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 24 JEFF GORDON, Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
WHERE HE STANDS: Jeff Gordon remained atop the Sprint Cup standings
for the third straight week, 11 of the last 12 weeks and 17 of the
last 18 weeks. He leads Hendrick Motorsports teammate and
second-ranked Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 21 points and holds a 78-point
edge over third-ranked Matt Kenseth.
RICHMOND RECORD: 43 career starts, 2 wins, 17 top-5s, 27 top-10s, 6
poles. Best career finish: First in spring 1996 and late summer
2000. Finished eighth in this race last year and was second in this
year's spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Status quo. That's what Gordon must maintain Saturday
at Richmond. If none of the five drivers currently tied with three
wins each fails to win at Richmond, Gordon would likely start the
Chase reseeded in the No. 1 spot.
"You always look forward to visiting a track when you ran well there
the previous race," Gordon said. "We had a great car there in April
and led a lot of laps, but Richmond has always been hit or miss for
us. I'm just glad this weekend isn't going to be as stressful as
years past when we had to race our way into the Chase at Richmond."
LOOKING BACK: Gordon started strong until he blew a tire and was
involved in a wreck early at Atlanta. He managed to come back from
two laps down to finish 17th and also on the lead lap.
ETC.: Gordon has completed 93.3 percent (16,062) of the 17,209 total
laps contested in 43 career starts at Richmond. His average start is
an outstanding 8.0 (due primarily to six poles) and his average
finish is 13.9. He has seven DNFs there.
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR., Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
WHERE HE STANDS: Dale Earnhardt Jr. remained in second place for the
third straight week after Sunday's race at Atlanta. He's now been
ranked second for seven of the past eight weeks. He trails points
leader and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon by 21 points
and is 57 points ahead of third-ranked Matt Kenseth.
RICHMOND RECORD: 30 career starts, 3 win, 9 top-5s, 13 top-10s, 1
pole. Best career finish: First in spring 2000, spring 2004 and
spring 2006. Finished 13th in this race last year and was seventh in
this year's spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: It's been a long time since Earnhardt has won at
Richmond, spring 2006 to be exact. He'd love to win his fourth race
of the season there Saturday night. Doing so would potentially put
Earnhardt at the top of the Chase standings once the points and
places are reseeded after Richmond.
"I enjoy racing at Richmond," Earnhardt said. "You can be aggressive
and the racing is fun. We run at night and get a great crowd for the
event. Richmond has put on a good show for years."
LOOKING BACK: Earnhardt had a decent night at Atlanta, winding up
with an 11th-place finish.
ETC.: Earnhardt has completed an outstanding 99.2 percent (11,913)
of the 12,009 total laps contested in 30 career starts at Richmond.
His average start there is 15.8, and average finish is 13.5. He has
one DNF there.
20 MATT KENSETH, Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: After spending the previous two weeks in fifth
place, Matt Kenseth regained the two spots in the standings he lost
at Michigan and climbed back into third place following Atlanta. He
trails points leader Jeff Gordon by 78 points, is 57 points behind
second-ranked Dale Earnhardt Jr. and leads fourth-ranked Joey Logano
by three points.
RICHMOND RECORD: 29 career starts, 1 wins, 5 top-5s, 13 top-10s, 1
pole. Best career finish: First in late summer 2002. Finished sixth
in this race last year and was fifth in this year's spring race
there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Kenseth became the third and final Joe Gibbs Racing
driver to clinch his berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, although
he's the first driver to do so by points and not wins.
"That was the goal, to have all three JGR cars in the Chase and we
were able to accomplish that," Kenseth said. "The ultimate goal is
for one of us to be able to win the championship. I feel like we're
gaining on it. I'm not a huge believer in momentum, but yet I feel
like everyone is really clicking together and working well together
and the stops are good. I feel like we're doing everything right
now, we just need a little more speed to be able to start getting
those wins."
LOOKING BACK: Kenseth continued on a strong roll at Atlanta,
finishing second to winner Kasey Kahne. A wiggle by Kenseth on the
last lap allowed Kahne to get past for the victory. This is
Kenseth's second strong run, having finished third the week before
at Bristol.
ETC.: Kenseth has completed 97.9 percent (11,364) of the 11,609
total laps contested in 29 career starts at Richmond. His average
start there is 20.0 and average finish is 15.4. He has one DNF
there.
22 JOEY LOGANO, Ford
Team: Penske Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: Joey Logano remained in fourth place in the Sprint
Cup standings for the third straight week after Atlanta. He trails
points leader Jeff Gordon by 81 points, is three points behind
third-ranked Matt Kenseth and leads fifth-ranked and Penske Racing
teammate Brad Keselowski by nine points.
RICHMOND RECORD: 11 career starts, 1 win, 3 top-5, 3 top-10s, 0
poles. Best career finish: First in spring 2014. Finished 22nd in
this race last year and earned a career-best win in this year's
spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Logano returns to Richmond, where he won earlier this
year, with confidence and momentum.
"I still can't believe that I won at Richmond," Logano said. "That
was one of those tracks that I've just struggled at most of the time
during my career. I was able to run well at the first race last
year, but in the fall race we just missed it. So to go out there and
run as fast as we did that day and then run away with it at the end
was fun. That was probably one of the best battles I've ever had for
the lead of a race as well. It was just a great race and a great
weekend. Now I know what I want and what I need at Richmond. That's
a pretty cool feeling to have and something to look forward to going
into the weekend."
LOOKING BACK: After winning the week before at Bristol, Logano
appeared like he had a chance for a second straight win - until he
was collected in a wreck late at Atlanta with Paul Menard and Kevin
Harvick. Logano ultimately finished 14th.
ETC.: Logano has completed 97.5 percent (4,295) of the 4,406 laps
contested in 11 career starts at Richmond. His average start there
is 13.8 and average finish is 16.3. He has one DNF there.
2 BRAD KESELOWSKI, Ford
Team: Penske Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: After two weeks in third place, Brad Keselowski
dropped two spots to fifth place after Atlanta. He trails points
leader Jeff Gordon by 90 points (was 69 points back before Atlanta),
is nine points behind fourth-ranked and Penske Racing teammate Joey
Logano and leads sixth-ranked Jimmie Johnson by 16 points.
RICHMOND RECORD: 10 career starts, 0 wins, 1 top-5s, 3 top-10s, 0
poles. Best career finish: Fourth in spring 2014. Finished 17th in
this race last year and was a career-best fourth in this year's
spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Like teammate Joey Logano, Keselowski is looking for
another strong run at Richmond like his fourth-place showing there
in this year's spring race.
"We led quite a few laps and we had a Ford Fusion that was capable
of winning," Keselowski said. "This is another one of the tracks
where our results are not indicative of our performance. We need to
fix that this weekend. I enjoy racing at Richmond as it has great
short-track racing. This is one of those places that the driver has
to be up on the wheel and also take care of the car. It is also a
place where pit-lane performance is crucial since the laps are so
fast. This Miller Lite team is capable of winning and that is what
we intend to do this Saturday night."
LOOKING BACK: Keselowski had a rough night at Atlanta, a track that
has given him significant trouble in his career. His high hopes
coming into the race were dashed after contact with the wall caused
heavy damage and forced him to retire with an eventual 39th-place
finish.
ETC.: Keselowski has completed 98.9 percent (3,961) of the 4,006
total laps contested in 10 career starts at Richmond. His average
start is 10.3 and average finish is 18.5. He has one DNF there. 48 JIMMIE JOHNSON, Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
WHERE HE STANDS: Jimmie Johnson remained in sixth place in the
standings for the second straight week after Atlanta. He trails
points leader and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon by 106
points, is 16 points behind fifth-ranked Brad Keselowski and is 11
points ahead of seventh-ranked Carl Edwards.
RICHMOND RECORD: 25 career starts, 3 wins, 5 top-5s, 8 top-10s, 2
poles. Best career finish: First in spring 2007, late summer 2007
and late summer 2008. Finished 40th in this race last year and was
32nd in this year's spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Johnson hopes to turn around his last two
performances at Richmond, where he's finished 40th (in this race
last year) and 32nd in this year's spring race.
"This will be an interesting race for sure," Johnson said. "There
are a few guys trying to get in the Chase and a few guys trying to
stay in it. It's been a great regular season so far - exciting for
the fans and everyone involved. I'm so happy for Kasey Kahne and the
No. 5 team with their win in Atlanta - so proud Hendrick Motorsports
will have all four drivers represented in the Chase for this year's
cup."
LOOKING BACK: Johnson finished fourth at Bristol and repeated that
same finish at Atlanta. It definitely appears Johnson is warming up
for another strong run during the upcoming Chase for the Sprint Cup.
ETC.: Johnson has completed 94.6 percent (9,471) of 10,009 total
laps in 25 career starts at Richmond. His average start there is
12.4, while his average finish is 17.9. He has one DNF there.
99 CARL EDWARDS, Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: Carl Edwards moved up one position in the
standings, from eighth to seventh, after Atlanta. He trails points
leader Jeff Gordon by 117 points, is 11 points behind sixth-ranked
Jimmie Johnson and leads eighth-ranked Kevin Harvick by seven
points.
RICHMOND RECORD: 20 career starts, 1 win, 4 top-5s, 11 top-10s, 1
pole. Best career finish: First in fall 2013. Finished first in this
race last year and was ninth in this year's spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Edwards would love to successfully defend last year's
win at Richmond and enter the Chase with the best momentum of all 16
playoff entrants.
"Richmond's been a lot of fun lately," Edwards said. "We've been
fast there. Our short track program has been great. It's the last
race before the Chase so it'll be an opportunity for us to go out
and have some fun and work on fine tuning our team for the final ten
races. A year ago we had a great race and a win there. Hopefully, we
can get another win and have a good time."
LOOKING BACK: Just like Bristol the week before (finished seventh in
that race), Edwards had another good run this past Sunday at
Atlanta, ultimately finishing fifth.
ETC.: Edwards has completed 97.2 percent (7,793) of 8,016 total laps
contested in 20 career starts at Richmond. His average start there
is 13.4, while his average finish is 13.5. He has one DNF there.
4 KEVIN HARVICK, Chevrolet
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: Kevin Harvick has lost one position in the
standings after each of the last two races. He dropped to seventh
after Bristol and is now eighth after Atlanta. He trails points
leader Jeff Gordon by 124 points, is seven points behind
seventh-ranked Carl Edwards and leads ninth-ranked Ryan Newman by
one point.
RICHMOND RECORD: 27 career starts, 3 wins, 7 top-5s, 16 top-10s, 1
pole. Best career finish: First in late summer 2006 and late summer
2011. Finished 11th in this race last year and was also 11th in this
year's spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Harvick is having a career season, but he's also just
getting warmed up for the Chase. He very easily could earn another
win Saturday on a track he's had excellent success at in the past.
"I've been fortunate over my career to have had a lot of success at
Richmond in the Nationwide and the Cup series and look forward to
running another race there," Harvick said. "We didn't feel like we
ran as well as we should have in the first race there this year and
we're looking forward to going back and hopefully having a good
weekend and doing what we need to do on Saturday night."
LOOKING BACK: Harvick dominated Sunday's race at Atlanta, leading
195 of the 335 laps. However, he was involved in a late wreck with
Paul Menard and Joey Logano, and was forced to settle for a
19th-place finish.
ETC.: Harvick has completed 98.9 percent (10,692 laps) of the 10,809
total laps contested in 27 career starts at Richmond. His average
start there is 16.1 and his average finish is 11.3. He has zero DNFs
there.
31 RYAN NEWMAN, Chevrolet
Team: Richard Childress Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: Ryan Newman remained in ninth place for the second
straight week after Atlanta. He trails points leader Jeff Gordon by
125 points, is one point behind eighth-ranked Kevin Harvick and
leads 10th-ranked Greg Biffle by 19 points.
RICHMOND RECORD: 25 career starts, 1 win, 6 top-5s, 15 top-10s, 1
pole. Best career finish: First in late summer 2003. Finished third
in this race last year and was eighth in this year's spring race
there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Newman still recalls last year's race at Richmond
very vividly, particularly the controversy that emerged afterward
following the attempt by Michael Waltrip Racing to manipulate the
field to get its drivers into the Chase.
"When you look at the racing last year, there is no doubt that
people contending for a Chase spot were racing in a way to help
their cause," Newman said. "I think everyone has learned a lot from
what happened and the consequences of it all. I think you may see a
very different Richmond this time around."
LOOKING BACK: Newman had a strong run at Atlanta, completing all 335
laps and winding up with a respectable seventh-place finish, right
behind former Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Danica Patrick.
ETC.: Newman has completed 98.8 percent (9,888) of the 10,009 total
laps contested in 25 career starts at Richmond. His average start
there is 12.2 and his average finish is 11.3. He has zero DNFs
there.
[to top of second column] |
16 GREG BIFFLE, Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: Greg Biffle climbed one spot in the standings and back
into the top-10 after Atlanta. Now in 10th place, he trails points
leader Jeff Gordon by 144 points, is 19 points behind ninth-ranked Ryan
Newman and leads 11th-ranked Kasey Kahne by 20 points.
RICHMOND RECORD: 24 career starts, 0 wins, 2 top-5s, 6 top-10s, 1 pole.
Best career finish: Third in late summer 2005. Finished 12th in this
race last year and was 16th in this year's spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Biffle is the man on the Chase bubble heading into
Richmond. He knows he needs a strong finish to assure he makes the
playoffs. Anything less, and he will be very disappointed.
"Hopefully we can get a good run this Saturday night and secure our
position in the Chase," Biffle said. Added crew chief Matt Puccia,
"Richmond is usually an exciting race being a night race and the last
race of the regular season. We've had some success over the past few
races there. We are looking to get a solid run and solidify a spot in
the Chase."
LOOKING BACK: After finishing 17th at Bristol the week before, Biffle
rebounded somewhat for a 10th-place finish at Atlanta.
ETC.: Biffle has completed 97.6 percent (9,379) of the 9,609 total laps
contested in 24 career starts at Richmond. His average start there is
18.6 and average finish is 16.9. He has one DNF there.
5 KASEY KAHNE, Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
WHERE HE STANDS: 11th, 20 points out of the top 10. Secured a spot in
the Chase with his Atlanta win. Gained two spots last week.
RICHMOND RECORD: One win and seven top-10 finishes including four
top-five's in 21 starts.
LOOKING AHEAD: Kahne hopes he can "build off" his Atlanta win as he
heads to Richmond. "Hopefully, we can build some confidence, some
momentum, and go into Richmond and even get better. We actually ran
pretty well at Richmond earlier in the year, so that could be a good
track for us this weekend."
LOOKING BACK: It was an emotional roller-coaster for Kahne Sunday night
at Atlanta. After rallying late to take the lead, Kahne was within two
laps of the win when a caution flag was waved for a collision between
Kyle Busch and Martin Truex, Jr. With two drivers taking only two tires
and two others beating him off pit road, Kahne was fifth on the first
attempt at a green-white-checkered flag finish. A multi-car accident on
the restart resulted in a second attempt at a green-white-checkered flag
finish. Kahne was third on this restart and quickly moved by Denny
Hamlin and pulled alongside Matt Kenseth. The two dueled for almost a
lap before Kahne grabbed the lead and the win that earned him a spot in
the Chase.
"Man, it took a lot (to get to victory lane)," said Kahne. "We were all
over the place during the race but the guys stayed with me and worked
hard. On those restarts, I didn't know what would happen because I had
great restarts all night and I (normally) struggle with restarts a lot.
That's big, because that is one of the things you have to be good at and
it worked really well tonight. It's been kind of one thing after the
other but we are in the Chase with my teammates. Glad we are in the
Chase and we can race them now. I am really pumped to be here."
ETC.: Crew chief Kenny Francis didn't hide the fact "it's been a rough
year for us. We have had a lot of good cars and just seems like nothing
goes our way. We haven't got many breaks. You feel like you're got good
equipment and you feel like you've been running good, just when things
don't go your way, you lose some confidence and you get a little
dejected. So, winning this race is such a dramatic fashion and getting
in the Chase and all that, that is just a huge relief. And I think it's
going to be a huge up lift for the whole team and for our whole shop."
15 CLINT BOWYER, Toyota
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: 12th, 23 points out of a spot in the Chase. Lost two
spots last week to fall out of the top 10.
RICHMOND RECORD: Two wins and nine top-10 finishes in 17 starts.
LOOKING AHEAD: Bowyer knows "We are going to have to have a really good
finish (at Richmond), if not a win, to make it into the Chase. We've
been good at Richmond, and we've got to be really good this time around.
Last week really hurt, but we have to put it behind us and concentrate
on rebounding at Richmond. It has been a good track for us in the past
so we have high hopes for the weekend."
LOOKING BACK: Bowyer's hopes of making the Chase took a real beating
Sunday night in Atlanta when his shifter broke early in the race. By the
time the team replaced the transmission, Bowyer was 22 laps down and in
42nd place. He ended the night in 38th place. "It seems like if it
weren't for bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck," said a dejected
Bowyer, who began the night with a spot in the Chase. But as he heads to
Richmond, Bowyer is now 23 points behind Greg Biffle in the race for the
last spot in the Chase.
ETC.: A year ago Bowyer was involved in one of the biggest controversies
in NASCAR history when he spun late in the race with Ryan Newman closing
in on a win and a spot in the Chase, knocking out then teammate Martin
Truex, Jr., out of the Chase. The caution completely changed the
complexion of the race with Carl Edwards racing to the win. NASCAR later
ruled that Michael Waltrip Racing had tried to change the outcome of the
race by having Bowyer spin on purpose. This year Bowyer hopes to be the
one driving into the winner's circle and earning a spot in the Chase.
42 KYLE LARSON, Chevrolet
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
WHERE HE STANDS: 13th, 24 points out of a spot in the Chase. Lost one
spot last week.
RICHMOND RECORD: Won the pole for the spring race and finished 16th in
his first Sprint Cup start.
LOOKING AHEAD: Larson said, "For this weekend, it's pretty simple for
us, we need to win. Our Target Chevy has continued to be fast, and I
know we have the ability to win the race. We've had a pretty good
season, and getting into the Chase would be an awesome accomplishment
for this team and me in our first year together. Richmond can be a tough
track, but we'll use what we learned from the race there in the spring
and our test to go and fight for a victory and a spot in the Chase."
LOOKING BACK: It was an up-and-down night for Larson. He started third,
but ran into early handling problems as he dropped out of the top 15.
But the rookie driver rallied in the second half of the race to finish
eighth at Atlanta for his 11th top-10 finish of the season.
"It was a tough race tonight," said Larson. "For whatever reason, we got
pretty tight in the center of the corners and I couldn't roll the bottom
like I wanted to. I lost a ton of track position, but we got the Target
Chevy better as the race went on. We got caught on pit road a couple of
times when the caution fell, so we had to do the wave-around and restart
behind all the lap down cars. Fortunately, it kind of worked out at the
end with two green-white-checkered attempts. I had to start pretty far
back on the restarts, so a top-10 is not too bad."
ETC.: Larson understands that he has an outside shot at making the Chase
on points. But he also realizes that the odds of gaining 25 points and
passing both Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer are not very good. "So happy
for Kasey (Kahne, who won the Atlanta race), but that (Kahne's win)
pretty much ends our Chase hopes, unless we win (at Richmond)," said
Larson.
27 PAUL MENARD, Chevrolet
Team: Richard Childress Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: 14th. Must win the Richmond race to secure a spot in
the Chase.
RICHMOND RECORD: Finished fifth in the fall race a year ago for his
first top-10 finish in 15 starts.
LOOKING AHEAD: Menard knows the Richmond race is "going to be crazy like
it always is with short-track racing under the lights with a lot at
stake. It's going to be exciting. For a lot of us, it's the last
opportunity to make it into the Chase. You have to get the front end
working, but it seems more and more lately with the way the cars are
it's 'drive off' you need. The trick is you have to get your car to turn
also."
LOOKING BACK: Crew chief Slugger Labbe gambled on a two-tire pit stop
during the next-to-last caution flag of the night in an attempt to give
Menard a shot at the win. The decision vaulted Menard to second. But he
struggled on the restart and got tangled up with Kevin Harvick and Joey
Logano to trigger another yellow flag. Menard ended the night in 18th
place. "That was definitely not the finish we were hoping for," said
Menard. "Just so hard to get a good restart up top."
ETC.: Because the practice sessions this weekend are during the day,
Menard feels the teams need to do a "lot of predicting on what your car
is going to do" when it comes to racing at night. "It (going from day to
night) changes a little bit; it generally gains more grip but doesn't
really get tighter or looser," adds Menard. "You gain some grip which
then goes away because you're doing longer runs."
3 AUSTIN DILLON, Chevrolet
Team: Richard Childress Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: 15th. Must win the Richmond race to qualify for the
Chase.
RICHMOND RECORD: Finished 27th in his Sprint Cup debut in April.
LOOKING AHEAD: Dillon calls Richmond "one of the biggest short tracks we
go to because the restarts are so intense and you can really screw a guy
getting into the corner there if you duck under him and put him in a bad
spot. It's a place where you have to be aggressive and then have a car
that holds on late because that guy that you were aggressive to at the
beginning, will come back and get you later in the run. A fast car makes
everything easier for sure."
LOOKING BACK: Dillon battled major handling problems all night as he
finished 24th at Atlanta. "It's been rough the last few weeks," said
Dillon. "We lacked forward bite from the beginning, and despite numerous
changes we never did get the problem corrected. I want to thank (crew
chief) Gil Martin and everyone on this 3 team for working so hard. We've
got a lot of racing to go (this season)."
ETC.: Dillon recently played a major role in a music video with Ali Dee.
"We met at Charlie I Horse, the company that gives me my cowboy hats,"
said Dillon. "We hung out together at a Dallas Mavericks game, where she
was a TV host. Then one day she texted, asking if I wanted to be in the
video for her single, 'Just a Broken Heart.' I said, 'yeah, sure.' We
used my barn at the house and the race shop. We really had a good time
doing it."
1 JAMIE MCMURRAY, Chevrolet
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
WHERE HE STANDS: 16th. Must win the Richmond race to qualify for the
Chase.
RICHMOND RECORD: Four top-10 finishes in 23 starts including a fourth in
the fall race a year ago.
LOOKING AHEAD: McMurray feels "the biggest challenge at Richmond is tire
management. Richmond is a lot of fun when your car is good, because
there is a lot of fall-off with the tires during the course of a long
green-flag run. It is completely different from any of the other short
tracks that we run at."
LOOKING BACK: McMurray finished 12th at Atlanta. "We started out pretty
good tonight (as he raced his way into the top 10), but after our first
pit stop the track seemed to change a ton," said McMurray. "I struggled
to get the Cessna Chevy to turn through the center (of the corners) all
night. We got caught on pit road twice when the cautions came out so we
had to make up a lot of ground from the tail-end of the field. Our guys
never gave up and kept adjusting on the car. We were able to take new
tires before the first green-white-checkered attempt and that helped us
gain a few positions to come up with a 12th-place finish."
ETC.: McMurray said a "lot of people ask me about added pressure of
winning leading into this last race before the cut-off to make the Chase
to the NASCAR Sprint Cup. I don't feel any added pressure for our team.
The goal is to win every week, so this will be just like the first race
of the season. We have tried to win at each race since the Daytona 500."
18 KYLE BUSCH, Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: 17th. Has secured a spot in the Chase as a result of
his win at California.
RICHMOND RECORD: Four wins and 14 top-10 finishes including 13
top-five's in 19 starts. Finished third in the spring race.
LOOKING AHEAD: It has been a rough five weeks for Busch as he has
dropped from sixth to 17th in the standings. He hopes a return to one of
his favorite tracks means an end to his recent run of bad luck. "We
always look forward to Richmond," said Busch. "It has been a good track
for me and everyone at JGR. We ran well in the spring, and we feel we
will run well this weekend."
LOOKING BACK: Despite being involved in a late-race accident, Busch
finished 16th at Atlanta. After the race, Martin Truex, Jr., who was
part of the late-race disagreement on the track, parked his car near
Busch's and stuck his head in the driver's window to express his
displeasure with Busch. After getting little or no feedback from Busch,
Truex turned and vented his frustration with Busch's crew chief Dave
Rogers. "Kyle, for whatever reason, just ran into the back of me," said
Truex. "It was totally uncalled for and hard to figure out why he did
what he did." Busch declined to comment.
ETC.: When asked about the post-race disagreement between his driver and
Truex that was caught on TV, Rogers said, "They're hard-nosed
competitors, and they didn't cut each other much slack. I talked to Kyle
about what happened. He said he was expecting Martin to go in on the
bottom and Kyle was banzaing on the top and trying to make the pass.
Martin surprised him by going up top, and Kyle said he got to the brakes
but too late. Martin didn't say or do anything wrong there. He kept it
peaceful. He said what was on his mind, and I think that is accepted. It
didn't get out of control. Kyle tried to explain what happened and I
think they agreed to disagree tonight, but they'll probably talk later
this week and figure it out."
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