Short track racing and Virginia, a match made in heaven! The two have been intertwined since the humble beginnings of NASCAR, and tonight the rising stars of the NASCAR Xfinity Series take to the track in the Virginia College Savings 250, looking to outduel a handful of Cup Series regulars.
In qualifying earlier in the day, it was dominated by the men with Sprint Cup experience. Kyle Busch (#54 Monster Energy Toyota) would take the pole, with Joey Logano (#22 Hertz Ford) of Team Penske alongside. Meanwhile, Brian Scott (#2 Shore Lodge Chevy) would be the top qualifying Xfinity Series regular in third.
As the race got underway, it looked to be shaping up for another Cup driver domination at Richmond, as has happened in recent years. Kyle Busch would lead the first third of the race, but Brian Scott would be able to run him down and pass him. The two would combine to lead for the majority of the first half.
Once the race ran past its halfway mark, the teammates of JR Motorsports would work their way to the front of the field. Regan Smith (#7 TaxSlayer Bowl Chevy) would be the first of the two to take a turn at the front, before losing the lead to teammate Chase Elliott (#9 NAPA Chevy) on a series of pit stops. Both drivers remain in championship contention, trying to chase down points leader Chris Buescher (#60 Advocare Ford).
Meanwhile, a rookie in the race impressed many on the long runs throughout the night at Richmond. Josh Berry (#88 Speedco Chevy), the 2014 Hickory Speedway late model champion, was the fastest car on the long run all night, passing veteran drivers like Kyle Busch in the late laps. With a late caution at 35 laps to go for Ryan Truex (#98 Ford) going into the outside wall, it would set up a short run for Berry and the rest of the leaders to wrestle with.
When the field came back under the green flag, it would be a battle for the finish between Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch. In the end Chase Elliott would win the Virginia College Savings 250 at Richmond, ending a twenty-two-race streak of Cup drivers winning the Xfinity Series race at RIR.
Kyle Busch would come home second on the night, followed shortly by Brian Scott in third and Joey Logano in fourth. Meanwhile, points leader Chris Buescher came home in tenth, and would see his point lead over Chase Elliott shrink to just twenty-one points.
That dwindling points lead will be put to the test once again next weekend as the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to Chicagoland Speedway. Coverage of the Saturday special can be seen next weekend on NBCSN.
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