Only five races remain in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series regular season (Richmond, Michigan, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen and Daytona) to decide who will compete in the 16-driver Playoff field, and for the second time this year the NASCAR Cup Series will head to Richmond Raceway for some Sunday afternoon side-by-side short track action in the Cook Out 400 on July 30 at 3 p.m. ET on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

A little history about Richmond Raceway. … It was 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 133 times producing 57 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. Eight of the 57 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 (8)	Poles	Seasons
Kevin Harvick	3	2019, 2018, 2005
Denny Hamlin	3	2016, 2008, 2006
Brad Keselowski	2	2019, 2014
Joey Logano	2	2015 sweep
Kyle Larson	1	2022
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 15 wins at North Wilkesboro.

This weekend, eight of the 53 NASCAR Cup Series Richmond Raceway winners are active, led by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch with six victories (spring 2009, spring 2010, spring 2011, spring 2012, 2018 sweep).

Active Race Winners (8)	Wins	Season
Kyle Busch	6	2018 sweep, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009
Denny Hamlin	4	2022, 2016, 2010, 2009
Kevin Harvick	4	2022, 2013, 2011, 2006
Martin Truex Jr	3	2021, 2019 sweep
Kyle Larson	2	2023, 2017
Brad Keselowski	2	2020, 2014
Joey Logano	2	2017, 2014
Alex Bowman	1	2021

Short Track Kings: Drivers to watch this weekend

Of the five remaining tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series regular season schedule, this weekend’s Richmond Raceway is the last short track, begging the question, ‘Who has been the best on the short tracks this season and should be the ones he watch this weekend?’

The NASCAR Cup Series has competed on six short tracks this season – Martinsville, Bristol Dirt, Phoenix, Dover, New Hampshire and Richmond, and two organizations have dominated the six events winning three each, Hendrick Motorsports won at Martinsville, Phoenix and Richmond and Joe Gibbs Racing grabbed wins at Bristol Dirt, Dover and New Hampshire.

Two drivers this season have won multiple times on the short tracks, including the current NASCAR Cup Series points leader Martin Truex Jr (Dover, New Hampshire) and Richmond Raceway’s most recent winner Kyle Larson (Richmond, Martinsville). The other two short track races were won by Christopher Bell (Bristol Dirt) and William Byron (Phoenix).

The driver with the best average starting position at the six previous short track races this season is Hendrick Motorsport’s William Byron with a 6.5, followed by Tyler Reddick with a 7.0, Kyle Busch with a 7.3, Christopher Bell with a 9.2 and Kyle Larson with a 10.5.

The driver with the best average finishing position at the six previous short track races this season is Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. with a 6.6, followed by Tyler Reddick with a 9.3, Christopher Bell with a 10.3, Kevin Harvick with a 10.3 and Chase Briscoe with a 11.5. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick is the defending winner of this event at Richmond.

A total of 21 different drivers have led laps at the six previous short track races this season, led by Kyle Larson with 405 laps led, followed by William Byron with 383 and Martin Truex Jr. with 378.

Lucky No. 7: Richmond has produced six different winners in last six races

Long shots and streaks of different winners are nothing new at the famous Richmond Raceway, and this weekend the 0.75-mile track is riding a streak of six different NASCAR Cup Series winners in the last six races – 2020 Brad Keselowski, 2021 Alex Bowman, 2021 Martin Truex Jr., 2022 Denny Hamlin, 2022 Kevin Harvick and 2023 Kyle Larson. So, who will continue to the streak of different winners this weekend?

A total of 25 different drivers entered this weekend are looking for their first win of the 2023 season and nine are looking for their first career win in the series – AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Chris Buescher, Harrison Burton*, Austin Cindric, Ty Dillon*, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs*, Todd Gilliland*, Noah Gragson*, Justin Haley, Kevin Harvick, Erik Jones, Brad Keselowski, Corey LaJoie*, Michael McDowell, BJ McLeod*, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece*, Daniel Suárez, Bubba Wallace, JJ Yeley* – Note: Drivers with a (*) symbol indicates they are looking for their first career NASCAR Cup Series win.

Five drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Richmond Raceway (all-time) – Kasey Kahne (2005), Tony Stewart (1999), Kyle Petty (1986), Neil Bonnett (1977) and James Hylton (1970).

Plus, keep in mind it’s anybody’s race until the checkered flag waves, especially at Richmond Raceway where 12 of the 133 NASCAR Cup Series races (9%) have been won by drivers starting outside the top-20, which is the second-most in the series behind Daytona International Speedway with 14. The deepest in the field that a NASCAR Cup Series race winner has started at Richmond Raceway is 32nd, by Kyle Busch in the April race of 2018.

Christopher Bell (+700)

He was fourth and third respectively in 2021, sixth in the 2022 spring race after leading 63 laps last year after scoring a second-place finish in the second stage. Then, Bell was a runner-up last summer in the return trip. He led 26 laps and finished fourth this past April and has finishes on short tracks this season of sixth, fourth, 16th, sixth and 29th respectively. If you factor in five Xfinity Series starts too, Bell has nine Top-6 finishes in 11 tries.

Bell qualified in the top five at Phoenix and was sixth in the end too. The thing is, he’s also not had a Top-5 finish in each of the last 13 races though either so I’m wary. Still, a pole in Loudon was negated by problems on pit road. He’s had the speed, they’ve not been executing. Eventually, they will. Maybe that comes this weekend.

Ty Gibbs (+2800)

Ninth in the spring race lands him here. So does a pair of Top-10 finishes in his last four starts on the season including a fifth place result last Sunday in Pocono. He ran this race last year as well as winning last spring’s Xfinity Series race after leading 114 laps in the process.

Aric Almirola (+4500)

Phoenix was dismal in 33rd, but he was also 13th here and sixth at Martinsville too.

Chris Buescher (+5500)

The RFK Racing driver finished third here last summer and 15th last spring of 2022. That’s why despite being 30th this spring, I’m cautiously optimistic.

Chase Briscoe (+10000)

Not much past stats to go off of but he won Phoenix last year and was fourth there last November there and seventh this spring. SHR seems to be at their best on short tracks this season with Briscoe being seventh (Phoenix), 12th (Richmond), fifth (Martinsville), 30th (Dover) and 10th at Loudon respectively. NASCAR has Briscoe ranked third (114 points) for most points accumulated on short tracks this season too.

Ryan Preece (+10000)

Won the pole at Martinsville, was 12th in Phoenix, 18th here, 17th in Dover and the only reason he didn’t finish better than 15th in Martinsville was an issue on pit road cost him track position.

IFFY?

William Byron (+900)

He used strategy and strategy only to lead 122 laps in his only Top-5 in 10 Richmond starts last spring. Again, he didn’t have a top five car that day in terms of speed and chances to win. This past spring, he did. He led a race-high 117 laps and finished first and third in the two stages before being spun by Christopher Bell on a late race restart. Prior to the late caution, he was going to finish second. After, he was going to win. Then came Bell’s bumper…Byron won Phoenix and was fourth in Dover. My only concern is he has one Top-5 finish over the last seven weeks too. Which is also why he dropped from +400 this spring to +900 now. He’s also only had one Top-5 finish in 12 Richmond starts and that’s including his pair of Xfinity Series starts. He’s led 117 or more laps in each of the last two spring races but has never led a lap here in the return trip.

Chase Elliott (+1600)

If you need some fades up top, there’s two HMS drivers to punt on. Elliott didn’t race this spring but his car finished second. That’s part the luck of pit strategy to get Josh Berry there. Elliott has finished only 10th, 11th and on short tracks this season and Richmond isn’t one of his better tracks.

Ross Chastain (+2000)

As temping as it may be to snag him for these odds, don’t. He was seventh in the 2021 Fall race and third in both stages last spring. However, he was only 19th and 18th respectively at the finish last year too. He made up for it in being third this past spring. He was also runner-up in Dover. The only problem is, he has one Top-5 finish in the last nine races as his last four are 22nd, 35th, 23rd and 13th.

HMS didn’t used to be threats here in Richmond in general. Prior to the spring race dominance, they had just one win here since 2009 (27 starts) and even that lone victory, was on a late race pit strategy and not with the quickest car.

Then came 1-2-8-24 results this spring including them leading a combined 228 of 400 laps (57%). Elliott didn’t contribute to that.

Team Penske

They finished P7-P26-P28 this spring.

Not one of Ryan Blaney’s (+2200) better tracks. He’s never had a Top-5 here in 14 Richmond starts. Austin Cindric (+30000) was 20th and 12th as a rookie and 28th this past April while Joey Logano (+1200) was 17th and 6th himself last year and seventh in the spring which leads me more towards a Top-5 finish (+150) rather than an outright win. He has five Top-7 results in his last six Richmond tries, nine in the last 12 at that and was runner-up in Loudon and Martinsville too. I just don’t like +1200 to win.

Tyler Reddick (+2800)

He was third at Phoenix this spring. However, he was also third in last year’s spring Phoenix race and finished 12th and 31st here too. He was only 16th here in the spring race too, 22nd in Martinsville and sixth in Loudon.