CONCORD, N.C. – Hendrick Motorsports and the NASCAR Cup Series return to Richmond Raceway this weekend seeking a second victory at the track in 2023.
One of nine tracks that will host a second Cup Series main event this season (on the same layout for both events), Richmond, Virginia’s .75-mile oval has been a fan favorite track since joining the calendar in 1953. Since then, the "action track," has earned a reputation for close-quarters racing that often ends with hurt feelings and bruised race cars.
In early April, the Cup Series visited the Virginia facility as Kyle Larson stormed to the top spot to take his second victory at the track and his first for Hendrick Motorsports at Richmond. While the win was special for the driver, Larson’s victory also touched the organization as a whole. On what would have been Ricky Hendrick’s 43rd birthday, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy took the checkered flag in a livery based on Hendrick’s paint scheme from his time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
Hendrick Motorsports has earned 12 victories at Richmond in their history. Jimmie Johnson and Terry Labonte sit at the top of this list with three wins a piece while team vice chairman Jeff Gordon is next up with two victories. Alex Bowman, Larson, Joe Nemechek and Tim Richmond have each earned a single victory for the team.
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Coming into Richmond, Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team will certainly have this track circled on their calendar. As the most recent winner at the Virginia short track, the team has shown speed on this type of circuit in 2023. They also went to victory lane with this rules package in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway and at Martinsville Speedway. He's been solid over the last six races of the 2023 season with a 12.67 average finish, which is the sixth-best of any driver in the Cup Series.
A 24th-place in April's Richmond race was not indicative of where William Byron ran for the bulk of the event. In fact, the No. 24 entry won the opening stage and led a race-high 117 laps before late-race contact from Christopher Bell sent Byron spinning into the outside wall. Recent stats are encouraging for the 25-year-old driver at this track. In the last three Richmond races, no driver has spent more time inside the top five (648 laps) or led more laps (239 laps) than the four-time winner in 2023 (648).
While Chase Elliott has yet to break through with a victory on the .75-mile circuit, his last five finishes on paved short tracks are quite impressive. Through this stretch, the driver of the No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has finished each race inside the top 10, led 240 laps and earned a runner-up finish. Having already earned five top-five finishes (including one runner-up result) at Richmond, Elliott will look to make inroads on his drive to the playoffs. He is currently 56 points outside the provisional playoff cutoff line.
As one of two current Hendrick Motorsports drivers with a victory here, Bowman heads to Virginia in search of a second. At 46 markers below the provisional playoff cutoff line, getting into the run for the championship on points is still doable. This weekend's short-track race could be a prime opportunity for the No. 48 Ally Racing team to make up significant points or earn their first win of the season. In April, Bowman's consistency through stages one and two earned him seventh-place finishes through each segment and an eighth-place result by the end. He has four top-10 finishes in his last six starts in the capital city of Virginia.
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Here's what you need to know to catch this weekend’s action.
WHAT TIME IS PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING?
Group practice for the Cup Series will take place on Saturday, July 29 and begin at 12:35 p.m. ET on USA Network. Group qualifying will begin immediately after practice at 1:20 p.m. ET and coverage will also be available on USA Network. Byron and Elliott will be in Group A. Larson and Bowman are part of Group B.
WHAT TIME IS THE RACE?
The 400-lap, 300-mile Cup Series race is scheduled for Sunday, July 30 at 3 p.m. ET with coverage on USA Network. A post-race show will take place on Peacock.
CAN I LISTEN ON THE RADIO?
The Cup Series and Xfinity Series races will be broadcast on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
CAN I STREAM ONLINE?
Yes. Download the NBC Sports App or Peacock for online coverage. Fans can also keep up with the action on Twitter by following @TeamHendrick.
FIVE FAST FACTS HEADING INTO RICHMOND
Data provided by Racing Insights
6: In terms of positions gained on restarts in 2023, Bowman is tied as the sixth-best driver among all Cup Series competitors.
7.83: Average finish over the last six races for Elliott. This mark is nearly four positions better than the next closet driver.
13: In the last 13 short-track races, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers have found victory lane at least once.
19: Stage wins for Byron in his career. The 25-year-old driver sits 10th on the all-time list.
31: Monday afternoon will mark Larson's 31st birthday. He'll aim to celebrate a little early with a checkered flag on Sunday.