Wednesday, April 20, 2016

2016 NASCAR Week 9 Preview: Richmond

Toyota Owners 400

Richmond International Raceway


By Richard Tix

Another week and another short track. One of the best parts of this part of season after the West Coast Swing is what I have called the "Short Track Swing." Martinsville, Bristol, and Richmond; all short tracks, all completely different from each other.

It's a great mix that gives fans a fun variety. It also is a breath of fresh air from the 1.5 mile aero dependent tracks.

This time around Richmond International Raceway gets one day race and one night race. I have long been a fan of RIR and it is at the top of my NASCAR track bucket list, but fans have voiced their concern lately about the races being a bit dull.

Since RIR already got two stops a year it is intriguing to me to have one be a day race and the other a night. The track will also act like two different stops because it will run a bit different from a hot day to a cool night. So, Sunday will be a fun test for Cup drivers and teams as they try and figure out a day time set up once again for RIR.



**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good
  • Kyle Busch- Rowdy is the current leader in wins by current drivers (4 career RIR wins). His last win was in 2012, but he did have a second place finish in his only RIR start here in 2015.
  • Joey Logano- JoLo has four straight top 10's including a win and three of them being top 5's. He has seemed to figure it out here with four straight races of a driver average of 106+.
  • Matt Kenseth- RIR wasn't always a strong spot for Kenseth, but lately it has been. He has six top 10's in his last seven starts here including a win and three top 5's. 
The Middle
  • Carl Edwards- Carl has six top 10's in the last ten RIR races (including a win), but he also has three finishes outside the top 15 in that same time. It's a roller coaster ride with Carl here, but it can end up in VL.
The Bad
  • Austin Dillon- Four starts and three finishes outside the top 25 (all three 27th place). Dillon's lone top 20 was 20th in the 2014 Fall race of his rookie season.
  • Martin Truex Jr- 20 starts and only five career top 5's here at RIR. Only one of those resulted in a top 5 (5th). Only 12 times in 20 races did he have an average running position in the top 15. 
  • Paul Menard- One top 10, which was a top 5, in 18 career RIR starts for Menard. The bigger issue is he only has four top 15's in that same time and six top 20's. 
About the Track
Track Stats
  • Richard Petty once won 7 RIR races in a row, 9 of 10, and 12 of 17. All were from 1967 to 1975
  • In 2013 Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards won from the 17th and 26th positions. Joey Logano won in 2014 (Spring) from the 17th position as well. 
  • In 2009 and 2010 Kyle Busch won both early season races and Denny Hamlin won both late season. Kyle also won the early season RIR race in 2011 and 2012 making it 5 straight Toyota wins and 6 in 7 (actually 7 of 8 because Bowyer won late in 2012).
  • Richard Petty has the most career RIR wins with 13.
  • Of current drivers Kyle Busch has the most total wins with 4.
  • Richard Petty also has the most career top 5's (34), top 10's (41), and Poles (tied with Bobby Allison with 8).
Track Info
  • Surface 
    • Asphalt
  • Length 
    • 0.75 miles
  • Banking
    • Turns: 14 degrees
    • Frontstretch: 8 degrees
    • Backstretch: 2 degrees
Richmond International Raceway
Race
Date
Cars
Winner(s)
St
Make / Model
1953-06
4/19/1953
27
Lee Petty

'53 Dodge
1955-16
5/22/1955
28
Tim Flock
22
'55 Chrysler
1956-12
4/29/1956
24
Buck Baker
1
'56 Dodge
1957-16
5/5/1957
22
Paul Goldsmith
7
'57 Ford
1958-46
9/14/1958
22
Speedy Thompson
1
'57 Chevrolet
1959-23
6/21/1959
22
Tom Pistone
12
'59 T-Bird
1959-38
9/13/1959
16
Cotton Owens
1
'59 T-Bird
1960-19
6/5/1960
19
Lee Petty
10
'60 Plymouth
1960-43
10/23/1960
19
Speedy Thompson
3
'60 Ford
1961-17
4/23/1961
12
Richard Petty
1
'60 Plymouth
1961-44
9/10/1961
25
Joe Weatherly
7
'61 Pontiac
1962-10
4/1/1962
25
Rex White
20
'61 Chevrolet
1962-47
9/9/1962
33
Joe Weatherly
2
'62 Pontiac
1963-15
4/7/1963
25
Joe Weatherly
3
'63 Pontiac
1963-47
9/8/1963
26
Ned Jarrett
7
'63 Ford
1964-09
3/10/1964
27
David Pearson
10
'64 Dodge
1964-53
9/14/1964
33
Cotton Owens
3
'64 Dodge
1965-07
3/7/1965
22
Junior Johnson
1
'65 Ford
1965-49
9/18/1965
37
David Pearson
2
'65 Dodge
1966-19
5/15/1966
30
David Pearson
4
'64 Dodge
1966-44
9/11/1966
29
David Pearson
1
'66 Dodge
1967-16
4/30/1967
24
Richard Petty
1
'67 Plymouth
1967-42
9/10/1967
30
Richard Petty
2
'67 Plymouth
1968-06
3/24/1968
20
David Pearson
16
'68 Ford
1968-41
9/8/1968
28
Richard Petty
1
'68 Plymouth
1969-14
4/13/1969
28
David Pearson
1
'69 Ford
1969-43
9/7/1969
25
Bobby Allison
25
'69 Dodge
1970-05
3/1/1970
26
James Hylton
3
'69 Ford
1970-40
9/13/1970
30
Richard Petty
1
'70 Plymouth
1971-06
3/7/1971
30
Richard Petty
30
'70 Plymouth
1971-46
11/14/1971
30
Richard Petty
11
'71 Plymouth
1972-03
2/27/1972
30
Richard Petty
3
'72 Plymouth
1972-25
9/10/1972
30
Richard Petty
3
'72 Plymouth
1973-03
2/25/1973
30
Richard Petty
8
'73 Dodge
1973-23
9/9/1973
34
Richard Petty
5
'73 Dodge
1974-03
2/24/1974
28
Bobby Allison
1
'74 Chevrolet
1974-24
9/8/1974
27
Richard Petty
1
'74 Dodge
1975-03
2/23/1975
22
Richard Petty
1
'74 Dodge
1975-26
10/12/1975
28
Darrell Waltrip
2
'75 Chevrolet
1976-04
3/7/1976
30
Dave Marcis
2
Dodge
1976-23
9/12/1976
30
Cale Yarborough
6
Chevrolet
1977-03
2/27/1977
30
Cale Yarborough
7
Chevrolet
1977-23
9/11/1977
28
Neil Bonnett
2
Dodge
1978-03
2/26/1978
30
Benny Parsons
3
Chevrolet
1978-23
9/10/1978
30
Darrell Waltrip
1
Chevrolet
1979-04
3/11/1979
30
Cale Yarborough
9
Oldsmobile
1979-24
9/9/1979
26
Bobby Allison
2
Ford
1980-03
2/24/1980
31
Darrell Waltrip
1
Chevrolet
1980-24
9/7/1980
29
Bobby Allison
2
Ford
1981-03
2/22/1981
30
Darrell Waltrip
7
Buick
1981-24
9/13/1981
32
Benny Parsons
4
Ford
1982-02
2/21/1982
32
Dave Marcis
6
Chevrolet
1982-23
9/12/1982
31
Bobby Allison
1
Chevrolet
1983-02
2/27/1983
32
Bobby Allison
6
Chevrolet
1983-23
9/11/1983
30
Bobby Allison
6
Buick
1984-02
2/26/1984
32
Ricky Rudd
4
Ford
1984-23
9/9/1984
30
Darrell Waltrip
1
Chevrolet
1985-02
2/24/1985
30
Dale Earnhardt
4
Chevrolet
1985-21
9/8/1985
30
Darrell Waltrip
22
Chevrolet
1986-02
2/23/1986
31
Kyle Petty
12
Ford
1986-22
9/7/1986
29
Tim Richmond
4
Chevrolet
1987-03
3/8/1987
32
Dale Earnhardt
3
Chevrolet
1987-22
9/13/1987
30
Dale Earnhardt
8
Chevrolet
1988-02
2/21/1988
32
Neil Bonnett
3
Pontiac
1988-22
9/11/1988
36
Davey Allison
1
Ford
1989-04
3/26/1989
36
Rusty Wallace
2
Pontiac
1989-22
9/10/1989
36
Rusty Wallace
6
Pontiac
1990-02
2/25/1990
36
Mark Martin
6
Ford
1990-22
9/9/1990
36
Dale Earnhardt
6
Chevrolet
1991-02
2/24/1991
35
Dale Earnhardt
19
Chevrolet
1991-22
9/7/1991
36
Harry Gant
13
Oldsmobile
1992-03
3/8/1992
35
Bill Elliott
1
Ford
1992-22
9/12/1992
35
Rusty Wallace
3
Pontiac
1993-03
3/7/1993
36
Davey Allison
14
Ford
1993-23
9/11/1993
36
Rusty Wallace
3
Pontiac
1994-03
3/6/1994
37
Ernie Irvan
7
Ford
1994-24
9/10/1994
38
Terry Labonte
3
Chevrolet
1995-03
3/5/1995
38
Terry Labonte
24
Chevrolet
1995-24
9/9/1995
38
Rusty Wallace
7
Ford
1996-03
3/3/1996
40
Jeff Gordon
2
Chevrolet
1996-24
9/7/1996
40
Ernie Irvan
16
Ford
1997-03
3/2/1997
43
Rusty Wallace
7
Ford
1997-24
9/6/1997
42
Dale Jarrett
23
Ford
1998-13
6/6/1998
43
Terry Labonte
16
Chevrolet
1998-25
9/12/1998
43
Jeff Burton
3
Ford
1999-11
5/15/1999
43
Dale Jarrett
21
Ford
1999-25
9/11/1999
43
Tony Stewart
2
Pontiac
2000-11
5/6/2000
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
5
Chevrolet
2000-25
9/9/2000
43
Jeff Gordon
13
Chevrolet
2001-11
5/5/2001
43
Tony Stewart
7
Pontiac
2001-26
9/8/2001
43
Ricky Rudd
9
Ford
2002-11
5/5/2002
43
Tony Stewart
3
Pontiac
2002-26
9/7/2002
43
Matt Kenseth
25
Ford
2003-11
5/3/2003
43
Joe Nemechek
2
Chevrolet
2003-26
9/6/2003
43
Ryan Newman
4
Dodge
2004-11
5/15/2004
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
4
Chevrolet
2004-26
9/11/2004
43
Jeremy Mayfield
7
Dodge
2005-11
5/14/2005
43
Kasey Kahne
1
Dodge
2005-26
9/10/2005
43
Kurt Busch
5
Ford
2006-10
5/6/2006
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
10
Chevrolet
2006-26
9/9/2006
43
Kevin Harvick
5
Chevrolet
2007-10
5/6/2007
43
Jimmie Johnson
4
Chevrolet
2007-26
9/8/2007
43
Jimmie Johnson
1
Chevrolet
2008-10
5/3/2008
43
Clint Bowyer
31
Chevrolet
2008-26
9/7/2008
43
Jimmie Johnson
3
Chevrolet
2009-10
5/2/2009
43
Kyle Busch
14
Toyota
2009-26
9/12/2009
43
Denny Hamlin
3
Toyota
2010-10
5/1/2010
43
Kyle Busch
1
Toyota
2010-26
9/11/2010
43
Denny Hamlin
14
Toyota
2011-09
4/30/2011
43
Kyle Busch
20
Toyota
2011-26
9/10/2011
43
Kevin Harvick
7
Chevrolet
2012-09
4/28/2012
43
Kyle Busch
5
Toyota
2012-26
9/8/2012
43
Clint Bowyer
4
Toyota
2013-09
4/27/2013
43
Kevin Harvick
17
Chevrolet
2013-26
9/7/2013
43
Carl Edwards
26
Ford
2014-09
4/26/2014
43
Joey Logano
17
Ford
2014-26
9/6/2014
43
Brad Keselowski
1
Ford
2015-09
4/26/2015
43
Kurt Busch
3
Chevrolet
2015-26
9/12/2015
43
Matt Kenseth
2
Toyota

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