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Newman Win Means Cheap Tickets For Atlanta Race

Thanks to Ryan Newman's win Sunday in the Daytona 500 racing fans will be able to purchase some $100 tickets to the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway for just $12.

Starting at 9 a.m. Monday the Speedway will sell seats in rows 14 through 26 of the frontstretch Winners Grandstand for the March 9 race at the discounted price that matches the number of Newman's car. If Kurt Busch, who drives the number 2 car, had won, the tickets would be just $2. Busch finished second.

One thousand tickets will be available at the special discounted price while they last. Each purchase will be limited to a maximum of 10 tickets.

After the initial 1,000 tickets are sold, fans will receive a $10 discount off each frontstretch grandstand ticket purchased Monday or Tuesday until 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling the AMS ticket office at 877-9-AMS-TIX, (877-926-7849), 770-946-4211, or by visiting the ticket office.

"This is a great opportunity for 1,000 fans to pick up one of the best seats to the Kobalt Tools 500 for a fraction of the regular price," said AMS president and general manager Ed Clark.

  • WIN: Free Tickets To Kobalt Tools 500 At Atlanta Motor Speedway
  • Newman won his first Daytona 500 with a first-place finish ahead of his teammate, Kurt Busch, who was second. Newman's win snapped an 81-race losing streak for the driver. His last victory was in New Hampshire in September 2005.

    Sunday's victory also marked owner Roger Penske's first win at the Daytona 500.

    Penske is the most successful owner in open wheel history, having won 14 Indianapolis 500 titles, but it took him 23 years to win the Daytona 500.

    "We did something very special for the Captain tonight," Busch said.

    Tony Stewart, who led the race in the final laps until Newman and Busch moved in front of him in the final stretch, finished third. Stewart, who was competing in his 10th Daytona 500, has never won the race.

    "I just made the wrong decision on the backstretch," Stewart said. "My intention was to get in front of Kyle (Busch) and pull Kyle along with us. It's hard to explain. It's probably one of the most disappointing moments in my racing career."

    Kyle Busch, who led for a race-high 86 laps in the 200-lap, 500-mile race, finished fourth.

    The Hendrick Motorsports team entered the Great American Race among the top contenders, but the team's top finisher was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was ninth. Casey Mears was in the running late in the race until he got bumped and was forced out of contention. Jimmie Johnson, who won the pole for Sunday's race, finished 27th.

    The race had 16 different leaders and 42 lead changes. It also had seven cautions.

    To commemorate the race's 50th running, the Daytona 500 honored former winners Sunday. The former champions collectively gave the command for the current drivers to start their engines, and Richard Petty officially started the race by dropping the green flag.

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