Short-track stars should shine under the RIR lights

This weekend we have yet another Saturday night, short-track racing event on tap. Richmond International Raceway sets the stage for one of the best shows of the entire Cup Series season. The change from racing the high banks of Talladega the past weekend will be quite noticeable. While Richmond does have a little more room and more grooves than the typical short track, the .75-mile oval still has some of the beating and banging that we've come to love over the years.

In analyzing the drivers for this weekend's race at RIR, we need to take into account recent short track trends from Bristol, Martinsville and Phoenix, but we also need to take a look back at the past couple seasons of racing at Richmond. The trends are changing and so are the drivers who dominate at the Virginia short track. The following is our weekly power ranking for the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway (7 p.m. ET Saturday on FOX).

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1. Jimmie Johnson
The defending Cup Series champion has had Richmond in a death-grip the last couple seasons. He's won three of the last four events at the .75-mile oval. Johnson hasn't been hitting 100 percent on the track in recent weeks, still his record at this facility is so staggering that we have to pay him due respect.

2. Tony Stewart
As Stewart has shown us in recent weeks, he's a contender to win races and run up front each week. Before this season began we didn't quite envision the No. 14 team being so competitive, so soon. When we look back on Smoke's record at Richmond while he was with Joe Gibbs, we immediately notice his knack for running up front, but not winning of late. That could change Saturday night.

3. Mark Martin
With Martin's recent win at Phoenix, we have to give a nod to the veteran driver when we visit the short tracks. Martin should be sharp at Richmond International Raceway this weekend. During his part-time schedule the past couple years, he hasn't missed an opportunity to race at RIR. Martin has made the most of those opportunities with a pair of top-fives in both of last season's events at Richmond. He brings what will likely be his best car in years to the Virginia track this weekend.

Fantasy Report

Mike Bell gives his picks for the Richmond race and a driver who has yet to win there tops the list.

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4. Kyle Busch
Busch had a dominant car again this past weekend at Talladega, but came up short in his quest for the win. He could make a good rebound candidate in Saturday night's Richmond race. Busch finished second in this event one year ago, and that makes six career top-fives in just eight starts at the .75-mile oval.

5. Denny Hamlin
In a lot of respects, Hamlin has been just as impressive as teammate Kyle Busch this season. We believe it's just a matter of time before the driver of the No. 11 Toyota visits Victory Lane. Hamlin won the pole and led 381 laps in this event one year ago. He returned in the fall of last season and finished third for his third career top-five at RIR. Hamlin should challenge again Saturday night.

6. Kevin Harvick
The top-10 slump has now reached five consecutive races for the No. 29 team. Harvick didn't even get a chance to show his good superspeedway skills last week before he was caught up in the Big One on Lap 7. Richmond International Raceway sets the stage for a good comeback for Harvick. He's riding an eight-race top-10 streak at the track entering this week's Crown Royal 400, and that span does include one victory.

7. Jeff Gordon
Like a lot of Cup drivers this weekend, Gordon will be looking to rebound from his own personal Talladega nightmare. The No. 24 team has given Gordon a steady supply of good cars this season and there's no reason to expect that to change on Saturday. Gordon has visited the top 10 four consecutive times at RIR, and that includes more than 300 laps led during that span.

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8. Clint Bowyer
Another Richard Childress Racing driver that's looking to snap a cold spell this Saturday is Bowyer. He hasn't cracked the top 20 in his last three races. That shouldn't deter any fantasy racing thoughts for the No. 33 team in Saturday night's short track affair. Bowyer won this event one year ago and he's never finished worse than 12th in six career starts at the Virginia short track.

9. Greg Biffle
Biffle has been riding along nicely thus far this season. The No. 16 Ford has been a real closer in recent races so the team may not start the weekend fast, but they come on during the course of the race. Biffle is riding a three-race top-10 streak entering Saturday night's race, and that streak covers a variety of tracks. We like his chances to extend that streak to four at RIR.

10. David Reutimann
The No. 00 team needs a good finish to rebound from the poor Talladega outing this past weekend. Reutimann has been solid this year on the short tracks. In his last Richmond outing in September of last year, he was the most dominant driver on the track. Reutimann led more than 100 laps before falling back to finish ninth. Events could be very similar this weekend.