The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond as playoff hopefuls have just five more races to clinch their spot in the postseason.
The NASCAR Cup Series makes its second trip to Richmond of the year this weekend with a handful of playoff spots still up for grabs
With that time winding down before the playoffs things are becoming even more tense at the ends of races, as evidenced by last week’s outing in Pocono.
In the final stage, several cautions saw tempers flare as things drastically slowed down on the track. Chase Briscoe, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, and Justin Haley all found their way into the wall forcing drivers to navigate multiple late restarts.
Hamlin and Larson come together
It was on one of those restarts that the battle at the front reached a boiling point. Kyle Larson, who had fought his way back after being spun around in Stage 2, was sent into the wall by Denny Hamlin at the exit of Turn 1.
Hamlin maintains that he made no contact with Larson, but you can take a look below and decide for yourself.
For all of the drama, the race ended with a fizzle. With two laps to go, Ryan Preece spun around and was sitting idle on the track. NASCAR delayed calling a caution in hopes that Preece could get going but was forced to throw the yellow flag when it became evident he was stuck.
The yellow came just after Hamlin took the white flag, ending the race under caution and giving Hamlin his seventh Pocono victory. It was an unpopular move among fans and it raised questions about NASCAR’s officiating.
The reasoning behind the call makes sense, but the execution was poor. Let’s hope the attention remains on the drivers this weekend in Richmond.
What are your thoughts on the Denny Hamlin & Kyle Larson incident? pic.twitter.com/LPrSv24OhN
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 23, 2023
The Track
Richmond Raceway is a 0.75-mile short track located in Richmond Virginia. The track first appeared on the Cup Series schedule in 1953 and has since become a staple on the calendar.
The track offers both a unique challenge for the drivers and opportunities for good side-by-side racing, as evidenced by the spring race won by Kyle Larson.
Richard Petty’s 13 wins are the most all-time at the track, while Kyle Busch leads active drivers with six wins. Busch also has an average finish of 5.0 at Richmond, the best of all time at the track.
Temperatures will hover around 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday with the forecast calling for a 40% chance of rain on race day.
As for Sunday, Stage 1 will be the first 70 laps of the race while Stage 2 will cover the next 160 laps. Stage 3 will consist of the final 170 laps of the race.
Points Standings
The standings remain unchanged from last week but the margins have increased near the bubble as NASCAR rides into Richmond. Bubba Wallace is 27 points clear of the cut line while Michael McDowell is 17 points in the green.
A.J. Allmendinger, who will miss Saturday’s Cup Series qualifying to run the Xfinity Series race at Road America, is the first driver out sitting 17 points back of a playoff spot.
He’s joined by Daniel Suarez and Ty Gibbs as the trio is all within 30 points of McDowell for the final playoff spot.
- Martin Truex Jr.*, Joe Gibbs Racing
- William Byron*, Hendrick Motorsports
- Kyle Busch*, Richard Childress Racing
- Denny Hamlin*, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Kyle Larson*, Hendrick Motorsports
- Ross Chastain*, Trackhouse Racing
- Christopher Bell*, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Ryan Blaney*, Team Penske
- Joey Logano*, Team Penske
- Tyler Reddick*, 23XI Racing
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.*, JTG Daugherty Racing
- Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing
- Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
- Chris Buescher, RFK Racing
- Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
- Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports
*= 2023 race winner
Predictions
It’s been a relatively quiet regular season for Christopher Bell, but I think he can make some noise this week in Richmond. In his last five trips to the track, he’s finished no worse than sixth, always seeming to be in the mix toward the end.
While bigger names like Byron and Hamlin will grab the headlines, I’m looking at Bell to ride into victory lane on Sunday.
- Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
- Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing
- Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
How To Watch – NASCAR at Richmond (All times ET)
- Practice: Saturday, July 29 – 12:35 p.m. – USA
- Qualifying: Saturday, July 29 – 1:20 p.m. – USA
- Cook Out 400: Sunday, July 30 – 3:00 p.m. – USA
