Team Penske Photo
The regular season for both the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series is winding down as drivers in both circuits prepare to hit the
track at Richmond Raceway this weekend. This marks the 24th of 26 events
on the Cup schedule while it’s the next-to-last event for the Truck
Series before their Chase starts next month at Bristol Motor Speedway.
LEADING LAPS
The Team Penske duo of Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano have turned up the
heat the past four races as both have victories and made their presence
felt at the front of the field. Blaney has captured the pole twice in
that span (Atlanta and Iowa) and led the most laps as well in each of
those events. Logano led 323 laps in his win at North Wilkesboro,
meaning he and Blaney have combined to lead the most laps in three of
the last four events.
RICHMOND ONE OF LOGANO’S BEST
It would be easy to look at Joey Logano’s two career wins at Richmond
and say it’s got to be one of his best tracks on the circuit, but the
statistics provide further proof. In 32 career starts, Logano has 15
Top-5 and 20 Top-10 finishes, which gives him an average finish of 9.8.
That’s tied for his best average finish on tracks where he’s run
more than 10 races (Las Vegas is the other) and includes a current
stretch that has seen him finish seventh or better in 12 of the last 16
Richmond races.
BERRY BACK-TO-BACK TOP 10 FINISHES
Josh Berry has registered back-to-back Top-10 finishes after a
season-best fourth on Sunday at Iowa Speedway. The Tennessee native, who
ran to a seventh-place showing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, could see
that continue this weekend in Richmond. In four career NASCAR Cup Series
starts, Berry has finished 14th or better each time with a runner-up
effort in 2023 being his best. He had similar success in the NASCAR
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at the D-shaped oval, finishing seventh
twice and third on another occasion in four starts.
CHASING THE POSTSEASON
Four Ford Racing drivers currently hold down Chase positions with three
races remaining in the regular season, led by third-place Ryan Blaney
who has already clinched a spot in the 16-driver field. Chris Buescher
is ninth and Joey Logano 13th while Austin Cindric holds the 16th and
final spot by 29 points over Ryan Preece.
BUESCHER CLAIMS FIRST RICHMOND WIN
Chris Buescher claimed his third victory of the season by leading 53 of
the final 54 laps when he took the checkered flag at Richmond Raceway on
July 30, 2023. Despite that dominance, he had to endure a late-race
caution that brought the field back to him with nine laps remaining,
resulting in one final round of pit stops. Buescher’s crew got him out
in the lead and, after choosing the inside line, was able to get away
from Denny Hamlin on the restart with three laps to go to claim the win.
A PENSKE SEASON SWEEP
Thanks to Team Penske, Ford dominated the 2014 season at Richmond
Raceway as both Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski made it to Victory Lane.
Keselowski clinched the top seed for the ensuing Chase with a dominating
performance that saw him lead all but 17 of the 400 laps, including the
final 274 circuits. The win was his fourth of the season and marked the
third time Ford swept both NCS races at the three-quarter-mile track,
and the first since 1997. Logano won the first Richmond race that year
after passing Matt Kenseth with four laps to go to claim his fifth
career series victory.
RIGGS ROLLING
Layne Riggs has continued to prove why he’s one of the favorites to
win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship this year. The North
Carolina native comes into this weekend’s race at Richmond Raceway on
the heels of his win two weeks ago at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway
Park. That marked his fifth victory of the season which matches his win
total from the previous two years combined. In addition, he’s been the
top series qualifier in each of the last three events and has four
overall in 2026. In three career series starts at Richmond Raceway,
Riggs has finished fifth or better twice with his best result coming a
year ago when he ran third.
SEVEN WINS SO FAR
Ford Racing has won seven races so far this season and leads the
manufacturer standings going into Friday night’s race at Richmond
Raceway. The Front Row Motorsports tandem of Layne Riggs (five) and
Chandler Smith (two) have combined to post all seven Ford victories,
which is the most in a single season since 2006 when the manufacturer
won eight time. Ford’s all-time record for most wins in a single
season is 12, which was done in back-to-back seasons (1999 and 2000).
Greg Biffle is Ford’s all-time NCTS winner with 16 while Riggs is
second with 10.
REGULAR SEASON WINDING DOWN
There are only two races remaining in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
regular season and four Ford Racing drivers are currently in positions
to make the 10-driver, seven-race Chase field. Layne Riggs is the
overall points leader with his Front Row Motorsports teammate, Chandler
Smith, in third. A pair of ThorSport drivers also find themselves in the
mix with Ty Majeski sixth and Ben Rhodes seventh. Jake Garcia finds
himself on the outside going into Richmond as he stands 12th and is 32
points behind 10th-place Stewart Friesen. The NCTS regular season ends
at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Aug. 22.