Atlanta Motor Speedway Friday third notes

NICORETTE INCREASES 2007 PROGRAM: Nicorette nicotine gum will expand its NASCAR NEXTEL Cup program next season, expanding its involvement with Jeff Gordon to four races, officials announced Friday at Atlanta. They also commended the 173 NASCAR officials and crew members who quit smoking with their product this season.

Gordon will run a special Nicorette paint scheme for four races next season: Las Vegas (March 11), Chicago (July 15), Richmond (Sept. 8) and Atlanta (Oct. 28).

CHEVROLET UNVEILS CAR OF TOMORROW: Chevrolet unveiled its car of tomorrow during a press conference Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, reintroducing the Impala SS to NASCAR after a decades-long hiatus.

The Impala will debut at next March's Bristol race and will share duties with the current design, competing in 16 events during the 2007 season. The Impala will become the sole car design during the 2009 season.

LUCKY FAN WINS $50,000 FROM SPARKLE TOWELS: Georgia-Pacific officials announced Friday that Oliver Baker of White Pigeon, Mich., was the $50,000 winner of the "Sparkle Rev Up Your Kitchen" contest.

Baker's name was chosen at random from nearly 900,000 entries. Jeff Gordon presented him with the check during a press conference Friday at Atlanta.

"I was talking to Oliver earlier, and he's a big race fan -- he goes to the Michigan race every year. He's happy to be in Atlanta today too; well, maybe not today," Gordon said, gesturing toward the inclement weather that had postponed the day's activities. "But he's still getting a big check. He's probably the one happy guy here today, actually. I hope to get my big check on Sunday."

In addition to his cash prize, Baker is spending the weekend at AMS, where he'll be a special guest of Georgia-Pacific for Sunday's Bass Pro Shops 500.

-credit: ams