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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

2015 Week 9 Preview: Richmond

TOYOTA OWNERS 400

Richmond International Raceway


By Richard Tix

NASCAR heads to RIR and will wrap up its third short track in four races at Richmond. This is a far stretch from most of the 1.5 mile tracks we saw on the NASCAR Goes West tour. It has brought a few extra drivers to the forefront and even gave us a new first time winner in 2015 (Kenseth at Bristol).

After this NASCAR will start hitting some more 1.5's again and we will not see a short track stretch quite like this. So, soak it in NASCAR fans! Some of these tracks are my favorite on the season because a few bumps and bangs will not ruin your "aero" and end your day. These guys can grab that wheel and grit there teeth around this track for turn after turn.

Drivers start to get impatient and tempers start to flair. In the end most of the time the fans get a great show and sometimes it even gets fans more upset then the actual drivers in the race. So, lets end this short track run with a bang this Saturday night at Richmond!



The Good
  • Jeff Gordon- Each week not many drivers have as much as experience as Gordon does track to track. In Gordons last five RIR starts he has three runner up finishes plus and 8th and 11th place finish (4 top 10's and 3 top 5's in 5 races). Maybe RIR is Gordons first win of 2015?
  • Kevin Harvick- Harvick has two win's at RIR since 2011 (Fall 2011 and Spring 2013). He also has only one finish of higher than 11th since then (7 races). Top off running well here with the fact that he has been on fire in 2015 and he has to be a front runner to win this weekend.
  • Ryan Newman- RCR is fighting his penalty, but it seems like Newman is focusing on the racing. Last week Newman posted a top 5 at Bristol. This week he will take a three race RIR top 10 streak and try to extend that. RIR might be one of Newmans better shots at winning in the first 26 races yet he only has one win here (2003).
The Middle
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr- In Jr's last six starts here he has three top 10's but his average finish is around 9.66. That is actually very consistent. However, the six starts before that he only had two top 20's and three top 25's with an average finish of 24.83.
The Bad
  • Denny Hamlin- Does this mean he will finish poorly here? No, but DH's last 4 here has not been very impressive and the bad luck has hit him hard. His best finish in those 4 is 18th which is also his only top 20. But, he does know Richmond well and has run well here in the past. He very well could turn it around and finish top 5.
  • Cole Whitt- In only three starts here Cole has only picked up 1 top 30, 1 top 35 and 2 top 40's. That is enough in a young career to get you on this list. 
  • Michael McDowell- In 9 career starts at Richmond McDowell only has one finish better than 39th. One! He hasn't had the best equipment, but at some point you have to start pushing for at least top 35's at tracks like this.
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. 
  • Ford has won 3 straight races at RIR
  • Michael Waltrip has 45 career starts at RIR and no wins or top 5's. He does have two career top 10's though
  • In 44 tries, Jeff Gordon has 6 total career Poles at RIR. He also has 2 wins, 18 top 5's and 28 top 10's
  • Penske Swept RIR last season. Joey Logano in the Fall and Brad Keselowski in the Spring


Richmond International Raceway
Race
Date
Cars
Winner(s)
St
Car
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


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