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From NASCAR.com
What: Federated Auto Parts 400 at
Where: Richmond International Raceway, 0.75-mile oval in Richmond, Va.
When: Saturday, Sept. 12; 7:30 pm ET.
TV/Radio: NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Distance: 400 laps, 300 miles.
Pit road speed: 40 mph
Caution car speed: 45 mph
Fuel window: 108 laps
On the front row: Joey Logano won his fifth pole position of the season -- his second at Richmond -- putting his No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford out front with a lap of 126.470 mph around the three-quarter mile track. Matt Kenseth will start his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota alongside Logano after leading the first two qualifying rounds. Penske and JGR split the first two rows with Logano's teammate, defending race winner Brad Keselowski starting third and Kenseth's JGR teammate Kyle Busch rolling off fourth.
Fastest in practice: Ford and Toyota may start on the front row, but Chevrolet dominated practice. Kyle Larson paced the opening practice posting the fastest lap of the day at 125.535 mph in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet ahead of Casey Mears and Keselowski. Kevin Harvick's No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet was fastest in the final practice ahead of Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Keselowski recorded the best 10-lap consecutive run of 122.138 mph in the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford.
Last year's winner: Keselowski dominated the race, leading 383 of the 400 laps and easily collecting his fourth win of the season. With Keselowski running so strong up front it really became a chase for second place, which was won by Jeff Gordon. Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five. Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle clinched the final two Chase positions based on points standings.
On the line: This is the final race to set the 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff field. Five drivers -- McMurray, Newman, Gordon, Paul Menard and Bowyer -- are winless but ranked among the top 16 in points. Bowyer, in 16th, holds a 29-point advantage over Aric Almirola and is only 10 points behind 15th-place Menard. Two preseason favorites, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson, need to win the race to earn a berth. Larson was the top qualifier of those on the Chase bubble not currently locked in and will start 11th in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet.
Clinch Scenarios: Regardless of who wins at Richmond, McMurray will clinch a Chase position merely by starting the race. Newman will earn a berth by finishing 31st or better, Gordon by finishing 17th or better and Menard by finishing ninth or better.
If there is a repeat season winner, then McMurray, Newman and Gordon will clinch a position just by starting the race. Menard would need to finish 38th or better and Bowyer would need to finish 28th or better.
First Time's a Charm: Richmond has been a gracious venue when it comes to scoring your first Sprint Cup victory. Tony Stewart (1999) and Kasey Kahne (2005) both got their first Sprint Cup victories here.
Nuts and Bolts: Biffle has the most starts (26) among active drivers without a win at Richmond. ... The pole position has produced the most winners (23) of any starting position, but 78 percent of the winners here have started from a top-10 position on the grid. Clint Bowyer's victory in 2008 from the 31st starting position is the farthest back a winner has ever come from. ... Jimmie Johnson (2007) is the last driver to sweep Richmond races in a season. ... Kyle Busch has the best average finishing position (7.3) of any driver in the field.
They said it: "We don't really have anything to lose. We are on the offense. There is nothing for us to lose so we are going to throw everything we have at it and see what happens." – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Foods Ford, who enters the race ranked 17th, 29 points out of the final Chase qualifying position.
From NASCAR.com
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| NASCAR racing at Richmond International Raceway. (PHOTO: Jerry Markland/Getty Images) |
Where: Richmond International Raceway, 0.75-mile oval in Richmond, Va.
When: Saturday, Sept. 12; 7:30 pm ET.
TV/Radio: NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Distance: 400 laps, 300 miles.
Pit road speed: 40 mph
Caution car speed: 45 mph
Fuel window: 108 laps
On the front row: Joey Logano won his fifth pole position of the season -- his second at Richmond -- putting his No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford out front with a lap of 126.470 mph around the three-quarter mile track. Matt Kenseth will start his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota alongside Logano after leading the first two qualifying rounds. Penske and JGR split the first two rows with Logano's teammate, defending race winner Brad Keselowski starting third and Kenseth's JGR teammate Kyle Busch rolling off fourth.
Fastest in practice: Ford and Toyota may start on the front row, but Chevrolet dominated practice. Kyle Larson paced the opening practice posting the fastest lap of the day at 125.535 mph in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet ahead of Casey Mears and Keselowski. Kevin Harvick's No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet was fastest in the final practice ahead of Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Keselowski recorded the best 10-lap consecutive run of 122.138 mph in the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford.
Last year's winner: Keselowski dominated the race, leading 383 of the 400 laps and easily collecting his fourth win of the season. With Keselowski running so strong up front it really became a chase for second place, which was won by Jeff Gordon. Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five. Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle clinched the final two Chase positions based on points standings.
On the line: This is the final race to set the 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff field. Five drivers -- McMurray, Newman, Gordon, Paul Menard and Bowyer -- are winless but ranked among the top 16 in points. Bowyer, in 16th, holds a 29-point advantage over Aric Almirola and is only 10 points behind 15th-place Menard. Two preseason favorites, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson, need to win the race to earn a berth. Larson was the top qualifier of those on the Chase bubble not currently locked in and will start 11th in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet.
Clinch Scenarios: Regardless of who wins at Richmond, McMurray will clinch a Chase position merely by starting the race. Newman will earn a berth by finishing 31st or better, Gordon by finishing 17th or better and Menard by finishing ninth or better.
If there is a repeat season winner, then McMurray, Newman and Gordon will clinch a position just by starting the race. Menard would need to finish 38th or better and Bowyer would need to finish 28th or better.
First Time's a Charm: Richmond has been a gracious venue when it comes to scoring your first Sprint Cup victory. Tony Stewart (1999) and Kasey Kahne (2005) both got their first Sprint Cup victories here.
Nuts and Bolts: Biffle has the most starts (26) among active drivers without a win at Richmond. ... The pole position has produced the most winners (23) of any starting position, but 78 percent of the winners here have started from a top-10 position on the grid. Clint Bowyer's victory in 2008 from the 31st starting position is the farthest back a winner has ever come from. ... Jimmie Johnson (2007) is the last driver to sweep Richmond races in a season. ... Kyle Busch has the best average finishing position (7.3) of any driver in the field.
They said it: "We don't really have anything to lose. We are on the offense. There is nothing for us to lose so we are going to throw everything we have at it and see what happens." – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Foods Ford, who enters the race ranked 17th, 29 points out of the final Chase qualifying position.
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