2006 Crown Royal 400:
This week Richmond International Raceway will host the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series for the 2006 Crown Royal 400. This race is a Saturday night short track shootout under the lights. Richmond is a fantastic raceway that allows two full grooves of racing, lots of passing and plenty of action. This race is worth planning your weekend around.
Tickets:
Speedway ticket office (866) 455-RACE
Buy 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 miles
The Big Picture:
This is race 10 of 36. While short track racing can be unpredictable, this race will be a welcome change from the pressure of the restrictor plate. Mark Martin and Kasey Kahne will look to get back on track after both were caught up in "The Big One" last week.
The current points top ten are:
- Jimmie Johnson -0
- Matt Kenseth -21
- Tony Stewart -78
- Kasey Kahne -181
- Mark Martin -184
- Jeff Gordon -221
- Kevin Harvick -256
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -274
- Kyle Busch -317
- Dale Jarrett -328
Storylines:
What a difference a year makes! Kasey Kahne won this race in 2005. This was the first win of his career and his only win of 2005. He struggled for much of 2005 and finished a dismal 23rd in points.
Now in 2006 Kasey Kahne is fourth in points and already has two wins and six top tens in the nine races held so far this season. If not for a hard wreck in Talladega last week he would be even higher in points.
Will 2006 be the year that Kasey Kahne breaks through?
Media Coverage:
TV: FX Saturday, May 6th, 7:00PM Eastern.
Radio: MRN and XM Satellite
Actual Race: 7:30PM Eastern
Posted Awards:
$4,931,502
Last Year:
In 2005 Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne were the class of the field all night long. Stewart had to fight his way back through the field after he spun all by himself while leading but was able to get back to the front.
Kasey Kahne's crew got him out of the pits first during the final round of stops. That was all the advantage that Kahne needed. He used the clear track to his advantage and took the win. This was the very first win of his career.
Predictions:
Tony Stewart had one of the best cars here last year and came close to taking the win. Tony has three career wins in Richmond including back to back wins in this race in 2001 and 2002.
So far in 2006 Stewart has one pole and one win. Both of those came at short track races. (pole at Bristol, win at Martinsville) Tony has won here in the past and his short track program is hooked up in 2006. Tony is the top pick for this weekend.
My backup pick this week is going to the other short track winner from 2006. Kurt Busch put on a strong driving display in Bristol just a few weeks ago to pick up the win there. Plus, lets not forget that Kurt Busch won in Richmond last fall. Add those facts together and you've got a solid backup pick for this weekend's race in Richmond.
