NASCAR is at this writer’s favourite track this weekend – Richmond International Raceway. Set just a few miles from the heart of the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia in Richmond, this track offers the best of short track racing for NASCAR’s competitors and fans. The 3/4-mile D-shaped asphalt oval with 14 degree banking in the turns. The track was originally a 1/2-mile oval but was reconfigured in 1988 to the shape and size we see today. Lights were added in 1991. This weekend sees night races for both the NASCAR XFINITY Series (Friday) and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Saturday). The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off and returns to action May 8 at Kansas Speedway. Weekend storylines follow… Team Penske Tandem Attempts Turnaround At Richmond Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano collided early in Sunday’s Bristol race, relegating them to finishes of 35th and 40th, respectively. The good news: They now head to a track at which they dominated last season. The Team Penske tandem will attempt to rebound in Saturday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway (7 p.m. ET on FOX) – a track they swept last year. Keselowski followed up Logano’s victory in the spring race with a win from the pole in the fall. Logano ranks second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings (30 points behind Kevin Harvick), while Keselowski is fifth (-59). Kenseth Breaks 51-Race Winless Drought At Bristol Matt Kenseth and Tennessee’s Tri-Cities both ended droughts on Sunday. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver held off Jimmie Johnson on a green-white-checkered finish to visit Victory Lane at Bristol Motor Speedway, and complete a race that had two rain delays. Kenseth’s win was his first in 51 starts (New Hampshire, 9/22/13) and the 32nd of his career. His JGR team has swept the two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series short track races this year (Denny Hamlin, Martinsville) and matched its win total from all of last season (2). Kenseth heads to Richmond International Raceway this weekend for Saturday’s Toyota Owners 400. He claims one win, five top fives (16.7%) and 13 top 10s (43.3%) in 30 starts at the .75-mile track. Hamlin Heads To One Of His Best Tracks In Search Of Consistency Although virtually locked to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Denny Hamlin has had an up-and-down season. He began the year turning a 42nd starting position into a fourth-place finish at Daytona, but then wrecked at Atlanta to place 38th before posting a showing of fifth at Las Vegas. Hamlin led 56 laps at Auto Club and looked like he’d contend for the win until a pit road penalty. Two weeks later at Martinsville he reached the high point of his 2015 campaign so far, capturing his first win since Talladega on May 4, 2014. The victory all but punched his ticket into the NASCAR’s playoffs. Hamlin’s season hit another low point over the weekend at Bristol when neck and back spasms forced him out of the race after 22 laps. He was replaced in the No. 11 FedEx Toyota by NASCAR Next member Erik Jones, who piloted it to a 26th-place finish in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ‘debut’ (Note: All statistics from the race are credited to the starting driver, in this case, Hamlin). The 34-year-old Virginian will try to find some consistency this weekend at Richmond International Raceway – one of his top tracks. Hamlin has dominated the loop data statistics at his hometown track, boasting the series-best driver rating (110.7), fastest laps run (597) and green flag speed (116.498). He claims two wins, two Coors Light Pole Awards, seven top fives (41.2%) and nine top 10s (52.9%) in 17 starts at Richmond. Ricky Roars Into Richmond Trying To Continue Stenhouse Party On Roush Fenway Racing owner Jack Roush’s 73rd birthday Sunday, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished fourth at Bristol to provide RFR with its highest finish since Carl Edwards won at Sonoma last season (June 22). The finish was the third highest of Stenhouse’s career and just the second top 10 for RFR this season. He will attempt to build up his momentum in Sunday’s Toyota Owner’s 400 at Richmond International Raceway where he has one top-10 finish in four career starts. Round 2: Elliott Attempts Second Sprint Cup Series Start Teenage phenom Chase Elliott’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut did not go as planned. The defending NASCAR XFINITY Series champion battled car trouble throughout the March 29 race at Martinsville, finishing 73 laps down in 38th. Elliott gets the chance to redeem himself in Saturday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. No stranger to the track, the NASCAR Next alum posted second-place finishes in both his NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Richmond last season. This weekend will mark the first time he pulls double-duty, racing in both the XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series events. The 19-year-old driver is scheduled to compete in three more NSCS races following Richmond: Charlotte (May 24), Indianapolis (July 26) and Darlington (Sept. 6). Danica Patrick Sets Top-10 Record For Female Drivers Danica Patrick battled her way to a ninth-place showing at Bristol for her sixth career top-10 finish, breaking Janet Guthrie’s record of five top-10 finishes by a female driver. After eight races, Patrick ranks 13th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, 11 points above the Chase cutoff line. She owns a four-race top-20 streak and has finished no lower than 27th this season. Guthrie, a former aerospace engineer, competed in NASCAR from 1977-80. A trailblazer, she was the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. Broken At Bristol: All Three Season-Opening Top 10 Streaks End Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. all rode seven-race top 10 streaks in the first seven events to the 1-3 positions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, respectively. Following Bristol, they occupy the same spots on the NSCS leaderboard, but their top 10 streaks are now over (Their Bristol finishes: Harvick, 38th; Logano, 40th; Truex, 29th). Morgan Sheppard can now rest easy knowing that his record 11 top-10 finishes to open the 1990 season still stands. Currently, Jeff Gordon has the longest streak of consecutive top 10s, with five. He finished third at Bristol. The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports driver will try to continue his run at Richmond where he claims two wins, six Coors Light Pole Awards and the fifth-best driver rating (99.3). History Lesson: Richmond’s ‘Perfect’ Evolution Richmond International Raceway is often referred to as the “perfect” race track, combining short track excitement with the high speed thrills of a big track. But the 0.75-mile oval had to work to achieve perfection, to the tune of five configurations in its 62-year history. The track previously known as Strawberry Hill, Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds and Virginia State Fairgrounds, hosted its first NASCAR race in 1953 as a half-mile dirt track. NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty won that April afternoon race, and won again in 1960 to become the first two-time Richmond winner. In 1968, the track was paved and re-measured to 0.625 miles. In the only race run under that configuration, Richard Petty won after starting from the pole position. The following race, in April 1969, was run on a paved 0.5-mile oval. David Pearson, winner of the last dirt race at the track, took home the checkered flag. The track changed one more time that year, to a 0.542-mile configuration, before the September race. This time the length stuck … for a while, at least. Thirty-seven races were run, dominated by names such as Petty, Allison and Earnhardt. The setup was particularly benevolent to Petty, who won nine of the first 12 races. Following the Feb. 1988 race, the track underwent its final – and most dramatic – change. The half-mile oval was replaced by a 0.75-mile D-shaped oval. This configuration has hosted 53 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, the most of any Richmond layout. NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace has six wins on the current track, more than any other driver. Dead Locked: Buescher, Dillon Tied Atop The NASCAR XFINITY Series Standings Seven races into the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series season and Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher and Richard Childress Racing’s Ty Dillon are tied atop the points standings at 258 points each. The tie-breaker rule – best finish – officially give Buescher the points lead, thanks to his runner-up finish at Daytona. Dillon’s best finish is third, at both Daytona and Atlanta. Buescher’s third-place finish this past weekend at Bristol was his fourth top five and fifth top 10 of the season. In the season-to-date Loop Data, Buescher ranks third in Average Running Position (8.958), third in Driver Rating (100.5), and third in Percentage of Laps Run on the Lead Lap (94.3%). His average finish this season is 7.3 – tied with Dillon as the best among the NXS championship contenders. And he’s done it while running double duty, starting the last four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. He’ll skip the NSCS at Richmond this weekend, choosing to solely concentrate on the NXS event – and championship. Buescher has made three starts at Richmond International Raceway posting two top 10s and an average finish of 11.3. Buescher finished seventh in the Spring Richmond event last season. Dillon’s consistent performance this season has him contending for a title; in seven starts he has posted three top fives, four top 10s and an average finish of 7.3. Dillon’s season-to-date Loop Data further explains his 2015 success; he is ranked sixth in Driver Rating (97.3), fourth in Average Running Position (9.133) and first in Percentage of Laps Run on the Lead Lap (98.2%). Dillon could bounce back to his series point leading ways at Richmond. Dillon has made four series starts at RIR posting two 10s and an average finish of 11.5. He finished ninth at Richmond last fall. Sunoco Rookie Daniel Suarez Showcasing His Skills Early The spotlight has turned and focused on Monterrey, Mexico native and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Daniel Suárez following his runner-up finish this past weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Suárez’s success should come as no surprise; he is a graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program and a ‘NASCAR Next’ alum. The 23 year old has posted one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 15.3 in seven starts this season. Suárez has consistently improved as the season has progressed; his season-to-date Loop Data has him ranked 11th in Driver Rating (82.9), 11th in Average Running Position (14.277) and 10th in Laps Run in the Top 15 (69.8% of his laps run). Suarez is currently 10th in the overall NASCAR XFINITY Series driver championship standings, three points behind ninth-place Brian Scott and 56 points back Chris Buescher in the series lead. Suarez is also second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, four points behind the standings leader Darrell Wallace Jr. Suarez made his series career debut at Richmond in this event last season; he started 12th and finished 19th. Youth Brigade Keeps Pounding The Drum Atop The Championship Standings Since the third race of the season (Las Vegas), the NASCAR XFINITY Series top five in the championship standings has an average age of 21.2. Over the last six weeks the next generation of drivers has proven they belong and this weekend at Richmond you should expect nothing but a great show Friday night in the ToyotaCare 250 on FOX Sports 1 at 7:30 p.m. (ET). Below are the top-five in points and their age: 1. Chris Buescher (22 years old) 2. Ty Dillon (23) 3. Chase Elliott (19) 4. Darrell Wallace Jr. (21) 5. Ryan Reed (21) Penske’s No. 22 Team Looks Unbeatable At Times Untouchable. That’s exactly what Joey Logano was in the Team Penske No. 22 Ford last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway when he led all three hundred laps en route to the win and the third perfect driver rating (150.0) performance of his career and second of 2015 (Dover-2012 and Phoenix, Bristol-2014). In three series start in 2015, Logano has posted two wins, three top fives, two poles and an average finish of an astounding 1.3. Roger Penske’s No. 22 now leads the NASCAR XFINITY Series car owner championship standings by 20 points over the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team. Penske is hunting for his third consecutive career NXS owner title with a driver lineup that touts Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. Logano will be back in the No. 22 Ford this weekend at Richmond where he has made four series starts posting three top 10s and average finish of 9.3. Virginia Natives: Sadler, Hamlin, McClure, Gdovic and Sellers Are Happy To Be Home The Commonwealth of Virginia is the home to some of NASCAR’s most talented drivers, and this weekend the local fans will have the chance to cheer for five drivers entered in the ToyotaCare 250 that have their home state recorded as Virginia – Elliott Sadler, Denny Hamlin, Eric McClure, Brandon Gdovic and Peyton Sellers. Sadler, currently sixth in series championship points, hails from Emporia, Virginia and has posted two top 10s and average finish of 13.3 in his first seven starts of 2015. Sadler has made 23 starts – the most of his career at a single track -at Richmond International Raceway posting two top fives and 10 top 10s. Though he has yet to win at RIR he has an average finish of 14.5. Friday night will be Hamlin’s fifth series start of the season. The Chesterfield, Virginia native has made 13 starts at Richmond in his career, posting two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s, two poles and an average finish of 11.2. Both of his series wins were during the spring races (2008, 2011) at RIR. McClure, currently 20th in the series standings, is from Chilhowie, Virginia. McClure has started all seven races this season and has posted one top-20 finish. His average finish in 2015 is 26.6. McClure has made 13 starts at Richmond with an average finish of 31.2. Brandon Gdovic, from Yorktown, Virginia, will be in the No. 55 Viva Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Gdovic made his NASCAR national series debut two weeks ago at Texas where he started 29th and finished 26th. This weekend at Richmond, Gdovic will attempt to make his second start and series track debut. Sellers calls Danville, Virginia home. Sellers joined newly formed Obaika Racing at Phoenix earlier this season and has since started the last four races, posting an average finish of 31.8. Sellers has one series start at Richmond (2009); he started 12th and finished 19th. NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.: Reed’s Extra Passenger: Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed will have a special dedication to Eli Hopkins, American Diabetes Association Youth Ambassador, during Friday night’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Richmond. The No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford will carry Hopkins’ name above the passenger-side window in dedication to Hopkins for all the great work done in the name American Diabetes Association. Hopkins was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of seven. Johanna Long Returns: Pensacola, Fla., native Johanna Long will attempt to make her first start this season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Long has 41 series career starts to her name, posting an average finish of 23.5. Long has made four series starts at Richmond posting an average finish of 21.5. Big Names On Tap For Double Duty: 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott will be making his second career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start this weekend. Elliott will be joined by Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola, Landon Cassill, Brendan Gaughan, JJ Yeley, Jeff Green, Joey Gase and Austin Dillon in pulling double duty this weekend competing in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series races at Richmond. Milestones Watch: Jeremy Clements will attempt to post his 175th NASCAR XFINITY Series start this weekend at RIR. Clements (174) is tied with Justin Allgaier for 68th on the NXS all-time starts list. … Brendan Gaughan will attempt to make his 125th NASCAR XFINITY Series start this weekend at RIR. Gaughan (124) is tied with Terry Labonte for 100th on the all-time NXS starts list. … Joey Logano can tie Tommy Houston (24) for ninth on the NXS all-time wins with a victory this weekend at RIR. Logano (23 wins) is currently tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 10th on the all-time NXS wins list. … Kevin Harvick will attempt to post his 175th NASCAR XFINITY Series top-five finish. If he can accomplish the feat he will tie Kyle Busch (175) for first on the NXS all-time top-five finishes list. Back in action May 8 at Kansas Speedway. source – NASCAR communications
