Saturday night under the lights of Richmond International Raceway it will be a NASCAR race where winning is the only goal as the Sprint Cup drivers battle in the Federated Auto Parts 400.
This time when NASCAR goes “short trackin’” the pressure on the drivers and teams could be the highest of any race in the season. During the 400 lap race around the 0.75-mile track drivers will have the knowledge that anything other than a win will mean very little for the most part.
This race is the final regular season race, so for the drivers locked on the Chase Grid the point totals will be reset following the Federated Auto Parts 400 to start The Chase. The only advantage a driver has starting NASCAR’s playoffs is the bonus points awarded for each regular season win. That means anything other than a win this weekend has no benefit for drivers immediately following the race.
For the drivers that are not locked on the Chase Grid with a win, but are in The Chase based on points right now there is some advantage to having a good finish other than a win. Those precious points can make the difference in making The Chase field and just missing out. However, for those drivers capturing the win would ensure they are not nudged out of the field of 16 drivers in The Chase. So, the win will be the best insurance of making the playoffs.
Then, there are those drivers who cannot make the Chase Grid based on their point totals. Those drivers that are in the top 30 in the point standings too far away to point themselves into The Chase will have to win at Richmond to get in the playoffs.
The teams will also be feeling the pressure in the pits. A small mistake during a pit stop could cost a driver several positions on the track and therefore could possibly be the difference in making The Chase or missing it.
Here is a look at the drivers who have the best resume in racing at Richmond in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Richmond
Kyle Busch – 111.1
Kevin Harvick – 110.6
Denny Hamlin – 108.5
Jeff Gordon – 99.3
Clint Bowyer – 95.7
Kurt Busch – 94.7
Brad Keselowski – 93.8
Jimmie Johnson – 91.3
Carl Edwards – 90.7
Ryan Newman – 90.5
(Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 races {23 total} among active drivers at Richmond International Raceway.)
Kyle Busch leads the list of 15 active NASCAR drivers who have won at Richmond. Kyle has scored four wins at the track during his Sprint Cup career.
The four drivers right behind Kyle in win totals at three victories are Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (of course as we now know Dale Jr. will not increase his wins at Richmond since he is out for the season).
Jeff Gordon is filling in for Dale Jr. this week. Jeff along with Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, the winner of the 2016 spring race at Richmond Carl Edwards and last year’s winner of this race Matt Kenseth all have two wins at the track.
Ryan Newman. Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski have all captured a single Richmond checkered flag in the Sprint Cup series.
When NASCAR goes short trackin’ under the lights Saturday night it will be the last chance to “win to get in” and the last opportunity for bonus points to start The Chase. That could add up to intense racing, bent bumpers and lost tempers. The result might be one of the most exciting races of the season for fans to watch.
The excitement will begin to build starting at 6:30 PM central time (7:30 PM eastern time) Saturday night, September 10th in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
By: Buck Stevens
