For the second time this season, the NASCAR Cup Series will head to Richmond Raceway for some Sunday afternoon side-by-side short track action in the Federated Auto Parts 400 on August 14 at 3 p.m. ET (USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Only three races remain in the 2022 regular season (Richmond, Watkins Glen and Daytona) to decide the 16-driver Playoff field and for the first-time in the elimination-style format of Playoffs (2014-2022), the series has produced 15 different winners leaving just one spot still open on points. With such limited time left and only one spot remaining, the intensity amongst the competitors vying to make the postseason is growing by the second.
This week the NASCAR Cup Series teams will be dialing in the Next Gen cars for the close, beating and banging-type racing the fans have come to love at short tracks like Richmond. Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.
The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway was held on April 19, 1953 and was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty in a Petty Enterprises Dodge with an average speed of 45.535 mph.
The first 24 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Richmond Raceway were run on a dirt surface (1953-1968). NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson won the final Richmond race on dirt, driving a Holman-Moody Racing 1968 Ford to Victory Lane. The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between Cup Series races in 1968, with NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty winning the first NASCAR Cup Series race on the paved Richmond surface on September 8, 1968 driving a Petty Enterprises Plymouth. The track was then rebuilt as the three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval we know today in 1988. In total, Richmond Raceway has hosted the NASCAR Cup Series 131 times producing 56 different pole winners and 53 different race winners.
NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 sweep, 1974, 1975) and Bobby Allison (1972 sweep, 1973 sweep, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1982) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Richmond with eight each. Seven of the 56 NASCAR Cup Series Richmond Raceway pole winners are active this weekend, led by Denny Hamlin (2006, 2008, 2016) and Kevin Harvick (2005, 2018, 2019) with three poles each.
| Active Pole Winners (7) | Poles | Seasons |
| Kevin Harvick | 3 | 2019, 2018, 2005 |
| Denny Hamlin | 3 | 2016, 2008, 2006 |
| Brad Keselowski | 2 | 2019, 2014 |
| Joey Logano | 2 | 2015 sweep |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 | 2022 |
| Kyle Busch | 1 | 2010 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 1 | 2018 |
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Richmond Raceway with 13 victories (spring 1961, 1967 sweep, fall 1968, fall 1970, 1971 sweep, 1972 sweep, 1973 sweep, fall 1974 and spring 1975). Petty’s 13 Richmond wins are the third-most victories by a single driver at a single track in NASCAR Cup Series history, behind his 15 wins at Martinsville and North Wilkesboro. Nine of the 53 NASCAR Cup Series Richmond Raceway winners are active this weekend, led by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch with six victories (spring 2009, spring 2010, spring 2011, spring 2012, 2018 sweep). Busch’s JGR teammates, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., are the two most recent winners at Richmond with Hamlin taking the victory back in April, and Truex is the defending winner of this weekend’s race from last season.
| Active Race Winners (9) | Wins | Season |
| Kyle Busch | 6 | 2018 sweep, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 |
| Denny Hamlin | 4 | 2022, 2016, 2010, 2009 |
| Kevin Harvick | 3 | 2013, 2011, 2006 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 3 | 2021, 2019 sweep |
| Brad Keselowski | 2 | 2020, 2014 |
| Joey Logano | 2 | 2017, 2014 |
| Kurt Busch | 2 | 2015, 2005 |
| Alex Bowman | 1 | 2021 |
| Kyle Larson | 1 | 2017 |
All the on-track NASCAR Cup Series action at Richmond Raceway begins on Saturday, August 13 with practice and Busch Light Pole Qualifying on the USA Network from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET.
Regular Season Roundup: Three to go as Playoff picture starts to take shape
With his big win last weekend at Michigan International Speedway, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick has shaken-up the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with just three races to go in the regular season. The victory makes Harvick the 15th different winner in 23 races this season – a NASCAR Cup Series record tying the 2003 and 2011 seasons for the series-most different winners in the first 23 races of a year. With 15 drivers already earning their spot in the Playoffs, that leaves Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in the 16th and final available transfer spot on points, up only 19 points on Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. in 17th – the first spot outside the postseason cutoff – as the series heads to Richmond Raceway this weekend.
At this point in the season, Truex is the only driver within striking distance of Blaney in the points standings, the next closest in the Playoff outlook standings is Petty GMS Motorsports’ driver Erik Jones in 18th, 190 points behind Blaney. As a result, winning one of the next three races will be the only way majority of the drivers still vying for the postseason will have a chance to get in.
Looking ahead at the next three races in the regular season, nine of the 15 winless drivers still eligible to make the Playoffs have won at least one race at the upcoming three venues, led by Martin Truex Jr. (Richmond, Watkins Glen) and Brad Keselowski (Richmond, Daytona) with wins at two of the three facilities.
| 2022 Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 23 – Drivers Without Wins This Season | ||||||
| Rank | Driver | Points | Pts From Cutoff | Richmond | Watkins Glen | Daytona |
| 16 | Ryan Blaney | 728 | 19 | 1 | ||
| 17 | Martin Truex Jr. | 709 | -19 | 3 | 1 | |
| 18 | Erik Jones | 538 | -190 | 1 | ||
| 19 | Aric Almirola | 518 | -210 | 1 | ||
| 20 | Bubba Wallace | 493 | -235 | |||
| 21 | Austin Dillon | 483 | -245 | 1 | ||
| 22 | Justin Haley | 445 | -283 | 1 | ||
| 23 | Chris Buescher | 442 | -286 | |||
| 24 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 395 | -333 | 1 | ||
| 25 | Cole Custer | 390 | -338 | |||
| 26 | Michael McDowell | 385 | -343 | 1 | ||
| 27 | Harrison Burton # | 374 | -354 | |||
| 28 | Brad Keselowski | 364 | -364 | 2 | 1 | |
| 29 | Todd Gilliland # | 356 | -372 | |||
| 30 | Ty Dillon | 326 | -402 |
Clinch scenarios to watch at Richmond Raceway
Several of the drivers that have already won this season and have earned a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs still need to clinch their postseason position by earning enough points that no matter where they finish in the remaining races of the regular season, they will not fall out of the top 30 in points. Once a driver has achieved that points total, they have officially clinched a spot in the postseason. Below is a breakdown of the drivers that can clinch their spot in the postseason this weekend:
Already Clinched
The following seven drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, William Byron, Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin.
Can Clinch Via Previous Wins
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Chase Elliott:
- Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 18 points
- Kyle Busch: Would clinch with 50 points
- Kevin Harvick: Could only clinch with help
- Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help
- Daniel Suarez: Could only clinch with help
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Ross Chastain, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez, Denny Hamlin:
- Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 25 points
- Kyle Busch: Could only clinch with help
- Kevin Harvick: Could only clinch with help
- Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help
- Daniel Suarez: Could only clinch with help
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Aric Almirola (or another winless driver below him in the standings):
- Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 25 points
- Kyle Busch: Could only clinch with help
- Kevin Harvick: Could only clinch with help
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Chase Briscoe:
- Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 29 points
- Kyle Busch: Could only clinch with help
- Kevin Harvick: Could only clinch with help
- Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help
- Daniel Suarez: Could only clinch with help
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Austin Cindric:
- Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 31 points
- Kyle Busch: Could only clinch with help
- Kevin Harvick: Could only clinch with help
- Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help
- Daniel Suarez: Could only clinch with help
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones or Kurt Busch:
- Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 31 points
- Kyle Busch: Could only clinch with help
- Kevin Harvick: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
- Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric, Kurt Busch
Richmond offers decent opportunity for Truex to catch Blaney
Of the three remaining tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series regular season schedule, this weekend’s Richmond Raceway offers the best opportunity for Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. to get his first win of the 2022 season. Looking to snap his 31-race winless streak and solidify his spot in the Playoffs this weekend, Truex heads to Richmond as the winningest driver at the 0.75-mile track among the competitors that haven’t won yet this season with three victories (2019 sweep and 2021).
Truex is currently riding a steak of seven consecutive seasons of making the Playoffs (2015-2021). This year, he has put up three top fives and 10 top 10s and currently resides in the first position outside the postseason cutoff trailing Ryan Blaney by 19 points.
Don’t be surprised even if Truex doesn’t win this weekend that he at least closes the points gap on Blaney. In 32 series start at Richmond, Truex has amassed three wins, nine top fives and 15 top 10s. On the other hand, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney has made 12 series starts at Richmond posting just two top 10s. Truex also betters him in average finish at the track with a 16.0 to Blaney’s 20.9.
Hamlin looks to pull off Richmond sweep this season
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, from Chesterfield, Virginia, will look to win this weekend’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway to become the 12th different driver all-time and just the third active driver to win consecutive races at the 0.75-mile track. And what would make the achievement even more special is to do it at his home track.
A total of 11 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Richmond Raceway; Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. are the only active drivers to accomplish the feat:
- Joe Weatherly (1962-1963)
- David Pearson (1965, 1966 sweep)
- Richard Petty (1970, 1971 sweep, 1972 sweep, 1973 sweep)
- Cale Yarborough (1976-1977)
- Bobby Allison (1982, 1983 sweep)
- Dale Earnhardt (1987 sweep, 1990-1991)
- Rusty Wallace (1989 sweep)
- Terry Labonte (1994-1995)
- Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep)
- Kyle Busch (2018 sweep)
- Martin Truex Jr. (2019 sweep)
Denny Hamlin won at Richmond Raceway earlier this season, taking the checkered flag after passing William Byron for the lead with just five laps to go. In total, the 41-year-old has made 31 series starts at Richmond, putting up three poles, four wins (2009, 2010, 2016, 2022), 16 top fives and 20 top 10s. His average finish is 8.516 – third-best among active drivers.
