This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series will be short trackin’ at Richmond Raceway in the Toyota Owners 400.

Most times when NASCAR hits the short track, it’s a battle with beating and banging door-to-door and bumper-to-bumper. However, in this race last year the drivers did very little of that beatin’ and bangin’. The race became a strategy race instead. Which version of a race will it be this year on the 3/4-mile track?

Here are the stats for the track and the race.

Richmond Raceway Track Data
Track Size: 0.75-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 14 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 14 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
Frontstretch Length:  1,290 feet
Backstretch Length:  860 feet

Toyota Owners 400 Data
Season Race #: 7 of 36 (04-02-23)
Race Length: 400 laps / 300 miles
Stage 1 Length: 70 laps
Stage 2 Length: 160 laps (ends on Lap 230)
Final Stage Length: 170 laps (ends on Lap 400)

These are the active drivers that have won in NASCAR’s top division at Richmond Raceway.

No matter which type of race this turns out to be (strategy or beatin’ and bangin’), Richmond Raceway tends to favor drivers with experience. That could help Kyle Busch add to his lead as the active driver with the most wins at the track.

This is Kevin Harvick’s last year as a full-time Cup Series driver. He won the fall race last year at Richmond. Perhaps he can make it back-to-back wins at the track.

Denny Hamlin won this race last year by leading only the final five laps of the race because of his race strategy. If the race swings that way, he could do it again.

We will have to watch to see what does actually happen in the Toyota Owners 500 starting at 1:30 p.m. central time (2:30 p.m. eastern time) Sunday, April 2nd at Richmond Raceway.

By: Buck Stevens