Atlanta Motor Speedway's Thursday Thunder Week Nine Notes
Monday, July 28 2008

Mullet Mania Night and a Kid's Bike, Trike & Power Wheels Race Presented by Clover Ranch Communities

Atlanta Motor Speedway's summer racing series, Thursday Thunder, returns to AMS' quarter-mile "Thunder Ring" on July 31 for the ninth round of the 10-week racing series that runs each Thursday through August 7.

Week nine is Mullet Mania Night presented by Clover Ranch Communities and will feature a Kid's Bike, Trike & Power Wheels race around the "Thunder Ring" during intermission. The evening will also include an autograph session featuring the Thunder Roadster and Semi-Pro class drivers as well as weekly concourse activities, grandstand games and on-track excitement.

Mullet Mania Night and Kid's Bike, Trike & Power Wheels race:

With the business look in the front and the party in the back, fans are encouraged to sport their best mullet to the track for Mullet Mania Night presented by Clover Ranch Communities. In addition to a crowd brimming with best "Joe Dirt" lookalikes, children are invited to bring their favorite bicycle, tricycle or Power Wheels for the Kid's Bike, Trike & Power Wheels race around the "Thunder Ring" or on AMS' frontstetch (depending on age group). This fun opportunity will hopefully be the first race at Atlanta Motor Speedway for NASCAR's stars of tomorrow.

Week Nine Notes:

-Week nine represents the third and final week of the Speedway Challenge Cup, a series within the 10-week Thursday Thunder season. On three dates - June 19, July 10 and, now, July 31 - drivers earn points towards the Speedway Challenge Cup, in which the top-three finishers in each class receive awards. The tightest race in the Speedway Challenge Cup is in the Bandits class, where Mason Massey and Kyle Benjamin are tied with 197 points.

- For week nine, the Thunder Roadsters are set to race two features, both as part of the Speedway Challenge Cup. Making up one race after a week-six cancelation, the Roadsters will bookend this Thursday's action and both races will occur on Atlanta Motor Speedway's full 1.54-mile quad-oval track. McDonough's Johnny Rucker won the first Roadster race of the Speedway Challenge Cup on June 19.

- With two week's of racing remaining, nearly every class features a tight points race and three divisions still have single-digit points leads. In the Masters class, Zebulon's Jeff Haynie (771 points) leads Albany's Skip Nichols (764) by seven points. In the Pro division, Douglasville's Billy Fulson (755) has an eight-point advantage over Kyle Lowry (747) of Covington. With the smallest margin among the classes, Griffin's Bubba Harry (574) holds a four-point lead in the Roadsters class over Atlanta Motor Speedway president and general manager Ed Clark (570).

Thursday Thunder Awards:

Atlanta Motor Speedway will present two awards each week for the 2008 Thursday Thunder season. The "Smooth Move of the Night" award is given to the driver who completes the smoothest move on the race track. The driver who has the best looking car each week is presented with the "Top Dog" award. Winners are determined by a vote of select AMS staff members.

Week Eight winners:

Top Dog: Bandits division driver Tyler Moseley claimed the week eight Top Dog Award for his blue and black No. 22 Bandolero that features yellow speed and checkered flag graphics.

Smooth Move: ˜Wild' Will Martin of Douglasville claimed the week eight Smooth Move Award after making several smooth moves in a battling Justin Thomas to victory in the Young Guns division.

New for 2008, Atlanta Motor Speedway has implemented the "Promoters Choice" race. Each week, eight drivers who have not won a feature race or heat race are selected to race in a trophy dash.

Promoters Choice Winners: Bandoleros: Alex Coffey. Legends: Kenzie Ruston.

Featuring a full slate of competitive racing, Thursday Thunder is an affordably-priced activity that offers something for spectators of all ages. Tickets are just $5 for adults and $1 for children 6-11 (children under 6 are free) for each evening of family fun and grass-roots racing. Gates open at 6 p.m., heat races start at 6:15 p.m. and feature races start at approximately 7:50 p.m. For more information about Thursday Thunder, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211 or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com