Fall AMS race could be big

Fall AMS race could

be big

Tight points

race spurs fans to get tickets soon

Ever since

Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett became deadlocked in their quest for the

NASCAR Winston Cup championship, fans have been swamping the Atlanta Motor

Speedway ticket office with orders. Atlanta hosts the season finale, the

NAPA 500, scheduled for Nov. 18.

"I can

feel the enthusiasm in the fans' voices," said Frances Goss, longtime

ticket manager at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "The adrenaline has hit

the fan, and they realize they'd better get their tickets now for the

championship race here in Atlanta."

Especially

if Atlanta is the race that decides the champion between Gordon and Jarrett,

two of the hottest drivers at the track over the past few years. In addition

to the photo-finish loss to Kevin Harvick last March, Gordon has also

racked up three wins and 10 top-10 finishes at Atlanta. Jarrett has one

win and five runner-up finishes. Each driver has one pole Gordon's last

fall in the NAPA 500 and Jarrett's this March in the Cracker Barrel Old

Country Store 500.

But Gordon

and Jarrett are far from running away with the championship. Lurking just

28 points behind them is Ricky Rudd, and Tony Stewart, Sterling Marlin,

Rusty Wallace and Harvick are all within striking distance of the championship.

"Race

fans around the world are anticipating the dramatic conclusion to the

Winston Cup season at the NAPA 500 in November," Atlanta Motor Speedway

President and General Manager Ed Clark said. "The way things are

going, this could be one of the tightest battles in championship history."

And while Gordon

and Jarrett have been garnering most of the attention midway through the

season, young Harvick has quietly moved up to seventh in the championship

points standings.

With two wins

including his emotional victory in Atlanta, just his third Winston Cup

start Harvick has already become the crowd's sentimental favorite.

"I had

one guy last week who said he just had to be here to see if Harvick could

sweep Atlanta," Goss said. "He said there was no way he would

miss this race, not after the show he saw in March."

To order tickets

to the NASCAR Winston Cup championship race, call the Atlanta Motor Speedway

ticket office at 770-946-4211 or call Ticketmaster.

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