Sports
Sports

Kyle Busch wins pole for Atlanta’s NASCAR race

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Snickers Almond Toyota, poses with the Pole Award trophy after qualifying for the pole position for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 23, 2018 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

Credit: Brian Lawdermilk

Credit: Brian Lawdermilk

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Snickers Almond Toyota, poses with the Pole Award trophy after qualifying for the pole position for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 23, 2018 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
By Staff and wire reports
Feb 24, 2018

Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. was the hot topic even as Kyle Busch won the pole Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton.

Busch will start in front Sunday in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, the second race of the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup season, after edging Ryan Newman. Busch won the pole with a lap of 184.652 mph.

Wallace will start 19th, in the middle of the 36-car field. Much of the talk Friday remained on his second-place finish in last week's Daytona 500 .

Wallace was the first black driver in the Daytona 500 field since 1969 . The second-place finish was the highest for a black driver and any rookie.

"It was just crazy, awesome," Wallace said Friday.

On Sunday, he'll be the first black Cup racer in an Atlanta race since Bill Lester finished 38th in 2006.

ExploreSteve Hummer: Brad Keselowski is full of personality

About the Author

Staff and wire reports
More Stories

Keep Reading

Kennesaw State's Milon Jones is a senior who starts at free safety. Jones isn’t the biggest guy but has earned a reputation for being a hard worker and a tough tackler. (Kennesaw State Athletics)

Credit: Kennesaw State Athletics

How Jerry Mack saw a then-walk-on as ‘one of the key pillars’ of KSU football

Milon Jones began playing football when he was 7 years old. Today he is the starting free safety for the Kennesaw State football team.

2h ago

60-yard FG breaks Georgia State record set by former NFL standout Wil Lutz

Braeden McAlister provided a highlight in an otherwise dismal season for Georgia State last week when he kicked a school-record 60-yard field goal against Marshall.

2h ago

Atlanta awaits: Celebration Bowl picture comes into focus

The annual showcase pits the champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in a spotlight game for HBCU football.

The Latest

Kennesaw State's Milon Jones is a senior who starts at free safety. Jones isn’t the biggest guy but has earned a reputation for being a hard worker and a tough tackler. (Kennesaw State Athletics)

Credit: Kennesaw State Athletics

How Jerry Mack saw a then-walk-on as ‘one of the key pillars’ of KSU football

2h ago

60-yard FG breaks Georgia State record set by former NFL standout Wil Lutz

2h ago

Atlanta awaits: Celebration Bowl picture comes into focus

Featured

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — pictured at an August rally in Peachtree City that also featured Vice President JD Vance — appears to have scored another legal victory over gubernatorial rival Attorney General Chris Carr in their battle over campaign finance issues. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones scores another victory over use of campaign cash

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones appears to have scored another victory over Attorney General Chris Carr as the Republican gubernatorial candidates battle over campaign finance issues.

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.’s season is over; needs surgery to repair ACL

Michael Penix Jr., whom the Falcons hoped was their quarterback of the future, will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn ACL in his left knee.

Typewriter Tom fuels a growing interest in analog writing devices

Roswell's Tom Rehkopf owns about 1,000 typewriters, which he tinkers with at his workshop and happily shares with fellow aficionados, curious youngsters and even Tom Hanks.