Preview: NASCAR’s full weekend of racing at Richmond

(NASCAR NEWS) – This weekend marks the 137th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.

• Richmond first held a Cup race in 1953 and has held a Cup race every year since 1955.
• This is only the second year since 1959 that Richmond has hosted only one race, 2020 pandemic season was the other.
• Richmond is the fourth of six short track races in 2025.
• Only one of the last 13 Richmond winners was under the age of 30.
• The Richmond race last August had three cautions, tied for the fewest on a short track in the Next Gen era (2022-2025).
• The last three Richmond races had a caution in the final 10 laps.
• A stage winner has not won in the last eight Richmond races.
• Five of the drivers not locked into the Playoffs have won at Richmond – Kyle Busch (6 wins), Brad Keselowski (2), Austin Dillon (1), Chris Buescher (1) and Alex Bowman (1).
• The driver who led the most laps failed to win the last eight Richmond races.
• The driver who led the most laps won all three short track races in 2025.
• The last two races did not have a DNF, the first time in Cup Series history consecutive races had no DNFs.
• #43 and #11 cars are tied with 13 Richmond wins each, Richard Petty won all 13 for #43 while five different drivers won at Richmond in #11 (Denny Hamlin-5, Cale Yarborough-3, Darrell Waltrip-3, Bill Elliott-1, Ned Jarrett-1).
• The last five short track races ended with a green flag run longer than 60 laps, the longest streak since 1988.
• Chase Briscoe is the only driver to finish inside the top-10 in all three short track races this season.
• Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with 16 short-track wins, but ranks 17th in points earned on short-tracks in the Next Gen car.
• Kyle Busch completed all but one lap at Richmond in his 38 starts there (completed 14,243 of 14,244 possible laps).
• 19% of Denny Hamlin’s Cup wins came in his home state of VA (11 of 58).
• The last three Richmond races were won by three different manufacturers.
• Five drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Richmond Raceway – Kasey Kahne (2005), Tony Stewart (1999), Kyle Petty (1986), Neil Bonnett (1977) and James Hylton (1970).
• The race winner didn’t lead until after Lap 300 in five of the last six Richmond races, including the last three.
• The deepest in the field that a NASCAR Cup Series race winner has started at Richmond Raceway is 32nd, by Kyle Busch in the spring race of 2018.
• Every car was running at the finish in two of the last three Richmond races.
• The Spring 2024 Richmond race was the first time the Cup Series ran wet weather tires on an oval.
• There were at least three green flag pit stops a race in the last eight races at Richmond.
• Five of the last eight races at Richmond ended with a pass for the win in the final 10 laps including each of the last three.
• At Watkins Glen, Trackhouse Racing placed three cars in the top-10 for the first time in their history.
• Chase Elliott has still completed all but 1 lap, Only driver to do it through 24 races and he did it the last two years.
• AJ Allmendinger will make his 100th Cup start with Kaulig Racing this weekend, more than any other driver in team history.
• A total of 52 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have made their series debut at Richmond Raceway; the most recent was Parker Retzlaff (Aug. 11, 2024).
• Kyle Larson’s average finish over the last 12 races (19.25) is the worst over 12 races since joining Hendrick in the start of 2021.
• Alex Bowman is making his 350th career Cup start this weekend; three drivers have won in the Cup Series on their 350th start – Lee Petty (Martinsville, 1959), Bill Elliott (Rockingham, 1992), Tony Stewart (Talladega, 2008).
• Ryan Blaney will make his 350th consecutive Cup start this weekend, the fifth longest active streak.
• Richmond is the only oval Ryan Blaney doesn’t have a top-five finish.
• Christopher Bell had a speeding penalty in each of the last three races at Richmond.
• Toyota is two wins away from reaching 200 victories since joining the NASCAR Cup Series in 2007.

NCS Clinch Scenarios Following Watkins Glen International:

Already Clinched

• The following 13 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, Shane van Gisbergen.

Can Clinch Via Points

• If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 62 points above the 3rd winless driver in the standings.  The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Tyler Reddick or Alex Bowman.
• Tyler Reddick: Would clinch with 30 points
• Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help

• If there is a new winner from Chris Buescher or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 61 points above the 2nd winless driver in the standings.
• Tyler Reddick: Would clinch with 54 points

Can Clinch Via Win

• The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, Carson Hocevar, Erik Jones, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Zane Smith, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suarez, Justin Haley, Todd Gilliland, Ty Dillon, Noah Gragson, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, Cody Ware

Can Clinch Regular Season Championship

• Additionally, the Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:
• William Byron: Could only clinch with help.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Looking Ahead – Daytona International Speedway Storylines and Insights:

• Next weekend marks the 68th running of a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
• Three races are left in the NASCAR Xfinity Series 2025 regular season – Daytona, Portland and St. Louis (Gateway), and four Playoff spots remain open.
• Connor Zilisch leads the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver point standings by seven points over his JR Motorsport’s teammate Justin Allgaier in second following Watkins Glen.
• Connor Zilisch underwent collarbone surgery Tuesday (Aug. 12) morning, the No. 88 JR Motorsports driver announced on social media. JR Motorsports has not announced if Zilisch will miss time as a result of the operation.
• Prior to Connor Zilisch taking the points lead following Iowa (two races ago), Justin Allgaier held the points lead for 17 consecutive races dating back to Las Vegas.
• Jesse Love is the most recent Xfinity Series winner at Daytona International Speedway (Feb.), Love’s two career Xfinity wins have come at Drafting Tracks (Talladega 2024, Daytona 2025).
• Austin Hill leads all active drivers in Xfinity Series wins at Daytona International Speedway with three; NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. holds the series record for the most wins at Daytona with six.
• Richard Childress Racing has won three of the four Drafting Track (Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta) races this season; and nine of the last 15 Drafting Track Xfinity Series races since the start of 2023 (60%).
• Harrison Burton (12^th) gained 13 points to the Playoff cut line with a 10th-place finish at Watkins Glen and now sits +30.
• Jeb Burton (13^th) lost 11 points to the Playoff cut line with a 16th-place finish at Watkins Glen and now sits -30.

NXS Clinch Scenarios Following Watkins Glen International:

Already Clinched

• The following eight drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver postseason field: Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Jesse Love, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith, Nicholas Sanchez.

Can Clinch Via Win

• The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Carson Kvapil, Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton, Ryan Sieg, Christian Eckes, Dean Thompson, Daniel Dye, Brennan Poole, Jeremy Clements, William Sawalich, Anthony Alfredo, Matt DiBenedetto, Parker Retzlaff, Kyle Sieg, Blaine Perkins, Ryan Ellis.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Richmond Raceway Storylines and Insights:

• This weekend marks the 17th running of a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway, fourth most among all short tracks in series history.
• Richmond hosted a race annually since 2020 after previously hosting one race a year from 1995-2005.
• Richmond is the fifth of seven short track races in 2025.
• NCTS Stages at Richmond: 70 laps, 70 laps, 110 laps.
• Corey Heim clinched the 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Regular Season Championship following Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
• With his win at Watkins Glen last weekend, Corey Heim became the first driver since William Byron in 2016 to win six of a season’s first 17 races.
• The Truck Series Playoff bubble went from 61 points to 16 points after Stewart Friesen missed Watkins Glen.
• All drivers more than 57 points below 10th are in a must win situation.
• Last year’s Richmond race had 12 lead changes, the second most in a Richmond race behind 17 in 1999.
• Only two stage winners have gone on to win at Richmond, both from winning Stage 2: John Hunter Nemechek (2021) and Chandler Smith (2022).
• Three drivers have earned their first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win at Richmond: Terry Labonte (1995), Bob Keselowski (1997) and Tony Stewart (2002).
• None of the five races since the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returned to Richmond in 2020 ended in overtime.
• Three of the last five races at Richmond had a final lead change in the final eight laps of the race.
• The driver who led the most laps failed to win the last two Richmond races.
• Qualifying was rained out/cancelled for each of the last three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series short track races.
• Front Row Motorsports won four of the last six short track races, including each of the last three.
• Chandler Smith has one Truck Series, and two Xfinity Series wins at Richmond.
• Corey Heim led 347 of 905 laps on short tracks this season (38.3%) yet hasn’t won.
• Tyler Ankrum finished in the top-10 in the last 11 races on short-tracks, the longest active streak.
• Daniel Dye raced his way into the Playoffs from five points below the cut line entering Richmond in 2024, the only driver to get in from below the cut line on points in the last race of the regular season.
• The all-time record for wins in a season is nine by Greg Biffle in 1999, Corey Heim currently has six wins with eight races remaining in the season.