This Weekend in NASCAR – Storylines – Richmond

• Next Race: Toyota Owners 400
• The Place: Richmond Raceway
• The Date: Sunday, April 18
• The Time: 3 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX, 2:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 300 miles (400 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 235), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 400)

Richmond Raceway readies for the NASCAR Cup Series

Richmond Raceway has been known by several different names and has been reconfigured several times over the years of its existence, but all the while it has been a staple on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule since 1953. This weekend’s race, the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 (April 18 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is looking to add the historic prestige that Richmond has built over the decades of great on-track competition and with how this season has been shaking out it shouldn’t disappoint.

Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway was held on April 19, 1953 and the event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty in a Petty Enterprises Dodge with an average speed of 45.535 mph.

From 1953 to 1968, the NASCAR Cup Series and Richmond Raceway hosted 24 races on dirt. The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968. The track name was changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969 and the track was re-measured to 0.542-mile in 1970.

It wasn’t until following the February 21, 1988 NASCAR Cup Series race that Richmond Raceway was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval that we know today.

In 1999, International Speedway Corporation (now NASCAR) purchased the raceway and surrounding property. It was the first season with both Cup races as night races and the track was renamed to Richmond International Raceway.

In 2017, the track underwent $30 million in renovations to upgrade the amenities for the fans and in the process changed the name of the track to Richmond Raceway.

In total, there have been 128 NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway, one event from 1953 – 1958 and two races per year since 1959 to 2019. Due to the pandemic, the series only raced at Richmond once in 2020.

The 128 NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway have produced 55 different pole winners and 52 different race winners.

NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 sweep, 1974, 1975) and Bobby Allison (1972 sweep, 1973 sweep, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1982) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Richmond with eight each. Denny Hamlin (2006, 2008 and 2016) leads all active pole winners at Richmond Raceway with three poles; followed by Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick with two each.

Of the 52 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers that have won at Richmond Raceway, nine are active this weekend. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Richmond Raceway with 13 victories (spring 1961, 1967 sweep, fall 1968, fall 1970, 1971 sweep, 1972 sweep, 1973 sweep, fall 1974 and spring 1975) – the third-most wins by a single driver at a single track in series history behind his 15 wins at Martinsville and North Wilkesboro. Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver Kyle Busch leads all active competitors in wins at Richmond with six victories.

Dependable Denny (Hamlin) heads to Richmond riding a streak of top fives

The NASCAR Cup Series driver standings leader, Denny Hamlin, is sitting on a mountain of points (+76) over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. in second after Hamlin put up seven top fives in the first eight races of the season. Now the Chesterfield, Virginia native is riding a streak of five top-five finishes heading into this weekend at Richmond Raceway. If he scores another top five this weekend at Richmond, he will tie his Cup career’s longest streak of consecutive top fives at six straight.

In 2019, Hamlin when strung together two wins and six top fives from the 19th race through the 24^th race of that year (Kentucky, New Hampshire, Pocono, Watkins Glen, Michigan and Bristol), the longest streak of consecutive top-five finishes in his career.

This season, Hamlin leads the series points heading to Richmond, but is still looking for his first win of the year. In eight starts in 2021, Hamlin leads the series in laps led (487), top-five and top-10 finishes (seven each) and is tied for the most stage wins (three).

Richmond Raceway is not only one of Hamlin’s home tracks, but also one of his best. He has made 28 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond posting three poles, three wins, 13 top fives and 17 top 10s. He also has the second-best average finish (9.2) at the 0.75-mile track among active e drivers behind his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch’s 6.7.

Brad Keselowski looks to make it two-in-a-row at Richmond

Looking to get his first win of the season, Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski, the defending winner of the most recent race at Richmond Raceway is looking to add his name to the list of NASCAR Cup Series drivers that have own consecutive races at historic 0.75-mile facility.

A total of 11 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Richmond Raceway. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in consecutive Cup wins at Richmond with seven consecutive victories from the fall race of 1970 to the fall race of 1973.

1. Joe Weatherly (1962-1963)
2. David Pearson (1965, 1966 sweep)
3. Richard Petty (1970, 1971 sweep, 1972 sweep, 1973 sweep)
4. Cale Yarborough (1976-1977)
5. Bobby Allison (1982, 1983 sweep)
6. Dale Earnhardt (1987 sweep, 1990-1991)
7. Rusty Wallace (1989 sweep)
8. Terry Labonte (1994-1995)
9. Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep)
10. Kyle Busch (2018 sweep)
11. Martin Truex Jr. (2019 sweep)

Two active drivers, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., are the most recent competitors to win consecutive races at Richmond and scribe their names on the list.

Keselowski has made 22 series starts at Richmond posting two poles, two wins (2014, 2020), six top fives and 12 top 10s.

• Next Race: Ag-Pro 300
• The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
• The Date: Saturday, April 24
• The Time: 4 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 3:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 300.58 miles (113 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 25), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 50), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 113)

Josh Berry is the Xfinity Series’ third first-time winner of 2021

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Cook Out 250 at Martinsville Speedway was postponed after weather took over on Friday night in Virginia. The race was rescheduled for Sunday, April 11 and the series crowned another first-time winner in Josh Berry.

Berry, who drives part-time for JR Motorsports, took the lead from Ty Gibbs on Lap 223 of 250 and held onto it the rest of the way in only his 13th series start.

Berry crossed the finish line 0.590 seconds before his JR Motorsports teammate Noah Gragson. Gragson had an extra payday of $100,000 as the highest finisher among the four Dash 4 Cash eligible drivers to kick off the initiative.

Berry led a race-high 95 laps and became the first driver to win a Xfinity race in the No. 8 car since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Michigan back in 2006.

Daniel Hemric finished third while Gibbs held onto fourth. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Brandon Jones finished fifth. Series leader Austin Cindric finished sixth, followed by Harrison Burton, Justin Haley, Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett rounding out the top 10.

All four of the JR Motorsports Chevrolets and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Toyotas finished in the top 10.

Berry is now eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus at the next event at Talladega Superspeedway along with Gragson, Hemric and Jones.

After a break in action, the Xfinity Series will return at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, April 24 at 4 p.m. ET for the Ag-Pro 300 on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The race will be 300 miles and 113 laps.

• Next Race: ToyotaCare 250
• The Place: Richmond Raceway
• The Date: Saturday, April 17
• The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 187.5 miles (250 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 70), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 140), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 250)

Richmond Rumble: Camping World Trucks Series returns

Short tracks have always played an integral part in defining the competition landscape in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In the inaugural 1995 season, majority of the tracks on the schedule were less than a mile in length; including Richmond Raceway, the destination for this weekend’s ToyotaCare 250, this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Richmond Raceway has hosted 12 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races since the inception of the series in 1995. The first Camping World Trucks race at Richmond was held on September 7, 1995 and the event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte driving the No. 5 truck for Henrick Motorsports.

In total, the 12 Truck races at Richmond have produced nine different poles winners and nine different race winners. NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart (2002, 2003), Jack Sprague (1998, 2001) and Mike Skinner (1996, 2005) are tied for the series-most Truck wins at Richmond Raceway with two each.

This weekend at Richmond Raceway, ThorSport Racing’s Grant Enfinger is the only former series winner in the field. Enfinger grabbed his victory at 0.75-mile track last season leading three times for 18 laps. Enfinger is looking for his first win of the 2021 season this weekend, he has made four starts this year on a part-time schedule posting two top 10s.

Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is scheduled to be 250 laps (187.5 miles) and broken up into three stages. The first two stages will be 70 laps each and the final stage will be 110 laps.

The starting lineup for this weekend’s event at Richmond was decided by Metric Qualifying, ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes will start on the pole with Hattori Racing Enterprises’ Austin Hill will be starting second.

Kyle Busch Motorsports seemingly unstoppable

Kyle Busch Motorsports have literally been unstoppable the last three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races taking the wins with three different drivers – John Hunter Nemechek (Las Vegas), Kyle Busch (Atlanta) and Martin Truex Jr. (Bristol Dirt). Now the powerhouse organization has tapped their namesake owner, Kyle Busch, to strap into the No. 51 and join series standings leader John Hunter Nemechek and rookie Chandler Smith in the quest to get their fourth straight victory of the year this weekend at Richmond Raceway.

Kyle Busch has amassed 60 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins across 19 different tracks. In total, Busch has competed on 23 different tracks in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series leaving just four he has yet to win at, including this weekend’s destination, Richmond Raceway. The other three are currently not on the schedule – South Boston Speedway, Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis and Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero, Illinois.

Of Busch’s 60 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins seven have been on short tracks – five at Bristol and two at Martinsville.

This weekend’s starting lineup was decided by Metric Qualifying and Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers will start 12^th (Busch), 18^th (Nemechek) and 23^rd (Smith).

ThorSport Racing dominated Richmond last season

Last season’s return to Richmond Raceway resulted in a dominating performance by ThorSport Racing with three of their four trucks finishing 1-2-3. Led by Grant Enfinger taking the victory, teammates Matt Crafton finished in second and Ben Rhodes in third. The three ThorSport drivers all spent time out front and led a combined total of 109 of the 250 laps putting on a show for their fans.

This weekend could be more of the same as last season, because same four ThorSport Racing drivers are entered this weekend. And last season’s winner, Grant Enfinger, is especially hungry for a victory this season as he is only running a limited schedule in 2021. Enfinger’s last win came on the Martinsville Speedway short track at the end of last season.

Enfinger’s teammate, Matt Crafton is currently on a 21-race winless streak dating back to last season at Kansas Speedway (7/25). But Crafton knows his way around the short tracks. He has four victories on short tracks at three different tracks – Martinsville, Iowa and Eldora.

The one ThorSport Racing driver with wins already this season is Ben Rhodes. The Kentucky native kicked the season off with back-to-back wins at Daytona and the Daytona Road Course. And though Rhodes has yet to win on a short track in the series, he did finish runner-up last weekend on the Bristol Dirt.

Though he has five short track wins in his Truck Series career, tied with Timothy Peters for second-most among active drivers, Johnny Sauter struggled at Richmond Raceway last season. He started 20^th and finished 27th; three laps down.

source – NASCAR communications