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click for more images  2008 Dan Lowry 400 presented by Crown Royal at Richmond International Raceway Logo Courtesy of NASCAR New posts to the NASCAR Racing forums:2008 Dan Lowry 400 presented by Crown Royal at Richmond International Raceway2008 Dan Lowry 400 presented by Crown Royal:This weekend the Sprint Cup stars will race under the lights on Saturday night. The series will return to its short-track racing roots once again as Richmond International Raceway will play host.Tickets:Speedway ticket office (866) 455-RACEBuy online from TicketsNow (direct link) The Track:The 3/4-mile D-shaped oval has just 14 degrees of banking in the corners but it is enough banking to provide great racing. While the other short tracks on the circuit (Martinsville and Bristol) tend to force drivers to hug the inside line to be fast, Richmond has multiple grooves. Drivers can run side-by-side for laps on end with no clear advantage to either lane.Race Distance:400 laps = 300 milesThe Big Picture:Jeff Burton maintained his point lead last week in Talladega but second place Kyle Busch narrowed the lead to just thirteen points with his victory.Juan Pablo Montoya jumped into the top twelve with his strong second place run. He bumped Kasey Kahne from an all-important Chase qualifying spot. The top twelve:
Storylines:Last week Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of the favorites as he is a well-known restrictor plate ace. Junior came up empty last week. Now the series returns to the site of his last Sprint Cup victory.Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won three times in Richmond but hasn't won anywhere since this race back in 2006. The pressure is starting to mount. Is Junior as good as his marketing? Media Coverage:TV: FX Saturday, May 3rd, 7:00PM Eastern.Radio: MRN and SIRIUS Satellite Actual Race: 7:30PM Eastern Recent Events:2007 Winner: Jimmie Johnson 2007 Polesitter: Jeff Gordon Last Year:In 2007 rain caused the race to run on Sunday after an aborted start in the Saturday night rain. When it finally got underway Hendrick Motorsports drivers dominated the event.Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch battled door-to-door for much of the final 100 laps. Johnson finally squeezed past Busch for the lead and the win with just 18 laps to go. Predictions:Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing drivers dominated the racing in Richmond last year. The 2007 Crown Royal 400 saw those two teams sweep the top four spots.Jimmie Johnson swept both races here in 2007 and makes a very strong pick this weekend in Richmond. For my backup I am going with the "third" Gibbs driver. Denny Hamlin finished 3rd and 6th in the two Richmond races last year. He has been strong throughout 2008 and makes a great backup pick this week. New posts to the NASCAR Racing forums: |
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