It is almost time for the 2016 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup but before the Chase can begin, the final race of the regular season needs to be held. As usual, it is the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, which is always full of action. Here is a weekend preview, which includes the weekend schedule, a weekend notebook, and predictions from the VAVEL NASCAR team on who they think will win this weekend.
Weekend Schedule (All times eastern)
Friday, September 9
First Practice: 10:00 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.
Final Practice: 12:00 p.m. - 1:25 p.m.
Qualifying: 5:45 p.m.
Saturday, September 10
Race: 7:30 p.m.
Weekend Notebook
- A victory at Richmond automatically earns a winless driver who’s in the top 30 in points a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Ryan Newman (17th on the Chase Grid), Kasey Kahne (18th) and Clint Bowyer (28th) are the only winless drivers in the field who have previously won at the .75-mile track.
- Newman won at Richmond in 2003, Kahne in 2005, and Bowyer in 2008 and 2012. Bowyer has the fifth-best driver rating (95.7) and average finish at Richmond (12.3).
- He also has the fourth-best average running position (11.838). Bowyer and Chase Elliott (14th on the Chase Grid) are the only winless drivers in the field with a NASCAR XFINITY Series victory at Richmond.
- Twenty-two points separate Jamie McMurray, who owns the final spot on the Chase Grid, from Ryan Newman, who has one last opportunity to take McMurray’s spot on the Chase Grid in Saturday’s race. McMurray finished 16th at Richmond in the spring, while Newman placed 18th. Last fall, the No. 1 Chevrolet driver took home 13th, while Newman produced a 20th-place showing.
- One week after winning his first NASCAR national series race, Kyle Larson challenged for the victory again at Darlington, leading 45 laps before finishing third. In his last six races, Larson claims four top-six finishes: fifth at Indianapolis; sixth at Pocono; first at Michigan and third at Darlington.
- Over that stretch, he was running third at Watkins Glen before he wrecked out of the race on the last lap. He was also running in the top 10 at Bristol before sustaining damage to his car that hurt his finishing position.
Predictions
Every week, the writers of the VAVEL NASCAR team make predictions on who they think will win that weekend's race. After each race, they receive points based on how their driver performed. Here are the standings entering this weekend.
Mark Smith - 124 points
Stevie Larson - 95 points
Stephen Furst - 90 points
Here are the picks for this weekend.
Mark Smith
Driver: Chase Elliott
Reason: "The driver of the #24 for Hendrick Motorsports needs a good finish this week to guarantee his spot next week in the start of The Chase and I think he will get it Saturday night at Richmond. He has had some good finishes this season but look for him to get his first victory this weekend."
Stevie Larson
Driver: Kyle Larson
Reason: "He has been on fire lately, as he picked up his first Sprint Cup win two weeks ago, and followed that up with a third-place finish at Darlington. With his spot in the Chase already clinched, he has nothing to lose. Look for Larson to end up in victory lane at the end of the night on Saturday."
Stephen Furst
Driver: Kyle Larson
Reason: " Larson is on a hot streak lately. With his first win two weeks ago and a solid 3rd with a chance at a win at Darlington, this team is hot and looking to gain a ton of momentum going into the chase. If Larson doesn't win, look for another top five from the 42 car."