NASCAR Pre-race: FOX - 7:00pm/et

Television Race Coverage: FOX, 7:30pm/et

In the Booth: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds

Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda

Hollywood Hotel: Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond

SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 5:00pm/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace

Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times:
Wednesday, May 4 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED

TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski's TV Listings Page
NASCAR on TV
Race Fan TV

This Week - Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite Radio

motorracingnetwork.com

sirius.com

Track Specifications:
Race Length: 400 laps, 300 miles
Track Length: 0.75 mile oval, measured 13 1/2 feet in from SAFER Barrier
Track Width: 60 feet with 10-foot apron
Banking: turns: 14 degrees; frontstretch 8 degrees; backstretch 2 degrees
Straights: Backstretch - 860 feet; Frontstretch - 1290 feet
Pit Road: 64-foot width, 43 concrete pit stalls, each measuring 28'x19'
Pit Road Speed: 45mph
Pace Car Speed: 50mph
Seating Capacity: 97,912 was 112,029
Attendence 2010: 93,000
Attendence 2009: 108,000
Attendence 2008: 110,000
Attendence 2007: 112,079
Opened: 1946 (First NASCAR race was 1953)
Last Repaved: Fall of 2003

Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: Matthew Hansen
Command to start engines: Matthew Hansen
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: ?
Invocation: Rev. Joe Ellison, Essex Village Community Church
National Anthem: The Commandant's Own - U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corp
Military Flyover: 4 A-10 Warthogs

Track Websites:
Richmond International Raceway
ISC Motorsports
ESPN's NASCAR Track Guide
Richmond International Raceway - Facebook
Richmond International Raceway - Twitter

November 2010: see my Richmond Race Info page

May 2010: see my Richmond Race Info page

For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski's Richmond International Raceway Track News/Stats/Links page

May 2010 Race Winner: #18-Kyle Busch, 99.567mph, started 1st

September 2010 Race Winner: #11-Denny Hamlin, 104.096mph, started 14th

Track Race Record: Dale Jarrett, Sept 1997, 109.047mph

Slowest Race Record: Tony Stewart, 86.824mph, 5/2002

(since track was reconfigured for the Sept 1988 race)

May 2010 Pole Sitter: #18-Kyle Busch, 127.077mph, finished 1st

September 2010 Pole Sitter: #99-Carl Edwards, 127.782, finished 10th

Track Qualifying Record: Brian Vickers, May 2004, 129.983mph

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Clint Bowyer, May 2008, started 31st

This season remains wide open: Seven different drivers have won the first eight races this season. That's the most competitively balanced start to a season since 2003, when nine different drivers won the first nine races. That stat is part of a handful of interesting numbers, facts and figures this season. For instance&
" Four of the eight races have either set or tied a lead change record, including Talladega which tied an all-time NASCAR record of 88 lead changes.
" There has been an average of 14.6 leaders per race, most through eight races in series history.
" There has been an average of 38.5 lead changes per race, most through eight races in series history.
" There has been an average of 4,511 green flag passes all around the track per race, most through eight races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005.
" There has been an average of 54 green flag passes for the lead all around the track per race, most through eight races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005.(NASCAR)(4-20-2011)

At Richmond International Raceway:
· Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953.
· The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.
· The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.
· The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.
· The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.
· Track was re-measured to a half-mile in April 1969; then to .542-mile in September.
· The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.
· The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.
· The first season with both races as night races was 1999.
· There have been 109 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond since the track opened in 1953.
· The current 400-lap race length was established on the .542-mile measurement in March 1976.
· Buck Baker won the pole in 1953.
· Lee Petty won the first race in April 1953.
· There have been 48 different pole winners, led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty (eight).
· Jeff Gordon (five) leads active drivers with five poles.
· 47 different drivers have posted victories at Richmond, led by Richard Petty (13).
· Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Terry Labonte (three) lead active race winners.
· Car owner Richard Petty has won 15 races at Richmond, more than any other team.
· 63 of 109 races have been won from the top five starting positions, including 22 from the pole.
· The last driver to win from the pole was Kyle Busch in May 2010.
· 13 of the past 16 races have been won from the top 10, but three of the last six have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
· The furthest back in the field a race winner has started was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in 2008's spring race.
· Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winner when he won his first race, at Richmond, on Feb. 23, 1986. Richard Petty posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee won the very first Richmond race in 1953.
· Three active drivers have a finish inside the top 10: Kyle Busch (5.2), Denny Hamlin (8.0) and Clint Bowyer (9.8).
· Five of the last six races have had a margin of victory less than one second.
· There have been 271 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Virginia.
· 161 drivers in NASCAR's three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Virginia.
· There have been 18 race winners from Virginia in NASCAR's three national series.(NASCAR)

The Numbers for the Crown Royal Presents The Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400:
1  fewest cautions for a Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway (three times, most recent, 3/1/70)
1  fewest cars on lead lap at finish (22 times, most recent 10/12/75)
2  fewest leaders (six times, most recent 2/23/75)
2  fewest lead changes (seven times, most recent 2/23/75)
4  number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend
4  fewest laps led by race winner (2/23/86)
6  fewest caution laps (6/5/60)
12  most leaders (four times, most recent 5/6/07)
13  most wins by driver (Richard Petty)
15  most cautions (twice, most recent 5/2/09)
22  wins from the pole; 35 from the front row (109 races)
25  most lead changes (twice, most recent 3/3/96)
32  most cars on lead lap at finish (9/7/08)
47  different pole winners in 109 races
48  different race winners
43  most running at finish (9/7/08)
90-120 minutes  amount of time it takes to dry the .75-mile track after a significant rainfall
123  most caution laps (two times, most recent 9/8/74)
488  most laps led by race winner (9/13/70  Richard Petty  500-lap race)
1946  Ted Horn won the first race on half-mile dirt track (10/12/46) in open-wheel car
1953  Lee Petty won the first NASCAR Grand National Division, now Sprint Cup, race on the half-mile dirt track (4/19/53).
1955  Paul Sawyer and driver Joe Weatherly purchased the track
1964  race run under temporary lights (3/10/64)
1968  last race on dirt track won by David Pearson (3/24/68)
1968  first race on paved track won by Richard Petty (9/8/68)
1969 -- track remeasured from .625-mile to .5625-mile; remeasured from .5625-mile to .5-mile; remeasured again from .5-mile to .542-mile prior to the first race of 1970
1988  track reconfigured to its current .75-mile layout
1991  permanent lighting added prior to fall event won by Harry Gant (9/7/91)
1999  International Speedway Corporation (ISC) acquires track
Richmond Int'l Raceway has had several names since it opened in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track:
" Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds (1946-1955)
" Virginia State Fairgrounds (1964-1968)
" Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway (1969-1988)
" Richmond International Raceway (1988-present)
2011 Caution Update
4  fewest cautions this season (Fontana)
16  most cautions this season (Daytona)
67  number of cautions in the first eight races of 2011; 37 for accidents
331 of 2,509  number of laps under caution in 2011
445.593 of 3,163.080  miles under caution in the first eight races.(Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports)(4-28-2011)

For more track records, past starting spots that have won and more on Jayski's Richmond International Raceway Track News/Stats/Links page

Practices:
Friday, April 29, 12:00 - 2:00pm/et, TV-SPEED

Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Friday, April 29, 2:45 - 3:30pm/et, TV-SPEED

Qualifying Draw: none, qualifying order is set by practice speeds, if rained out, then by points

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Friday, April 29 at 5:35 pm/et, TV-SPEED, re-air at 11:00pm/et;
AND live via radio at MRN Radio only on NASCAR.com.

Kyle Busch wins at Richmond: #18-Kyle Busch won the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway for his 2nd win of 2011 and 21st win of his career.
#11-Hamlin finished second followed by #4-Kahne, #6-Ragan, #99-Edwards, #33-Bowyer, #43-Allmendinger, #48-Johnson, #14-Stewart and #83-Vickers. Pole sitter #42-Montoya was involved in two incidents with #39-Newman and finished 29th, 5 laps down. There was no confrontation after the race. Montoya hopped on a waiting golf cart and headed out of the track, while Newman walked to the NASCAR hauler to complain about Montoya's driving. #36-Blaney finished 13th and moves into the top-35 of owners points and a guaranteed spot at Darlington.
There were 14 lead changes among 10 drivers; 8 cautions for 60 yellow flag laps. The attendance is listed as 90,000 down a bit from 93,00 last year.
Scheduled Race Re-Air: SPEED, Wednesday, May 4 at 12:00pm/et See race results, awards, laps led and more on Jayski's Richmond Race Results/Awards page.(4-30-2011)

2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Richmond, race 9 of 36]:
rank, car#, driver, points, behind
1) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 335
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 326, -9
3) #18-Kyle Busch [2 wins], 305, -30
4) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 301, -34
5) #29-Kevin Harvick [2 wins], 300, -35
6) #22-Kurt Busch, 289, -46
7) #33-Clint Bowyer, 284, -51
8) #39-Ryan Newman, 277, -58
9) #17-Matt Kenseth, 276, -59
10) #14-Tony Stewart, 275, -60
The two wild card's
11) #43-A.J. Allmendinger, 263, -72 [11th]
12) #24-Jeff Gordon [1 win], 240, -95 [1 win]
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(4-30-2011)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Darlington:
Three teams are tied for 35th, #32, #13 & #71. The #32 gets the 35th with three best finishes of 15th, 22nd & 24th, the #13 is 36th with three best finishes of 15th, 22nd & 25th, the #71 is 37th with a best finish of 19th. With the #21 still in the top-35 [attempts do not matter if in the top-35] but skipping Darlington, the #13 will have a guaranteed spot at Darlington.
32) #21-Bayne/Wood Brothers, 140, +8
33) #7-RGordon/RGM, 137, +5
34) #36-Blaney/TBR, 136, +4
35) #32-Schrader/FAS Lane, 132, +0 point ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers would need to qualify by speed after race 5:
36) #13-Mears/Germain, 132, 0 points out of top 35
37) #71-Lally/TRG, 132, -0
38) #37-Raines/Front Row, 98, -34
39) #38-Kvapil/Front Row, 91, -41
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(4-30-2011)

Race Fast Facts - Richmond:
#18-Kyle Busch won the 57th Annual Crown Royal Presents The Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400, his 21st victory in 231 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his second victory and sixth top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his third victory and 11th top-10 finish in 13 races at Richmond International Raceway.
#11-Denny Hamlin (second) posted his seventh top-10 finish in 11 races at Richmond International Raceway. It is his second top-10 finish in 2011.
#4-Kasey Kahne (third) posted his sixth top-10 finish in 15 races at Richmond International Raceway.
#71-Andy Lally (26th) was the highest finishing rookie.
#99-Carl Edwards leads the point standings by 9 points over #48-Jimmie Johnson.(NASCAR Statistics)(4-30-2011)

Penalty Report - Richmond:
Car#, Lap, Infraction, Flag, Penalty, Lap Assessed
46, Pre-Race to the rear, Tail of Field, Engine
22, 237, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, Tail of Field, 244
22, 237, Speed-Entering pits, Y, Tail of Field, 244
09, 279, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, Tail of Field, 284
2, 293, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, Garage
17, 301, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, Tail of Field, 304
27, 301, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, Tail of Field, 314
5, 301, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, Tail of Field, 314
00, 301, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, Tail of Field, 314
34, 301, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, Tail of Field, 314
00, 309, Too many crewmember(s) in contact with pit service area, Y, Tail of Field, 314
27, 309, Speed-Entering pits, Y, Tail of Field, 314
56, 371, Lug nut(s) not installed, G, Must Come in, 375
56, 375, Speed-Exiting pits, G, Pass Thru, 379
(NASCAR Statistics)(4-30-2011)

Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Richmond: (and their finish)
Caution 1: #2-Keselowski, 36th
Caution 2: #88-Earnhardt Jr., 19th
Caution 3: #6-Ragan, 6th
Caution 4: #14-Stewart, 9th
Caution 5: #31-Burton, 16th
Caution 6: #27-Menard, 37th
Caution 7: #48-Johnson, 8th
Caution 8: #36-Blaney, 13th
(4-30-2011)

Pit Road Times
Richmond International Raceway
Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400
Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Sat, April 30, 2011 @ 11:20 PM Eastern

Race Coverage of the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 2011.
Television (TV): FOX at 7:30 pm/et; pre-race show at 7:00 pm/et; green flag approx 7:43pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 128
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
SPEED, Wednesday, May 4 at 12:00pm/et

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway have been made.
Pole sitter #42-Montoya chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #78-Smith took pit stall 17, the next stall with an opening in front of it.
#33-Bowyer, who starts 3rd took the 30th pit stall, the next stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #09-Cassill, who starts 34th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(4-30-2011)

NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.(2-11-2010)

Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.(10-11-2009)

See Jayski's - 2011 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race

Montoya wins Richmond pole: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya won the Coors Light pole for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway with a speed of 128.693mph. It is his 2nd pole of the season and the 7th of his career, Montoya has never won from the pole. #78-Smith starts 2nd followed by #33-Bowyer, #4-Kahne, #5-Martin, #24-Gordon, #2-Keselowski, #99-Edwards, #20-Logano and #27-Menard.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #30-Stremme, #66-McDowell, #87-Nemechek, #38-Kvapil, #36-Blaney, #60-Skinner, #46-Yeley and #37-Raines.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (1): #92-Keselowski.
See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Richmond Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(4-29-2011)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Richmond:
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 57th Annual CROWN ROYAL Presents The Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 with a lap of 20.989 seconds, 128.639 mph.
This is his seventh pole in 154 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his second pole and second top-10 start in 2011.
This is his first pole in nine races at Richmond International Raceway.
#78-Regan Smith (second) posted his seventh top-10 start of 2011 and his first in six races at Richmond International Raceway.
#33-Clint Bowyer (third) posted his third top-10 start at Richmond International Raceway. It is his fourth in nine races this season.
#71-Andy Lally (41st) was the fastest qualifying rookie.(NASCAR Statistics)(4-29-2011)

Coverage of Qualifying for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is scheduled for Friday, April 29, 2011 at 5:35pm/et.
Television (TV): SPEED, 5:30pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 128, via nascar.com only
Jayski.com: Jayski's Richmond Qualifying Page
Qualifying Re-Air: on SPEED at 11:00pm/et

Qualifying Order for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is posted. 44 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers will qualify at the end of the session, once the top-35 drivers are done.
The first of the top-35 drivers scheduled to go out is #7-Gordon.
The final top-35 driver scheduled to go out is #88-Earnhardt Jr.
The first go-or-go homer scheduled to qualify [36th] is #46-Yeley with the final driver scheduled to qualify being #60-Skinner.
Qualifying order is set by practice speeds, with the top 35 drivers going out from slowest to fastest, then the non-top 35 drivers go out, slowest to fastest from practice.
See the full qualifying order on the Richmond Qualifying Page.(4-29-2011)

Friday's Happy Hour practice: for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is over, after 45 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and any notes:
#42-Montoya 125.360
#29-Harvick 125.354
#99-Edwards 125.145
#78-Smith 124.867
#33-Bowyer 124.378
slowest: #46-Yeley 113.203 & #7-Gordon 120.773
incident: #46-Yeley lost an engine early in the session.
See speeds, laps run, aveage speed, best ave 10 laps on the Richmond Practice Speeds Page.(4-29-2011)

Happy Hour Practice rank for the non top-35 drivers at Richmond:
if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#60-Mike Skinner, 17th
#30-David Stremme, 24th
#36-Dave Blaney, 30th
#38-Travis Kvapil, 32nd
#66-Michael McDowell, 35th
#37-Tony Raines, 37th
#87-Joe Nemechek, 39th
#92-Brian Keselowski, 42nd
these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
#46-J.J. Yeley, 44th, lost an engine early in Happy Hour

Friday's first practice: for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is over, after 120 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and any notes:
#88-Earnhardt Jr. 125.465
#99-Edwards 125.313
#33-Bowyer 124.994
#27-Menard 124.711
#39-Newman 124.608
slowest: #71-Lally 120.085 & #92-Keselowski 120.930
incident: #11-Hamlin scraped the wall, but no major damage.
See speeds, laps run, aveage speed, best ave 10 laps on the Richmond Practice Speeds Page.(4-29-2011)

Practice rank for the non top-35 drivers:
if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#87-Joe Nemechek, 19th
#60-Mike Skinner, 27th
#36-Dave Blaney, 28th
#30-David Stremme, 29th
#66-Michael McDowell, 35th
#38-Travis Kvapil, 38th
#37-Tony Raines, 40th
#46-J.J. Yeley, 42nd
these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
#92-Brian Keselowski, 43rd

Wood Brothers to skip next three races: #21-Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers team, who have planned a limited Sprint Cup schedule this year, will skip the next three Sprint Cup races and return to the track on May 21 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with sponsorship from the Good Sam Club. Bayne and the Woods are guaranteed a starting spot in the All-Star race because of their victory in the season-opening Daytona 500.(Wood Brothers Racing)(4-20-2011)

The Entry List for the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is posted, 44 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
NOTE: the #21 is NOT entered, so the #71 moves into a guaranteed starting spot.
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#30-David Stremme (0/0)
#36-Dave Blaney (37/8)
#37-Tony Raines (38/8)
#38-Travis Kvapil (39/8)
#46-J.J. Yeley (41/8)
#60-Mike Skinner (45/8)
#66-Michael McDowell (41/8)
#87-Joe Nemechek (43/8)
#92-Brian Keselwoski (46/4)
In the event that all practices and qualifying are all rained out or cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 36,37,38,46,66,87,60,92
missing the race would be [1]: #'s 30
See the full entry list at my Jayski's Richmond Entry List.(4-25-2011)

Top-35 in Owner Points: going to Richmond (after 8 races):
There were no changes to the top 35, but the #13 team is now just 2 points ahead of #71.
31) #78-Smith/FRR, 142, +28
32) #21-Bayne/Wood Brothers, 140, +26
33) #7-RGordon/RGM, 128, +14
34) #32-Schrader/FAS Lane, 120, +6
35) #13-Mears/Germain, 116, 2 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #71-Lally/TRG, 114, -2 out of top 35
37) #36-Blaney/TBR, 105, -11
38) #37-Raines/Front Row, 87, -19
39) #38-Kvapil/Front Row, 77, -29
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(4-17-2011)

2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Talladega, race 8 of 36]:
rank, car#, driver, points, behind
1) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 295
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 290, -5
3) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 276, -19
4) #29-Kevin Harvick [2 wins], 268, -27
5) #22-Kurt Busch, 267, -28
6) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 257, -38
7) #39-Ryan Newman, 253, -42
8) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 252, -43
9) #42-Juan Montoya, 246, -49
10) #33-Clint Bowyer, 245, -50
11) #27-Paul Menard, 242, -53
12) #14-Tony Stewart, 240, -55
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(4-17-2011)

After the 5th race of the season, the current season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - First 35 by current Owner Points [team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Last Years Cup Champ or the Event Champion if not already in the field
#3) - Car Owners whose team has won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#4) - Drivers who have won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#5) - Past Nextel Cup Champions not in by 1 thru 4
#6) - Qualifying Attempts with Owners points as the tie breaker
#7) - NASCAR will hold a draw for teams with no owners points
(all above apply as long as the team was entered by the entry deadline - usually 7-13 days before the race)

Past Champions Limited To 6 Provisional Berths in Sprint Cup: See my 2011 Past Champions Provisional Page for more

Chassis selections for Richmond: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Richmond International Raceway this weekend on the Richmond Race Info page - Chassis selection area:
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the #1 McDonald's team will bring chassis #1008 to RIR this weekend. This chassis was last used by Bono and gang in February at Phoenix International Raceway where McMurray started eighth and finished 35th. This chassis visited last year's spring (started 13th, finished 24th) and fall race (started fifth, finished 10th) in Phoenix. Chassis #1008 also ran both races at New Hampshire in 2010. McMurray started the June Loudon race in the 27th spot and finished in the 18th position. He started the September Loudon race in the fourth position and finished third. McDonald's Hamburger University celebrates its 50th anniversary since the opening in 1961, where 15 students graduated in the first class. Over five decades, it has grown into a world-class global center to develop and train employees as well as establish consistent restaurant standards around the world. To date, more than 275,000 McDonald's franchisees, employees and suppliers have graduated from the university worldwide. The school offers a restaurant manager curriculum, a mid-management leadership curriculum, and programs for executive development.
#2-Brad Keselowski: The #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-736 during Saturday's Crown Royal presents the Mathew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Keselowski last drove this chassis to a 15th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in February. The featured tag line on the bumper of the "Blue Deuce" this weekend in Richmond will be "Man Up, Choose On Taste." The great taste of Miller Lite has consistently racked up awards at beer festivals around the world.
#6-David Ragan: Primary: RK-755 is a brand new chassis; The backup is RK-730 last ran Las Vegas and finished 22nd. UPS employee, Doug Bonovitch, will deliver the green flag for Saturday night's race in Richmond. Bonovitch has worked at UPS for 27 years and was selected for this honor for his outstanding safety record.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 728 for the 400-lap event at Richmond International Raceway. This Dewalt Ford Fusion was run previously this season at Phoenix International Raceway. The Australian Word of the Week: Lollies = Candy.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-587 made its debut in March 2010 at Martinsville, where it qualified fifth and finished 26th after being. With a new body honed in the wind tunnel, it was tested at The Milwaukee Mile June 1 in preparation for its second career start in June at New Hampshire and earned a hard-fought second-place finish. The car returned to New Hampshire for the first event of the 10-race Chase starting 3rd, leading three times for 100 laps, running out of fuel while leading with 2 laps to go and finished 24th. Then the car revisited Martinsville in Oct, where it qualified sixth and rallied back from two pit-road miscues during the race, but a flat right-front tire with less than 10 laps remaining relegated it to a 24th-place finish. With another new body, this car made its first start of 2011 and fifth overall at Phoenix in February. It started 18th and led four times for 59 laps before an ill-timed caution period late in the race jettisoned solid pit strategy and left it with a seventh-place finish. Chassis No. 14-587's second start of 2011 comes this weekend at Richmond.
#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-751 is a brand new chassis, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion.
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 302 will make its second career start in Saturday night's Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway. No. 302 made its debut earlier this month at Martinsville Speedway, where Busch started 11th and led a race-high 151 laps before bringing home a solid third-place finish. Busch will run the M&M's Pretzel colers at RIR.
#20-Joey Logano: and the #20 Home Depot Team is taking chassis #303 to Richmond this weekend for the Crown Royal 400. This chassis has never been raced; however it has seen practice laps this season at Martinsville Speedway. The chassis received extensive damage in practice and a back-up car was utilized for the race. The back-up chassis is chassis #278 which Logano drove most recently at Bristol in March. The Home Depot associates from store #4412 in St. George, Utah store number will ride along with Logano under the lights this weekend on the rear quarter panel of The Home Depot Toyota.
#22-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team will be racing their "PRS-749" Penske Racing #22 Charger in this weekend's action at Richmond International Raceway. This will mark the debut of this chassis in this weekend's action. The "PRS-735" will serve as the backup. It has been raced only once, at Kansas last fall where Busch started ninth and finished 13th.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 342 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #27 Menards / Libman Chevy was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and is making its competitive debut this weekend at the 0.75-mile Virginia facility. Menard tested this car at Walt Disney World Speedway in January.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot chassis No.332 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The #29 Budweiser Chevy team has utilized this car twice so far this year. Earlier this month, Harvick drove this #29 racer to Victory Lane at Martinsville and, in February, he finished fourth in the same car at Phoenix.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 340 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #33 BB&T Chevy has made two appearances at the race track this season. The first was at Phoenix in February, where Bowyer finished 27th after being collected in a multi-car accident on lap 68. Bowyer also drove this chassis earlier this month at Martinsville, leading 91 laps en route to a ninth-place finish. Bowyer's Chevy will sport the maroon and yellow paint scheme of BB&T this weekend under the lights. The Winston-Salem, N.C., corporation has 25 bank branches located in the Richmond area.
#36-Dave Blaney: will pilot the No. 78 chassis the team ran the No. 78 at Phoenix International Raceway and Martinsville Speedway this year. The chassis' best outing was a 25th-place start and 30th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: For the second time this year crew chief Brian Pattie will bring chassis #1109. This chassis was last used in February at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) where Montoya started 22nd and brought home a 19th-place finish.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 736 for this weekend's event at Richmond International Raceway. This Nautica Ford has been run previously this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: will pilot chassis No. 590 in Saturday night's race. He crossed the finish line third with that chassis at Phoenix International Raceway in February. Johnson finished fifth in backup chassis No. 540 at Phoenix International Raceway in Nov. 2010.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-542, the same car Earnhardt drove to a 10th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in February.
#99-Carl Edwards: The #99 team will be bringing chassis RK-756 to Richmond this weekend. This is a brand new chassis with the Scotts EZ Seed paint scheme.
(from team PR's/sites if reported)(4-28-2011)

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Intermediate Radials

Number of Tires:
Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,400, Right-side -- 1,400;
Nationwide: Left-side -- 525, Right-side -- 525

Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 11 sets for the race;
Nationwide: 6 sets for the weekend

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4416; Right-side -- D-4432

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.4 in.; Right-side -- 88.6 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 20 psi; Left Rear -- 20 psi;
Right Front -- 30 psi; Right Rear -- 30 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 12 psi; Left Rear -- 12 psi;
Right Front -- 30 psi; Right Rear -- 27 psi

Estimated Pit Window: Every 95-100 laps, based on fuel mileage (Sprint Cup).

Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same tire codes at Richmond this weekend . . . teams in both of these series ran this same combination of left- and right-side tires at Phoenix earlier this season. . . this tire set-up came out of a Goodyear tire test at Richmond last October 12-13. . . drivers participating in that test were Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton and Regan Smith . . . compared to what was run at Richmond last season, this left-side tire features a slight construction change, while this right-side tire features a softer compound . . . both changes are designed to give the cars more grip . . . NASCAR teams will also race on this same tire set-up at New Hampshire this season . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Richmond.