Authentic Premier Short Track Racing: Richmond Raceway Race Review and Analysis

 



The Commonwealth of Virginia!  The Nascar Cup Series kicked off the month of April with a traditional visit to Richmond Raceway to progress in the spring portion of the schedule.  Kyle Larson took home the checkered flag in savvy fashion for Hendrick Motorsports, and also on what would've been historic team owner Ricky Hendrick’s 43rd birthday. Larson collects the 20th win of his career, his  2nd at Richmond, and 1st of the 2023 season.  The 30-year old joins Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, William Byron, Joey Logano, and Tyler Reddick as the only drivers locked into the playoffs.  



The ¾ of a mile short track is classified as premier short track racing, today displayed with tire wear, difficulty passing, and long-run crew chief strategies.  Larson ran a stellar race by leading 93 laps, as crew chief Cliff Daniels called a good race from the pit box, prompting the #5 team for success, which was the key to victory. 

(Kyle Larson in Victory Lane)

Riding momentum entering Bristol is Josh Berry in substitution for Chase Elliott in 2nd for Hendrick Motorsports.  Slotting in 3rd is Ross Chastain for Trackhouse Racing, with Christopher Bell in 4th for Joe Gibbs Racing.  Kevin Harvick came home 5th for Stewart-Haas Racing, with Michael McDowell who gambled on strategy in 6th for Front Row Motorsports.  Seventh was awarded to Joey Logano for Team Penske, with Alex Bowman in 8th for Hendrick Motorsports.  In three consecutive races, rookie Ty Gibbs finished inside the top-10 in 9th.  Rounding out the top-10 is Brad Keselowski for RFK Racing in 10th.  



Honorable mentions go to Martin Truex Jr., who dropped positions on the final restart due to older tires for Joe Gibbs Racing in 11th.  Chase Briscoe in 12th for Stewart-Haas Racing, with teammate Aric Almirola in 13th.  Kyle Busch slots in 14th for Richard Childress Racing, with Todd Gilliland also on strategy in 15th for Front Row Motorsports.  Scaling down a position to 17th, Chandler Smith in his second career start finishes inside the top-20 for Kaulig Racing, and in a rebound weekend, Stewart-Haas Racing's Ryan Preece finishes 18th.  




Looking to rebuild momentum is Legacy Motor Club, 23XI Racing, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, and Ryan Blaney. 



Premier short track racing is what to expect when coming to Richmond.  Although it isn’t appealing to some, the traditional on-track product is consistent when paying visits to the track.  Taking this weekend into consideration, an 8.5 out of 10 fits the scoring rubric for this weekend. 


With dirt racing on the horizon, a different opportunity is presented to the dirt ringers, and the drivers who have experience on the type of track they grew up with several years ago.  Look for Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, and even guys like Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and the two Dillon brothers of Austin, and Ty to be in contention as the weekend progresses.  


A “T” for Tennessee is always the answer when visiting the last great colosseum of Bristol Motor Speedway, but instead of the traditional famous concrete, we’ll be on dirt for the third year in a row.  The Nascar Cup Series will head to the high-banked dirt track with the Craftsman Truck Series, as the Xfinity Series gets the weekend off. 


Practice 1 starts at 5:35pm ET with practice 2 getting underway at 8:02pm ET Friday evening, followed by the heat qualifying races at 4:30pm ET on Saturday.  The Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt, will get underway Saturday night on FS1.  Practice 1 for the Cup Series starts at 6:35pm ET, with practice 2 at 8:32pm ET on Friday evening, as the heat qualifying races get underway at 6:00pm ET on Saturday.  The Bristol Motor Speedway Easter Celebration begins at 4:00pm ET on Sunday, later followed by the prime time Easter Sunday Food City Dirt Race at 7:00pm ET only on FOX. 

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