Before getting a job offer over the phone from Richard Childress as he worked at his job in a body shop in his hometown of Emporia, Kan., Clint Bowyer was a champion at one of the Midwest's top dirt short tracks.

Here's a look at the top five drivers in the Cup Series standings and five drivers to watch in Sunday night's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN). All statistical references are for Cup races at Atlanta unless otherwise indicated. Driver Rating is based on the past 11 races at the track.

Race No. 25: Emory Healthcare 500 from Atlanta Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN). Green flag at 7:46 p.m. ET.

Last week, NASCAR fans saw a lot of fresh faces in the Nationwide and Truck series races. In part, that was because the cars ran on the road course in Montreal and the trucks were part of an ARCA doubleheader at Chicagoland.

Furniture Row Racing on Thursday announced that Regan Smith has signed a contract extension through the 2012 season to drive the team's No. 78 Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series.

Sam Ard didn't do it. Neither did Jack Ingram. Or Dale Earnhardt Jr. Or Martin Truex Jr. Or even Kevin Harvick.

For a small, independent organization on a budget, it seemed like the smart move. Fly into Ottawa instead of more expensive Montreal, make the two-hour drive back to the Canadian capital city right after Sunday's Nationwide event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and fly home at 6 the next morning. No one anticipated that they actually might win the thing, and driver Boris Said would want to take the entire team out to celebrate.

Roush Fenway Racing on Tuesday announced that Erik Darnell will drive the No. 16 Ford in three Nationwide Series races during the 2010 season starting at Richmond next weekend. Darnell also is scheduled to participate in the races at Dover and Texas.

Richard Childress Racing and Morgan Shepherd's Racing for Jesus have formed Shepherd Racing Ventures, a partnership to run the No. 21 for the remainder of the 2010 Nationwide Series season.

Art is about beauty. About finding a new way of seeing something, capturing that moment, and having others see it as well.

Todd Bodine tried to outrace Kyle Busch. When that didn't work, the NASCAR Truck Series veteran decided to outsmart the Cup star.

With nine races left in the Truck Series schedule, SS Green Light Racing and Donny Lia have mutually agreed to seek other opportunities for the remainder of the 2010 season.

David Starr is in a rare predicament for this late in a NASCAR season.

Sept. 3, 2010

Female drivers began making history in NASCAR since the day -- June 19, 1949 -- the organization ran its first NASCAR Cup Series race in Charlotte, N.C.