Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway
(⏰ 3:30 p.m. ET | 📺 FS1, FOX Sports App | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race in Virginia, the seventh regular-season race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.
Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Richmond 101
📍 Location: Richmond, Virginia
📐 Track length: 0.75 miles
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Buy tickets: Find seats for Sunday
💰 Cup Series race purse: $7,529,485
📏 Race distance: 300 miles | 400 laps
🔢 Stages: 70 | 230 | 400
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Entry list: Drivers making their way to Virginia
📋 Starting lineup: Where drivers will start on Sunday
🚗 Pit stall assignments: Where drivers will pit on Sunday
📦 Rules package: New rules for short tracks, road courses
🏆 Most recent winner: Kevin Harvick
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At-track photos: Best captures from race weekend
Key things to watch 🔑
Top story line
Short-track stretch. Since the new package was introduced, Sunday's race in Richmond will only be the second time it's been raced on an oval (Phoenix Raceway). So this race will be a big step for teams looking to build their notebooks through the rest of the season, and early success here means leaving all the other teams behind and playing catch up. Each of the three tracks should have different styles of racing, though, with Richmond followed by the Bristol Dirt Race and Martinsville — lining up a trio of races that might swing the playoff standings for many drivers still searching for a victory. With the usual long, green-flag stretches seen at Richmond, pit strategy will be at the forefront of discussion throughout the day and we could see a big gamble pay off toward the end of the race.
History tells us...
Joe Gibbs Racing loves Richmond. The organization has been better here than anywhere, leading all teams with 18 victories and wins in nine of the last 14 races at the Virginia short track. Additionally, an active JGR driver has led the most laps in eight of the last 12 races at Richmond, spearheaded by Denny Hamlin's 2,135 laps led, placing him fifth on the
all-time list. Not to mention Hamlin won the spring race last year and Martin Truex Jr. has three wins in his last seven starts here. With Toyota still searching for their first win this season, Sunday should be the perfect opportunity to get on the board based on their incredible track record.
He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for...
Brad Keselowski. Keselowski's numbers have been better this season, but the No. 6 driver still has some shaky results sandwiched around an incredible performance at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Still, it's clear RFK Racing has been on the rise lately and Sunday's race is a massive chance to show off their progression. While not the same style track, Chris Buescher proved the organization can be dominant at short tracks with his big win in the Bristol Night Race — and Keselowski has had success at Richmond. He has two victories, most recently in 2020, and 14 consecutive top-15 finishes here, which means he will likely be in the mix this weekend.
Practice and qualifying
Both of Saturday's sessions were canceled, meaning the starting lineup was set by the NASCAR Rule Book with Alex Bowman starting on the pole. Without track time, it will be critical for teams to nail their race setups off the truck or be able to make adjustments during the first stage of the race.
Read the full article and see Sunday's lineup.
MRN's Todd Gordon and NBC Sports' Steve Letarte analyze pit stop strategies and the effects of a low downforce package.
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Familiar favorites ⭐️
Our biggest pieces of the week -- get covered for race day from all angles.
• Paint Scheme Preview: Rolling into spring with fresh paint schemes |
Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Will Rowdy still reign at Richmond with RCR? |
Latest driver rankings
• Fantasy Fastlane: Go heavy on JGR cars |
Best plays, lineup advice
• Betting odds: Is Sunday when Christopher Bell breaks through? |
Top bets, underdog picks
• Stacking Pennies: Driver etiquette, post-race antics and Jordan Taylor joins the show |
Listen to the podcast
💎 NASCAR 75: Check out exclusive NASCAR content throughout the anniversary season |
Learn more, explore
Hot off the press 📰
Key stories and breaking news from the week leading up to the race.
• Richmond feature: Virginia short track's history cherished by all |
Read more
• Hendrick Motorsports: Appeals panel amends penalties |
Read more
• Daniel Suárez: Fined $50,000 for post-race incident at COTA
| Read more | Suárez reacts to penalty
• Justin Marks: Team owner comments on Suárez's actions |
Read more
• Bubba Wallace: Determined to shake COTA heartbreak, build back confidence |
Read more
• Kyle Busch: Shines light on parity Next Gen brings to NASCAR |
Read more
• Garage 56: Jessica Hook, 'chief of staff,' following her passion, dream |
Read more
• Ryan Blaney: Team Penske driver talks about teammate chemistry |
Read more
• Bubba's Block Party: Event set to take place this weekend in Richmond |
Read more
• Untold Stories: Brad Keselowski's championship run |
Watch the video
• All-Star Race: Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip named co-grand marshals |
Read more
• Cup Series: See every winner from the 2023 season, so far |
View the gallery
• eNASCAR: Bobby Zalenski shines in Coca-Cola iRacing Series |
Read more
• Modified Tour: Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte bring star power |
Read more
Get in on the action 💰
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.
• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation |
Learn more
• Fantasy Live: Still time to get on the leaderboard and win big this season |
Tips for 2023
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don't miss your chance to make picks each week |
Visit the BetCenter
• Going the distance: 2023 Cup Series championship odds |
See them here
Ready for Richmond? 🧳
Catch up on the latest track history, all-time leaders and more at the Virginia short track.
• Winner, winner: All-time winners at the 0.75-mile track |
See who has the most
• Pace out front: Top 10 lap leaders in Richmond Raceway history |
Harvick joins the list
• Do you remember?: Memorable moments at Richmond Raceway |
Relive them here
• GIFs are great: Best moments and highlights from the 2022 spring race |
See them here
• Race Rewind: Denny Hamlin pulls off the home-state win |
Highlights from 2022
🏦 From the Vault: Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip collide at Richmond in 1986 |
Watch the video
Take some notes 📝
Five hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• This is the first of five paved short-track races this season.
• Each of the last eight paved short-track races was won by a different driver.
• Five of the last seven Richmond races had a final green-flag stretch of 137 or more laps, including both in 2022.
• Hendrick Motorsports’ next top-five finish will make them the first team to reach 1,200.
• William Byron’s four stage wins are tied for the most all-time through six races.
🔮 Predicting the winner: Using data to set a projected finishing order