(3-8-10) - NASCAR, home of past ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards stars, spent the weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. Seventeen past ARCA racers started the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 400, including David Ragan, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Scott Speed.

Three past ARCA racers had strong showings in the Kobalt Tools 400, finishing in the top-10. Juan Pablo Montoya, who made two ARCA starts as he transitioned from open wheel cars to stock cars, battled with the eventual race winner, Kurt Busch, for the last few laps, including two attempts at a green-white-checker finish. After trouble on the last restart, Montoya ended the race in third place. Talladega ARCA race winner Paul Menard scored his second top-five finish of his Sprint Cup career, and Scott Speed (left), four-time ARCA race winner, also had a solid day, finishing 10th.

Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch had mediocre days finishing 17th and 25th, respectively. Newman, four-time ARCA race winner, qualified seventh, but had to start at the back due to an engine change. He quickly moved through the field, getting as high as seventh, but he could not find handling at the end and finished 17th. Busch, a three-time ARCA race winner, lead early, but he spent most of the day struggling to find grip and settled for 25th.

Two previous race winners found bad luck early in the race. Georgia native and 2005 Lanier Speedway winner David Ragan started the Kobalt Tools 400 in 17th place, but a cut right front tire sent him into the wall. Ragan and team worked to get back on the track and finished 37th. Four-time ARCA Racing Series winner Joey Logano was caught up in an on-track incident on lap 40. Logano and team worked hard to get the car back out on the track and finished 35th.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series also raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The E-Z-GO 200 found five past and current ARCA Racing Series stars. The race was dominated and won by Sprint Cup regular Kevin Harvick. In 1999, Harvick scored top-fives in both of his ARCA Racing Series starts, as he acquired seat time during his stock car development. Harvick battled all day with the 2004 Daytona ARCA race winner Kyle Busch, with Busch settling for a second place finish.

Four-time ARCA Racing Series race winner Steve Wallace participated in his first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck race. The NASCAR Nationwide regular started the E-Z-GO 200 in sixth place and quickly moved into the top-five, where he found himself most of the day. The Rusty Wallace Racing star finished fourth and became the 25th driver to achieve a top-five finish in their first truck series start.

AMA superstar turned stock car driver Ricky Carmichael made his 20th start in the NASCAR Camping World Series starting 12th at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Carmichael hung in the top-10 for most of the race, finishing a truck series career-best sixth place. Carmichael, who is using a combined ARCA and truck schedule to make the transition into stock cars, scored another career-best this season finishing seventh in this year's ARCA Racing Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.

The 2009 ARCA Racing Series Champion, Justin Lofton, started 22nd and battled adversity after Ryan Sieg got loose in turn 3, sending his truck up the race track. As he tried to catch it, Sieg collected Lofton, and they both ran into the wall. Lofton and team fixed the truck and only lost two laps. He rallied to a 20th place finish.

After a solid 17th place finish in the Daytona ARCA race, Jennifer Jo Cobb made her sixth truck series start in the 31st spot. Cobb moved up throughout the race and finished 21st.

Also racing this weekend was ARCA Racing Series regular Tim George Jr., as he returned to the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series for the Homestead 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. George Jr. and teammate Conrad Grunewald started 31st after they were unable to qualify due to a brake problem. Throughout the two and a half hours of racing, they worked to gain positions and finished 25th.