CONCORD, N.C. - Hendrick Motorsports and the NASCAR Cup Series head to Richmond Raceway for the first of the track's two races in 2024. The Easter Sunday event will be the first night race at the track for the sport's top division since 2021.
Located in Richmond, Virginia, the 0.75-mile short track has been a fixture on the Cup Series calendar since 1955. One unique aspect of the track is the long, sweeping front straightaway that gives drivers a much different entry into turn one than turn three. Sunday's race will also utilize the short-track and road course rules package. The rules package is the same one used earlier this month at Phoenix Raceway and in William Byron's win at Circuit of The Americas.
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Hendrick Motorsports has won at Richmond on 12 occasions. Tim Richmond scored the team's first victory at the track in 1986, while Terry Labonte won in 1994, 1995 and 1998. Jeff Gordon won twice in 1996 and 2000, while Joe Nemechek was victorious in 2003. Jimmie Johnson would sweep the 2007 races at Richmond and added one victory in 2008. As for the current four drivers from Rick Hendrick's team, Alex Bowman (2021) and Kyle Larson (2023) have each found victory lane in the capital city of Virginia.
In Richmond's most recent spring event, it was Larson emerging victorious. The Elk Grove, California, native paced the field for 93 circuits, including the final 25 on his way to the win. Josh Berry, substituting for the injured Chase Elliott, scored a runner-up finish after running long during the final round of green flag pit stops and catching a caution. The track position put Berry second after pit stops and he maintained his spot for the final sprint to the checkered flag. As for the Nos. 24 and 48, Byron led a race-high 117 circuits before contact with Christopher Bell hindered his finish. Bowman would lead eight circuits and finish eighth.
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KEY NUMBERS TO KNOW FOR RICHMOND
Data provided by Racing Insights
Larson, No. 5 team
In the last eight short-track races, Larson leads the series in average finish (5.13) and runner-ups (two). He is tied for top marks in wins (two), top-five finishes (six) and top-10s (seven). He also scored the third-most points (416) on short tracks in the Next Gen car (since 2022).
Elliott, No. 9 team
Through six races in 2024, the driver of the No. 9 has the seventh-best average running position (13.34). In addition, Elliott has finished in the top 10 in seven of his last nine short-track races.
Byron, No. 24 team
Since the Next Gen car debuted in 2022, Byron has led the most laps at Richmond (239). He also has the most wins under the lights in the Next Gen era (three) and has not finished worse than ninth in the last six night races.
Bowman, No. 48 team
With back-to-back results of fourth place, Bowman has the fifth-best average finish (12.50) in the Cup Series. Additionally, his three top-five finishes on the season are tied with three competitors for the most in the premier series.
Hendrick Motorsports
The Rick Hendrick-led team holds three statistical high marks at Richmond: Pole positions (18), top-five finishes (67) and top-10s (123).
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DID YOU KNOW?
William Byron has been the first driver to multiple wins in the last three seasons. Who was the last driver to accomplish that? Gordon, now the team's vice chairman, achieved the feat from 1997 to 1999.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND TV COVERAGE
Saturday, March 30
10:35 a.m. ET: Practice - FS1
11:15 a.m. Qualifying - FS1
Larson and Bowman are in Group A, while Elliott and Byron will be in Group B.
Sunday, March 31
7 p.m. ET: Cup Series race - FOX
RELATED: See every Hendrick Motorsports win at Richmond
STAGE LENGTHS
Cup Series race
Stage 1: Lap 70
Stage 2: Lap 230
End of Race: Lap 400
WILL THE RACE BE ON THE RADIO?
Yes, listeners can find both events on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
WHERE CAN I STREAM THE BROADCAST?
Fans can watch all the action with the FOX Sports Live app. For live updates and additional content during the race, head over to X and follow @TeamHendrick for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
HOW CAN I FIND FS1?
The channel number may vary depending on the location. Use this link to enter your zip code and select your television provider for assistance in finding what channel number FS1 is on your provider.