NASCAR Cup race at Richmond: How to watch, starting lineup and weather

NASCAR’s second Cup playoff race will also be the series’ first visit to Richmond Raceway this season. The Federated Auto Parts 400 race is scheduled to go green just after 7:30 p.m. Saturday on NBCSN on the three-quarter-mile short track.

The early race weekend has already been packed with national series events, including Thursday’s Trucks race won by Grant Enfinger and Friday’s Xfinity race won by Justin Allgaier. Saturday’s schedule features a second Xfinity race in the doubleheader weekend for the series. That race, the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 250, is at 2 p.m. on NBCSN.

The early racing means the track will already be worn in by the time the Cup Series gets to it Saturday night. Cup drivers Kyle Busch and Timmy Hill have the advantage of familiarity with the track since they also competed in Friday’s Xfinity race.

Busch finished third, but Richmond isn’t a place Busch is unfamiliar with. He has six Cup wins at the raceway and said he was targeting Richmond and Bristol as tracks to win stages and secure his first race wins of the season. That plan might be hindered slightly for Busch, whose No. 18 Toyota team was issued a penalty after last weekend’s race at Darlington for two loose lug nuts. Busch’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, is suspended for this weekend’s race and will be replaced by Jacob Canter.

The No. 14 Ford team was hit with the same penalty, and Greg Zipadelli will fill in for crew chief Johnny Klausmeier on Saturday to work with driver Clint Bowyer.

It’s a slight blow for Busch, who could likely go head-to-head with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. Both are also strong Richmond runners. Truex won the last two races at the track, while Hamlin finished in the top-five at his hometown raceway.

“Really, the past handful of seasons it has been a really good track for our team,” Truex said. “I think anytime you go to a place that you have had recent success, especially in the playoffs, it’s a bonus.”

The race is 400 laps with stages ending on laps 80, 235 and 400. Kevin Harvick is starting on the pole after winning at Darlington last weekend. Joey Logano is also in the front row following a top-three finish.

WEATHER FOR NASCAR AT RICHMOND

The forecast is cloudy, but not rainy. There is only a slight chance of showers before 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Per AccuWeather.com, that 20 percent chance of rain drops to a five percent chance tonight. The temperature is hovering in the mid- to low-70s.

HOW TO WATCH NASCAR CUP RACE AT RICHMOND

• Race: Federated Auto Parts 400

• Distance: 300 miles, 400 laps (stages end on laps 80, 235 and 400). The track is 0.75 miles long.

• When: Saturday 7:30 p.m.

• TV: NBCSN (broadcast starts at 7 p.m.)

• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

• Last year’s winner: Martin Truex Jr.

STARTING ORDER FOR NASCAR CUP RACE AT RICHMOND

This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 11:36 AM.

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription