last March,

Labonte finished just inches behind Dale Earnhardt in the Cracker Barrel

Old Country Store 500 in one of the closest finishes in Winston Cup History.

Labonte is looking forward to a rematch and finishing first at AMS this

go round.

During the

last two races at AMS, there have been 68 official lead changes among

32 drivers - and that doesn't include the unofficial back and forth swapping

of the lead position on the backstretch or through the sweeping turns.

The action

begins on Friday, Nov. 17. The gates will open at 8 a.m. and qualifying

for the NAPA 500 begins at 3 p.m. There will be practices for the NAPA

500 and the Georgia Boot 400 in between. Legends and Bandolero races will

begin at 5 p.m.

On Saturday,

Nov. 18, the gates open at 8 a.m. and will be followed by practice for

both races. The Georgia Boot 400, which is 162 laps of ARCA racing, begins

at 1 p.m. and will be followed by the last NAPA 500 practices.

On Sunday,

Nov. 19, the gates open at 8 p.m. and willmbe followed by the pre-race

activities at 9 a.m. The driver introductions begin at 12 p.m. and the

race starts at 12:30 p.m. Jeff Foxworthy is the Grand Marshal of the race

and the honorary starter is TNN's Wade Bourne.

Though the

top spot is locked up, there are several key battles to watch for in the

top ten standings. Earnhardt and Jeff Burton are fighting for second place

in the points standings with only eight points separating the two. Dale

Jarrett is in fourth place, 40 points ahead of Tony Stewart, who only

leads Ricky Rudd by 37 points. In seventh place, Rusty Wallace leads Mark

Martin by 36 points.

The entire

area is getting excited about the race as well. Richard Petty will have

the #43 car with a classic paint design that will be featured in the race

at ESPN Zone in Buckhead on Thursday. Petty will also make a special presentation

to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps on behalf of the Richard Petty Driving

Experience. he will unveil a special new "sleigh" at 11;30 a.m.

at the infield media center.

Southtowne

Newnan will get into the act as they will showcase the 2000 Winston Cup

Conseco Wide Track pace car, the #14 Conseco Winston Cup Pontiac Grand

Prix owned by A.J. Foyt and the #20 Home Depot Winston Cup Pontiac Grand

Prix driven by Tony Stewart on Friday from 12-8 p.m. and on Saturday from

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

There are stillt

ickets available for all three days of racing at AMS. Call 770-946-3950

or visit www.gospeedway.com

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