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Odds and Ends - Richmond
September 3, 2008
By VI News
VegasInsider.com
Richmond International Raceway
History
Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a .5-mile dirt track.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on April 19, 1953.
The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.
The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.
The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.
The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.
Track was re-measured to .500-miles in April; then to .542-miles in September 1969.
The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond was Feb. 20, 1982.
The track was rebuilt as a .750-mile D-shaped oval following the spring race on Feb. 21, 1988.
The first race under permanent lights was held Sept. 7, 1991.
The first season with both races as night races was 1999.
Track Milestones
There have been 104 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond since the track opened in 1953 – 24 on dirt and 39 on the current configuration.
The current 400-lap race length was established on the .542-mile measurement in March 1976.
Buck Baker won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in 1953.
Lee Petty won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race in April 1953.
Davey Allison won the first .750-mile race at Richmond from the pole.
There have been 46 different pole winners, led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty (eight).
Jeff Gordon (five) leads active drivers with five poles.
45 different drivers have posted victories at Richmond, led by Richard Petty (13).
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart (three) lead the active race winners.
Petty Enterprises has won 15 races at Richmond, more than any other car owner.
59 of 104 races at Richmond have been won from the top five starting positions, including 21 from the pole.
Hot Facts
Nine of the past 10 races have been won from the top 10.
The furthest back in the field that a race winner started was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in this season’s spring race.
There have been 10 different pole winners in the past 11 races. Denny Hamlin is the only repeat pole winner in the 11-race period.
Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winner when he won his first race, at Richmond, on February 23, 1986. Richard Petty posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee won the very first Richmond race in 1953.
NASCAR in Virginia
There have been 260 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Virginia:
155 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Virginia.
There have been 18 race winners from Virginia in NASCAR’s three national series:
Richmond International Raceway Data
Race #: 26 of 36 (9-6-08)
Track Size: .75 miles
Banking/Corners:14 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch:8 degrees
Banking/Backstretch:2 degrees
Frontstretch:1,290 feet
Backstretch:860 feet
Driver Rating at Virginia
Kevin Harvick 118.9
Denny Hamlin 114.8
Kyle Busch 110.6
Tony Stewart 102.3
Kasey Kahne 98.2
Ryan Newman 95.4
Kurt Busch 94.0
Clint Bowyer 93.2
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 92.4
Greg Biffle 92.0
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008 races (7 total) at Richmond.
Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Jimmie Johnson (126.298 mph, 21.378 seconds)
2007 race winner: Jimmie Johnson (91.813 mph, 9-8-07)
Track qualifying record: Brian Vickers (129.983, 20.772 seconds, 5-14-04)
Track race record: Dale Jarrett (109.047 mph, 9-6-97)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 85-95 laps, based on fuel mileage
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