Richmond Lineup, News, Notes, Stats, ETC.

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Race: Saturday, April 30, 2011 in Richmond, VA

Title Sponsor: Crown Royal

Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 7:43pm/et

•NASCAR Pre-race: FOX - 7:00pm/et

•Television Race Coverage: FOX, 7:30pm/et

•In the Booth: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds

•Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda

•Hollywood Hotel: Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond

 

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Track Specifications

Race Length: 400 laps, 300 miles
Track Length: 0.75 mile oval, measured 13 1/2 feet in from SAFER Barrier
Track Width: 60 feet with 10-foot apron
Banking: turns: 14 degrees; frontstretch 8 degrees; backstretch 2 degrees
Straights: Backstretch - 860 feet; Frontstretch - 1290 feet
Pit Road: 64-foot width, 43 concrete pit stalls, each measuring 28'x19'
Pit Road Speed: 45mph
Pace Car Speed: 50mph
Seating Capacity: 97,912 was 112,029
Attendence 2010: 93,000
Attendence 2009: 108,000
Attendence 2008: 110,000
Attendence 2007: 112,079
Opened: 1946 (First NASCAR race was 1953)
Last Repaved: Fall of 2003

 

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Track Records

•May 2010 Race Winner: #18-Kyle Busch, 99.567mph, started 1st

•September 2010 Race Winner: #11-Denny Hamlin, 104.096mph, started 14th

•Track Race Record: Dale Jarrett, Sept 1997, 109.047mph

•Slowest Race Record: Tony Stewart, 86.824mph, 5/2002

(since track was reconfigured for the Sept 1988 race)

•May 2010 Pole Sitter: #18-Kyle Busch, 127.077mph, finished 1st

•September 2010 Pole Sitter: #99-Carl Edwards, 127.782, finished 10th

•Track Qualifying Record: Brian Vickers, May 2004, 129.983mph

•Worst Starting Spot to Win: Clint Bowyer, May 2008, started 31st

 

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This season remains wide open

Seven different drivers have won the first eight races this season. That's the most competitively balanced start to a season since 2003, when nine different drivers won the first nine races. That stat is part of a handful of interesting numbers, facts and figures this season. For instance&
" Four of the eight races have either set or tied a lead change record, including Talladega which tied an all-time NASCAR record of 88 lead changes.
" There has been an average of 14.6 leaders per race, most through eight races in series history.
" There has been an average of 38.5 lead changes per race, most through eight races in series history.
" There has been an average of 4,511 green flag passes all around the track per race, most through eight races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005.
" There has been an average of 54 green flag passes for the lead all around the track per race, most through eight races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005.

 

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At Richmond International Raceway

· Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953.
· The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.
· The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.
· The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.
· The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.
· Track was re-measured to a half-mile in April 1969; then to .542-mile in September.
· The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.
· The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.
· The first season with both races as night races was 1999.
· There have been 109 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond since the track opened in 1953.
· The current 400-lap race length was established on the .542-mile measurement in March 1976.
· Buck Baker won the pole in 1953.
· Lee Petty won the first race in April 1953.
· There have been 48 different pole winners, led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty (eight).
· Jeff Gordon (five) leads active drivers with five poles.
· 47 different drivers have posted victories at Richmond, led by Richard Petty (13).
· Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Terry Labonte (three) lead active race winners.
· Car owner Richard Petty has won 15 races at Richmond, more than any other team.
· 63 of 109 races have been won from the top five starting positions, including 22 from the pole.
· The last driver to win from the pole was Kyle Busch in May 2010.
· 13 of the past 16 races have been won from the top 10, but three of the last six have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
· The furthest back in the field a race winner has started was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in 2008's spring race.
· Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winner when he won his first race, at Richmond, on Feb. 23, 1986. Richard Petty posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee won the very first Richmond race in 1953.
· Three active drivers have a finish inside the top 10: Kyle Busch (5.2), Denny Hamlin (8.0) and Clint Bowyer (9.8).
· Five of the last six races have had a margin of victory less than one second.
· There have been 271 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Virginia.
· 161 drivers in NASCAR's three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Virginia.
· There have been 18 race winners from Virginia in NASCAR's three national series.

 

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The Numbers for the Crown Royal Presents The Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400

1  fewest cautions for a Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway (three times, most recent, 3/1/70)
1  fewest cars on lead lap at finish (22 times, most recent 10/12/75)
2  fewest leaders (six times, most recent 2/23/75)
2  fewest lead changes (seven times, most recent 2/23/75)
4  number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend
4  fewest laps led by race winner (2/23/86)
6  fewest caution laps (6/5/60)
12  most leaders (four times, most recent 5/6/07)
13  most wins by driver (Richard Petty)
15  most cautions (twice, most recent 5/2/09)
22  wins from the pole; 35 from the front row (109 races)
25  most lead changes (twice, most recent 3/3/96)
32  most cars on lead lap at finish (9/7/08)
47  different pole winners in 109 races
48  different race winners
43  most running at finish (9/7/08)
90-120 minutes  amount of time it takes to dry the .75-mile track after a significant rainfall
123  most caution laps (two times, most recent 9/8/74)
488  most laps led by race winner (9/13/70  Richard Petty  500-lap race)
1946  Ted Horn won the first race on half-mile dirt track (10/12/46) in open-wheel car
1953  Lee Petty won the first NASCAR Grand National Division, now Sprint Cup, race on the half-mile dirt track (4/19/53).
1955  Paul Sawyer and driver Joe Weatherly purchased the track
1964  race run under temporary lights (3/10/64)
1968  last race on dirt track won by David Pearson (3/24/68)
1968  first race on paved track won by Richard Petty (9/8/68)
1969 -- track remeasured from .625-mile to .5625-mile; remeasured from .5625-mile to .5-mile; remeasured again from .5-mile to .542-mile prior to the first race of 1970
1988  track reconfigured to its current .75-mile layout
1991  permanent lighting added prior to fall event won by Harry Gant (9/7/91)
1999  International Speedway Corporation (ISC) acquires track

 

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Montoya wins Richmond pole

#42-Juan Pablo Montoya won the Coors Light pole for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway with a speed of 128.693mph. It is his 2nd pole of the season and the 7th of his career. #78-Smith starts 2nd followed by #33-Bowyer, #4-Kahne, #5-Martin, #24-Gordon, #2-Keselowski, #99-Edwards, #20-Logano and #27-Menard.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #30-Stremme, #66-McDowell, #87-Nemechek, #38-Kvapil, #36-Blaney, #60-Skinner, #46-Yeley and #37-Raines.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (1): #92-Keselowski.

 

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STARTING LINEUP

1 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevy 128.639 20.989
2 78 Regan Smith Chevy 128.382 21.031
3 33 Clint Bowyer Chevy 128.272 21.049
4 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 128.150 21.069
5 5 Mark Martin Chevy 128.053 21.085
6 24 Jeff Gordon Chevy 128.011 21.092
7 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 128.011 21.092
8 99 Carl Edwards Ford 128.005 21.093
9 20 Joey Logano Toyota 127.980 21.097
10 27 Paul Menard Chevy 127.956 21.101
11 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 127.780 21.130
12 29 Kevin Harvick Chevy 127.660 21.150
13 39 Ryan Newman Chevy 127.473 21.181
14 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 127.473 21.181
15 13 Casey Mears Toyota 127.455 21.184
16 30 David Stremme Chevy 127.401 21.193
17 1 Jamie McMurray Chevy 127.352 21.201
18 43 A J Allmendinger Ford 127.334 21.204
19 00 David Reutimann Toyota 127.334 21.204
20 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 127.310 21.208
21 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 127.304 21.209
22 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 127.298 21.210
23 16 Greg Biffle Ford 127.131 21.238
24 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 127.095 21.244
25 31 Jeff Burton Chevy 127.047 21.252
26 87 Joe Nemechek 127.023 21.256
27 6 David Ragan Ford 127.017 21.257
28 38 Travis Kvapil Ford 126.892 21.278
29 36 Dave Blaney Chevy 126.886 21.279
30 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevy 126.880 21.280
31 14 Tony Stewart Chevy 126.713 21.308
32 60 Mike Skinner Toyota 126.582 21.330
33 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 126.393 21.362
34 09 Landon Cassill 126.351 21.369
35 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 126.269 21.383
36 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 126.210 21.393
37 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 126.186 21.397
38 32 Ken Schrader Ford 126.139 21.405
39 34 David Gilliland Ford 125.915 21.443
40 46 J J Yeley Chevy 125.488 21.516
41 71 Andy Lally Ford 124.832 21.629
42-OP 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 123.592 21.846
43 37 Tony Raines Ford 125.482 21.517
DNQ 92 Brian Keselowski Dodge 123.288 21.900

 

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NSCS Practice 1

1 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 125.465 118.598 119.938
2 99 Carl Edwards Ford 125.313 118.859 120.487
3 33 Clint Bowyer Chevy 124.994 117.863 120.213
4 27 Paul Menard Chevy 124.711 117.238 119.292
5 39 Ryan Newman Chevy 124.608 116.863 119.594
6 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 124.435 116.009 120.289
7 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 124.355 117.580 119.644
8 5 Mark Martin Chevy 124.292 118.478 120.153
9 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 123.876 117.662 119.834
10 24 Jeff Gordon Chevy 123.774 117.739 119.880
11 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 123.677 117.724 120.298
12 20 Joey Logano Toyota 123.525 122.299 119.942
13 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 123.355 118.901 120.147
14 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 123.327 121.863 120.129
15 78 Regan Smith Chevy 123.271 117.601 119.787
16 31 Jeff Burton Chevy 123.265 117.010 119.585
17 29 Kevin Harvick Chevy 123.243 122.294 120.489
18 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevy 123.231 118.177 119.638
19 87 Joe Nemechek 122.867 120.021 120.113
20 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 122.850 122.155 120.831
21 14 Tony Stewart Chevy 122.800 118.572 120.232
22 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevy 122.750 117.945 120.020
23 00 David Reutimann Toyota 122.716 118.317 119.809
24 6 David Ragan Ford 122.660 117.325 119.403
25 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 122.532 117.888 119.977
26 1 Jamie McMurray Chevy 122.527 116.721 119.218
27 60 Mike Skinner Toyota 122.505 121.190 121.030
28 36 Dave Blaney Chevy 122.477 117.935 119.559
29 30 David Stremme Chevy 122.443 117.300 118.952
30 16 Greg Biffle Ford 122.355 117.473 119.654
31 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 122.349 116.404 119.422
32 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 122.310 121.583 119.602
33 09 Landon Cassill 122.310 117.801 119.231
34 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 122.305 117.335 119.886
35 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 122.299 122.299 119.506
36 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 121.737 117.509 118.935
37 34 David Gilliland Ford 121.665 116.858 119.092
38 38 Travis Kvapil Ford 121.408 116.074 118.486
39 13 Casey Mears Toyota 121.316 118.322 119.308
40 37 Tony Raines Ford 121.305 120.590 119.896
41 32 Ken Schrader Ford 121.218 116.535 118.402
42 46 J.J. Yeley Chevy 121.141 117.315 119.159
43 92 Brian Keselowski Dodge 120.930 118.728 118.564
44 71 Andy Lally Ford 120.085 115.543 116.663

 

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NSCS Practice 1 Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average

1 78 Regan Smith 2 11 122.368
2 11 Denny Hamlin 3 12 121.937
3 14 Tony Stewart 1 10 121.811
4 47 Bobby Labonte 31 40 121.164
5 56 Martin Truex Jr. 42 51 121.066
6 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 7 16 121.001
7 5 Mark Martin 42 51 120.971
8 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 35 44 120.930
9 16 Greg Biffle 52 61 120.905
10 34 David Gilliland 2 11 120.886
11 6 David Ragan 50 59 120.728
12 27 Paul Menard 10 19 120.450
13 48 Jimmie Johnson 15 24 120.449
14 39 Ryan Newman 40 49 120.358
15 9 Marcos Ambrose 38 47 120.310
16 00 David Reutimann 42 51 120.171
17 22 Kurt Busch 14 23 120.157
18 99 Carl Edwards 28 37 120.147
19 31 Jeff Burton 36 45 120.115
20 2 Brad Keselowski 36 45 120.046
21 83 Brian Vickers 34 43 120.007
22 1 Jamie McMurray 47 56 119.971
23 17 Matt Kenseth 29 38 119.933
24 33 Clint Bowyer 45 54 119.905
25 20 Joey Logano 18 27 119.656
26 24 Jeff Gordon 39 48 118.889
27 43 A J Allmendinger 37 46 118.763
28 32 Ken Schrader 47 56 118.697
29 18 Kyle Busch 49 58 118.472
30 71 Andy Lally # 1 10 117.404


Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart

 

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NSCS Happy Hour Practice

1 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevy 125.360 21.538 123.461
2 29 Kevin Harvick Chevy 125.354 21.539 121.126
3 99 Carl Edwards Ford 125.145 21.575 121.802
4 78 Regan Smith Chevy 124.867 21.623 123.144
5 33 Clint Bowyer Chevy 124.378 21.708 122.403
6 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 124.269 21.727 120.643
7 31 Jeff Burton Chevy 124.241 21.732 120.275
8 39 Ryan Newman Chevy 124.229 21.734 122.559
9 1 Jamie McMurray Chevy 124.087 21.759 121.973
10 14 Tony Stewart Chevy 124.081 21.760 119.864
11 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 123.950 21.783 120.186
12 6 David Ragan Ford 123.921 21.788 123.112
13 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 123.859 21.799 121.173
14 00 David Reutimann Toyota 123.791 21.811 121.056
15 5 Mark Martin Chevy 123.774 21.814 121.061
16 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 123.751 21.818 122.183
17 60 Mike Skinner Toyota 123.717 21.824 122.414
18 27 Paul Menard Chevy 123.638 21.838 122.921
19 13 Casey Mears Toyota 123.638 21.838 122.079
20 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 123.632 21.839 122.530
21 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 123.626 21.840 120.680
22 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevy 123.434 21.874 120.445
23 34 David Gilliland Ford 123.400 21.880 122.839
24 30 David Stremme Chevy 123.226 21.911 122.624
25 09 Landon Cassill Chevy 123.203 21.915 122.113
26 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 123.198 21.916 121.253
27 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 123.158 21.923 121.669
28 24 Jeff Gordon Chevy 123.141 21.926 120.385
29 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 123.136 21.927 120.259
30 36 Dave Blaney Chevy 123.080 21.937 122.068
31 16 Greg Biffle Ford 123.052 21.942 122.323
32 38 Travis Kvapil Ford 123.007 21.950 121.354
33 71 Andy Lally Ford 122.884 21.972 120.655
34 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 122.610 22.021 120.891
35 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 122.443 22.051 119.620
36 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 122.438 22.052 119.909
37 37 Tony Raines Ford 122.421 22.055 121.368
38 20 Joey Logano Toyota 122.299 22.077 119.967
39 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 122.200 22.095 121.424
40 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 122.172 22.100 119.225
41 32 Ken Schrader Ford 122.117 22.110 121.675
42 92 Brian Keselowski Dodge 121.337 22.252 120.946
43 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 120.773 22.356 119.278
44 46 J.J. Yeley Chevy 113.203 23.851 113.203

 

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NSCS Happy Hour Practice Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average

Rank Car# Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed Overall Rank
1 24 Jeff Gordon 33 42 121.930 28
2 48 Jimmie Johnson 33 42 121.927 22
3 4 Kasey Kahne 36 45 121.675 29
4 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 10 121.663 26
5 5 Mark Martin 1 10 121.523 15
6 17 Matt Kenseth 1 10 121.411 21
7 29 Kevin Harvick 14 23 121.390 2
8 18 Kyle Busch 3 12 121.368 34
9 22 Kurt Busch 17 26 121.356 36
10 11 Denny Hamlin 26 35 121.162 40
11 20 Joey Logano 32 41 121.115 38
12 2 Brad Keselowski 1 10 121.054 6
13 31 Jeff Burton 5 14 120.318 7


Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart

 

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Friday's first practice

Friday's first practice: for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is over, after 120 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and any notes:
#88-Earnhardt Jr. 125.465
#99-Edwards 125.313
#33-Bowyer 124.994
#27-Menard 124.711
#39-Newman 124.608
slowest: #71-Lally 120.085 & #92-Keselowski 120.930
incident: #11-Hamlin scraped the wall, but no major damage.(4-29-2011)

 

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Friday's Happy Hour practice

Friday's Happy Hour practice: for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is over, after 45 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and any notes:
#42-Montoya 125.360
#29-Harvick 125.354
#99-Edwards 125.145
#78-Smith 124.867
#33-Bowyer 124.378
slowest: #46-Yeley 113.203 & #7-Gordon 120.773
incident: #46-Yeley lost an engine early in the session.(4-29-2011)

 

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To the Back

•To the Back: #46-Yeley (engine)

 

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Goodyear Tires Notes / Fast Facts

•Tire: Goodyear Eagle Intermediate Radials

Number of Tires:
Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,400, Right-side -- 1,400;
Nationwide: Left-side -- 525, Right-side -- 525

Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 11 sets for the race;
Nationwide: 6 sets for the weekend

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4416; Right-side -- D-4432

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.4 in.; Right-side -- 88.6 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 20 psi; Left Rear -- 20 psi;
Right Front -- 30 psi; Right Rear -- 30 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 12 psi; Left Rear -- 12 psi;
Right Front -- 30 psi; Right Rear -- 27 psi

Estimated Pit Window: Every 95-100 laps, based on fuel mileage (Sprint Cup).

Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same tire codes at Richmond this weekend . . . teams in both of these series ran this same combination of left- and right-side tires at Phoenix earlier this season. . . this tire set-up came out of a Goodyear tire test at Richmond last October 12-13. . . drivers participating in that test were Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton and Regan Smith . . . compared to what was run at Richmond last season, this left-side tire features a slight construction change, while this right-side tire features a softer compound . . . both changes are designed to give the cars more grip . . . NASCAR teams will also race on this same tire set-up at New Hampshire this season . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Richmond.

 

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Some Chassis Selections by Teams for this race

#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the #1 McDonald's team will bring chassis #1008 to RIR this weekend. This chassis was last used by Bono and gang in February at Phoenix International Raceway where McMurray started eighth and finished 35th. This chassis visited last year's spring (started 13th, finished 24th) and fall race (started fifth, finished 10th) in Phoenix. Chassis #1008 also ran both races at New Hampshire in 2010. McMurray started the June Loudon race in the 27th spot and finished in the 18th position. He started the September Loudon race in the fourth position and finished third. McDonald's Hamburger University celebrates its 50th anniversary since the opening in 1961, where 15 students graduated in the first class. Over five decades, it has grown into a world-class global center to develop and train employees as well as establish consistent restaurant standards around the world. To date, more than 275,000 McDonald's franchisees, employees and suppliers have graduated from the university worldwide. The school offers a restaurant manager curriculum, a mid-management leadership curriculum, and programs for executive development.
#2-Brad Keselowski: The #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-736 during Saturday's Crown Royal presents the Mathew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Keselowski last drove this chassis to a 15th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in February. The featured tag line on the bumper of the "Blue Deuce" this weekend in Richmond will be "Man Up, Choose On Taste." The great taste of Miller Lite has consistently racked up awards at beer festivals around the world.
#6-David Ragan: Primary: RK-755 is a brand new chassis; The backup is RK-730 last ran Las Vegas and finished 22nd. UPS employee, Doug Bonovitch, will deliver the green flag for Saturday night's race in Richmond. Bonovitch has worked at UPS for 27 years and was selected for this honor for his outstanding safety record.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 728 for the 400-lap event at Richmond International Raceway. This Dewalt Ford Fusion was run previously this season at Phoenix International Raceway. The Australian Word of the Week: Lollies = Candy.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-587 made its debut in March 2010 at Martinsville, where it qualified fifth and finished 26th after being. With a new body honed in the wind tunnel, it was tested at The Milwaukee Mile June 1 in preparation for its second career start in June at New Hampshire and earned a hard-fought second-place finish. The car returned to New Hampshire for the first event of the 10-race Chase starting 3rd, leading three times for 100 laps, running out of fuel while leading with 2 laps to go and finished 24th. Then the car revisited Martinsville in Oct, where it qualified sixth and rallied back from two pit-road miscues during the race, but a flat right-front tire with less than 10 laps remaining relegated it to a 24th-place finish. With another new body, this car made its first start of 2011 and fifth overall at Phoenix in February. It started 18th and led four times for 59 laps before an ill-timed caution period late in the race jettisoned solid pit strategy and left it with a seventh-place finish. Chassis No. 14-587's second start of 2011 comes this weekend at Richmond.
#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-751 is a brand new chassis, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion.
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 302 will make its second career start in Saturday night's Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway. No. 302 made its debut earlier this month at Martinsville Speedway, where Busch started 11th and led a race-high 151 laps before bringing home a solid third-place finish. Busch will run the M&M's Pretzel colers at RIR.
#20-Joey Logano: and the #20 Home Depot Team is taking chassis #303 to Richmond this weekend for the Crown Royal 400. This chassis has never been raced; however it has seen practice laps this season at Martinsville Speedway. The chassis received extensive damage in practice and a back-up car was utilized for the race. The back-up chassis is chassis #278 which Logano drove most recently at Bristol in March. The Home Depot associates from store #4412 in St. George, Utah store number will ride along with Logano under the lights this weekend on the rear quarter panel of The Home Depot Toyota.
#22-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team will be racing their "PRS-749" Penske Racing #22 Charger in this weekend's action at Richmond International Raceway. This will mark the debut of this chassis in this weekend's action. The "PRS-735" will serve as the backup. It has been raced only once, at Kansas last fall where Busch started ninth and finished 13th.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 342 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #27 Menards / Libman Chevy was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and is making its competitive debut this weekend at the 0.75-mile Virginia facility. Menard tested this car at Walt Disney World Speedway in January.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot chassis No.332 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The #29 Budweiser Chevy team has utilized this car twice so far this year. Earlier this month, Harvick drove this #29 racer to Victory Lane at Martinsville and, in February, he finished fourth in the same car at Phoenix.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 340 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #33 BB&T Chevy has made two appearances at the race track this season. The first was at Phoenix in February, where Bowyer finished 27th after being collected in a multi-car accident on lap 68. Bowyer also drove this chassis earlier this month at Martinsville, leading 91 laps en route to a ninth-place finish. Bowyer's Chevy will sport the maroon and yellow paint scheme of BB&T this weekend under the lights. The Winston-Salem, N.C., corporation has 25 bank branches located in the Richmond area.
#36-Dave Blaney: will pilot the No. 78 chassis the team ran the No. 78 at Phoenix International Raceway and Martinsville Speedway this year. The chassis' best outing was a 25th-place start and 30th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: For the second time this year crew chief Brian Pattie will bring chassis #1109. This chassis was last used in February at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) where Montoya started 22nd and brought home a 19th-place finish.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 736 for this weekend's event at Richmond International Raceway. This Nautica Ford has been run previously this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: will pilot chassis No. 590 in Saturday night's race. He crossed the finish line third with that chassis at Phoenix International Raceway in February. Johnson finished fifth in backup chassis No. 540 at Phoenix International Raceway in Nov. 2010.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-542, the same car Earnhardt drove to a 10th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in February.
#99-Carl Edwards: The #99 team will be bringing chassis RK-756 to Richmond this weekend. This is a brand new chassis with the Scotts EZ Seed paint scheme.

 

[johnboland]

Richmond is one of my favorite venues NASCAR visits. I seem to enjoy the action there more with many factors playing out with pit strategy, track position, being patient to pick your spots, etc on the trciky short course. I am still looking for that driver to emerge who has had a win or a top 5 finish. Maybe tonight we see a Paul Menard a Joe Nemecheck or a AJ Allmendinger stay out of trouble long enough to be there with 10 or so to go and earn some money for their crew and sponsors. In short somebody who does not win all the time is the man I am riding with tonight. Enjoy the action at Richmond.