NASCAR Kobalt Tools 500: Who to keep an eye on

We all know who the big favorites are to win the Kobalt Tools 500. It's a list of usual suspects by now.

Who might be able to piece together enough strong laps to grab a top-three finish, perhaps unexpectedly?

Let's take a look.

MARTIN TRUEX JR. (+1800 to finish in top three) -- You have to remember that Truex has led an awful lot of laps on this track - 204, to be exact. For last year's Pep Boys Auto 500, which takes place on the Labor Day Weekend at AMS, he won the pole position. "I can just run all over this track," he says. "That’s what makes it fun for me." The problem with Truex to this point is that he has never finished higher than eighth place there, but someone who has been at or near the lead as much as he has could be due for a breakthrough.

JOEY LOGANO (+850 to finish in top three) -- Logano has been more than a rumor; he is a coming star, and he's one of those drivers who is hard to forecast because he has so little history in the Sprint Cup series. Right now he is in eighth place in the standings, which would seem to indicate he is arriving. He's got no real track record in Atlanta, that is true, with a 30th and 22nd in two starts. But after two top ten finishes in a row, can he seriously be counted out of anything?

BOBBY LABONTE (+3000 to finish in top three) -- Let's not forget that the 2000 Cup champion has been a very formidable driver in Atlanta. He won the fall race there four times between 1996 and 2001. He also captured the checkered flag at the Primestar 500 in 1998 and the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 in 2003. Out of Labonte's 21 career wins, six of them have come at AMS. In 23 career starts there, he has finished in the top five on 12 occasions. His quote: "I can’t wait to get to Atlanta. It’s a track that I really love racing on and I’ve been fortunate to have success there. There’s just something about the track, with the banking and its layout that makes it really fast. I’ve always thought it was a lot of fun and it really just suits my driving style." Sure, Labonte has struggled with his team and equipment, and chalked up only one top five finish last year, but this track brings out the best in the 45-year-old, so don't expect a start-and-park from this guy.

BRAD KESELOWSKI (+3000 to finish in top three) -- This bright young driver for the Penske Racing team will be running his first Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. But that doesn't mean he has not had any success there in the past. Keselowski has been a force to be reckoned with in Nationwide Series action, registering a top five and two top tens on the track. He needs to get going, however, after last week's 26th-place result at the Shelby American.

CARL EDWARDS (+400 to finish in top three) -- I know that he isn't going off at a big price, but it has to be noted that Edwards just loves this track. His batting average in Atlanta has been nothing short of sensational. In only eleven starts there, and won three times, with eight top tens. If he can avoid trouble, he should be near the front of the pack for most of the way.