Notebook: Hot and cold alike target Richmond for win

By Monte Dutton

mdutton@gastongazette.com

            RICHMOND, Va. - Plenty of drivers arrive at Richmond International Raceway carrying considerable incentive.

            Some are riding waves of achievement. Kyle Busch, who has won seven races in NASCAR's three major touring series, lacks only a short-track victory to complete a cycle of sorts. He's won in the Nationwide Series on a road course (Mexico City), at the Sprint Cup level in a "plate race" (Talladega), at intermediate tracks (Texas, Atlanta, California) and on a mile track (Phoenix). By series, Busch has won three in the Nationwide Series and two apiece in Cup and Craftsman Truck.

            Denny Hamlin, from nearby Chesterfield, Va., won for the first time in his home state at Martinsville. He finished second at RIR in 2006 and is coming off five straight finishes of sixth or better, including the Martinsville victory.

            Then there's the incentive of adversity. Neither Dale Earnhardt Jr. nor Tony Stewart - both with three Richmond victories - has won this year, and Earnhardt has gone through 71 consecutive races over three seasons without winning. The Dan Lowry 400 marks the two-year anniversary of his most recent victory, on May 6, 2006, here.

            Reigning champion Jimmie Johnson won both Richmond races last year.

Rested and relaxed

            Crew chief Bob Osborne, suspended for six races by NASCAR after Carl Edwards' winning car flunked a post-race inspection in Las Vegas, is calling the shots again here.

"Most times, when a crew chief is suspended, it disrupts the chemistry of the team," said Osborne, "but our core group is a strong bunch of guys who were able to continue on with minimal disruption."

            Edwards won at Texas in Osborne's absence.

Second home

            Though Nationwide Series driver Brad Coleman is from Houston, Texas, he spent his teen-aged years in Virginia, living and training with his racing mentor, Price Cobb, in Danville. He moved to Virginia at age 14.

"The people in Virginia are great people, and it's a beautiful state," said Coleman. "I very much at home when we pull into Richmond, even though I have only raced once on this track."

Tony's fave

            Stewart's first career victory was at this track in 1999, and strictly defining Richmond in terms of enjoyment, he said it's his favorite track.

"It's not one of them," he said, "It's the favorite track of mine on the circuit. I've won two Truck races and three Cup races here. It's where I got my first win. It's definitely a place I enjoy coming to, and considering how it factors into the Chase, it's definitely an important stop for us."

Worth noting

            Kevin Harvick has finished in the top 10 in six straight races at RIR. ... So far, Ford and Toyota are tied with three victories each. Chevrolet has two, Dodge one. ... Three generations of Pettys have won at Richmond. Richard leads all drivers with 13 victories. Kyle won here on Feb. 23, 1983, his first career win, and his grandfather, Lee, won the very first Richmond race in 1953 and again in 1960.

            Johnny Sauter once again draws the assignment in the Haas CNC No. 70 here. Ken Schrader, who drove that car at Talladega, moves into the Ganassi No. 40, subbing for injured Dario Franchitti. ... Lowe's Motor Speedway is having new SAFER barriers installed on the inside of the back straight for its two upcoming events, the Sprint All-Star Race on May 17 and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25. ... Who's Dan Lowry? The namesake of Saturday night's race won a contest sponsored by Crown Royal. Last year it was the Jim Stewart 400. Presented by Crown Royal, of course.

            Clint Bowyer won Richmond's Nationwide Series race, now titled Lipton Tea 250, last year. That race is tonight at 7:30. Bowyer leads the standings by 27 over Carl Edwards. Both have won at RIR in the past. ... Kyle Busch and Stewart have each won three Nationwide Series races so far. ... A Nationwide "specialist," Mike Bliss, has reached fifth spot in the standings. ... Key Motorsports has entered former series champion Jeff Green in the Lipton Tea 250.

            Tonight's race marks race No. 200 in the Nationwide Series for Kevin Harvick. ... Kyle Busch's average Cup finish at Richmond is 6.2. Hamlin's is 6.5. ... This marks the first time Juan Montoya has ever been in the top 12 of the Cup standings, but Montoya's two previous races at RIR have yielded an average finish of 33.5. ... This race is the Cup Series' 10^th of the year. The other Richmond race is No. 26, making it the final race of the regular season.

            You can reach Monte Dutton at mdutton@gastongazette.com.