After a two-week Olympic break, NASCAR is back in action, and the excitement is heating up at Richmond Raceway. In the Truck Series Worldwide Express 250, Christian Eckes and Corey Heim went head-to-head for the playoff lead. While Eckes had the upper hand for most of the race, it was Majeski who capitalized on some dramatic late-race incidents to make his move. As we shift to the Cup Series, all eyes are on NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin, who’s the fan favorite at Richmond and will start from the front.

The track holds special significance for Hamlin, not just because it’s his hometown, but also due to his impressive track record here. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has celebrated five career wins at this short track and is eager to add another victory to his resume. Hamlin previously clinched the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond earlier this year, and he’s determined to keep that winning momentum going. He recently shared his enthusiasm for having Richmond as part of the playoff season, highlighting how much he values the advantage of racing on his home turf.

More expectations from the hometown race

Richmond has always been special for Hamlin; being his hometown track, he enjoys a lot of support from fans. Hamlin is eyeing a win in the upcoming race as he is looking for his 6th victory lane at the Richmond Raceway. If the #11 manages to get the victory, it will become his second-most win at one track after Pocono, where he has 7 wins. The Joe Gibbs racer has had tremendous success at the mighty Richmond track and has led a total of 2,243 laps there, fourth-most of all-time behind the legendary Richard Petty, and has also managed to finish 19 times in the top 5 at the Richmond Raceway.

With such big numbers, Denny Hamlin will look to defend his Richmond win of the 2024 season. In the qualifying round, his best speed was 118.162, narrowly edging over teammate Martin Truex Jr., who finished the qualification in P2, with his fastest speed of 117.822 mph. A show of complete JGR dominance!

At the Richmond Raceway, Denny Hamlin’s hometown advantage has worked perfectly. If it was up to him, he would put the Richmond race in the playoffs too. In a press conference, Hamlin talked on the same lines; he said, “Of course I am biased. I would love to see Richmond in the playoffs for hometown reasons. But the on-track success certainly plays a role as well so yes I would love to but it really amounts to kind of how they want to put the pieces of the puzzle of the playoffs and the season together.”

Speaking of others in the playoff, desperate for a win, two drivers from the bubble have qualified in the top 10 positions, including Chris Buescher in P7 and continuing on a consistency journey, Bubba Wallace in P8. However, Ross Chastain, who also desperately needed a win, missed out on the qualification. Now, the question arises, this will be the race where he loses the mild cushion he’s been holding onto in the points table?

Ross Chastain’s chances dwindling in Richmond

Trending

Reality Struck Shane van Gisbergen Has His Playoffs Chances Cut Short Even Before His Full Time Debut in 2025

NASCAR Fans Left Praying as Town of the “World’s Fastest 1/2 Mile” Declared a Site of “Mass Casualty”

NASCAR Fans Back Kyle Busch’s Son’s Desperate Plea Amidst Denny Hamlin’s ‘Bad Luck’ Reluctance

“My Body Needed Time”: Tony Stewart’s Wife, Leah, Discloses Her Roadblocks to Motherhood Amid Racing Dilemma

Cole Custer Drops 5-Word Confession as He Hands Tony Stewart & Co Another Championship Crown

Ross Chastain‘s 2022 rookie season with Trackhouse Racing was a breakout year, culminating in a Championship 4 appearance at Phoenix. Building on that success, he earned two wins in 2023. However, this year has presented new challenges, and fans eagerly await a resurgence in the final races starting with Richmond. But that doesn’t seem to be happening, as he’s finished in the 22nd position in qualifying. Starting position is crucial in any race, and climbing up from that far behind will be challenging for Chastain.

Chastain is only +7 points above the cutoff line in the 16th position. He is barely hanging on as Bubba Wallace is fast approaching. Bubba is only -7 below the cut-off line in the 17th position. Wallace will start the Richmond race way ahead of Chastain in the 8th position. The Trackhouse racer has struggled to find consistency in the current season. In his last four races, he finished 33rd, 22nd, 36th, and 15th at the most recent race at the Indianapolis Speedway.

Additionally, according to a recent analysis by Eric Estepp, Ross Chastain has dropped his average finish position in the last four races. Estepp said, “Ross Chastain has an average finish of 26.5 in the last four races.” Although the race is yet to take place, things can change for Ross Chastain. As for now, he’s failed to get a good starting position at a very crucial race, as we are in the race to the playoffs with only four races left in the regular season.