page_title: 2010 Kobalt Tools 500 (Atlanta)
section_title: Practices and qualifying
hierarchical_section_title: 2010 Kobalt Tools 500 (Atlanta) / Race report / Practices and qualifying
caption_attribution_description: NASCAR auto racer Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks with members of the press Jan. 23 at Hendrick Motorsports headquarters outside Charlotte, N.C. Earnhardt will drive the National Guard's co-sponsored No. 88 Sprint Cup car and will join Landon Cassill to co-drive the Guard's primary-sponsored No. 05 Nationwide Series car. NASCAR's auto racing season starts in mid-February at Daytona International Speedway, Florida.
context_page_description: The 2010 Kobalt Tools 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia on March 7, 2010. The race had 13 different leaders, 33 lead changes, and 10 cautions. During the race, Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski collided, sending Keselowski airborne, subsequently crashing on his side door. Following his collision with Keselowski, Edwards was put under a three-race probation beginning in the 2010 Food City 500. Kurt Busch won the race, finishing ahead of Matt Kenseth and Juan Pablo Montoya, who finished second and third respectively.
context_section_description: In the first round of practice, the five fastest drivers were Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, and Juan Pablo Montoya. During qualifying, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole with a lap of 28.761 seconds while Kyle Busch, Montoya, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five. There were only three drivers, Aric Almirola, Casey Mears, and Terry Cook, who failed to qualify. In the second practice session, Jimmie Johnson, Martin, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, and Kahne were the fastest. During Happy Hour (final practice), the five fastest cars were driven by Martin, Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Paul Menard, and David Ragan; the session had one red flag when Greg Biffle collided with the wall.
caption: Polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008.
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