Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia, going into the Cook Out 400 this Sunday, July 30 at 3 p.m. ET on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
At Richmond Raceway – Statistics & Tidbits
Season Race #: 22 of 36 (July 30, 2023)
Track Size: 0.75-mile (3/4-mile)
Banking/Turns: 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
Stage 1 Length: 70 laps
Stage 2 Length: 160 laps
Final Stage Length: 170 laps
QUALIFYING & RACE RECORDS
Track Qualifying Record:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 130.599 mph, 20.674 secs., September 4, 2013
2022 Pole Winner:
Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 117.177 mph, 23.042 secs., August 13, 2022
Track Race Record:
Dale Jarrett, Ford, 109.047 mph, (02:45:04), September 6, 1997
2022 Race Winner:
Kevin Harvick, Ford, 98.110 mph, (03:03:27), August 14, 2022
HISTORY
Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway was held on April 19, 1953 and won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty in a Petty Enterprises Dodge with an average speed of 45.535 mph.In 1955, Paul Sawyer and former driver Joe Weatherly bought the property; the track was then known as the Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds.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 Cup Series races in 1968. The first 24 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Richmond Raceway were run on a dirt surface (1953-1968). NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson won the final Richmond race on dirt, driving a Holman-Moody Racing 1968 Ford to Victory Lane.NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty won the first NASCAR Cup Series race on the paved Richmond surface in 1968 driving a Petty Enterprises‘ The track‘s name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969, and the track was re-measured to 0.542-mile in 1970.The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the February 21, 1988 race.The first race under permanent lights was September 7, 1991.In 1999, International Speedway Corporation purchased the raceway and surrounding property. It was the first season with both races as night races and the track was renamed to Richmond International Raceway.In 2017, the track underwent renovations to upgrade the amenities for fans and in the process changed the name of the track to Richmond Raceway.In total, there have been 133 NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway, one event from 1953 – 1958 and two races per year since 1959 to 2019, 2021-2022.Due to the pandemic in 2020, the Cup Series only raced at Richmond Raceway once that season.Richmond Raceway ranks third on the all-time list of tracks that have hosted the most NASCAR Cup Series races with 133, behind only Daytona (152) and Martinsville (149).
STARTS
A total of 528 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway; 353 drivers have competed in more than one Cup race at Richmond.NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Richmond Raceway with 63; followed by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin with 56, Ricky Rudd and Terry Labonte have 55 each.Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Richmond Raceway with 44.Dick Rathmann (two series starts) leads the series in average starting position at Richmond Raceway with a 2.000.Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Richmond Raceway with an 8.588 in 17 starts.
Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Richmond Raceway (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversAvg FinishRacesRankActive DriversAvg FinishRaces1Dick Rathmann2.00021Kyle Larson8.588172Herb Thomas3.00022Denny Hamlin9.394333Billy Wade3.66733William Byron9.800104Bobby Isaac3.700104Joey Logano10.536285Ned Jarrett4.077135Brad Keselowski11.037276Glen Wood4.33336Kyle Busch11.857357Speedy Thompson4.60057Martin Truex Jr12.176348Marvin Panch5.00038Kevin Harvick12.295449Cotton Owens5.11199Ryan Blaney12.6431410Bill Morgan6.000210Ty Gibbs14.0002 A total of 51 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have made their series debut at Richmond Raceway; the most recent was Chandler Smith (April 2, 2023).Of the drivers who have made their first career NASCAR Cup Series start at Richmond Raceway, Harold Carmac posted the best finish — sixth on April 1, 1962.
First-Time NASCAR Cup Series Drivers at Richmond Raceway
DriverDate DriverDate1Chandler Smith4/2/202327Joey Arrington9/8/19742Daniel Hemric4/21/201828Jerry Hufflin2/24/19743Jeffrey Earnhardt9/12/201529Jimmy Hailey2/24/19744Jason Keller5/3/200330Travis Tiller2/24/19745Tim Sauter9/7/200231Baxter Price9/9/19736Randy Renfrow5/5/200232Les Covey2/27/19727Casey Atwood9/9/200033Phil Finney11/14/19718Kenny Irwin Jr9/6/199734Al Grinnan3/7/19719Jeff Green9/10/199435Ed Hessert4/13/196910Ward Burton3/6/199436John Kenney4/13/196911Jeff Fuller3/8/199237Frog Fagan9/10/196712Bill Meacham2/25/199038Jim Wright4/30/196713Lee Faulk9/11/198839Bill Dennis9/9/196214Doug French9/13/198740Melvin Bradley9/9/196215Ernie Irvan9/13/198741Harold Carmac4/1/196216Steve Christman3/8/198742Jim Bray4/1/196217Ron Shephard9/7/198643Al Disney9/10/196118Alan Kulwicki9/8/198544Aubrey Boles6/21/195919Eddie Dickerson9/7/198045Bob Hundley6/21/195920Tommy Houston2/24/198046John McDaniel9/14/195821Bill Elswick9/9/197947Ray Fanning9/14/195822Joe Fields3/11/197948Dick Klank5/5/195723Nelson Oswald2/26/197849Chick Dawson5/22/195524Woody Fisher2/26/197850Nace Mattingly5/22/195525Robin Schildnecht2/27/197751Sonny Hutchins5/22/195526Larry LeMay9/12/1976
POLES
A total of 57 different drivers have won at least one pole at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series; 31 drivers have won multiple poles at Richmond.A total of eight of the 57 NASCAR Cup Series Richmond Raceway pole winners are active this weekend.Active Pole Winners (8)PolesSeasonsKevin Harvick32019, 2018, 2005Denny Hamlin32016, 2008, 2006Brad Keselowski22019, 2014Joey Logano22015 sweepKyle Larson12022Ryan Blaney12022Kyle Busch12010Martin Truex Jr12018NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 sweep, 1974, 1975) and Bobby Allison (1972 sweep, 1973 sweep, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1982) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Richmond Raceway with eight poles each.Denny Hamlin (2006, 2008, 2016) and Kevin Harvick (2005, 2018, 2019) lead all active Cup Series pole winners at Richmond Raceway with three poles each.Buck Baker won the inaugural pole at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series in 1953 with a speed of 48.465 mph in an Oldsmobile owned by Bob Griffin.11 different drivers have won consecutive poles at Richmond — Buck Baker (1953, 1956), Ned Jarrett (1960 sweep, 1964 sweep), Rex White (1962, 1963), Richard Petty (1969, 1970 sweep, Bobby Allison (1972-1974), Darrell Waltrip (1983, 1984 sweep, 1985), Alan Kulwicki (1987 sweep), Ted Musgrave (1994 sweep), Joey Logano (2015 sweep), Matt Kenseth (2017 sweep) and Kevin Harvick (2018, 2019) — Logano and Harvick are the only active drivers to accomplish the feat.Bobby Allison holds the record for most consecutive poles at Richmond Raceway with five straight from 1972-1974; Darrell Waltrip has the second-most consecutive poles at Richmond with four-straight from 1983-1985.Youngest Richmond Cup pole winner: Brian Vickers (May 15, 2004 — 20 years, 6 months, 21 days).Oldest Richmond Cup pole winner: Mark Martin (April 28, 2012 — 53 years, 3 months, 19 days).Nine different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted their first career pole at Richmond Raceway — none are currently active — most recent was Brian Vickers on May 15, 2004.First-Time Pole WinnersDateRuss HeplerSunday, May 5, 1957Ned JarrettSunday, June 5, 1960Dave MarcisSunday, March 7, 1971Bill DennisSunday, November 14, 1971Morgan ShepherdSunday, February 22, 1981Alan KulwickiSunday, March 8, 1987Bobby LabonteSaturday, September 11, 1993Ted MusgraveSunday, March 6, 1994Brian VickersSaturday, May 15, 2004A total of 50 different owners have won at least one pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway.Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Richmond Raceway with 18 poles among 10 drivers: Geoff Bodine (1985, 1989), Ricky Rudd (1990), Ken Schrader (1993), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2013), Terry Labonte (1996, 2003), Jimmie Johnson (2002, 2007), Brian Vickers (2004), Mark Martin (2009), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2012), Kyle Larson (2022).A total of nine different manufacturers have posted at least one pole at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series; led by Chevrolet (47); followed by Ford (35), Dodge (11), Toyota (10), Pontiac (six), Plymouth (five), Mercury (three), Buick (two) and Oldsmobile (two).
WINS
A total of 53 different drivers have won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway, and 34 of them have won multiple times at the 0.75-mile track.A total of eight of the 53 NASCAR Cup Series Richmond Raceway winners at entered this weekend:Active Race Winners (8)WinsSeasonKyle Busch62018 sweep, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009Denny Hamlin42022, 2016, 2010, 2009Kevin Harvick42022, 2013, 2011, 2006Martin Truex Jr32021, 2019 sweepKyle Larson22023, 2017Brad Keselowski22020, 2014Joey Logano22017, 2014Alex Bowman12021The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway (dirt surface) was held on April 19, 1953, and won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty in a Petty Enterprises Dodge with an average speed of 45.535 mph.NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Richmond Raceway with 13 victories (spring 1961, 1967 sweep, fall 1968, fall 1970, 1971 sweep, 1972 sweep, 1973 sweep, fall 1974 and spring 1975) — the third-most wins by a single driver at a single track in series history behind his 15 wins at Martinsville and North Wilkesboro.Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in wins at Richmond Raceway with six victories (spring 2009, spring 2010, spring 2011, spring 2012, 2018 sweep).A total of 11 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Richmond Raceway; Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. are the only active drivers to accomplish the feat:Joe Weatherly (1962-1963)David Pearson (1965, 1966 sweep)Richard Petty (1970, 1971 sweep, 1972 sweep, 1973 sweep)Cale Yarborough (1976-1977)Bobby Allison (1982, 1983 sweep)Dale Earnhardt (1987 sweep, 1990-1991)Rusty Wallace (1989 sweep)Terry Labonte (1994-1995)Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep)Kyle Busch (2018 sweep)Martin Truex Jr. (2019 sweep)
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in consecutive wins at Richmond Raceway with seven consecutive victories from the fall race of 1970 to the fall race of 1973.Youngest Richmond Cup winner: Richard Petty (April 23, 1961 — 23 years, 9 months, 21 days).Oldest Richmond Cup winner: Harry Gant (September 7, 1991 — 51 years, 7 months, 28 days).Five drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Richmond Raceway — Kasey Kahne (2005), Tony Stewart (1999), Kyle Petty (1986), Neil Bonnett (1977) and James Hylton (1970)AJ Allmendinger leads the NASCAR Cup Series among active drivers in series starts at Richmond Raceway without visiting Victory Lane at 25; followed by Michael McDowell with 24 starts without a win.A total of 27 different starting positions have led to victories in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway.The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the NASCAR Cup Series field, producing more winners than any other starting position at Richmond Raceway with 24 victories (18.05%).The second-most proficient starting position in the NASCAR Cup Series field is the third starting position with 18 victories (13.53%). More than half of the races have been won from a top-five starting positions (55.64%).
NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Position at Richmond Raceway
Starting Pos.WinsWinning %Starting Pos.WinsWinning %Starting Pos.WinsWinning %12418.05%1032.26%2110.75%21410.53%1121.50%2221.50%31813.53%1221.50%2310.75%4118.27%1343.01%2421.50%575.26%1432.26%2521.50%675.26%1632.26%2610.75%7118.27%1721.50%2810.75%832.26%1910.75%3110.75%943.01%2021.50%3210.75%StatsWinning %WinsWinning from the First Starting Position:18.05%24Winning from the Front Row:28.57%38Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position:55.64%74Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position:76.69%102Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20:9.02%12A total of 15 different drivers have won from the pole or first starting position at Richmond Raceway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty with six victories from the first starting position.Only three active drivers have been able to win from the pole or first starting position: Kyle Busch (2010), Brad Keselowski (2014) and Denny Hamlin (2016).The deepest in the field that a NASCAR Cup Series race winner has started at Richmond Raceway is 32nd, by Kyle Busch in the spring race of 2018.A total of 12 drivers have won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway after starting outside the top-20 (9.02%) — which is second-most all-time behind Daytona International Speedway with 14.In total 37 different organizations have won at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series.Joe Gibbs Racing leads the NASCAR Cup Series in victories at Richmond Raceway with 18 wins among six drivers — Tony Stewart (1999, 2001, 2002), Denny Hamlin (2009, 2010, 2016, 2022), Kyle Busch (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018 sweep), Matt Kenseth (2015), Carl Edwards (2016), Martin Truex Jr. (2019 sweep, 2021).Petty Enterprises has the second-most NASCAR Cup Series wins at Richmond Raceway with 15 victories.
Top Five in Cup Organization Wins at Richmond Raceway
OrganizationsWinsJoe Gibbs Racing18Petty Enterprises15Hendrick Motorsports12Richard Childress Racing9Team Penske9A total of nine different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway.Chevrolet leads the series in wins at Richmond with 40 victories; followed by Ford (34), Dodge (17), Toyota (16), Pontiac (11) Plymouth (10), Buick (two), Oldsmobile (two) and Chrysler (one).Chevrolet holds the record for the longest streak of consecutive wins at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series with six consecutive victories from 2006-2008.
ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS
Runner-Up Finishes:
A total of 60 different drivers have finished runner-up in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison and Richard Petty are tied for the series-most runner-up finishes at Richmond Raceway with nine each; followed by Jeff Gordon with eight.Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in the series in runner-up finishes at Richmond with seven second-place finishes.
Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Richmond Raceway (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversRunner-UpsRankActive DriversRunner-Ups1Bobby Allison91Kyle Busch7Richard Petty92Denny Hamlin43Jeff Gordon8Kevin Harvick44Dale Earnhardt74Joey Logano2Kyle Busch75Brad Keselowski1Chase Elliott1Christopher Bell1Kyle Larson1Martin Truex Jr1
Top-Five Finishes:
A total of 142 different drivers have finished in the top-five in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Richmond with 34 top fives.Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-five finishes at Richmond with 18 top fives each.
Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Richmond Raceway (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversTop FivesRankActive DriversTop Fives1Richard Petty341Kevin Harvick182Dale Earnhardt25Kyle Busch183Bobby Allison233Denny Hamlin174Darrell Waltrip224Joey Logano12Rusty Wallace225Martin Truex Jr9
Top-10 Finishes:
A total of 244 different drivers have finished in the top-10 in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Richmond with 41.Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top 10s at Richmond Raceway with 30 top-10 finishes.
Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Richmond Raceway (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversTop 10sRankActive DriversTop 10s1Richard Petty411Kevin Harvick302Dale Earnhardt332Kyle Busch27Darrell Waltrip333Denny Hamlin214Mark Martin314Joey Logano175Jeff Gordon305Martin Truex Jr16Kevin Harvick30Rusty Wallace30
Average Finishes:
Lee Petty (seven series starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Richmond Raceway with a 4.857.Christopher Bell (six series starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Richmond Raceway with a 5.667.
Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Richmond Raceway (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversAvg FinishRacesRankActive DriversAvg FinishRaces1Lee Petty4.85771Christopher Bell5.66762Tommy Irwin5.33332Kyle Busch7.200353Paul Goldsmith5.50043Denny Hamlin8.727334Christopher Bell5.66764Kevin Harvick9.545445Rex White6.300105Joey Logano10.214286Glen Wood6.33336Kyle Larson10.824177Speedy Thompson6.40057Chase Elliott11.071148Ned Jarrett6.769138Brad Keselowski12.333279Billy Wade7.00039Aric Almirola14.8182210Kyle Busch7.2003510William Byron15.40010
LAP LEADERS
A total of 144 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have led at least one lap at Richmond Raceway.Richard Petty leads the NACAR Cup Series in laps led at Richmond Raceway with 5,136 laps led in 63 starts.Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Richmond Raceway with 2,206 laps led in 33 starts.The most laps led by the NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Richmond Raceway was 488 laps led of the scheduled 500 (97.6%) by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty on September 13, 1970; he started from the pole.The most laps led by a NASCAR Cup Series driver that did not win the race at Richmond Raceway was 381 laps led of the scheduled 407 (93.6%) by Denny Hamlin on May 3, 2008; he started from the pole but finished 24th.The fewest laps led by the NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Richmond Raceway was three laps of the scheduled 406 by Kevin Harvick on April 27, 2013; he started the race in 17th.
Top 10 Lap Leaders in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway (All-Time)
RankAll-Time Lap LeadersRacesLedCompleted% Led1Richard Petty635,13621,13524.3%2Rusty Wallace443,02416,73018.1%3Bobby Allison382,96114,31320.7%4Denny Hamlin332,20613,21116.7%5Darrell Waltrip532,17218,74111.6%6Dale Earnhardt441,97616,80811.8%7Jeff Gordon471,63717,6699.3%8Kyle Busch351,53014,02810.9%9Martin Truex Jr341,34113,28810.1%10Kevin Harvick441,23517,5017.1%
Top 10 Lap Leaders in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway (Active)
RankActive Lap LeadersRacesLedCompleted% Led1Denny Hamlin332,20613,21116.7%2Kyle Busch351,53014,02810.9%3Martin Truex Jr341,34113,28810.1%4Kevin Harvick441,23517,5017.1%5Brad Keselowski271,17810,77210.9%6Joey Logano2965111,1065.9%7William Byron102393,9926.0%8Kyle Larson171856,5352.8%9Ryan Blaney141295,4532.4%10Ross Chastain91003,4482.9%
FEMALE COMPETITORS
Two female drivers, Danica Patrick and Janet Guthrie have competed at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series. Below are their stats at Richmond:DriverStarting PositionFinishing PositionDateDriver RatingDanica Patrick1923Saturday, September 9, 201763.5Danica Patrick2118Sunday, April 30, 201756.9Danica Patrick2915Saturday, September 10, 201666.4Danica Patrick2124Sunday, April 24, 201656.8Danica Patrick1419Saturday, September 12, 201561.1Danica Patrick2125Sunday, April 26, 201556.5Danica Patrick1316Saturday, September 6, 201475.5Danica Patrick3534Saturday, April 26, 201436.5Danica Patrick3630Saturday, September 7, 201339.1Danica Patrick3029Saturday, April 27, 201342.6Averages23.923.3 55.5 DriverStarting PositionFinishing PositionDateJanet Guthrie1412Sunday, September 11, 1977Janet Guthrie1312Sunday, February 27, 1977Averages13.512
TRACK / EVENT SPECIFIC STATS
The closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway was the race on September 12, 1998 – won by Jeff Burton with a Margin of Victory of 0.051-second over second-place finisher Jeff Gordon.The largest margin of victory since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993 in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway, was the race on September 7, 2002 – won by Matt Kenseth with a Margin of Victory of 6.184 seconds over second-place finisher Ryan Newman.
Top 10 Closest Margin of Victories at Richmond in the NASCAR Cup Series
RankMargin of VictoryDateWinnerRunner-Up10.051Saturday, September 12, 1998Jeff BurtonJeff Gordon20.100Saturday, September 7, 1996Ernie IrvanJeff Gordon30.139Saturday, September 10, 2011Kevin HarvickCarl Edwards40.153Saturday, September 9, 2006Kevin HarvickKyle Busch50.159Saturday, May 6, 2000Dale Earnhardt JrTerry Labonte60.159Saturday, September 6, 2003Ryan NewmanJeremy Mayfield70.178Saturday, April 13, 2019Martin Truex JrJoey Logano80.343Saturday, April 27, 2013Kevin HarvickClint Bowyer90.365Sunday, September 7, 2008Jimmie JohnsonTony Stewart100.372Saturday, May 5, 2001Tony StewartJeff GordonFive NASCAR Cup Series races have resulted in NASCAR Overtime at Richmond Raceway:DateScheduled Actual Overtime LapsRace WinnerSaturday, April 21, 20184004022Kyle BuschSaturday, September 9, 20174004044Kyle LarsonSaturday, September 10, 20164004077Denny HamlinSaturday, April 27, 20134004066Kevin HarvickSaturday, May 3, 200840041010Clint BowyerFour of the 133 NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions:DateScheduled LapsActual LapsFewer LapsRace WinnerSaturday, May 3, 2003400393-7Joe NemechekSunday, February 21, 1982400250-150Dave MarcisSunday, February 27, 1977400245-155Cale YarboroughSunday, April 1, 1962250180-70Rex WhiteQualifying has been cancelled in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway 12 times:SeasonReason For Cancellation1955Weather1962 (spring)Weather1967 (fall)Weather1986 (spring)Weather1997 (spring)Weather2008 (fall)Weather2014 (spring)Weather2016 (spring)Weather2020 (fall)Pandemic2021 (spring)Pandemic2021 (fall)Pandemic2023 (spring)WeatherLargest number of lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway is 25 and it has happened twice — Feb. 24, 1991 and March 3, 1996. Earlier this season the Richmond race produced 22 lead changes.Largest number of leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway is 12 and it has happened four times — 1986, 2003, 2004 and 2007. Earlier this season the Richmond race produced 11 different leaders.The final pass for the lead to win the race took place on the following laps in the last five NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway:April 2023: Kyle Larson passed William Byron on Lap 376 — 25 laps to go — to win.2022: Kevin Harvick passed Denny Hamlin on Lap 353 — 48 laps to go — to win.April 2022: Denny Hamlin passed William Byron on Lap 396 — 5 laps to go — to win.2021: Martin Truex Jr. passed Kyle Larson on Lap 350 — 51 laps to go — to win.April 2021: Alex Bowman passed Denny Hamlin on Lap 391 — 10 laps to go — to win.2020: Brad Keselowski passed Austin Dillon on Lap 353 — 48 laps to go — to win.2019: Martin Truex Jr. passed Kyle Busch on Lap 375 — 26 laps to go — to win. April 2019: Martin Truex Jr. passed Brad Keselowski on Lap 322 — 79 laps to go — to win.2018: Kyle Busch passed Brad Keselowski on Lap 364 — 37 laps to go — to win.April 2018: Kyle Busch passed Martin Truex Jr. on Lap 392 — 11 laps to go — to win.
NASCAR IN VIRGINIA
There have been 552 NASCAR national series races among 10 tracks in the state of Virginia.Martinsville Speedway hosted the very first NASCAR national series race in the state of Virginia on Sept. 25, 1949 — the NASCAR Cup Series event was won by Red Byron (Oldsmobile).
NASCAR Tracks in Virginia
Track NameCityCupXFINITYTruckTotal RacesYearsMartinsville SpeedwayMartinsville14940462351949Richmond RacewayRichmond13377142241953South Boston SpeedwaySouth Boston10353481960Langley Field SpeedwayHampton9140231964Old Dominion SpeedwayManassas70071958New River Valley SpeedwayDublin04041989Southside SpeedwayRichmond40041961Starkey SpeedwayRoanoke40041958Norfolk SpeedwayNorfolk20021956Princess Anne SpeedwayNorfolk10011953Totals31917063552
VIRGINIA IN NASCAR
A total of 188 different drivers with their home state recorded as Virginia have made at least one start in a NASCAR national series race.20 drivers from Virginia have won at least one race in NASCAR‘s three national series. 11 of the 20 Virginia native NASCAR winners have won in the NASCAR Cup Series.In total the drivers from Virginia have won 271 NASCAR national series races combined.
NASCAR National Series Winners From Virginia
DriverCupXfinityTruckCombined1Denny Hamlin50172692Joe Weatherly2500253Ricky Rudd2310244Jeff Burton21270485Curtis Turner1700176Ward Burton54097Glen Wood40048Elliott Sadler3131179Emanuel Zervakis200210Lennie Pond100111Wendell Scott100112Tommy Ellis02202213Jimmy Hensley0921114Rick Mast090915Jeb Burton021316Hermie Sadler020217Elton Sawyer020218Brandon Brown010119Stacy Compton002220Jon Wood0022Totals15210910271
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