NASCAR Cup PR

Richmond (Federated Auto Parts 400) Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs heads next to Hamlin’s hometown track of Richmond Raceway for a Saturday night race on Sept. 21. With three career wins at Richmond, Hamlin and team will be seeking another strong performance in front of his hometown fans to earn a playoff victory, as they continue chasing Hamlin’s first championship.

LeithCars.com, one of the most recognized websites in North Carolina for new, used, and certified pre-owned vehicles, announced today a partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM). As part of the agreement, the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will carry the LeithCars.com brand as the primary partner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 29 with driver Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr.

Richard Childress Racing's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Richmond Raceway ... Richard Childress has nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories as a car owner at Richmond Raceway - five with Dale Earnhardt, three with Kevin Harvick and one with Clint Bowyer. Additionally, in 173 starts at the Richmond, Va.-based track, RCR drivers have claimed 37 top-five and 71 top-10 finishes. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR's senior circuit, contributed three of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978.

The NASCAR Cup Series continues its Playoff run, while the NASCAR Xfinity Series starts its post season, at Richmond Raceway. In the northeast, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East has its second-to-last race of the season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

YANMAR America, a leader in high-performance diesel- powered equipment, along with generator builder Martin Generators, will team up with Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and Matt Tifft for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Ariz later this season. The pair will serve as primary sponsors for Tifft's No. 36 Ford Mustang on November 10.

Newman will make his 36th Cup start at Richmond Saturday night. In 35 prior races, Newman has an average finish of 12.5, the best average finish for him on any active track on the circuit. He has finished top-10 in 54 percent (19-of-35) of the events at the 3/4-mile track, with seven top-fives and one win (2003).

Stenhouse has 13 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at Richmond with an average starting position of 15.1 and average finishing position of 19.5.

After good runs in the past three Monster Energy Cup Series races, Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team head to Richmond Raceway, where they posted a top-10 finish back in April.

DIBENEDETTO BY THE NUMBERS: In nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career starts at Richmond, Matt DiBenedetto has an average start of 29.1, an average finish of 30.3 and he’s completed 3,526 of 3,613 (97.6 percent) career laps at the 0.75-mile Virginia track.

The NASCAR Playoffs hit full stride this weekend at Richmond Raceway as the NASCAR XFINITY Series kicks off its seven-race postseason on Friday night. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series conducts its second of 10 Playoff events on Saturday.