Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond
FINAL PRACTICE: Full results | Top 10-lap times


A fast lap of 119.074 mph put Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet at the top of the leaderboard in Saturday’s final practice at Richmond International Raceway. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points leader turned 84 laps in the 50-minute session, more than any other driver in the field.

Furniture Row Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. (119.016 mph) and Erik Jones (118.702 mph) were second- and fourth-fastest, respectively. Both drivers have recorded top-five speeds in all three practices (Truex’s No. 78 Toyota led the opening practice, while Jones’ No. 77 Toyota topped the second session).

Sandwiched between the Furniture Row wheelmen in third was Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson, whose No. 48 Chevrolet clocked in at 118.801 mph. Johnson’s teammate Chase Elliott rounded out the top five with a fast lap of 118.452 mph in his No. 24 Chevrolet.

After battling a car issue in Saturday’s opening session and coming up 31st on the leaderboard, Kurt Busch nabbed the sixth-fastest speed in the field in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford during final practice.

The XFINITY Series is on track at Richmond next for the ToyotaCare 250 race (1 p.m. ET, FS1).

PRACTICE 2: Full results | Top 10-lap times

Earlier in the day, Erik Jones wheeled his No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota at 120.714 mph, nabbing the top spot on the speed charts during Saturday morning’s opening practice at Richmond International Raceway.

The Monster Energy Series rookie, who topped the leaderboard early in the 55-minute session, was second-fastest in Friday’s lone practice to his teammate Martin Truex Jr.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick was second on the leaderboard Saturday, his No. 4 Ford clocking a fast lap of 120.048 mph. Richard Childress Racing’s Paul Menard was third-fastest (120.005 mph) in his No. 27 Chevrolet, while JTG Daugherty Racing’s Chris Buescher ranked fourth in the field (119.973 mph from his No. 37 Chevrolet). Friday’s practice leader Truex Jr. completed the top five with a 119.941-mph lap in his No. 78 Toyota.

Pole-sitter Matt Kenseth was 11th-fastest in the field in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who announced his retirement from full-time racing after 2017 on Tuesday, was 10th on the leaderboard.

In the middle of the 55-minute session, Kurt Busch radioed his team that he thought his No. 41 Ford was "on seven cylinders" and brought the car into the garage for examination. He returned to the track a little over 20 minutes later and told his team that he thought they "fixed it, whatever it was," ending the session 31st on the leaderboard.

The following teams were held for the first 15 minutes of Saturday’s opening session due to infractions: No. 1 of Jamie McMurray (failing LIS twice), No. 17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (failing LIS second time through) and No. 21 of Ryan Blaney (failing template twice).

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BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond

PRACTICE 1: RESULTS

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 5 Kasey Kahne 1 10 119.324
2 95 Michael McDowell 2 11 119.207
3 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 3 12 119.082
4 4 Kevin Harvick 1 10 119.074
5 19 Daniel Suarez # 3 12 118.926
6 32 Matt DiBenedetto 2 11 118.229
7 3 Austin Dillon 9 18 117.340
8 24 Chase Elliott 16 25 116.227


PRACTICE 2: RESULTS

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 77 Erik Jones # 1 10 118.876
2 4 Kevin Harvick 1 10 118.670
3 27 Paul Menard 1 10 118.664
4 37 Chris Buescher 2 11 118.621
5 11 Denny Hamlin 2 11 118.596
6 3 Austin Dillon 2 11 118.584
7 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2 11 118.561
8 20 Matt Kenseth 1 10 118.523
9 31 Ryan Newman 2 11 118.455
10 10 Danica Patrick 2 11 118.404
11 22 Joey Logano 1 10 118.374
12 47 AJ Allmendinger 1 10 118.189
13 34 Landon Cassill 3 12 118.010
14 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 4 13 118.000
15 6 Trevor Bayne 2 11 117.973
16 18 Kyle Busch 2 11 117.915
17 38 David Ragan 3 12 117.789
18 14 Clint Bowyer 2 11 117.677
19 1 Jamie McMurray 3 12 117.664
20 32 Matt DiBenedetto 1 10 117.589
21 19 Daniel Suarez # 2 11 117.587
22 48 Jimmie Johnson 17 26 117.531
23 43 Aric Almirola 1 10 117.522
24 23 Gray Gaulding # 2 11 117.358
25 13 Ty Dillon # 1 10 117.356
26 5 Kasey Kahne 2 11 116.793
27 42 Kyle Larson 14 23 116.467
28 95 Michael McDowell 6 15 116.412
29 41 Kurt Busch 24 33 116.228
30 78 Martin Truex Jr. 21 30 115.958
31 24 Chase Elliott 20 29 115.916
32 2 Brad Keselowski 19 28 115.198
33 51 * Timmy Hill(i) 1 10 113.336

FINAL PRACTICE: RESULTS

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 78 Martin Truex Jr. 1 10 117.521
2 11 Denny Hamlin 2 11 117.384
3 42 Kyle Larson 1 10 117.379
4 20 Matt Kenseth 1 10 117.337
5 24 Chase Elliott 2 11 117.160
6 5 Kasey Kahne 1 10 117.145
7 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1 10 117.038
8 18 Kyle Busch 2 11 116.993
9 14 Clint Bowyer 1 10 116.962
10 1 Jamie McMurray 1 10 116.886
11 48 Jimmie Johnson 1 10 116.856
12 21 Ryan Blaney 1 10 116.847
13 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2 11 116.759
14 77 Erik Jones # 1 10 116.696
15 6 Trevor Bayne 2 11 116.651
16 22 Joey Logano 1 10 116.528
17 2 Brad Keselowski 1 10 116.488
18 3 Austin Dillon 2 11 116.444
19 19 Daniel Suarez # 1 10 116.428
20 43 Aric Almirola 2 11 116.349
21 31 Ryan Newman 2 11 116.263
22 4 Kevin Harvick 1 10 116.206
23 34 Landon Cassill 2 11 116.148
24 47 AJ Allmendinger 2 11 116.140
25 10 Danica Patrick 2 11 116.102
26 95 Michael McDowell 4 13 115.701
27 37 Chris Buescher 1 10 115.700
28 38 David Ragan 3 12 115.398
29 41 Kurt Busch 31 40 114.991
30 13 Ty Dillon # 1 10 114.965
31 32 Matt DiBenedetto 2 11 114.724
32 23 Gray Gaulding # 1 10 114.554
33 27 Paul Menard 28 37 113.997
34 83 * Corey LaJoie # 1 10 113.325
35 15 Reed Sorenson 1 10 113.209

* Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart. *Required to qualify on time, # signifies the driver is a rookie, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

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RELATED: Results | Standings | Detailed breakdown | SHOP: Winner gear

 

RICHMOND, Va. – Justin Allgaier had the best car in Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

 

Kyle Larson isn’t very good at Richmond—and isn’t bashful about saying so.

 

Nevertheless, when two late restarts played out at the .75-mile short track, Larson was the race winner in overtime, and Allgaier was a disappointed second, consoled only by the $100,000 check he collected as the winner of the XFINITY Dash 4 Cash bonus as the highest finishing series regular.

 

"It’s a bittersweet day, I’ll be honest with you," said Allgaier, who finished second to Larson despite leading a race-high 157 of the 254 laps. "I’m really dejected—I won’t lie to you. That’s going to hurt for a long time."

 

What stung so badly for the driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet occurred in the final 15 laps of the race. Allgaier was leading, and teammate Elliott Sadler was closing fast on fresher tires, thanks to an aggressive pit call under caution on Lap 184.

 

But NASCAR had to call a caution on Lap 239 of a scheduled 250 when the engine expired in BJ McLeod’s Chevrolet. Allgaier hit pit road along with the other lead-lap cars, including Sadler, whose only option was a set of 17-lap scuffed tires.

 

Ty Dillon took the lead out of the pits on a two-tire call, but Dillon jumped the restart on Lap 246, mashing the gas before he reached the restart zone.

 

After a five-car wreck involving William Byron, Daniel Suarez, Brennan Poole, Harrison Rhodes and Kyle Benjamin slowed the field on the restart lap, and Dillon was sent to the rear of the field because of the restart infraction, Larson had the lead at Allgaier’s expense and controlled the overtime restart on Lap 253.

 

Restarting in the inside lane, Larson cleared Allgaier off Turn 2 and crossed the overtime line before a wreck on the backstretch caused the seventh and final caution and froze the field with Larson in the lead.

 

"I’m not good at this place, so a win is pretty neat," said Larson, who will start 18th as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points leader in Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (on FOX at 2 p.m. ET) at Richmond International Raceway. "I still have to work on myself for long runs. I’m terrible on long runs.

 

"I was OK today, but (on Sunday) the competition is a lot harder. The drivers are better. Just have to be patient. Struggled in Happy Hour (final practice), so we’ll see how we are (on Sunday)."

 

Polesitter Daniel Hemric ran third, followed by Austin Dillon and Ryan Blaney.

 

Sadler retained the series lead by 41 points over Allgaier, but the driver of the No. 1 Chevy was frustrated, too. Sadler had race leader Allgaier in his sights, having closed the gap from 3.5 seconds to a couple of car-lengths before McLeod’s engine blew.

 

"I’m proud of the guys for taking the chance we did, and we definitely had the race won," said the Virginia native, who finished seventh on the set of scuffed tires. "It’s heartbreaking. We really wanted to win here at our home track, in front of our home fans."

 

Notes: Larson led 10 laps–the final 10… Allgaier won the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the second time this season, having also taken the prize at Phoenix, where he also won the race… In his XFINITY debut, Kyle Benjamin ran consistently in the top 10 until he had to return to pit road to tighten lug nuts after what should have been his final stop. Mired in traffic, he was a victim of the Lap 246 incident and retired from the race in 32nd-place, seven laps down… Astute pit strategy helped Dylan Lupton to a 12th-place, lead-lap finish in his first XFINITY start of the season… Darrell Wallace Jr. finished sixth for the sixth time in eight races this season. His other two finishes are a pair of 33rds.

 

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MORE: Monster Energy Series owner standings | Camping World owner standings

Rk. Owner Car No. Points Ldr Nxt Race Wins Stage Wins Playoff Pts. Attempts
1 Roger Penske 22 358 0 0 0 3 3 8
2 Chip Ganassi 42 304 -54 -54 2 1 11 8
3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 295 -63 -9 0 2 2 8
4 Joe Gibbs 20 293 -65 -2 2 2 12 8
5 Richard Childress 2 257 -101 -36 0 1 1 8
6 Kelley Earnhardt-Miller 7 254 -104 -3 1 1 6 8
7 J D Gibbs 18 254 -104 0 1 3 3 8
8 Rick Hendrick 9 251 -107 -3 0 1 1 8
9 Richard Childress 3 234 -124 -17 0 0 0 8
10 Richard Childress 21 228 -130 -6 0 1 1 8
11 Jack Roush 6 211 -147 -17 0 0 0 8
12 Jack Roush 16 198 -160 -13 1 0 5 8
13 Matt Kaulig 11 190 -168 -8 0 0 0 8
14 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5 186 -172 -4 0 0 0 8
15 Joe Gibbs 19 183 -175 -3 0 0 0 8
16 Chip Ganassi 48 180 -178 -3 0 0 0 8
17 James Whitener 28 160 -198 -20 0 0 0 8
18 Gene Haas 00 154 -204 -6 0 0 0 8
19 Maria Gonzalez Hernandez 24 150 -208 -4 0 0 0 8
20 Richard Childress 33 132 -226 -18 0 0 0 8
21 Maurice Gallagher Jr. 23 130 -228 -2 0 0 0 8
22 Rod Sieg 39 119 -239 -11 0 0 0 8
23 Mark Smith 14 112 -246 -7 0 0 0 8
24 Richard Childress 62 110 -248 -2 0 0 0 8
25 Tony Clements 51 105 -253 -5 0 0 0 8
26 Fred Biagi 98 104 -254 -1 0 0 0 6
27 Michelle Gosselin 90 100 -258 -4 0 0 0 8
28 Johnny Davis 01 99 -259 -1 0 0 0 8
29 Jimmy Means 52 91 -267 -8 0 0 0 8
30 Gary Cogswell 0 89 -269 -2 0 0 0 8
31 Tony Stewart 41 86 -272 -3 0 1 0 2
32 Bobby Dotter 07 83 -275 -3 0 0 0 8
33 Gary Keller 4 82 -276 -1 0 0 0 8
34 Danielle Long 40 72 -286 -10 0 0 0 8
35 Jessica Smith-Mcleod 99 67 -291 -5 0 0 0 8
36 Roger Penske 12 64 -294 -3 1 0 0 2
37 Rick Hendrick 88 49 -309 -15 0 0 0 1
38 Bj McLeod 78 49 -309 0 0 0 0 8
39 Rick Gdovic 46 47 -311 -2 0 0 0 3
40 Jessica Smith-Mcleod 8 47 -311 0 0 0 0 8
41 Danielle Long 13 23 -335 -24 0 0 0 8
42 Mike Harmon 74 17 -341 -6 0 0 0 8
43 Lynn Cockrum 25 12 -346 -5 0 0 0 2
44 Mark Smith 44 10 -348 -2 0 0 0 1
45 Pamela Sieg 93 7 -351 -3 0 0 0 7
46 Victor Obaika 97 4 -354 -3 0 0 0 6
47 Cindy Shepherd 89 2 -356 -2 0 0 0 6
48 Victor Obaika 177 0 -358 -2 0 0 0 1
49 Craig Martins 45 0 -358 0 0 0 0 1
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RELATED: Dash 4 Cash 101

RELATED: Results 


RICHMOND, Va. — Being handed an oversized check that ticks the six-figure mark stands as a heck of a consolation prize, but there was still a bittersweet feeling Saturday afternoon for Justin Allgaier, who stood oh-so-close to Victory Lane.

Allgaier finished second in Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 for the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Richmond International Raceway, snagging the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus offered by the series sponsor. His finish was tops among the three other eligible drivers — pole-starter Daniel Hemric (third place), points leader Elliott Sadler (seventh) and rookie Kyle Benjamin (32nd in his series debut).

But it was Allgaier who seemed to absorb the most disappointment, leading three times for 157 of the 254 laps but coming up just shy of his second victory of the season behind eventual winner Kyle Larson.

MORE: 2017 NXS winners

Allgaier led with Sadler closing in second for a lengthy green-flag run in the final stage, but when BJ McLeod’s engine expired to unfurl the caution flag with 10 laps before the scheduled end, strategies and the running order were thrown into disarray. Allgaier’s JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet restarted second, but a pair of chaotic restarts that included leader Ty Dillon’s jump (later penalized) shuffled both him and Sadler back behind Larson.

"For what these guys did to bring a great race car, I mean we had a lights-out race car today," said Allgaier, who won the Dash 4 Cash prize for the second time this season. He also moved up one position to second place in the XFINITY standings. "In hindsight, maybe we would’ve been better off if it would’ve gone green to the end, but at the end of the day, this happens. We’re dejected, but I can promise you that next week, we’ll be ready to go — fire in our bellies and ready to go win one that we should’ve gotten this weekend."

Sadler held on for his seventh top-10 finish in eight races, leaving Richmond with a sizable 41-point edge in the standings. Hemric led the opening 26 laps after posting the first Coors Light Pole Award of his XFINITY career. Benjamin didn’t get the result he aimed for in his series debut, but made a strong showing before a crucial miscue during the final round of pit stops.

Benjamin, a 19-year-old product of the NASCAR Next youth initiative, started an impressive second, then logged stage finishes of fifth and sixth — the last of which clinched his spot in the Dash 4 Cash field. But during the final pit-stop exchange, his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota rolled off the jack — the result of what he said was a clutch not fully engaged — and Benjamin exited his pit stall with loose lugs.

The extra pit stop to remedy the issue mired him back in the pack, and he was sidelined by a six-car stack-up on the traffic-packed restart that forced the final caution period. Still, Benjamin said his first start in the series was productive, leaving him eager for his next XFINITY appearance, scheduled for June 10 at Pocono Raceway.

"It was definitely educational," said Benjamin, the 2016 runner-up in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. "I learned a lot today. Just wish I hadn’t made that mistake there at the end, but other than that, we had a really consistent day. A lot of positive things happened. Got to race around some really good guys and learned from them."


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The NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash has an updated format for 2017 with the implementation of stages in each race of the series’ 33-event circuit. Stage 1 and Stage 2 will determine which four drivers are eligible in the main race for the Dash 4 Cash prize, and a $100,000 check for each event.

Plus, $600,000 would be awarded to a driver who wins all four Dash 4 Cash bonuses, making the total possible winnings $1 million this year.

MORE: Fast facts: How the stages work

Here is a quick rundown of how the format works.



THE RACES 


Phoenix Raceway (March 18) | Race recap
 | Photos
Bristol Motor Speedway (April 22)
 | Race recap | Photos
Richmond International Raceway (April 29) | Race recap | Photos
Dover International Speedway (June 3)

RACE FORMATS


Coors Light Pole Qualifying will determine the starting positions for the race. 


The field will then begin the race with Stage 1, followed by Stage 2 and the Final Stage.

Phoenix Raceway is new to the four-race Dash 4 Cash schedule this year, replacing Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a designated event.

Based on the participation guidelines announced last year, drivers with more than five years of full-time experience are restricted from the four races in the Dash 4 Cash program.

DASH 4 CASH ELIGIBILITY

The top-two finishing NASCAR XFINITY Series points-earning drivers in each of the two stages will make up the four-driver Dash 4 Cash field for the Final Stage. Once Stage 1 is complete, the two drivers who lock into the main field won’t have their position counted following Stage 2 to ensure a four-driver field.

The highest finisher in the final stage among the four eligible drivers wins the Dash 4 Cash and a $100,000 prize.

PLAYOFF ELIGIBILITY

If a driver earns two Dash 4 Cash wins (not race wins) over the four Dash 4 Cash races, that is equivalent to a regular-season race win for XFINITY Series postseason eligibility.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In search of a director to oversee filming for its latest NASCAR Acceleration Nation television creative, NASCARu00ae turned to a 14-year-old rising star in advertising.


Amelia Conway of Temecula, Calif., developed the treatment and directed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Seriesu2122 driver Austin Dillon in the new spot promoting the sport’s national youth platform.


The 30-second ad, titled "Tutelage," debuted today online and will air beginning this weekend during the Richmond races on FOX and FS1.


"As a filmmaker, Amelia is a special talent and we loved her vision for this project," said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "She represents the youth audience that is important to our sport, so having that unique perspective guide the creative process for us was invaluable."


Born in California and raised in rural Texas, Conway began acting and performing at an early age and in 2014 was signed to Adolescent Content, a youth-focused production agency. She’s directed several music videos and short films, and recently shot commercials for Target, Toms Shoes and Beats Music.

Conway was introduced to NASCAR through 77 Ventures, its agency partner on the 2017 season launch campaign and, more recently, the NASCAR Acceleration Nation work.


"Tutelage" is set in a school classroom, where child teachers explain the aerodynamics principles of drag and drafting to a seated audience of students including Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS.


"I really appreciate how NASCAR is including kids like me in the sport," said Conway. "I’ve always liked working with kid actors, but working with Austin Dillion was an awesome experience. Being on the set and learning about how race teams use STEM technologies to help their drivers was fascinating, and I think NASCAR Acceleration Nation will inspire other young people like me to do what they love."


Launched in 2015, NASCAR Acceleration Nation engages the next generation of NASCAR fans by creating fun, entertaining and educational ways for kids to interact with the sport. Through a partnership with Scholastic, NASCAR-themed learning materials are taught in more than 10,000 schools across the country.


The learning materials are grounded in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) and include lessons and activities on energy and the NASCAR 3 D’s of Speed — Drag, Downforce and Drafting.


The NASCAR Acceleration Nation app is the sport’s first app experience created just for kids featuring racing-themed games, activities and fun ways to learn about NASCAR. Parents can download the app for their children at the App Store and Google Play.



AccelerationNation.com features games and activities inspired by various elements of the sport. Kids can test their math skills with Flash Cars and play RaceFlex, an interactive racing game.


NASCAR Acceleration Nation is one part of the industry’s ongoing commitment to young fans, and every race weekend there are fun and interactive activities for children including kids’ clubs, kids’ zones, driver autograph sessions and more. 


Beginning this year, kids ages 12 and under are admitted free for all NASCAR XFINITY Seriesu2122 and NASCAR Camping World Truck Seriesu2122 races.


Discounted youth tickets are also available for many Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events. Kids ticket information is available at NASCAR.com/kidstix.


Earlier this season, NASCAR and Disney announced that rising star drivers Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suárez and Darrell Wallace Jr. have joined legends Jeff Gordon and Richard Petty as character voices in Disney-Pixar’s "Cars 3" movie, opening in theaters nationwide on June 16.  


NASCAR Acceleration Nation is being featured as part of the "Cars 3" Road to the Races tour, currently traveling the country to celebrate the film.


The Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway will begin at 2 p.m. ET on April 30. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90) and MRN, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

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Actor and star of FOX’s police crime drama "Rosewood" Morris Chestnut noticed that the cast seemed nervous while filming a portion of the Season 2 finale in March.

For good reason, too.

"There was a huge explosion and the explosion was so big that everyone on the set was nervous because it was on the second level of this parking structure," Chestnut recalled Monday to NASCAR.com via telephone. "And it was such a big explosion that everyone thought the second level was going to drop down to the first."

But one guest star — Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon — seemed quite unnerved by the exploding car behind him, Chestnut noticed.

It seemed his day job lent a hand to dealing with crashes, fires and loud noises on the set of a television show.

"He was actually in the scene when this happened," Chestnut said of Dillon. "And to see his reaction — he was just like a pro, didn’t flinch. It was great, he did a great job."

In the "Rosewood" season finale, Dillon portrays Wayne Cirito, a character that is associated with a crime gang that the show’s protagonist Dr. Beaumont Rosewood (played by Chestnut) is trying to interrogate.

As for Dillon’s acting skills? Chestnut was impressed by the 27-year-old driver’s versatility on-screen.

"That’s one thing that’s great about Austin," Chestnut said. "It was a very tough scene because he goes from this hard, tough-as-nails guy, to relating to (character Captain Ira) Hornstock and talking about things he may not have been comfortable (talking about)."

But as Chestnut learned after talking with Dillon off-screen, race car drivers have to be tough in a variety of facets in their own jobs — as well as focused, sharp and able-bodied. It’s a familiar area for the 48-year-old actor, as he just released a health and fitness book this month entitled "The Cut: Lose Up to 10 Pounds in 10 Days and Sculpt Your Best Body."

"It was great to talk to him about some of the insight toward NASCAR," Chestnut said. "I didn’t know some of the things that he goes through as (a driver), that they go through in the cars and everything, so it was great to talk to him about that.

"…One thing when I was talking to Austin is the endurance factor. Not only do you have to have a healthy body, but you have to have a healthy and sharp mind because a one-second lapse can not only cost you the race, but you can get into some very bad, brutal accidents. So, health and fitness is a huge part of being sharp and being ready when you’re on the track.

"These guys are athletes, these drivers are athletes," Chestnut continued. "I didn’t realize that. They’re not just sitting in the car Sunday driving like I do on the freeway. (They’re hitting) 200 mph, going around these tracks and turns … you have to be in tip-top shape and (have) a razor-sharp mind."

His conversations with Dillon on set gave Chestnut, who has never attended a NASCAR race, a greater appreciation for the sport of racing.

"To be honest, I didn’t get (NASCAR)," said Chestnut, who also plans to attend Dillon’s 3-on-3 charity basketball tournament this year. "I didn’t really get it. But he was breaking everything down to me about the whole entire experience. It’s not just about the race — it’s even before the race, everyone coming, meeting the drivers, being right on the track. He was breaking so many little intricate things down to me just about the sport in general to where it really, really piqued my interest. So I’m looking forward to getting out to (a race) … (There were) so many interesting things that he was talking to me about, I was like, ‘Man, I have to see one of these.’ "

The connections between NASCAR and Hollywood have grown deeper in recent years, as more drivers have briefly traded their fire suits and race cars for Hollywood scripts and bright lights for cameo appearances in movies and television shows. Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Carl Edwards notably nabbed cameo roles in the upcoming Steven Soderbergh-directed, racing-themed film "Logan Lucky;" which stars Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig and Riley Keough among others. Likewise, several movie and television stars have flocked to the often-unfamiliar race tracks, particularly the Southern California-based Auto Club Speedway and Wine Country’s Sonoma Raceway.

RELATED: NASCAR meets Hollywood in ‘Logan Lucky’ movie

While he is just starting to learn more about NASCAR, Chestnut already sees parallels between NASCAR and Hollywood, primarily the storytelling aspect of both.

"I think they’re both very entertaining," Chestnut said. "Like I said, I didn’t understand the sport … but once he told me the intricacies of the storylines that are involved and how intimate the fans can be with the drivers, it’s a whole other level of entertainment. Even the story within the story, the story within the races with some of the drivers and what happens before they even come to the race.

"There’s just so many interesting things, I think it’s just a natural relationship the two can have. Hollywood has stories — we tell stories with our show every week. The more you know about our show, the more interested you may be. The more I know about NASCAR drivers, the more interested I am in the sport. It’s very similar. They’re both very strong forms of entertainment."

Catch Dillon and Chestnut on the season finale of "Rosewood" on Friday, April 28 at  8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond



Operations Director Sammy Johns will replace Slugger Labbe as the crew chief on the No. 3 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, Richard Childress Racing announced Friday.



Labbe will remain at the Lexington, North Carolina, race shop to work on cars for next weekend’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.


Dillon will also have to start from the rear in Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio) for failing pre-race inspection five times at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend. He will also have a hold of 30 minutes for opening practice and the No. 3 team will lose its pit stall selection at Richmond. 


Dillon has an average finish of 22.3 in six career starts at Richmond, while the fourth-year veteran notched a pair of top-10 finishes at Talladega in 2016. He placed third in last year’s May race at NASCAR’s biggest track.


The team has gotten off to a bit of a slow start, with an average finish of 19.5 and one top-10 finish through eight races.

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BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond
RELATED: Practice 1 results | Top 10-lap times

Furniture Row Racing came to play at Richmond International Raceway, as Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 Toyota topped the leaderboard at 124.178 mph in Friday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice. He was followed by teammate and rookie Erik Jones, whose No. 77 Toyota notched a top speed of 123.035 mph.

Wood Brothers Racing’s Ryan Blaney was third-fastest, his No. 21 Ford clocking in at 122.772 mph. Roush Fenway Racing’s Trevor Bayne (122.084 mph) and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (121.726 mph) rounded out the top five, respectively. Hamlin won the most recent race at Richmond (September 2016) in his No. 11 Toyota.

Despite notching the second-fastest speed, Jones spun with 74 minutes left in the opening session, his No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota making slight contact with the wall.

With rain impacting on-track activity last weekend at Bristol, NASCAR deferred several holds and penalties coming out of Texas Motor Speedway to this weekend. The following teams sat out the first 15 minutes of practice, as they failed race inspection at Texas: No. 11 of Hamlin, No. 17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 37 of Chris Buescher, No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson and No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

There were several holds and penalties out of Bristol as well that were enforced in this session: Ty Dillon’s No. 13 team, AJ Allmendinger’s No. 47 team and Austin Dillon’s No. 3 team also abided by 15 minute-holds for failing LIS race inspection, as well as Aric Almirola’s No. 43 group (failing race inspection, templates x 2, T1-T2 and T1). Dillon also will start Sunday’s race from the rear.

Joey Logano (No. 22 team) and Matt Kenseth (No. 20 team) were held for 30 minutes for swerving at Bristol.

The Nos. 6 and 23 XFINITY Series teams of Darrell Wallace Jr. and Spencer Gallagher, respectively, will also have 15 minute holds.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is back on track at 4:45 p.m. ET for Coors Light Pole Qualifying (FS1).