Friday Update: First Practice | Final Practice | Hamlin Makes Progress | Lineup | Audio Update
Driver Averages | Laps Led Leaders | Driver Ratings | Past Winners
Detailed driver notes and statistics to help set your fantasy racing lineup for Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway.
Who’s HOT at Richmond Raceway
- Joey Logano has finished in the top 10 in the last eight races, including two wins.
- Denny Hamlin has led 263 laps and posted a 4.2 average finish in the last five races.
- Kyle Busch leads all drivers in wins (4 – all in the spring race) and average finish (7.4).
- Martin Truex Jr. has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four races and combined to lead 391 laps in the last two night races. He was running second in an overtime finish last September until a crash relegated him to 20th.
- Kyle Larson won the Richmond night race last year to lower his average finish to 8.0 in his last four starts.
- Kevin Harvick has finished in the top five in five of the last seven races.
- Kurt Busch, winner of the 2015 spring race (day race), has finished in the top 10 in the last four races.
- Brad Keselowski, who led 110 laps in his event last year (day race), has posted a 7.2 average finish in the last five races.
Keep an Eye On at Richmond Raceway
- Jimmie Johnson (8.2) and Jamie McMurray (10.8) each rank in the top 10 in average finish among drivers that have raced in all of the last four Richmond races with the current tire combination.
- Ryan Newman finished in the top 10 in both Richmond races last season.
- Daniel Suarez has a 9.5 average finish in his two Cup starts at Richmond.
- Ryan Blaney has combined to lead a series-high 245 laps in the two short-track races this season.
- Clint Bowyer (4.5), Alex Bowman (6.0), Aric Almirola (10.0), AJ Allmendinger (12.5) and Paul Menard (13.0) each rank in the top 10 in average finish in the two short-track races this season.
- Erik Jones and Chase Elliott are each coming off their first top 10 at Richmond last September. Jones also ranked in the top 10 in stage points earned at Richmond in 2017.
*Best Average Finish at Richmond
| Last # of Races | Driver | Average Finish |
| Two Races | Joey Logano | 1.5 |
| Four Races | Denny Hamlin | 3.8 |
| Six Races | Joey Logano | 4.8 |
| Eight Races | Joey Logano | 4.5 |
| Ten Races | Joey Logano | 6.1 |
* – The best average finish is based off a driver entered in the race who has competed in every race during that time span.
Laps Led Leaders at Richmond
| Last # of Races | Driver | Laps Led |
| Two Races | Martin Truex Jr. | 198 |
| Four Races | Martin Truex Jr. | 391 |
| Six Races | Martin Truex Jr. | 391 |
| Eight Races | Brad Keselowski | 631 |
| Ten Races | Brad Keselowski | 773 |
Click Here to view all laps led leaders at Richmond Raceway over the past 10 races.
Richmond Loop Data Stat Leaders (2005-2017, 26 Races)
| Average Running Pos. | Laps in Top 15 |
| 1. Kevin Harvick – 7.5 | 1. Kevin Harvick – 9,646 |
| 2. Kyle Busch – 7.8 | 2. Kyle Busch – 8,855 |
| 3. Denny Hamlin – 7.9 | 3. Denny Hamlin – 7,712 |
| 4. Brad Keselowski – 11.3 | 4. Ryan Newman – 7,485 |
| 5. Kyle Larson – 11.3 | 5. Clint Bowyer – 6,767 |
| Fastest Laps Run | Driver Rating |
| 1. Denny Hamlin – 754 | 1. Kyle Busch – 109.7 |
| 2. Kevin Harvick – 686 | 2. Kevin Harvick – 109.6 |
| 3. Kyle Busch – 657 | 3. Denny Hamlin – 109.3 |
| 4. Kurt Busch – 477 | 4. Brad Keselowski – 97.3 |
| 5. Brad Keselowski – 437 | 5. Kurt Busch – 94.8 |
Top 10 Stage 1 &2 Points Earned Among Active Drivers at Richmond
Spring and Fall Race
| Driver | Points Earned |
| Kyle Larson | 29 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 24 |
| Brad Keselowski | 21 |
| Kevin Harvick | 18 |
| Joey Logano | 14 |
| Denny Hamlin | 13 |
| Clint Bowyer | 13 |
| Erik Jones | 12 |
| Ryan Newman | 11 |
| Kyle Busch | 11 |
2017 Spring Richmond Stage Finishes
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| 1. Matt Kenseth | 1. Brad Keselowski |
| 2. Kyle Larson | 2. Matt Kenseth |
| 3. Martin Truex Jr. | 3. Kevin Harvick |
| 4. Kevin Harvick | 4. Denny Hamlin |
| 5. Denny Hamlin | 5. Kyle Larson |
| 6. Brad Keselowski | 6. Ryan Newman |
| 7. Ryan Newman | 7. Jamie McMurray |
| 8. Jamie McMurray | 8. Clint Bowyer |
| 9. Clint Bowyer | 9. Ty Dillon |
| 10. Joey Logano | 10. Joey Logano |
Rookie Report
Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates William Byron and Darrell Wallace Jr. each will be make their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway. Both have made starts in the K&N Pro Series and Xfinity Series at the track with Wallace visiting Victory Lane in the 2011 K&N race. Wallace, who trails Byron in the standings by six points, has made six overall Xfinity starts at Richmond with his best finish coming last fall, sixth. He led his first laps (6) in the Cup Series this past Monday at Bristol. Byron’s best Xfinity Richmond finish came last September, seventh.
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Denny Hamlin
Pete Pistone: Kyle Busch
Tyler Burnett: Kyle Busch
Driver Notes – Ordered by Average Finish (Top 15) in the Last Five Races at Richmond
Denny Hamlin is one of two drivers that have finished in the top 10 in each of the last five races at Richmond. Hamlin worst finish in that span of races is sixth and he scored his third Richmond win in the 2016 September race. Hamlin leads all active drivers with 1,653 laps led at Richmond and has the best average finish (3.8) in the four races that have been contested with the current tire combination.
Joey Logano is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the last eight races at Richmond, including two wins in that span. He is the defending race winner, but the team penalized after the win for an issue with the rear suspension. Logano has the second-best average finish (5.2) in the four races that have been contested with the current tire combination.
Brad Keselowski led 110 laps en route to a second-place finish in this event last year (held in the day). The finish was his fourth top five in the last eight races, including a win in the 2014 September race. Keselowski ranks third in average finish (7.0) and laps led (125) in the four races with the current tire combination.
Kyle Busch has finished in the top 10, including two runner-up finishes, in four of the last five races at Richmond. He led 38 laps last September en route to a ninth-place finish. Busch, who will be going for three straight wins on the season, is a four-time winner at Richmond with his last coming in this event in 2012.
Jimmie Johnson has finished 11th or better, including five top 10s, in the last seven races at Richmond. Johnson, who is coming off his first top five of the season, is a three-time winner at Richmond with his last coming in 2008.
Kyle Larson is coming off his first Richmond win after leading 53 laps last September. He has finished in the top 15 in the four races contested with current tire combination, including a runner-up in the 2016 night race.
Kevin Harvick finished fifth in this event last season for his third consecutive fifth-place finish at Richmond. Harvick finished 15th last September to give him a 10.0 average finish in his two starts in a Ford and a 7.8 average finish in his eight track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick is a three-time winner at Richmond with his last coming in this event in 2013 with Richard Childress Racing.
Kurt Busch has finished in the top 10 in his last four starts at Richmond. He dominated this race (held in the day) in 2015, leading 291 laps en route to the win. Busch’s average finish (7.5) in the last four races with the current tire combination is tied for fourth with his teammate Kevin Harvick.
Daniel Suarez finished 12th and seventh, respectively, in his first two Cup starts at Richmond last season. Richmond is his fourth-best track on the schedule where he’s made multiple starts based on average finish.
Jamie McMurray finished sixth last year in this event for his fourth top 10 in the last seven races at Richmond. McMurray ranks 10th in points earned in the last four races at Richmond.
Kasey Kahne will be making his first Richmond start with Leavine Family Racing. His best finish in eight starts this season with the team came at Texas (17th). He qualified 15th at Bristol last weekend, but finished 34th after a mechanical issue. Kahne has posted 10 top-10 finishes in his 28 starts at Richmond, including his first career Cup win in 2005.
Aric Almirola finished ninth last year in this event (held in the day) for his fourth top 10 in 12 starts at Richmond. This weekend he will make his first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing. He is coming off his best finish with the team, sixth last weekend at Bristol.
Martin Truex Jr. has dominated the last two night races leading a combined 391 laps. A crash in overtime while running second last September resulted in a 20th-place finish, snapping a streak of three straight top 10s.
Ryan Newman is one of four drivers that finished in the top 10 in both races last season at Richmond. Overall, Newman has 18 top 10s in 32 starts that includes one win back in 2003 with Team Penske.
Chase Elliott is coming off his first top 10 in five starts at Richmond.
