Insider's View: Wally Dallenbach

RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond International Raceway is the coolest short track around. When they tore up the old half-mile track at the Fairgrounds, they replaced it with just a super 3/4-mile facility that is perfect for racing and a treat for fans as well.

	Wally Dallenbach

Richmond has just a great layout for good side-by-side racing and lots of passing. It's wide enough that you can get along someone and race them hard. Turns 1 and 2 are fairly flat, in fact there a lot tighter than Turns 3 and 4, so you want to get down to the bottom of the race track as soon as you can when you head into the first turn. Actually, especially in qualifying, down along the inside of the track is pretty much where you want to be to do well at Richmond.

I mentioned Turns 1 and 2 being flat, but that's not the case in 3 and 4 where there's a lot of banking. You want to jump the gas hard when you come out of Turn 4 and carry a lot of speed down the main straight. You really get going through there so if you can get a good run on someone, passing out of 4 heading to the D-shaped main straight is a good bet.

While as a driver I'm not a big fan of night racing, it's absolutely great for the fans. Let's face it, spectator-wise, night racing is cool. The cars look great under the lights and there is a special feeling to the whole deal. Most of the driver grew up racing on the Saturday night short tracks, so a night time Winston Cup race is still exciting. But it's a long day for the drivers who get up around 8 or 9 in the morning and basically hang out until it's time to go racing that night.

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Tony Stewart is the man at Richmond and is looking for his fourth win there on Saturday night. The Home Depot team should have their motor problems from California straightened out, which is rare for them to have engine trouble, and I look for him to be the class of the field again Saturday night.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. continues his early season promise coming to Richmond second in the point standings. He comes to Richmond with a win and four top-10s at the track and could be poised for victory No. 2.

Ryan Newman has finished second in his previous two Winston Cup starts at Richmond and I know after last week's first-lap disappointment in Fontana, Newman is hungry and itching to get things right this weekend.

And of course what race can you count Kurt Busch out of this season? After a mild slump, he came roaring back with a win last weekend and I look for him to be a contender under the lights at Richmond.

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