NASCAR Pre-race: ABC's NASCAR Countdown - 7:00pm/et

Television Race Coverage: ABC, 7:30pm/et

In the Booth: Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree
Pit Reporters: Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Vince Welch, Dr. Jerry Punch
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe, Brad Daugherty, Rusty Wallace
ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage: Tim Brewer

SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 5:00pm/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace

Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times:
Sunday, Septmber 11 at 1:00am/et on ESPN2;
Wednesday, September 14 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED

TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski's TV Listings Page
NASCAR on TV
Race Fan TV

This Week - Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite Radio

motorracingnetwork.com

siriusxm.com

Track Specs:
Race Length: 400 laps, 300 miles
Track Length: 0.75 mile oval, measured 13 1/2 feet in from SAFER Barrier
Track Width: 60 feet with 10-foot apron
Banking: turns: 14 degrees; frontstretch 8 degrees; backstretch 2 degrees
Straights: Backstretch - 860 feet; Frontstretch - 1290 feet
Pit Road: 64-foot width, 43 concrete pit stalls, each measuring 28'x19'
Pit Road Speed: 45mph
Pace Car Speed: 50mph
Seating Capacity: 97,912 was 112,029
Attendence 2010: 93,000
Attendence 2009: 108,000
Attendence 2008: 110,000
Attendence 2007: 112,079
Opened: 1946 (First NASCAR race was 1953)
Last Repaved: Fall of 2003

Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: retired U.S. Marine/actor, R. Lee Ermey "The Gunny"
Command to start engines: retired U.S. Marine/actor, R. Lee Ermey "The Gunny"
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: Frank Siller, founder of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation
Invocation: Chaplain Joe Ellison, Virginia Christian Alliance
National Anthem: U.S. Army 29th Infantry Division Band, Ft. Belvoir, VA
God Bless America: Danny Rodriguez, former NYPD officer
Military Flyover: ?

Websites:
Richmond International Raceway
ISC Motorsports
ESPN's NASCAR Track Guide
Richmond International Raceway - Facebook
Richmond International Raceway - Twitter

April 2011: see my Richmond Race Info page

September 2010: see my Richmond Race Info page

September 2010 Race Winner: #11-Denny Hamlin, 104.096mph, started 14th

May 2011 Race Winner: #18-Kyle Busch, 95.280mph, started 20th

Track Race Record: Dale Jarrett, Sept 1997, 109.047mph

Slowest Race Record: Tony Stewart, 86.824mph, 5/2002

(since track was reconfigured for the Sept 1988 race)

September 2010 Pole Sitter: #99-Carl Edwards, 127.782, finished 10th

May 2011 Pole Sitter: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, 128.639mph, finished 29th

Track Qualifying Record: Brian Vickers, May 2004, 129.983mph

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Clint Bowyer, May 2008, started 31st

The Numbers for Richmond:
Richmond International Raceway (all 110 Sprint Cup races)
1 - fewest cautions (three times, most recent, 3/1/70)
1 - fewest cars on lead lap at finish (22 times, most recent 10/12/75)
2 - fewest leaders (six times, most recent 2/23/75)
2 - fewest lead changes (seven times, most recent 2/23/75)
4 - number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend
4 - fewest laps led by race winner (Kyle Petty, 2/23/86)
6 - fewest caution laps (6/5/60)
12 - most leaders (four times, most recent 5/6/07)
13 - most wins by driver (Richard Petty)
15 - most cautions (twice, most recent 5/2/09)
22 - wins from the pole; 35 from the front row (110 races)
25 - most lead changes (twice, most recent 3/3/96)
32 - most cars on lead lap at finish (9/7/08)
49 - different pole winners
47 - different race winners
43 - most running at finish (9/7/08)
90 minutes - amount of time it takes to dry the .75-mile track after a significant rainfall
123 - most caution laps (two times, most recent 9/8/74)
488 - most laps led by race winner (9/13/70 - Richard Petty - 500-lap race)
Key RIR Dates
1946 - Ted Horn won the first race on half-mile dirt track (10/12/46) in open-wheel car
1953 - Lee Petty won the first NASCAR Grand National Division, now Sprint Cup, race on the half-mile dirt track (4/19/53).
1955 - Paul Sawyer and driver Joe Weatherly purchased the track
1964 - race run under temporary lights (3/10/64)
1968 - last race on dirt track won by David Pearson (3/24/68)
1968 - first race on paved track won by Richard Petty (9/8/68)
1969 -- track remeasured from .625-mile to .5625-mile; remeasured from .5625-mile to .5-mile; remeasured again from .5-mile to .542-mile prior to the first race of 1970
1988 - track reconfigured to its current .75-mile layout
1991 - permanent lighting added prior to fall event won by Harry Gant (9/7/91)
1999 - International Speedway Corporation (ISC) acquires track
(Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports)(9-9-2011)

2011 Caution Update:
4 - fewest cautions this season (Fontana and Pocono1)
6 - number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2011
8 - number of cautions in spring race (April 30) at RIR
16 - most cautions this season (Daytona)
182 - number of cautions in the first 25 races of 2011; includes 84 for accidents, 43 for debris and 26 for spins
880 of 7,076 - number of laps under caution in 2011
1,264,577 of 9,933.258 - miles under caution in the first 25 races
(Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports)(9-9-2011)

Facts and Stats at Richmond International Raceway:
· Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953.
· 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 races in 1968.
· The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.
· The track was re-measured to .542-mile for 1970.
· The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.
· The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.
· The first season with both races as night races was 1999.
· There have been 110 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond since the track opened in 1953.
· The current 400-lap race length was established on the .542-mile measurement in March 1976.
· Buck Baker won the pole in 1953.
· Lee Petty won the first race in April 1953.
· There have been 49 different pole winners, led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty (eight).
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five poles.
· 47 different drivers have posted victories at Richmond, led by Richard Petty (13).
· Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Terry Labonte and Jimmie Johnson (three) lead active race winners.
· Petty Enterprises has won 15 races at Richmond, more than any other team.
· 63 of 110 races have been won from the top five starting positions, including 22 from the pole.
· The last driver to win from the pole was Kyle Busch in 2010.
· The furthest back in the field a race winner has started was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in the 2008 spring race.
· Kyle Busch (4.9), Denny Hamlin (7.5) and Clint Bowyer (9.5) are the only active drivers with an average finish in the top 10.
· Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winner when he won his first race at Richmond, on Feb. 23, 1986. Richard Petty posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee won the very first Richmond race in 1953.
· Three of the last four races have had a margin of victory less than one second.
· There have been 272 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Virginia.
· 162 drivers in NASCAR's three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Virginia.
· There have been 18 race winners from Virginia in NASCAR's three national series(NASCAR)(9-9-2011)

For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski's Richmond International Raceway Track News/Rumors/Links page

Practices:
Friday, September 9, 12:10 - 2:00pm/et, TV-ESPN2

Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Friday, September 9, 2:45 - 3:30pm/et, TV-ESPN2

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Friday, September 9 at 5:35 pm/et, TV-ESPN2, no re-air scheduled.

Harvick wins at Richmond: #29-Kevin Harvick won the Wonderful Pistachios 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway for his 18th career win 4th of the season.
#99-Edwards finished 2nd followed by #24-Gordon, #6-Ragan, #22-Busch, #18-Busch, #14-Stewart, #39-Newman, #11-Hamlin and #5-Martin. The pole sitter, #00-Reutimann finished 26th after being involved in a wreck mid-race.
With the Chase starting next race at Chicago, the points have been reset with #18-Busch and #29-Harvick leading the points.
#14-Stewart and #88-Earnhardt Jr. lock up 9th and 10th place in the Chase with the Wild Cards going to #2-Keselowski (3 wins, 11th in points) and #11-Hamlin (1 win, 12th in points).
There were 11 lead changes among 7 drivers and a record tying 15 cautions for 85 yellow flag laps. The attendance is listed as 88,000, down from 95,000 last year.
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
ESPN2, Sunday, September 11 at 1:00am/et;
SPEED, Wednesday, September 14 at 12:00pm/et

2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Chase Points Standings:
1) #18-Kyle Busch [4 wins], 2012
2) #29-Kevin Harvick [4 wins], 2012
3) #24-Jeff Gordon [3 wins], 2009
4) #17-Matt Kenseth [2 wins], 2006
5) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 2003
6) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 2003
7) #22-Kurt Busch [1 win], 2003
8) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 2003
9) #14-Tony Stewart [0 wins], 2000
10) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [0 wins], 2000
WC1) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins, 11th pts]. 2000
WC2) #11-Denny Hamlin [1 win 12th pts], 2000
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(9-10-2011)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Chicago:
#71's lead drops a tad to 40 pts over 36th in owners pts, the #38 team.
34) #32-Bliss/FAS Lane, 356, +47
35) #71-Lally/TRG, 349, 40 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #38-Kvapil/Front Row, 309, 40 points out of top 35
37) #7-Gordon/RGM, 281, -68
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(9-10-2011)

Richmond Notes-n-Nuggets:
" Kevin Harvick picked up his 18th career victory in his 348th start and, in turn, clinched one of the two top seeds in the 2011 Chase.
" This was Kevin Harvick's second Richmond victory in his 22nd start.
" It was also Kevin Harvick's eighth victory with Gil Martin, the most he has enjoyed with any of the five crew chiefs with whom he's worked.
" It was a bit of a turn of fortunes for Kevin Harvick as it was his first top-five finish since Pocono, 13 races ago.
" Kevin Harvick led five times for 202 laps, the most of any driver. That total is 72 more than he had led in the first 25 races combined.
" Dale Earnhardt Jr. (16th), Tony Stewart (seventh) and Denny Hamlin (ninth) secured their spots in the Chase.
" Carl Edwards (second) earned his second top-five in two races at Richmond; it was also his 12th top-five of 2011.
" Jeff Gordon (third) has finished 13th or better in his past 11 races, extending a streak he began at Infineon.
" David Ragan (fourth) finished in the top five in both Richmond races, but fell short of his first Chase berth.
" Kurt Busch (fifth) earned his best finish at Richmond in his past four races there.
" Kyle Busch (sixth) recovered from an early pit stop on Lap 70 and got the free pass on the sixth caution.
" Denny Hamlin (ninth) overcame a Lap 8 wreck that put him as low as 40th and one lap down on Lap 10.
" Dale Earnhardt Jr. (16th) pitted 17 times and earned the free pass three times.
(Racing Recall/nascar.com)(9-12-2011)

Race Fast Facts - Richmond:
#29-Kevin Harvick won the 54th Annual Wonderful Pistachios 400 , his 18th victory in 384 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his fourth victory and 13th top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his second victory and 14th top-10 finish in 22 races at Richmond International Raceway.
#99-Carl Edwards (second) posted his seventh top-10 finish in 15 races at Richmond International Raceway. It is his 17th top-10 finish in 2011.
#24-Jeff Gordon (third) posted his 24th top-10 finish in 38 races at Richmond International Raceway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin are the new clinching drivers for the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.(NASCAR Statistics)(9-10-2011)

Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Richmond: (and their finish)
Caution 1: no driver down a lap
Caution 2: no driver down a lap
Caution 3: #34-Gilliland, 27th
Caution 4: #11-Hamlin, 9th
Caution 5: #34-Gilliland(2), 27th
Caution 6: #18-Busch, 6th
Caution 7: none awarded as #38 & #88 caused the caution
Caution 8: #88-Earnhardt Jr., 16th
Caution 9: #9-Ambrose, 21st
Caution 10: #34-Gilliland(3), still down a lap, 27th
Caution 11: #88-Earnhardt Jr.(2), 16th
Caution 12: #1-McMurray, 14th
Caution 13: #43-Allmendinger, 11th
Caution 14: #9-Ambrose(2), 21st
Caution 15: #88-Earnhardt Jr, (3), 16th
(9-10-2011)

Pit Road Times
Richmond International Raceway
Wonderful Pistachios 400
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, September 10, 2011 @ 11:33 PM Eastern

Penalty Report / Infraction Sheet - Atlanta:
Car#, Lap, Infraction, Flag, Penalty, Lap Assessed
#71 2 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end garage
#11 10 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#34 11 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#38 11 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#13 11 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#88 11 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#47 12 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#17 13 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 19
#56 13 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 19
#11 28 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 32
#34 29 Speed-Entering pits Y tail end 32
#9 38 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#56 39 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#38 39 Speed-Exiting pits Y tail end
#71 42 Speed-Exiting pits Y tail end
#56 49 Speed-Exiting pits G pass thru / tail end
#56 52 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#9 54 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#51 58 Speed-Exiting pits Y tail end
#32 117 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 122
#71 119 Speed-Exiting pits Y tail end 122
#38 154 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 160
#32 155 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 160
#27 156 Removing equipment from assigned pit area Y stop and go / tail end 157
#38 163 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 168
#27 173 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end garage
#38 173 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
#00 174 Speed-Entering pits Y tail end 178
#48 246 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end garage
#31 286 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 290
#31 293 Safety violation G pit 293 sheet metal loose
#31 310 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 313
#00 310 Too many crewmember(s) in contact with pit service area Y tail end 313
#48 316 Safety violation G pit 317 dragging metal
#27 385 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end
(NASCAR Statistics)(9-10-2011)

Race Coverage of the Wonderful Pistachios 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is scheduled for Saturday, September 10, 2011.
Television (TV): ABC at 7:30 pm/et; NSCS Countdown pre-race show at 7:00 pm/et; green flag approx 7:43pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
ESPN2, Sunday, September 11 at 1:00am/et;
SPEED, Wednesday, September 14 at 12:00pm/et

NASCAR on ABC / ESPN: The 400-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will air on ABC on Saturday night, Sept. 10, with the NASCAR Countdown pre-race show at 7 pm/et and the race's green flag scheduled at 7:43 pm/et. The race is the final event in the NASCAR "regular season" and will solidify the 12 drivers who will be competing in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Analysts Dale Jarrett, the 1999 driving champion, and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree will join lap-by-lap announcer Allen Bestwick in the booth to call the action for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, while pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch. NASCAR Countdown from the ESPN pit studio will be hosted by Nicole Briscoe with analysis by 1989 champion driver Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. The studio team will interact with the booth during the race.
NASCAR Now Weekend Wrap-up Program Begins after Richmond Race The weekend wrap-up edition of ESPN2's daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will return to lead into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with the first program airing at 11 pm/et on Saturday night, Sept. 10. The program will follow ABC's live telecast of that night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway, the final race before the start of the Chase. NASCAR Now's weekend wrap-up program will air on Sunday nights after the nine Sunday afternoon races in the Chase and on Saturday night after the night race at Charlotte.
RacingLive! on ESPN.com is a live blog where fans can engage in debate and discussion with ESPN.com writers and editors during the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. On Saturday, Sept. 10, RacingLive! Richmond will kick off to coincide with ESPN's live telecast of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. Fans can join ESPN.com's NASCAR experts in dissecting every aspect of the race live at espn.go.com/racing/nascar/. ESPN.com national motorsports writer Terry Blount will be on hand at Richmond.

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway have been made.
Pole sitter #00-Reutimann chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #1-McMurray took pit stall 17, the first pitstall in front of the start finish line.
#48-Johnson, who starts 3rd took pit stall 30, the 2nd stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #51-Cassill, who starts 20th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(9-9-2011)

NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.(2-11-2010)

Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.(10-11-2009)

See Jayski's - 2011 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race

Reutimann wins Richmond pole: #00-David Reutimann won the Coors Light pole for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway with a speed of 127.383mph for his 1st pole of the season and the 4th of his career. Reutimann is the 16th driver to win a pole in 2011. #1-McMurray starts 2nd followed by #48-Johnson, #5-Martin, #33-Bowyer, #31-Burton, #29-Harvick, #99-Edwards, #43-Allmendinger and #42-Montoya.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #30-Stremme, #66-McDowell, #35-Blaney, #38-Kvapil, #7-Gordon, #87-Nemechek, #46-Speed and #55-Yeley.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (3): #60-Skinner, #37-Darnell, #50-Bell,
See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Richmond Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(9-9-2011)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Richmond:
#00-David Reutimann won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 54th Annual Wonderful Pistachios 400 with a lap of 21.196 seconds, 127.383 mph.
This is his fourth pole in 161 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and sixth top-10 start in 2011. His last pole was at Dover in May of 2009, 84 races ago.
This is his first pole in ten races at Richmond International Raceway.
#1-Jamie McMurray (second) posted his seventh top-10 start of 2011 and his second in 18 races at Richmond International Raceway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his 11th top-10 start at Richmond International Raceway. It is his 10th in 26 races this season.
(NASCAR Statistics)(9-9-2011)

Coverage of Qualifying for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is scheduled for Friday, September 9, 2011 at 5:35pm/et.
Television (TV): ESPN2, 5:30pm/et
Jayski.com: Jayski's Qualifying Page
Qualifying Re-Air: none scheduled

Qualifying Order for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is posted. 46 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers are now mixed in with the top-35 drivers, slowest by fastest in first practice.
The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #36-Leicht, slowest in practice.
The final driver scheduled to go out is #24-Gordon, who was fastest in first practice.
Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are now mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
See the full qualifying order on the Richmond Qualifying Page.(9-9-2011)

Happy Hour practice for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is over, after 45 scheduled minutes, the top 5, slowest and notes:
#99-Edwards 122.755
#5-Martin 122.366
#88-Earnhardt Jr., 122.166
#18-Busch 121.814
#33-Bowyer 121.797
slowest: #71-Lally 118.105 and #50-Bell 118.504
See fastest speeds, average seepds, top 10 lap averages, number of laps run on the Richmond Practice Speeds Page.(9-9-2011)

First Friday practice for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is over, after 110 scheduled minutes, the top 5, slowest and notes:
#24-Gordon 126.292
#48-Johnson 125.962
#13-Mears 125.927
#33-Bowyer 125.921
#43-Allmendinger 125.611
slowest: #36-Leicht 120.552 & #50-Bell 120.795
notes: #51-Cassill spun in turn two running his first lap, didn't hit anything.
This practice sets the qualifying order, which is scheduled to run at 5:35pm/et and be televised on ESPN2.
See fastest speeds, average seepds, top 10 lap averages, number of laps run on the Richmond Practice Speeds Page.(9-9-2011)

Richmond 1st Practice rank for the non top-35 drivers:
if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#46-Scott Speed, 19th fastest overall
#87-Joe Nemechek, 21st
#30-David Stremme, 32nd
#55-J.J. Yeley, 35th
#7-Robby Gordon, 36th
#35-Dave Blaney, 37th
#66-Michael McDowell, 38th
#37-Erik Darnell, 39th
these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
#60-Mike Skinner, 40th
#38-Travis Kvapil, 44th
#50-T.J. Bell, 45th

Another new twist to the qualifying format: Starting at Kentucky Speedway, there will be a rain-out qualifying procedure change for all three NASCAR national series. If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.(NASCAR)(7-7-2011)

The Entry List for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is posted, 46 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#7-Robby Gordon (37/25)
#30-David Stremme (44/13)
#35-Dave Blaney (51/5)
#37-Erik Darnell (39/25)
#38-Travis Kvapil (36/25)
#46-Scott Speed (40/26)
#55-J.J. Yeley (52/7)
#50-T.J. Bell (49/11)
#60-Mike Skinner (43/25)
#66-Michael McDowell (41/25)
#87-Joe Nemechek (42/25)
In the event that qualifying is cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 38,7,37,46,66,87,60,30
missing the race would be [3]: #'s 50,55,35
See the full entry list at my Jayski's Richmond Entry List.(9-6/7-2011)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Richmond:
#71 increases lead tis 44 pts over 36th in owners pts, the #38 team.
33) #36-Blaney/Baldwin, 355, +62
34) #32-Bliss/FAS Lane, 348, +55
35) #71-Lally/TRG, 337, 44 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #38-Kvapil/Front Row, 293, 44 points out of top 35
37) #7-Gordon/RGM, 274, -63
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(9-6-2011)

2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Atlanta, race 25 of 36]:
rank, car#, driver, points, behind
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 873 (CH)
2) #18-Kyle Busch [4 wins], 852, -21 (CH)
3) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 835, -38 (CH)
4) #17-Matt Kenseth [2 wins], 834, -39 (CH)
5) #24-Jeff Gordon [3 wins], 830, -43 (CH)
6) #29-Kevin Harvick [3 wins], 819, -54 (CH)
7) #22-Kurt Busch [1 win], 789, -84 (CH)
8) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 786, -87 (CH)
Drivers with a (CH) have clinched a Chase birth
9) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 753, -120, 25 ahead of 11th, needs 20th or better at RIR
10) #14-Tony Stewart, 751, -122, 23 ahead of 11th, needs 18th or better at RIR
current wild cards
WC1) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 728, -145 [11th in points, 3 wins](CH)
WC2) #11-Denny Hamlin [1 win], 709, -164 [12th in points, 1 win]
out of top 10, no wins, can get in, only if they get a win and either #2 or #11 get in top 10 and #27 doesn't win at RIR
#43-Allmendinger, #33-Bowyer, #16-Biffle, #56-Truex Jr.,
#4-Kahne, #20-Logano, #5-Martin
in the top 20 with wins, possible for the wild card, would get in if wins at RIR and stays in top 20
20) #27-Paul Menard [1 win], 657, -216 [20th in points, 1 win]
Three race winners are not inside the top-20:
#9-Ambrose is 21st, 7 points out of 20th; #6-Ragan is is 23rd, 20 points out of 20th;
#78-Smith is 26th, 104 pts out of 20th
NOTE: wild cards are drivers not in the chase with a win as long as they are in the top-20 in points, then if no wins by drivers points.
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(9-6-2011)

Chassis selections for Richmond: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Richmond International Raceway:
MISSING? why are some teams missing? like the #4, #11, #16 or others? those teams do not report what chassis in the race previews or prs.
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin Manion and the #1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats team has elected to bring chassis #1007 to Richmond International Raceway this weekend. This chassis was used earlier this season at New Hampshire in July and Martinsville in April, when McMurray scored the pole and finished seventh. This car also ran in both races at Martinsville and Richmond during the 2010 season.
#2-Brad Keselowski: and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-754 during Saturday's Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway (RIR). This is a new chassis to the #2 fleet. The featured tag line on the bumper of the "Blue Deuce" this weekend at Richmond will be "Taste The Chase.'" This is in recognition of Keselowski and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge team securing a place in the 2011 Chase for the Championship, which begins next week at Chicagoland Speedway.
#5-Mark Martin: crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-663 for Saturday's race at RIR. This is a brand new chassis that never has been raced or tested.
#6-David Ragan: Primary: RK-755 lLast ran New Hampshire and finished 14th. Backup: RK-747 last ran Martinsville and finished 8th. Phil Wall, an 11-year UPS employee will serve as an honorary member of the UPS pit crew this weekend in Richmond. Wall was selected for his excellent work ethic and his service to our nation. The automotive mechanic has served two tours of duty in Iraq and returned home in 2010.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 728 for the 400-lap event at Richmond International Raceway. This Stanley Ford Fusion was run previously this season at Phoenix, New Hampshire and the spring Richmond event. Australian Word of the Week: Offsider = Assistant or Helper.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-587 made its debut in March 2010 at Martinsville, where it qualified fifth and finished 26th. With a new body honed in the wind tunnel, it was tested at The Milwaukee Mile June 1 in preparation for its second career start in June at New Hampshire. There it earned a hard-fought second-place finish, for after starting 25th. The car returned to New Hampshire for the first event of the 10-race Chase for the Championship, where in its third career start, it qualified third before leading three times for 100 laps. But while leading with less than two laps to go, it ran out of fuel. Stewart coasted around and finished 24th. Chassis No. 14-587 revisited Martinsville for round six of the Chase, where it qualified sixth and rallied back from two pit-road miscues during the race, but a flat right-front tire with less than 10 laps remaining relegated it to a 24th-place finish. With another new body, this car made its first start of 2011 and fifth overall at Phoenix in February. It started 18th and led four times for 59 laps before an ill-timed caution period late in the race jettisoned solid pit strategy and left it with a seventh-place finish. Chassis No. 14-587's second start of 2011 came at Richmond in April, where it qualified 31st and rallied its way to a ninth-place finish. The car has sat idle since, but returns to Richmond for it seventh career start.
#17-Matt Kenseth: will run primary chassis Primary: RK-766 which last ran at New Hampshire. This weekend at Richmond, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Ollie's Bargain Outlet Ford Fusion.
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 308 will make its third-ever start at Richmond. No. 308 made its debut in June at Kansas, where Busch started third and finished 12th. In its most recent start, Busch drove No. 308 to victory lane after starting first in July at the Inaugural Sprint Cup race at Kentucky.
#22-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-749" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. "It's the car that we had at the first race at Richmond this year," offered crew chief Addington. "After that race, we took it back to the shop and completely reworked it. It has been riding around in our team transporter quiet a bit lately. It's been in the trailer as our backup car at Indy, Kentucky and Pocono. With the Chase spot locked up, we plan on trying some things and having some fun at Richmond on Saturday night."
#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 342 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #27 Moen/Menards Chevy was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen in competition on track at RIR in April where Menard started 10th and, after sustaining damage in a multi-car accident, was relegated to a 37th-place finish.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will race chassis No. 332 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) stable. The #29 Budweiser team has utilized his car four times in 2011, earning a fourth-place finish at Phoenix (2/27), a win at Martinsville (4/3), a 12th-place finish in the season's first race at Richmond (4/30) and a 21st-place effort at New Hampshire (7/17).
#31-Jeff Burton will race Chassis No. 323 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's Wonderful Pistachios 400.Built new during the 2010 season, this Caterpillar Chevy was run earlier this season at Richmond in April (started 25th, finished 16th) and Phoenix in February (started 25th, finished 26th).
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 365 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy, built new for 2011, has seen action earlier this season at New Hampshire in July when Bowyer brought home a 17th-place finish after starting 12th.
#35-Dave Blaney: will pilot the No. 78 chassis. The TBR team ran the No. 78 at Michigan International Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Phoenix International Raceway and Martinsville Speedway this year. The chassis' best outing was a 29th-place start and 13th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway.
#36-Stephen Leicht will pilot the No. 293 chassis this weekend. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing. Jeff Burton drove the chassis prior to its debut with TBR. Dave Blaney drove the chassis at Kentucky Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this year.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: crew chief Jim Pohlman and the #42 Target team are bringing chassis #1109 to Richmond International Raceway this weekend. This will be the third race of the 2011 season for this car. This chassis was used at Phoenix International Raceway in February and at Richmond in April, when Montoya started on the pole.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 736 for this weekend's event at Richmond International Raceway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Las Vegas, the spring Richmond event, Kansas and New Hampshire.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: will pilot chassis No. 590 in Saturday's event. He last drove that car to a fifth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July. Johnson finished fifth in backup chassis No. 540 at Phoenix International Raceway in November 2010.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-542 this weekend at Richmond. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to a 19th-place finish at Richmond in April. In February he raced this chassis to a 10th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway.
#99-Carl Edwards: The crew will be bringing chassis RK-756 to Richmond this weekend. This was a brand new chassis at Richmond in May and has not raced since. The car will sport a Cheez-It paint scheme
(from team PR's/sites if reported)(9-8-2011)

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Intermediate Radials

Number of Tires:
Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,300, Right-side -- 1,300;
Nationwide: Left-side -- 525, Right-side -- 525

Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 10 sets for the race;
Nationwide: 6 sets for the weekend

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4416; Right-side -- D-4432

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.4 in.; Right-side -- 88.6 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 20 psi; Left Rear -- 20 psi;
Right Front -- 30 psi; Right Rear -- 30 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 12 psi; Left Rear -- 12 psi;
Right Front -- 30 psi; Right Rear -- 27 psi

Estimated Pit Window: Every 90-95 laps, based on fuel mileage (Sprint Cup).

Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same tire codes at Richmond this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that teams in both series ran at Richmond in April . . . Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams also ran this same tire set-up at Phoenix in February and New Hampshire in July . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Richmond.