How to watch NASCAR at Richmond: Entry list, TV, weather, odds
Its time to go short track racing.
The NASCAR Cup Series is heading to Richmond Raceway this weekend for a 400-lap race around the Virginia circuit. The 0.75-mile track first held a NASCAR race in 1953, hosting at least one race every year since 1955.
Nicknamed the Action Track, Richmond will host two races during the 2023 regular season first on Sunday, then again in August as the battle for the playoffs heats up.
Heres everything you need to know for the Toyota Owners 400 this weekend:
What is the NASCAR at Richmond entry list?
Thirty-seven drivers will race this weekend at Richmond. The usual drivers are all competing outside of Chase Elliott, who is still recovering from a broken leg suffered in a snowboarding fall on March 3.
Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry will fill in for Elliott, while two other Xfinity drivers Chandler Smith for Kaulig Racing and Anthony Alfredo for Live Fast Motorsports will also race. Smith is making his Cup debut, while Alfredo is making his first Cup start since 2021.
Heres the full entry list for Richmond:
No. 1, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
No. 2, Austin Cindric, Team Penske
No. 3, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
No. 4, Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 5, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
No. 6, Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
No. 7, Corey LaJoie, Spire Motorsports
No. 8, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
No. 9, Josh Berry, Hendrick Motorsports
No. 10, Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 11, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 12, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
No. 13, Chandler Smith, Kaulig Racing
No. 14, Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 15, J.J. Yeley, Rick Ware Racing
No. 16, A.J. Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing
No. 17, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing
No. 19, Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 20, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21, Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing
No. 22, Joey Logano, Team Penske
No. 23, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
No. 24, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
No. 31, Justin Haley, Kaulig Racing
No. 34, Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports
No. 38, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports
No. 41, Ryan Preece, Stewart-Haas Racing
No. 42, Noah Gragson, Legacy Motor Club
No. 43, Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club
No. 45, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
No. 47, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., JTG Daugherty Racing
No. 48, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports
No. 51, Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing
No. 54, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 77, Ty Dillon, Spire Motorsports
No. 78, Anthony Alfredo, Live Fast Motorsports
No. 99, Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing
When is the NASCAR race at Richmond in 2023?
The Toyota Owners 400 is set for Sunday, April 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Before the race on Sunday, there will be practice and qualifying sessions. The 37-car field will be split into two groups, with each group practicing for 15 minutes on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.
Qualifying will start immediately after practice. Each car from the two practice groups will make a single lap in the first round, with the five fastest times in each group advancing to the final round. In the final round, the 10 remaining drivers each make a single lap to set the top 10 starting order, while positions 11 through 37 will be set based on speeds from the first round.
What is the NASCAR TV schedule at Richmond?
Saturday, April 1 (FS1 and streaming)
- Practice: 10 a.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com
- Qualifying: 10:50 a.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com
Sunday, April 2 (FS1 and streaming)
- Toyota Owners 400: 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com
Did Hendrick Motorsports win its penalty appeal?
Well, sort of.
Hendrick Motorsports was hit with a massive penalty after NASCAR found that they modified single-sourced parts on their cars. The organization appealed the penalty, and the appeals panel found that they did violate the rules, but the severity of the penalty was altered.
Hendrick will still pay a $400,000 fine and all four of its crew chiefs will be suspended for four races. But all points penalties that were originally awarded to the four cars and three drivers (Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson and William Byron) have been restored.
Who are the past winners at Richmond?
Hamlin and Harvick won the two races at Richmond last year, with the former winning in the spring and the latter winning in the summer.
While those two veterans have had major success at the Virginia track, another driver has actually been even better. Kyle Busch leads all drivers with six wins at Richmond, which is tied for second on the all-time list behind Richard Petty (13 wins).
Beyond Busch, five other active drivers have multiple wins at the track: Harvick (4), Hamlin (4), Truex (3), Keselowski (2) and Logano (2). Larson (2017) and Bowman (2021) each have one victory.
Who is favored to win NASCAR this weekend?
Since 2009, one manufacturer has asserted its dominance at Richmond: Toyota.
In 27 races over that span, Toyota has 16 wins including six of the last nine and nine of the last 14. Last year, Toyota scored four top-10 finishes in both Richmond races despite only having six cars in each race.
But even with those facts, Toyota drivers are not the biggest favorites to win this weekend. Instead, its Harvick in a Ford and Byron and Larson in Chevrolets. Harvick finished second and first at Richmond last year though, so hes rightfully earned the top spot.
Heres a full look at the favorites to win at Richmond before practice and qualifying, courtesy of our partner, PointsBet:
- Kevin Harvick, +550
- William Byron, +600
- Kyle Larson, +650
- Christopher Bell, +775
- Denny Hamlin, +800
- Martin Truex Jr., +850
- Kyle Busch, +850
- Tyler Reddick, +1400
- Joey Logano, +1500
- Ross Chastain, +1600
- Ryan Blaney, +1800
- Alex Bowman, +1800
- Brad Keselowski, +2200
- Bubba Wallace, +2800
- Daniel Suarez, +2800
What is the Richmond Raceway weather for NASCAR?
NBC Washington is expecting ideal conditions for the race on Sunday. Temperatures could reach 63 degrees on Sunday, with sunny skies and just a 4% chance of rain. Practice and qualifying on Saturday could be in jeopardy though, with a 75% chance of showers in the morning before a mix of sun and clouds in the afternoon.
Editor’s note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.
