Todd Warshaw / Getty Images file

Carl Edwards always has fast equipment at Atlanta Motor Speedway, site of Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race, writes Johnny Benson of NBCSports.com.

Keys to success at Atlanta
While AMS affords drivers plenty of room to race, I can’t emphasize enough how important it will be to run the top of the track. The new cars on the Cup circuit are still proving difficult to turn. In fact, many drivers have encountered decidedly less downforce and front-tire grip. Drivers will therefore need to stay high in hopes of maintaining enough speed coming through the corners. Spending too much time down low could be risky.

The pavement has gotten a little older and that's helped the racing, but the most important factor at this intermediate track is handling. The turns are banked at 24 degrees. How well a car grips the track through the corners is critical.

Throughout the years of Cup racing at AMS, tire wear has been a factor, and it came to the forefront in this event last year when Tony Stewart was among some drivers who complained the tires manufactured by Goodyear for AMS weren't favorable for driving conditions.

So keep tire wear on your radar when looking for the elements that most impact the racing as AMS is always hard on tires, and when that’s the case, grip is always an issue.

At times, we'll see three-wide racing. And if you like speed, you'll like watching this race as AMS is the fastest track on the Cup circuit. With more room to race at AMS, there won't be as many caution flags as we often see at other intermediate tracks. That will put more pressure on the pit crews as there are going to be more green-flag pit stops. Disastrous pit stops must be avoided because if a driver experiences one, it will likely cost him dearly at AMS.

This speedway is very hard on engines since the drivers can race through the corners without considerably reducing the number of RPM's their cars turn. So engines are running closer to full out throughout this race than they do in other races, and that makes crews chiefs more than a little anxious.