Stewart-Haas sticks with fill-in Regan Smith in Atlanta

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (AP) Stewart-Haas Racing is sticking with Regan Smith in place of suspended driver Kurt Busch.

SHR made the announcement Monday, one day after Smith drove the No. 41 Chevrolet to a 16th-place finish in the Daytona 500. Smith will be behind the wheel for Sunday's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It will be his seventh Sprint Cup Series start at the track.

The 2008 Cup Series rookie of the year, Smith also will continue driving full time in the Xfinity Series.

NASCAR suspended Busch last week after a Delaware judge said the 2004 champion almost surely choked and beat his former girlfriend at Dover International Speedway last fall. Chevrolet suspended ties with Busch, but SHR has not decided who will drive at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week.