Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Richmond International Raceway Track Facts: 2015 Federated Auto Parts 400

Kurt Busch dominated the April race at Richmond for his second career win on the 3/4-mile track.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at Richmond International Raceway
Rank
Driver
Races
Poles
Wins
Top Fives
Top 10s
DNFs
Average Finish
Driver Rating
 
 
1
Kevin Harvick
29
1
3
9
18
0
10.7
110.9
 
2
Joey Logano
13
1
1
4
5
1
14.6
82.8
 
3
Dale Earnhardt Jr
32
1
3
9
13
1
13.5
86.9
 
4
Brad Keselowski
12
1
1
2
4
1
16.9
92.8
 
5
Jimmie Johnson
27
2
3
6
10
1
17
89.5
 
6
Martin Truex Jr
19
0
0
1
5
3
21.4
81
 
7
Matt Kenseth
31
1
1
5
14
1
16
86.1
 
8
Denny Hamlin
18
2
2
7
9
0
11.1
108.5
 
9
Kurt Busch
29
0
2
6
11
1
16.6
94.2
 
10
Jamie McMurray
25
0
0
3
6
4
20.6
78.2
 
11
Ryan Newman
27
1
1
6
16
0
11.2
92.1
 
12
Carl Edwards
22
1
1
4
11
1
14.1
87.9
 
13
Jeff Gordon
45
6
2
18
29
7
13.5
99.4
 
14
Paul Menard
17
0
0
1
1
0
23.5
60.4
 
15
Clint Bowyer
19
0
2
4
11
1
11.4
99.5
 
16
Aric Almirola
7
0
0
0
2
0
18.1
72.3
 
* – Based on last 21 races at Richmond International Raceway (2005 – 2015).

Richmond International Raceway Data
Season Race #: 26 of 36 (09-12-15)
Track Size: 0.75-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 14 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 14 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
Frontstretch Length:  1,290 feet
Backstretch Length:  860 feet
Race Length: 400 laps / 300 miles

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Richmond
Kevin Harvick............................ 110.9
Kyle Busch............................... 109.8
Denny Hamlin............................ 108.5
Clint Bowyer............................... 99.5
Jeff Gordon................................ 99.4
Kurt Busch.................................. 94.2
Tony Stewart............................... 92.8
Brad Keselowski......................... 92.8
Ryan Newman............................. 92.1
Jimmie Johnson.......................... 89.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (21 total) among active drivers at Richmond International Raceway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2014 pole winner:
Brad Keselowski, Ford
126.618 mph, 21.324 sec., 09-05-14
2014 race winner:
Brad Keselowski, Ford
104.702 mph, (02:51:55), 09-06-14

Track qualifying record:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
130.599 mph, 20.674 secs. 09-04-13

Track race record:
Dale Jarrett, Ford
109.047 mph, (02:45:04), 09-06-97

At Richmond International Raceway:

History
·         Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953 won by Lee Petty.
·         The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.
·         The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.
·         The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.
·         The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.
·         The track was re-measured to .542-mile for 1970.
·         The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.
·         The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.
·         The first season with both races as night races was 1999.
Starts
·         There have been 118 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway, one NSCS event from 1953 - 1958 and two races per year since 1959.
·         484 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond; 313 in more than one.
·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Richmond with 63. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 45 starts.
·         Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Richmond International Raceway with a 7.978.
Poles
·        
Nine drivers posted their first NSCS pole at Richmond International Raceway:
Driver
Season
Brian Vickers
2004
Ted Musgrave
1994
Bobby Labonte
1993
Alan Kulwicki
1987
Morgan Shepherd
1981
Bill Dennis
1971
Dave Marcis
1971
Ned Jarrett
1960
Russ Hepler
1957

·         Buck Baker won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Richmond in 1953 with a speed of 48.465 mph.

54 drivers have Coors Light poles at Richmond, led by Richard Petty and Bobby Allison with eight each. Jeff Gordonleads all active drivers with six.
·         Seven drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Richmond. Bobby Allison holds the record for most consecutive Coors Light poles at Richmond with five (1972 - 1974).
·         Youngest Richmond pole winner: Brian Vickers (05/15/2004 – 20 years, 6 months, 21 days).
·         Oldest Richmond pole winner: Mark Martin (04/28/2012 – 53 years, 3 months, 19 days).

Wins
·         50 different drivers have won at Richmond International Raceway, led by Richard Petty with 13. Kyle Buschleads all active drivers in wins at RIR with four.
·         Petty Enterprises has the most wins at Richmond in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 15; followed byHendrick Motorsports with 10, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing each have nine.
·         Nine different manufacturers have won at Richmond. Chevrolet leads the series in wins at Richmond with 37 victories; followed by Ford with 31 and Toyota with seven.
·         23 of the 118 (19.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from the Coors Light pole. Only four active drivers have been able to accomplish the feat: Kasey Kahne (2005),Jimmie Johnson (2007), Kyle Busch (2010) and Brad Keselowski (2014).  
·         The pole starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners than any other starting position at Richmond (23).  
·         36 of the 118 (30.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond have been won from the front row: 23 from the pole and 13 from second-place.
·         92 of the 118 (77.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a top-10 starting position.
·         13 of the 118 (11.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Richmond International Raceway is 31st, by Clint Bowyer in the spring of 2008.
·         Youngest Richmond winner: Richard Petty (04/23/1961 – 23 years, 9 months, 21 days).
·         Oldest Richmond winner: Harry Gant (09/07/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 28 days).

Wins

·         Five drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Richmond: Kasey Kahne (2005),Tony Stewart (1999), Kyle Petty (1986), Neil Bonnett (1977) and James Hylton (1970).    
·         Eight drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Richmond International Raceway. Richard Petty leads the series in consecutive wins at Richmond after posting seven consecutive wins from the fall of 1970 – 1973. Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep) is the only active driver with consecutive wins at Richmond. 
·         All of the active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Richmond International Raceway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart won at Richmond in their second appearance.   
·         Joe Nemechek competed at Richmond International Raceway 18 times before winning in 1994; the longest span of any the active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
·         Greg Biffle leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond without visiting Victory Lane at 26.

Additional Finishing Position Stats
·         Bobby Allison and Richard Petty are tied for the lead in runner-up finishes at Richmond with nine each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with eight.   
·         Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Richmond with 34; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 18.
·         Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Richmond with 41. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 29.
·         Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Richmond International Raceway with a 7.350.

Track / Event Specific Stats
·         There have been two NSCS races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway: spring of 2008 (400/410) and spring of 2013 (400/406).
·         Only four of the 118 races at Richmond International Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions: spring of 1962, spring of 1977, spring of 1982 and spring of 2003.
·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway seven times; most recently the fall of 2014.  
·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway was the (09/12/1998) race won by Jeff Burton with a MOV of 0.051 second.

Female Competitor Stats

·         Two female drivers have competed at Richmond in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:
Driver
Starting Position
Finishing Position
Date
Danica Patrick
21
25
4/26/2015
Danica Patrick
13
16
9/6/2014
Danica Patrick
35
34
4/26/2014
Danica Patrick
36
30
9/7/2013
Danica Patrick
30
29
4/27/2013
Averages
27.0
26.8
 
Driver
Starting Position
Finishing Position
Date
Janet Guthrie
14
12
9/11/1977
Janet Guthrie
13
12
2/27/1977
Averages
13.5
12.0
 

NASCAR in Virginia
·         There have been 288 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among nine tracks in Virginia.
Track Name
City
NSCS
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville
133
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond
118
South Boston Speedway
South Boston
10
Langley Field Speedway
Hampton
9
Old Dominion Speedway
Manassas
7
Southside Speedway
Richmond
4
Starkey Speedway
Roanoke
4
Norfolk Speedway
Norfolk
2
Princess Anne Speedway
Norfolk
1

·         173 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Virginia.
·         127 of the 173 (73.4%) drivers with their home state as Virginia have made at least one start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; led by Ricky Rudd with 906 starts.


NASCAR In Virginia

·         19 drivers from Virginia have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; 11 have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; led by Denny Hamlin and Joe Weatherly with 25 each.  

Driver
NSCS
NXS
NCWTS
Denny Hamlin
25
14
2
Joe Weatherly
25
0
0
Ricky Rudd
23
1
0
Jeff Burton
21
27
0
Curtis Turner
17
0
0
Ward Burton
5
4
0
Glen Wood
4
0
0
Elliott Sadler
3
10
1
Emanuel Zervakis
2
0
0
Wendell Scott
1
0
0
Lennie Pond
1
0
0
Tommy Ellis
0
22
0
Rick Mast
0
9
0
Jimmy Hensley
0
9
2
Hermie Sadler
0
2
0
Elton Sawyer
0
2
0
Stacy Compton
0
0
2
Jon Wood
0
0
2
Jeb Burton
0
0
1


NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES MILESTONES – RICHMOND
DRIVER
HAS
NEEDS
MILESTONE
DESCRIPTION
 
 
Jeff Gordon
786
2
788th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Consecutive Start
In two starts Jeff Gordon will tie Ricky Rudd (788 consecutive starts) for the series all-time lead in consecutive starts.
 
Clint Bowyer
349
1
350th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Consecutive Start
Bowyer is tied with Martin Truex Jr. for 10th on the active NSCS consecutive starts list, 41 starts behind Carl Edwards in ninth (390 starts).
 
Martin Truex Jr.
349
1
350th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Consecutive Start
Truex is tied with Clint Bowyer for 10th on the active NSCS consecutive starts list, 41 starts behind Carl Edwards in ninth (390 starts).
 
Austin Dillon
74
1
75th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Start
Dillon is 226th on the all-time NSCS starts list, one start behind Cole Whitt and Casey Atwood in 224th (75 starts).
 
Jimmie Johnson
74
2
76th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win
Jimmie Johnson is eighth on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt in seventh (76 wins).
 
Tony Stewart
48
2
50th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win
Stewart is 13th on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett in 12th (50 wins).
 
Tony Stewart
299
1
300th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top-10 Finish
Stewart is 17th on the all-time NSCS top-10 finishes list, two top 10s behind James Hylton in 16th (301 top 10s).
 
Jeff Gordon
24,831
169
25,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led
Gordon can become the sixth driver in NSCS history to lead 25,000 laps; joining Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Bobby Allison.
 
Matt Kenseth
9,748
252
10,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led
Kenseth can become the 16th driver in series history to lead 10,000 or more laps. 
 
#43 car
199
1
200 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Wins
The No. 43 car is second on the all-time NSCS wins list, five wins behind the No. 11 car in first (204). The last win for the No. 43 car came at Daytona last season.
 
Chevrolet
749
1
750th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win
Chevrolet will attempt to post the manufacturer's 750th win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this weekend. Chevrolet leads the series in wins.

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