Snapshot: Toyota Owners 400

By: Zack Albert

Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway marks the 120th visit for stock-car racing's top division in the Virginia capital city. The sport aims to build upon its deep history at Richmond this weekend, with some new wrinkles in store.

The .75-mile track plays host Sunday afternoon to the Toyota Owners 400 as Richmond returns to daytime racing, likely altering handling characteristics and strategy.

The event also gives teams a chance to break the recent win streak by Joe Gibbs Racing, which has celebrated with Kyle Busch (Martinsville, Texas) and Carl Edwards (Bristol) the last three weeks. Both are former Richmond winners.

At A Glance:

Where: Richmond International Raceway, a .75-mile asphalt layout located in Richmond, Virginia.
Green flag: 1:14 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: FOX; MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR
Forecast: Sunny with a high near 71; northerly wind around 5-7 mph according to the National Weather Service.
National anthem: Trent Harmon, 'American Idol' Season 15 winner
Grand Marshal: Robert 'Dell' Wilson, local Toyota owner
Race distance: 400 laps (300 miles)
Pit road speed: 40 mph
Caution car speed: 45 mph
To the rear: Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet (transmission change)

Stewart back in saddle

Sunday's 400-lapper marks the 2016 debut for three-time series champion Tony Stewart, who has been sidelined since suffering a broken back in an all-terrain vehicle incident in January. Stewart has three Richmond victories, including the first Cup win of his career back in September 1999.

Stewart has a waiver to potentially qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs in his final season, provided he meets all other eligibility requirements. The search for a victory and a place in the top 30 in the standings begins Sunday.

Day tripper

Sunday's Toyota Owners 400 marks the first daytime race -- Saturday night rainouts notwithstanding -- scheduled at Richmond since 1997. The schedule swap distinguishes the track's traditional springtime date from the regular-season finale held at night in September, and also provides a different approach for drivers and crews alike.

'This thing is going to change a lot and I think you're going to see a really great race,' said Carl Edwards, last week's winner at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Johnson's sunny outlook

Jimmie Johnson possesses three career victories on the .75-mile track, all achieved during a prolific four-race span in 2007-08. Two of those triumphs for the No. 48 Chevrolet driver came during the daytime because of weather-related postponements.
 
Whether the afternoon success helps Johnson better adapt this Sunday is still to be determined. The Hendrick Motorsports driver topped the charts in Saturday's final practice and was also fastest in the 10-lap-average category.

Kurt's chemistry

Defending race winner Kurt Busch also has some experience in taking the checkered flag under sunny conditions. Busch prevailed in a rain-postponed event at Richmond last spring, notching his first victory with crew chief Tony Gibson in just their ninth race together.
 
Busch said Friday that their win validated the speed in their Stewart-Haas Racing entries, but also established his chemistry with Gibson.
 
'I think that is where him and I have really had most of our success is at the short tracks,' Busch said. 'The personal relationship is somebody that I look up to as a mentor, as a coach and he gives me the ball though when I'm out on the field. When I'm out on the track, he is giving me the ability to make the calls out there.'

A wheelie big deal

The search for saving precious milliseconds on pit road has created a hot-button issue for Sprint Cup teams and NASCAR officials, the option to fasten fewer than five lug nuts during tire changes. Heightened awareness of the topic led Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition, to say that officials would potentially re-evaluate how the sanctioning body enforces properly attached wheels.
 
Barring an 11th-hour alteration before Sunday's race, tempted teams will still have the option to roll the dice by hitting four or even three lug nuts during tire changes.