Well it’s here. The final regular season race of the 2017 NASCAR season happens Saturday night. The newly renamed Richmond Raceway is the host for the Federated Auto Parts 400. It will be the second and final time that NASCAR makes a stop at the .75-nile Virginia track. Last time the MENCS came to the track, Joey Logano won the race, only to have it ruled an encumbered finish and thus not counting towards a playoff spot. Richmond is the longest of the “short tracks” but it still contains much of the characteristics of the other short tracks in Bristol and Martinsville.

Track Data

 Avg.Avg.     Laps  HighLow Avg.DifferenceLaps LedLaps Led
DriverStartFinishRacesWinsTop 5'sTop 10'sTop 20'sLedPolesFinishFinishDNFRatingPts.Pts.Pts./race
Joey Logano4.25.45135514421100104.7-1.2367.20
Denny Hamlin9.87.65124426311220108.82.265.7513.15
Kurt Busch6.48.45114534901150105.4-287.2517.45
Matt Kenseth5.415.25113352111381112.4-9.8130.2526.05
Kevin Harvick7.46.2504457602140110.71.2193.80
Brad Keselowski9.68.45023512502170108.51.231.256.25
Jimmie Johnson157.450235440311096.47.6112.20
Kyle Busch7.37.25402348802160109.70.05225.50
Martin Truex Jr.10.612.8501441930332097.6-2.248.259.65
Jamie McMurray16.29.25013540416092.9710.20
Kasey Kahne18.811.25013400422084.27.600.00
Aric Almirola24.614.25012400421076.210.400.00
Kyle Larson11.611501152002150920.651.00
Dale Earnhardt Jr.20.815.54011300530082.65.300.00
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.16.218.45011300428071.8-2.200.00
Clint Bowyer24.617.85002300933071.26.800.00
Ryan Newman15.616.850014250728078.8-1.26.251.25
Chase Elliott21.817.7540003001224073.24.0500.00
Trevor Bayne25.218.250003001324067700.00
Danica Patrick21.220.250003001525059.5100.00
Austin Dillon17.821.450003001327070.4-3.600.00
David Ragan19.223.250002001734160.1-400.00
A.J. Allmendinger14.623.850002001337062.2-9.200.00
Daniel Suarez111210001001212061.6-100.00
Chris Buescher292530001001734051.7400.00
Paul Menard23.825.650001001540158.1-1.800.00
Michael McDowell31.328.540001001242142.52.800.00
Jeffrey Earnhardt38.83540000202740028.93.80.50.13
Ty Dillon242610000002626068.7-200.00
Landon Cassill28.42850000002136051.50.400.00
Gray Gaulding313110000003131034.7000.00
Corey LaJoie343210000003232034.4200.00
Matt DiBenedetto32.633.650000002837136.8-100.00
Cole Whitt33.733.6730000002738040.80.0300.00
Ryan Blaney1734.3330000002839148.4-17.3300.00
Reed Sorenson37.834.850000002641031.7300.00
Erik Jones203810000003838124.2-1800.00
B.J. McLeod0000000000000000.00
Derrike Cope0000000000000000.00
Cody Ware0000000000000000.00

Top-15 Drivers at Richmond Raceway Historically

 Avg.Avg.     Laps HighLow DifferenceLaps LedLaps Led
DriverStartFinishRacesWinsTop 5'sTop 10'sTop 20'sLedPolesFinishFinishDNFPts.Pts.Pts./race
Kyle Busch12.27.332441517231,019112404.87254.7510.61
Kevin Harvick14.410.33331221301,061114004.1265.258.04
Dale Earnhardt Jr.16.613.71353101428501113612.89125.253.58
Denny Hamlin10.49.77223913171,653312400.63413.2518.78
Jimmie Johnson12.515.873137122146121401-3.37115.253.72
Matt Kenseth17.816.1435261623924114121.662316.60
Kurt Busch17.115.8233261422806014211.28201.56.11
Joey Logano10.512.47172691319021351-1.9747.52.79
Clint Bowyer14.712.8723241218348014311.83873.78
Ryan Newman12.712.131161728479113900.6119.753.86
Kasey Kahne1416.522715101728111402-2.5270.252.60
Brad Keselowski9.514.25161471376411381-4.7519111.94
Jamie McMurray2119.17290381829044141.837.250.25
David Ragan23.922.622103380033411.2800.00
Martin Truex Jr.15.220.04230281124103413-4.8460.252.62

Top-15 Drivers at Short Tracks (Since Feb. 2015)

 Avg.Avg.     Laps HighLow  DifferenceLaps LedLaps Led
DriverStartFinishRacesWinsTop 5'sTop 10'sTop 20'sLedPolesFinishFinishDNFRatingPts.Pts.Pts./race
Denny Hamlin8.611.19162811125122139199.1-2.591288.00
Joey Logano4.310.631627121479251400101.8-6.3319812.38
Kyle Busch7.412.5413279101,32101393112.6-5.14330.2525.40
Jimmie Johnson14.89.81162691421701350964.9954.253.39
Matt Kenseth9.516.88162691095321424102.3-7.38238.2514.89
Kevin Harvick12.210.1916171115679013801082.01169.7510.61
Brad Keselowski9.714.9416168114060135094.4-5.24101.56.34
Kurt Busch14.416.3816136115310138290.3-1.98132.758.30
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.20.819.9416035900240165.70.8600.00
Austin Dillon19.718.56160341160441272.21.141.50.09
Dale Earnhardt Jr.20.418.3113034800238278.22.0900.00
Jamie McMurray14.412.31160271440238189.12.0910.06
Clint Bowyer22.917.63160261000243171.55.2700.00
Kyle Larson11.515.3315025124110241193.5-3.83102.756.85
Chase Elliott13.515.671202310360338082.5-2.1790.75

Drivers to watch this week:

Ordinarily I would list five drivers in this section that arise interest at that particular track. However with this being the final week of the regular season, I feel it’s more fitting mention the drivers on the bubble this week. Barring a surprise winner, the 13 drivers that have already won this year, plus the three drivers with the most points will make up the field of 16. Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth, and Jamie McMurray are the three drivers in on points at the moment, and have a hefty lead over the 17th place driver, Clint Bowyer. The aforementioned Bowyer, Erik Jones, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Trevor Bayne, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are the six drivers closest to the bubble, though all need a win to make it into the Chase next week in Chicago. Of that group, Jr. has the best history at the track with three career wins and 10 top-fives in 35 races here. Logano “won” the spring race to give him two career wins at Richmond, and he and Bowyer have very similar records at the .75-mile oval. With so much on the line, practice times and knowing the changes each team makes is most important this week.