Posted on by Zack Albert

RICHMOND, Va. — There’s optimism brewing in the Toyota camp for Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Richmond Raceway (7 ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), and with a race name like Toyota Owners 400, why wouldn’t there be? Recent ownership of Victory Lane real estate at the 0.75-mile oval, however, has been fleeting.

The last three Richmond winners have been Chris Buescher in a Ford (August 2023), Kyle Larson in a Chevrolet (April 2023) and Kevin Harvick in his final Cup Series victory with a Ford (July 2022). Strong showings in the last three races this season, however, have the automaker’s drivers bullish on reversing that trend.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | At-track photos: Richmond

“I’m excited for this race. All week I’ve been excited to get here and kind of see where we stack up,” said Denny Hamlin, driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 Toyota and a four-time Richmond winner in his homestate stomping grounds. “Certainly, with the history we have here over the last three or four races here at Richmond, being in contention, I feel pretty strongly about it. I would say that this is one that historically that I’ve always been good at, JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) has always been really good at, and then with the momentum it seems like our cars have, and our manufacturer — hopefully, we can tack on that little extra speed that we’ve shown here lately.”

Hamlin’s nod to history acknowledges just how successful his Joe Gibbs Racing team has been at Richmond. The organization has 18 wins here — the most of any track — and the most recent of those was Hamlin’s victory in the springtime event in 2022. JGR also has completed single-season sweeps of both Cup Series races at Richmond five times since 2009.

“I just like driving for JGR here,” said Christopher Bell, a three-time Richmond winner in Xfinity Series competition looking for his first Cup win here. “Their résumé speaks for itself, and the cars are super, super fast. This is arguably JGR’s best race track and so I just love going to race tracks where I know I’m going to have a shot at it.”

Fellow Toyota team 23XI Racing has shown indications of adding to those performance plusses and driving a wedge into Chevy’s top-four sweep of Saturday’s pole qualifying. 23XI’s Tyler Reddick led 81 laps in the Cup circuit’s most recent race at Richmond, and teammate Bubba Wallace led 80.

MORE: Starting lineup | Cup Series standings

This season, the speed from Toyota’s new Camry XSE model for Cup Series competition has been a positive. Toyota drivers have won two of the last three Cup events; the one race they didn’t win — last weekend at Circuit of The Americas — Toyotas were second, third and fifth behind William Byron’s victorious Chevrolet.

That optimism from recent runs also has hopes riding high for another Virginia short track next weekend — Sunday, April 7 at Martinsville Speedway — and beyond.

“Denny said the next five weeks, there’s no reason why Toyota shouldn’t be in Victory Lane. So, make sure it’s one of ours,” Wallace said. “So I think that’s enough motivation to go out and get the job done. We learned a lot here in the fall, got behind on a little bit of strategy, but I think it’s a new opportunity for us. We’re really invested on what we need to do for this weekend and excited to get on track here.”

Toyota drivers occupy three of the top four places in the current Cup Series standings and five of the top 10. Atop that list is Martin Truex Jr., a three-time Richmond winner and the only driver who has completed every lap in the six races so far this season.

“It’s a good step, I guess, but we’d rather be winning. I’d give you one lead-lap finish back for a win,” Truex said after Saturday’s seventh-place qualifying run. “It’s been good, though. It’s been good and consistent. Our cars have been fast, we haven’t quite capitalized yet. Even last week (at COTA), we finished 10th and felt like we would have been better without some issues. So, it’s just been a grind-out year so far, but our cars have been fast. So we just need to capitalize and clean some things up and keep trying to find more speed.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Editor’s note: Projection and text were updated after Saturday’s practice and qualifying: 

The NASCAR Cup Series shifts back to short-track racing for the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway (7 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio), which aims to be another pulse-pounding spectacle in the 2024 season.

Racing Insights initially had Martin Truex Jr. poised to win, and that stance did not change after Saturday’s practice and qualifying. Truex, who took over sole possession of the top spot in the driver standings after last Sunday’s Circuit of The Americas race, has been consistent through six races with an average running position of 8.3 and an 8.8 average finish. Truex was in contention for the short-track win two weeks ago at Bristol Motor Speedway, challenging Denny Hamlin in the closing laps.

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live roster | Weekend schedule

Richmond is an excellent opportunity for the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver to notch his first win of the season. He’s won three of the last nine races at the Virginia circuit and finished in the top 10 in nine of the last 10 races there. Joe Gibbs Racing has also won nine of the last 16 races at Richmond.

After Truex in the projections is Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, who moved up a spot since our initial post. Pole winner Kyle Larson comes next, with Denny Hamlin and William Byron rounding out the top five. Joey Logano (up one spot), Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher complete the top 10.

There will be plenty to watch this Sunday as it will be the first Richmond race under the lights in the Next Gen era. Plus, there should be plenty of opportunities for teams to gain or lose spots on pit road, mixing up the field during the race.

OTHER DRIVERS TO WATCH 

DENNY HAMLIN: With impressive career stats at Richmond (four wins, 18 top fives and 22 top 10s), Hamlin has firmly established himself as a powerhouse at his home track. Moreover, Hamlin already owns a short-track win this year (albeit with a different rules package) and is fourth on the list for most laps led at Richmond Raceway all-time (2,226).

KYLE LARSON: With his Hendrick Motorsports counterpart William Byron earning win No. 2 last week, Larson will want to respond with a second win of his own soon. In the Next Gen era, he owns the second-best average finish on short tracks (7.18), paired with two wins (Richmond and Martinsville 2023 spring races). Larson has scored the third-most points on short tracks over the last two seasons.

JOEY LOGANO: Richmond is poised as a bounce-back candidate for Logano, who has struggled in the early going. The two-time champ’s 223 laps led at Richmond in the Next Gen era is second only to Byron, and with a career average finish of 10.0 at Richmond, a top-10 result could be exactly what No. 22 needs at this stage of the season.

BRAD KESELOWSKI: Keselowski finished in the top 10 in both Richmond races last year and wheeled his way to a top-five finish at Bristol. In the last 10 races at Richmond, Keselowski has led the third-most laps (507), behind only Truex and Hamlin, with 102 of those laps led coming last fall.

TY GIBBS: Considering Gibbs’ impressive showing through six races, a win is coming in due time. Gibbs has led 195 laps this year, which is already 63% of his career laps led. While his Richmond stats might not jump off the page, it’s difficult to envision Gibbs not being in the mix, especially considering the speed the No. 54 crew has brought every week.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE TOYOTA OWNER’S 400

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.

FinishCar NumberDriver
119Martin Truex Jr.
212Ryan Blaney
35Kyle Larson
411Denny Hamlin
524William Byron
622Joey Logano
720Christopher Bell
81Ross Chastain
99Chase Elliott
1017Chris Buescher
1123Bubba Wallace
126Brad Keselowski
1345Tyler Reddick
1454Ty Gibbs
1548Alex Bowman
168Kyle Busch
174Josh Berry
1814Chase Briscoe
1941Ryan Preece
203Austin Dillon
2110Noah Gragson
2299Daniel Suárez
2334Michael McDowell
242Austin Cindric
2538Todd Gilliland
2647Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2743Erik Jones
2842John H. Nemechek
2951Justin Haley
3021Harrison Burton
317Corey LaJoie
3277Carson Hocevar
3316Ty Dillon
3431Daniel Hemric
3515Kaz Grala
3671Zane Smith

Posted on by Tadd Haislop

RICHMOND, Va. — Bubba Pollard and Parker Kligerman spent a significant portion of Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 jostling for position on Richmond Raceway’s 0.75-mile oval. At one point, Kligerman’s aggression involved enough contact to move Pollard out of his groove and pass him. “That’s just Parker Kligerman,” said spotter TJ Majors to what he presumed was an angered driver.

After some charged-up competition over the course of 250 laps, Kligerman approached Pollard on pit road. It was all smiles.

Kligerman told Pollard he loved racing with him. He apologized for that bump. Pollard accepted and noted how much fun he had making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut.

In a race that featured one driver hurling a bumper cover at another after a crash, Pollard’s cordial demeanor was crucial not just to avoid confrontation with rivals on a short track. He needed that composure to patiently and methodically work his way through a 38-car field after starting 37th.

His accomplishing that feat to the tune of a sixth-place finish was one of many factors that made the 37-year-old Super Late Model racing legend’s Xfinity Series debut a success.

RELATED: Chandler Smith wins at Richmond

Bubba Pollard
(Photo: Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Pollard was the star of the show Saturday despite his status as a first-timer. The largest crowd of friends, family and media of any cluster on pit road before the race was the one congregating around the No. 88 Rheem Chevrolet. The announcement of his name over the facility’s speakers during driver intros elicited one of the bigger roars from the fans on hand.

Everybody was curious to see how a driver who’s won so many marquee races and championships on short tracks around the country would handle a national stage and an environment foreign to him — especially after he was fastest in practice, his first session in an Xfinity Series car. Adding to the intrigue was the fact that he followed that blazing session with a clunker in qualifying; he overdrove Turns 1-2 and botched his lap.

“I hope I made them proud,” Pollard said after the race when asked about his representation of the short-track racing community. Then he smiled. “I disappointed them in qualifying. I know some of them were laughing at me. I was laughing at myself.”

Bubba Pollard
Bubba Pollard celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the ASA STARS National Tour ECMD 150 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, 2023. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

The sentiment regarding Pollard’s Xfinity Series debut was that he earned it. He’s won many of the biggest Super Late Model races in the country: the Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway, the Rattler 250 at South Alabama Speedway, the Winter Showdown at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, the SpeedFest 200 at Cordele Motor Speedway, the Slinger Nationals at Slinger Super Speedway and the All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, just to name a few. He’s also the 2014 ASA Southern Super Series champion.

His accolades are why Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sponsor Rheem made the effort to get Pollard in a JR Motorsports car at a track that suited his skills. The collaboration was a “you-love-to-see-it” moment for a racing community that appreciates when drivers like Pollard receive such an opportunity.

“I enjoy seeing the guys who have worked so so hard and have run so well over the years in Late Model racing get those chances,” said two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch. “I’m thankful of Junior for doing that. It takes money obviously to go to the race track. A lot of those guys use that money to go race their own cars and their programs and don’t spend it on a NASCAR program. I think for the betterment of our sport, it’s cool to see guys like that get a shot.”

Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Series champion, echoed Busch’s sentiment: “I thought the opportunity was well earned. Dale has some privileges that not all of us enjoy with the ability to be able to do things like that, having partners that allow him to do that. He did it for me.

“Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. At the end of the day, I think it’s good for everybody.”

Josh Berry is another driver who’s benefitted from the connective tissue Earnhardt provides between late model racing and NASCAR’s national series. Berry drove Earnhardt’s Late Model Stock Car to the 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national championship before he advanced to the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports. Now, of course, he competes full-time in the Cup Series for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Their paths were and are different, but Berry is one of the few who can understand the difficult test placed before Pollard on Saturday. Berry was only somewhat surprised to see Pollard go fastest in his first Xfinity Series practice, and he knew Pollard would be bombarded with advice on how to navigate the situation.

In Berry’s mind, the most important thing for Bubba Pollard at Richmond was to just be Bubba Pollard.

“Hopefully he just enjoys it more than anything,” he said. “I think Bubba’s a great racer.”

Bubba Pollard
(Photo: Tadd Haislop/NASCAR)

Toward the end of the first stage Saturday, Pollard finally felt comfortable in the Xfinity car. Toward the end of the second stage, he told his team he was starting to have fun.

A slow pit stop ahead of the final stage cost Pollard a few positions, but he spent the final 100 laps of the race doing what he does best: managing his tires on an abrasive surface and displaying patience. As he noted after the race, at Richmond, “slow is fast.”

As the race wound down with a long green-flag run, Pollard was blowing by his competition. Sixth was the highest position he had time to reach in a strung-out field.

That was more than enough for Pollard to be greeted by a hoard of media when he climbed out of his car.

“It means a lot,” Pollard said of the run. “Because there are a lot of great race car drivers out there that people never see. I’m thankful for the opportunity that Rheem and Dale Jr. gave me. It’s special to me and my family, just everyone. Hopefully we can do it again.”

Pollard as of now has no more NASCAR national series events on his schedule, but he’s hopeful such a debut might prompt a partner to give him another shot.

Regardless, he’ll always have the moments that made Saturday at Richmond one of the best days of his career, from posing with his family for pre-race photos to celebrating his finish with super fan TJ and everything in between. He did what Berry said he needed to do. More than anything, he enjoyed it.

He did all of it — Kligerman incident included — with a smile.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RICHMOND, Va. — Aric Almirola struck a slightly apologetic tone on the cool-down lap after Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. He was unable to chase down eventual winner and Joe Gibbs teammate Chandler Smith in the ToyotaCare 250, but sealed his chance for a six-figure payday next week as a consolation prize.

“Yeah, I want to go win 100 grand,” Almirola said. “It’s a great opportunity to go do that.”

Smith and Almirola led the way both in Saturday’s 250-lapper, but also in qualifying for next week’s four-driver field in the Xfinity Series’ annual Dash 4 Cash incentive program. They will be joined in the lineup bidding for a $100,000 bonus by rookie Jesse Love — fifth Saturday at Richmond — and seventh-finisher Parker Kligerman when the initiative opens its 16th season next Saturday at Martinsville Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Almirola swept both stages and led a race-high 95 laps, notching his best finish of the season in his part-time Xfinity Series campaign this year. Smith led 76 and kept his No. 81 Toyota in front by 4.495 seconds at the checkered flag.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Richmond

Smith was never headed for the final 60 laps, and Almirola’s handling faded late.

“We just got a little bit too loose,” Almirola said. “The run before that was stage two and my car took off and my car was really, really good. At the end, just built a little bit too tight and that last run — for whatever reason — I don’t know if it was the set of tires or what. I let Chandler (Smith) go and then when I started to just creep back to him. I didn’t have anything to go with — I was too loose in, and I couldn’t get the throttle down on exit. Hate that — to win both stage and feel like I had the dominant car and then to let it slip away there in the end is disappointing, but it was a fun weekend this weekend in Richmond.”

Love continued his impressive start to his first season in the Xfinity ranks with his third consecutive top-10 finish. The 19-year-old driver of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 Chevrolet was nowhere to be found among the top 10, however, at the stage breaks. When his early frustrations began to mount, he and crew chief Danny Stockman Jr. took a different tack.

“There was a time where I was wanting to hop on a flight home and just get the hell out of Richmond,” Love told NASCAR.com. “And then I just told myself, and Danny said the same thing, we kind of changed our tone at a certain point. We’re just like, let’s just try to maximize the day, whatever that is, and we’ll be happy with ourselves, right? We were already as low as we’re probably going to get on the day. Let’s try to just get a little bit better.”

Kligerman’s path to Dash 4 Cash eligibility included a balky shifter linkage in the early portions of the race, then a tire-strategy call that panned out with fresher rubber for the final stage. He closed out the day with a valiant battle with Super Late Model short-track ace Bubba Pollard, who snared the sixth spot from Kligerman’s No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevy at the end.

Kligerman went to congratulate Pollard on a successful Xfinity debut on pit road at the end, telling him he had fun racing with him. Pollard was ineligible for the Dash 4 Cash prize because he did not meet an entry deadline.

“It was fun. He’s a great dude, and I’ve watched a lot of his racing. I’ve never met him,” Kligerman said. “I got into him one time by accident, but he raced me super-clean at the end and for 40 laps, we ran right with each other. This is his kind of place and he showed up and showed why he deserves his chance in this car. Cool to race a legend like that. I mean, he’s done way more in this sport driving-wise, I’d have to do another 10 years to get his level.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Chandler Smith led a Joe Gibbs Racing sweep at Richmond Raceway Saturday afternoon cruising to a 4.495-seconds victory over teammates Aric Almirola and Taylor Gray in the ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

It marks back-to-back wins in this race for Smith — answering his first career Xfinity Series victory last spring — and he led the final 60 laps in the No. 81 JGR Toyota, 76 laps on the day for his third career win, second of the season. It was his teammate Almirola who won both stages and led a race best 95 of the 250 laps in his No. 20 JGR Toyota, but the former full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver ultimately could not catch Smith, who pulled away in the closing laps.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

“Never give up, never give up,” said Smith, who has top-10 finishes in all six races this year. “This car was not good. Stage 1 wasn’t good, but we were able to do some strategy there with this No. 81 Supra in Stage 2.

“Back here winning races on a consistent basis and took over the points lead too, I’m just blessed,” he added.

For his part, Almirola acknowledged he just didn’t have what he needed to catch the 21-year old Georgia-native in the closing laps. He’ll have another chance at victory next week as he’s in the car again at Martinsville Speedway.

“We just got a little bit too loose,” Almirola said. “The run before that in Stage 2, when I took off my car was really, really good. At the end, it just felt a little tight and that last run for whatever reason, different set of tires or what, I let Chandler go and when I started to just creep back to him, I didn’t have anything to go with.

“I was too loose in and couldn’t get throttle down on exit. Hate that to win both stages and feel like we had the dominant car and then to let it slip away there at the end, is disappointing.”

The JGR team can also take pride in its third-place finish — considering it was the 19-year old Gray’s series debut. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series full-timer Corey Heim was fourth followed by series rookie Jesse Love.

It was also a big outing for renowned late model racer Bubba Pollard, punctuating his series debut with a sixth-place finish in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet — particularly impressive considering Pollard started 37th.

“I just got behind in qualifying there and it made for a long day,” Pollard said. “But these guys gave me a great race car, JR Motorsports.

“I needed that long green flag run just to get in a rhythm. This place is tough, it’s technical and probably one of the toughest places I’ve been to, and I’ve been to a lot of places.

“I’m happy with it. I enjoyed it and had fun and hopefully the fans enjoyed it too.”

Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, JR Motorsports Sammy Smith and reigning series champion Cole Custer rounded out the top 10, with Custer the first car one lap down. The 20-year old Parker Retzlaff, who won his first career pole position Saturday, finished 16th in the No. 31 Jordan Anderson Chevrolet and led a career high 27 laps.

With their work, Smith, Almirola, Love and Kligerman have qualified for next week’s Dash 4 Cash event at Martinsville Speedway, and the highest finisher of the four Dash 4 Cash drivers in the race will collect an extra $100,000 bonus.

Joey Gase throws his rear bumper at the car of Dawson Cram during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond.
Alex Slitz | Getty Images

Tempers boiled over at Lap 173 when Joey Gase was dumped by Dawson Cram heading to Turn 1. Cram shoved Gase down the frontstretch, sending Gase’s No. 35 car spinning rear-end first hard into the SAFER barrier in Turn 1. Upon exiting the vehicle, Gase finished ripping off the fiberglass bumper cover — donning the words “Race Against Crime” — then threw the bumper directly at Cram’s windshield as the No. 4 car rolled past under caution.

Brandon Jones of JR Motorsports qualified second but suffered a mechanical failure heading into Turn 1 at Lap 43. His No. 9 Chevrolet spewed fluid on corner entry, sending the vehicle sideways and crashing into the outside wall before later catching fire. Jones escaped unharmed but with a 37th-place finish after his early exit. Ryan Sieg and Jeremy Clements also incurred damage as part of the incident.

With the win, Smith takes a 10-point driver standings lead over Hill to next Saturday’s DUDE Wipes 250 (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). John Hunter Nemechek is the defending race winner.

NOTE: Post-race technical inspection concluded without issue, confirming Smith as the race winner. The Nos. 16, 19 and 26 cars each had one lug nut loose, which will result in a monetary fine for each team later this week.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Toyota Owners 400

(⏰ Sunday, 7 p.m. ET | FOX | MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | NASCAR 101

Location: Richmond, Virginia
Track length: 0.75 miles
Cup Series race purse: $7,886,627
Race distance: 400 laps | 300 miles
Stages: 70 | 230 | 400
—
Starting lineup: Kyle Larson to lead field to green flag
Pit stall assignments: See where drivers will pit
Defending winner: Kyle Larson, April 2023

Key things to watch

Saturday sessions

Kyle Larson earned the Busch Light Pole Award by just 0.002 seconds over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott in Saturday’s qualifying session, claiming the top spot with a speed of 120.332 mph. Ross Chastain was slowest in practice but found plenty of speed in time trials to start third in Sunday’s race, ahead of Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace. Todd Gilliland earned his second top-10 start of the season with a sixth-place effort over Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Austin Cindric and Joey Logano.

Larson was fastest in the single-lap speeds in practice at 121.836 mph over Logano, Chris Buescher, John Hunter Nemechek and Bowman, all of whom participated in Group A. The track slowed down for Group B with more Goodyear rubber on the track, with Michael McDowell fastest of Group B but 14th overall.

Twenty-nine of 36 cars completed runs of at least 30 consecutive laps in practice, with Ryan Blaney atop the 30-lap averages over Bowman, Buescher, Larson and Gibbs. | Full Saturday recap

Big story line

Will Toyota’s speed shine under the Richmond lights?

Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and the rest of the Toyota crew stormed to the front of the field at Phoenix Raceway three weeks ago as the 2024 short-track and road-course package hit the track for the first time in competition. Five of the manufacturers’ eight cars combined to lead 298 of the 312 laps on March 10, with Bell surging through the field for his first win of 2024.

At 1 mile in length with asymmetrical corners and a much more steeply banked dogleg than Richmond’s tri-oval, Phoenix is a beast of its own. But Richmond bears just enough resemblance for teams to put plenty of emphasis on its takeaways. In the four Richmond races in the Next Gen era, each of the three manufacturers in NASCAR has won at least once: Toyota won the first showing with Denny Hamlin, Chevrolet with Kyle Larson last spring and Ford with Kevin Harvick and Chris Buescher in the two respective summer races.

The key to watch will be if Bell and his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team can continue to build on the impressive speed shown at both Phoenix and Circuit of The Americas, the two races this season that have featured the new package. Bell posted the highest total of fastest laps at both tracks — 54 fastest laps at Phoenix and 17 at COTA, with respective finishes of first and second. And oh, by the way, Joe Gibbs Racing has won 18 times at Richmond, the most of all teams, including nine of the last 16 races, according to Racing Insights.

If the Toyotas can keep up their pace, Sunday night could be another dominant showing for the new Camry XSE.

History tells us…

Expect long green-flag runs during Sunday’s Easter feature at Richmond Raceway. According to Racing Insights, there have been at least three green-flag pit stops a race in the last seven races at Richmond.

That, of course, puts a heightened focus on perfecting trips down pit road. Mistakes from either a driver or crewman could easily turn a race-winning effort into a disappointing day — and quickly. Tyler Reddick appeared in the hunt for the win against Chris Buescher last summer at Richmond and led 81 laps, but a pit-road commitment line violation while running second with 56 laps to go derailed his day, plummeting the No. 45 team to a 16th-place finish instead.

Per numbers provided by Racing Insights, the four fastest four-tire pit stops this season came at Bristol Motor Speedway, highlighted by the No. 20 team of Christopher Bell with a 9.209-second stop, besting the crews of JGR’s Denny Hamlin, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott.

The No. 12 Team Penske crew for Ryan Blaney leads the series in average four-tire stops at 10.77 seconds ahead of William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick team at 10.96 seconds, with Briscoe’s No. 14 team third (10.977 seconds), Elliott’s No. 9 team fourth (11.058 seconds) and his teammate Kyle Larson’s No. 5 team a fitting fifth (11.085 seconds).

He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

Joey Logano. It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since Logano’s last trip to Victory Lane at Richmond. What might be more jarring is that his lone win since claiming the 2022 championship at Phoenix came over a year ago at Atlanta, a drafting track. Nonetheless, opening at a fitting 22-1 odds entering this weekend’s contest according to DraftKings, Logano should not be flying too under the radar. The two-time Richmond winner has finished seventh or better in each of his last three Richmond starts, including a sixth-place effort in the second 2022 race at the 0.75-mile oval after leading 222 laps. | Richmond odds

Speed reads

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles. 

• Turning Point: Trends from COTA, heading to Richmond | Read article
• Busch, Bell moving forward: Ex-teammates chat after COTA confrontation; see where they stand | Read article
• Hopping into the holiday: Looking back at every time NASCAR has raced on Easter | Photo gallery
• Mr. 300: Buescher returns to Richmond seeking consecutive wins in 300th Cup start | Read article
• Willy B. set for more?: No. 24 driver first to win multiple races in 2024; how others to accomplish that have fared  | Photo gallery
• Scenes from Sonoma: Goodyear tire testing takes to California road course | Photo gallery
• Dash 4 Cash back in action: Xfinity Series program returns with a qualifier at Richmond | Read article
• Reliving Richmond: Look back through the most memorable moments from RVA | Photo gallery
• NASCAR Classics: Picks to click from our video library for Richmond viewing | Read article
• 36 for 36: NASCAR survivor pool selections for Richmond | Read article
• Fearless prediction: Racing Insights projects the final race results | Read article
• Fantasy Fastlane: Lineup advice for Richmond | Sleepers, drivers to avoid
• Paint Scheme Preview: Keselowski looks to build momentum with BuildSubmarines.com scheme | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Busch to turn fury into Richmond win? | Latest driver rankings

Fast facts ⏩

Race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• There has not been an overtime finish yet in 2024. This is only the second time since 2004, when the rule was implemented midseason, that there has not been an overtime finish in the first six races.
• Three drivers finished inside the top 10 in both races at Richmond in 2023. All three drove for Ford.
• Chevrolet has only won three of the last 16 Richmond races.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

Hitting the setup correctly at Richmond Raceway has been hit or miss for Hendrick Motorsports for several seasons. Kyle Larson considers it among the most challenging tracks for him to figure out, making last year’s win that much more rewarding. Larson will lead the field to green on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Chase Elliott stated Saturday that there have been trips to Richmond where the team has been good and others where it’s been abysmal. This time around it seems to be the former, as Hendrick swept the front row with Larson and Elliott, and Alex Bowman wasn’t far behind in fourth.

FANTASY: Set your lineup | Richmond 36 for 36 picks

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:

Starter 1: Martin Truex Jr.

Starter 2: Joey Logano

Starter 3: Denny Hamlin

Starter 4: Kyle Larson

Starter 5: Alex Bowman

Garage pick: Christopher Bell

NEXT IN LINE: Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney

MORE: Starting lineup | Weekend Schedule 

RISING: It’s worth hitting on Hendrick Motorsports even more here. This is the team’s third pole at Richmond in five Next Gen races. Between Larson and William Byron, the team led more than half of the race last spring. Larson said following his pole win that he wasn’t expecting to win, but his confidence level has increased. Bowman had one of his strongest days of the season as well, cracking the top five in practice and qualifying.

With the 2024 short-track rules package making its second appearance this weekend, Phoenix is a sliver of an indicator of what to expect at Richmond, multiple drivers said on Saturday. That came to fruition in qualifying when Wallace tied his best starting position of the season after ranking 22nd at Phoenix. Toyota dominated the Phoenix weekend, but Wallace was an outlier and didn’t spend much time inside the top 10. I’m keeping the No. 23 car out of my lineup because of Wallace’s past struggles here.

FALLING: Even though Bell was 20th on 30-lap averages, he always seems to manage his tires and make a late-race surge at Richmond. His qualifying effort of 29th isn’t ideal, however, and it could be a tall task to earn stage points in the opening stage. The poor qualifying effort could allow Adam Stevens to get creative on strategy, however, which nearly paid off with a victory last weekend at COTA. The belief here is the No. 20 car will be strong on Sunday, though I have him dropping to my garage spot.

Qualifying 17th may have gone as anticipated for Busch, a six-time Richmond winner. Richard Childress Racing has struggled on short tracks in the Next Gen era, particularly since the start of the 2023 season. Busch was also average on long runs in practice, so it doesn’t give me confidence in having the No. 8 car remain in my lineup.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Christopher Bell vs. Kyle Busch: Because both drivers had moderate practice and qualifying efforts on Saturday, it’s understandable if either driver slid out of your actual lineup. The consensus here is Busch has struggled on short tracks for the duration of his stint at Richard Childress Racing while he reaped the benefits of Joe Gibbs Racing’s short-track program for years. Bell is one of the centerpieces of the JGR lineup, so he’s the pick.

William Byron vs. Denny Hamlin: Byron was the lone Hendrick driver to miss the final round of qualifying, while Hamlin was the first driver to miss the cut overall. Both can easily crack the top 10, starting the race from 11th and 13th, respectively. Hamlin is always stellar at Richmond, so let’s stick with the No. 11 team.

Martin Truex Jr. vs. Ty Gibbs: Experience, experience, experience. Truex has turned into one of the greats at Richmond over the last decade, leading 50-plus laps in 10 of the last 14 races. Chris Gayle mentioned at COTA that the No. 54 team lacked pace at Richmond last season, but will start Sunday’s 400-lap race from eighth position, the same row as his veteran teammate. I’ll stick with Truex here this weekend, believing he might be the driver to beat.

Chase Elliott vs. Alex Bowman: Bowman and Elliott seem about equal this weekend. The No. 9 team earned its best qualifying effort since the penultimate race of the 2023 season at Martinsville. It’s also the best start of the season for Bowman in fourth. The No. 48 car trailed only Ryan Blaney in 30-lap averages, so he will get the slight nod.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Kyle Larson claimed his first pole position of the 2024 season Saturday afternoon to lead an all-Hendrick Motorsports front row for Sunday’s Toyota Owner’s 400 at Richmond Raceway (7 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Larson’s time of 22.438 seconds (120.332 mph) just bettered his teammate Chase Elliott’s mark of 22.440 seconds (120.321 mph) around the three-quarter mile Richmond oval – good enough to earn the 2021 Cup Series champion and defending Richmond race winner the 17th pole position of his career.

“Definitely helps for sure,” Larson said of his effort. “Having the No. 1 pit stall here means a lot. So happy to do that. Happy to be in Group A for sure, and then the sun coming out a little bit there helps.

“Chase got real close there, so I was a bit nervous. Awesome day for Hendrick Motorsports. … Good to be on the pole. We’ll see if it translates in tomorrow’s race.”

RELATED: Starting lineup | At-track photos

Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain will start third, followed by Hendrick driver Alex Bowman and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace.

Front Row Motorsports’ Todd Gilliland, Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs, and Team Penske teammates Austin Cindric and Joey Logano rounded out the top-10 qualifiers at Richmond.

Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford had been fastest in Group A during first-round qualifying, as had Elliott, whose 122.095 mph lap was quickest overall in the opening round.

Of note, Denny Hamlin just missed advancing to the second round in qualifying, and the four-time Richmond winner will start 11th in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, who posted the fastest 30-lap average speed in practice, will start 12th.

Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, last week’s winner at the Circuit of The Americas road course, will roll off 13th. He is the first multi-race winner of the season, with victories in the Daytona 500 and COTA. He’ll start alongside RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, the summer Richmond race winner last season.

Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch, who leads all active drivers with six Richmond victories, will start 15th.

Practice recap

Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was quickest in practice at 121.836 mph over Joey Logano (121.490 mph) and Chris Buescher (121.463 mph).

MORE: Practice results

John Hunter Nemechek (121.403 mph) and Alex Bowman (121.354 mph) completed the top five.

The remaining top 10 fastest drivers in practice were Ty Gibbs (121.277 mph), Ryan Blaney (121.207 mph), Josh Berry (120.849 mph), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (120.530 mph) and Justin Haley (120.417 mph).

Posted on by Zack Albert

RICHMOND, Va. — Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell knew questions about their run-in at Circuit of The Americas were coming after their arrival at Richmond Raceway one week later. Bell lived up to his last name when the question came first in his Saturday morning availability, mimicking a game-show sound: “Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner!”

The answer from both NASCAR Cup Series drivers — former teammates who raced for the same spot of real estate on the Texas road course last Sunday – was that they had spoken by phone and tried to sort out their on-track differences. As for how they’ll race each other moving forward, starting with this Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (7 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Richmond, Busch said he expects to compete against Bell with a slightly different approach for now.

“Run him harder for a little bit until he concedes that he’s sorry on the race track,” Busch said, “and then get back to normal.”

RELATED: Weekend schedule: Richmond | At-track photos

Busch wound up with the short end of their collision in last weekend’s event, with his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet sent spinning after a dive-bomb move from Bell in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Bell drove on to a runner-up finish in his pursuit of eventual winner William Byron, and Busch salvaged ninth place in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.

Busch confronted Bell on pit road post-race, angrily pointing fingers and hinting about potential retribution. That prompted Bell to reach out this week in an effort to smooth the rough waters.

“I mean, I was surprised that he called me back,” Bell said. “You know, I called him Monday and he didn’t answer, and then I thought that that was going to be the end of it. And I was really happy that he called me back and we had a conversation, and it was a good conversation. We don’t have a lot of run-ins, but the two times that we have had run-ins, he’s been on the losing side of it. So, I’ll just race him with respect, as I’ve always tried to, and it is what it is.”

Busch said returning the call was a means to explain his point of view, saying that Bell’s maneuver came as a shock.

“I mean, just to give more of my side than what I said on pit road, and to have him give a greater understanding and to my objectives and what I’ve got going on versus what he might think that he’s got going on,” Busch said. “Think he understood that, and then heard his side of it. Didn’t really believe much into it when I didn’t even give consideration to him making a move, because he was four (car) lengths back, and then all of a sudden, he was there. So like, I knew he was back there, but too far to do anything. And I got hit, so it is what it is.”

Bell and Busch have a long history of working hand in hand. Bell was introduced to NASCAR’s national series ranks under the banner of Kyle Busch Motorsports, and he produced a Craftsman Truck Series championship for the organization in 2017. The two were also linked as teammates for Joe Gibbs Racing as Bell progressed through the Xfinity and then Cup Series, up until Busch’s departure for the Childress team ahead of last season.

Bell says the two have remained close, especially as Busch’s 8-year-old son, Brexton, ventures into the dirt-track racing world that Bell knows so well. But Busch also admits that he’d hoped that his mentorship of Bell years ago would have afforded him some extra care in how they compete today.

“Yeah, it’s definitely frustrating, especially when they’re the KBM alums, right?” Busch said. “When you’re racing against guys that have come through KBM, and you’ve helped them along the way, and you feel as though they’re taking that extra 10% rather than giving a little bit out of respect, but everybody’s got their own race out there, and they try to do what they need to do. Obviously, Christopher’s in really good stuff, at a really good place, and he needs to understand that.”