Richmond Preview: The Series moves to Denny’s home track, Richmond International Raceway (RIR), for Sunday’s 400-lap Toyota Owners 400 event. Hamlin has proven to be successful at the Virginia short track, recording a career-high 1,594 laps led and three wins in 21 starts at RIR. Hamlin scored his most recent Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory at the .75-mile oval in September 2016, crossing the finish line with a margin of victory of .609 seconds ahead of competitor Kyle Larson.
Ford Motor Company, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing and JDRF are the proud sponsors of a t-shirt design contest aiming to harness the creativity and engagement of families, JDRF fundraising teams and race fans alike to benefit JDRF’s shared vision of a world without type 1 diabetes (T1D)). This fundraising design contest entitled T1D, Motorcraft & Me presents Customize for a Cause offers participants a chance to win a VIP Motorcraft Racing Experience of a Lifetime and much more.
Richard Childress Racing's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Richmond International Raceway ... Richard Childress has nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories as a car owner at Richmond International Raceway - five with Dale Earnhardt, three with Kevin Harvick and one with Clint Bowyer. Additionally, in 160 starts at the Richmond, Va.-based track, RCR drivers have claimed 36 top-five and 67 top-10 finishes. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR's senior circuit, contributed three of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978.
The pre-race ceremony is the memorable time just before the roar of the engines that sets the tone for the race. The moment when the flyover matches perfectly with the ending of the National Anthem can take any fan’s breath away.
"We're here today to confirm the news you received this morning that I've decided to make this season my last as a NASCAR Cup driver. The response just in the last six hours from teammates, colleagues and friends and fans has been incredibly overwhelming."
“Dale Earnhardt Jr. is among the most recognizable athletes in the world, unequivocally serving as the sport’s most popular driver for more than a decade. His passion for the sport will leave an impact on NASCAR that will be felt over its entire history.
“I’m definitely looking forward to hitting the track in Richmond with our Mello Yello Ford Mustang. The car looks great and I can’t thank them enough for coming on board this weekend. I’m ready to get back in the car and rebound after getting caught up in that deal in Bristol. We had a good streak going and I hope we can get back to it in Richmond.”
“It is definitely a fun racetrack,” Allmendinger said. “It is unique. All these short tracks that we go to are so unique, just so different. As a driver, you love something that is different instead of what you are used to going to; like every mile-and-a-half.”
The spring race week at Richmond International Raceway (Richmond) is officially here. From the Toyota PitPass with ferris wheel and Toyota Thrill Ride in the Midway to the return of red stripes to the track walls to Dale Earnhardt Jr’s final day race in Richmond to Track Takeover driven by AAA to the Checkered Flag 5K & Kids Fun Run and more, Richmond’s Toyota spring race weekend is packed. To help navigate the upcoming weekend, we’ve put together a list of what to expect throughout this weekend in Richmond.
“Our short track program has been strong this year so I’m looking forward to Richmond this weekend. Last year, you could run the bottom or the top groove so I expect it to be racy on Sunday. If we can execute on pit-road and keep our Fifth Third Ford up near the front then we should be able to leave Richmond with another top-10 finish. That’s our goal.”
The 21-year-old Garcia from Monroe, Georgia, led 104 of 250-scheduled laps and persevered through a fuel-only pit stop prior to the final stage period to become the 219th competitor to win in the Truck division.
When the checkered flag waved in Thursday night’s ARCA Menards Series East race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Tristan McKee was crowned the 2026 series champion.
The 24-year-old Riggs from Bahama, North Carolina, was awarded the pole position for the 2026 Chase opener at Thunder Valley due to inclement weather canceling qualifying in its final stages.
