Busch win to make Chase more than just a fantasy

"Racing perfection under the lights." Sounds like a good way to determine the Chase for the Cup field, doesn't it? This is the self-described moniker of Richmond International Raceway. Who's to argue with its claim?

Anyone who has seen a race at Richmond under the lights would most likely agree. From Jeremy Mayfield's win in this event in 2004 that vaulted him into the Chase field, to Jeff Gordon's stunning failure here in 2005 that put him out of the Chase, Richmond isn't short on thrills.

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This season we have an array of drivers from ninth to 15th in the championship standings that are vying to make this season's Chase. Before 400 laps are complete drivers such as Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers and Matt Kenseth will provide us with enough excitement to last an entire season.

As we take all these factors in, we'll break down what this means to fantasy racing players this weekend. Much like the drivers, Richmond can make or break your season.

Top Fantasy Racing Drivers for Richmond

1. Kyle Busch
It's crunch time. With the Chase for the Cup in the balance, are Busch and the No. 18 team up to the task? We think so. Busch won the spring race at RIR in convincing fashion. He's led well more than 100 laps in his past two starts there. The last time we saw Busch on a short track he was dominating at Bristol a couple of weeks ago. Everyone will be chasing the No. 18 Toyota this weekend.

2. Mark Martin
Speaking of the last short track race at Bristol, we can't forget Martin dogging Busch all the way to the end of that 500 laps. The No. 5 Chevrolet was very good that night at BMS. Martin's recent Richmond numbers are just as impressive. Four of his past six visits to the three-quarters-mile oval have earned top-5 finishes, including the past three in a row. Martin should battle with Busch again for the win this Saturday night.

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Mike Bell tells you who you need in your fantasy lineup and takes a three-time Richmond winner to go to Victory Lane.

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3. Jimmie Johnson
Johnson is mired in a streak of bad luck right now, but we have to take into account his urgency for the Chase and his recent numbers at Richmond. He has won three of the past five races at Richmond and led close to 250 laps in the process. We simply can't overlook those numbers. If the bad luck can stay away Saturday night, the No. 48 team can score another victory.

4. Denny Hamlin
The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team enter this event on a hot streak. Hamlin has earned top-10 finishes in five of the past six races prior to Saturday night. The oval at Richmond has always been to Hamlin's liking. He's led more than 580 laps, won two poles and collected three top-10 finishes in his past six starts there. Hamlin considers RIR his home track, and for good reason.

5. Tony Stewart
While Smoke has cooled off in recent weeks, he's still a potent fantasy racing start nearly every weekend. Richmond holds the hope for yet another win for the No. 14 team. Stewart has finished runner-up at RIR in three of his past four events at the track, so there's good reason to hope if you're a Stewart fan. At the very least a bad evening for the star owner/driver will net a top-10 finish.

6. Kurt Busch
Busch hopes to rebound from his terrible Atlanta performance this week at Richmond. The short tracks have been good to the No. 2 team this season as Busch showed recently at Bristol. He has three top-10s in his past six visits to RIR, so the numbers are good entering this event. Busch is racing for position in the Chase, so you know he will have plenty of motivation to reach Victory Lane on Saturday night.

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7. Jeff Gordon
While no major threat to reach Victory Lane, steady and solid is what best describes Gordon this season and this weekend. Gordon has earned four top-10s in his past six races entering this weekend, and he owns five top-10'=s in his past six Richmond starts. Look for Gordon to potentially lead some laps Saturday night, and to bring home yet another top-10 finish.

8. Ryan Newman
With the goal of making the Chase well within reach, Newman has only to finish 16th or better (without leading a lap) in order to clinch a berth in this season's playoff. We think Newman will do well better than that. The No. 39 team is running well right now and carries a two-race, top-10 streak to Richmond. Newman's past three visits to RIR have netted two top-10 finishes.

9. Clint Bowyer
While Bowyer has struggled with consistency recently, the short-track cars of the No. 33 team have been pretty solid. He is outside of any real shot at making the Chase, but look for him to make a statement this weekend at RIR. Bowyer owns one career victory at Richmond and his recent stats at the track indicate a probable top-15 finish Saturday night.

10. Marcos Ambrose
The last time we saw the Aussie on a short track, he gave a jaw-dropping performance at Bristol. Ambrose likely will be just as impressive as his top-5 finish at BMS this week at Richmond. The No. 47 team visited RIR this spring and came away with a solid 11th-place finish. Ambrose should better that mark Saturday night.