Martin Truex Jr was the first driver of this year’s Playoff crop to punch his ticket to the next round. Joey Logano was strong in that one, too, and Kevin Harvick finished 2nd. Tonight the boys head to Richmond, VA, and a hot contest under the lights. Who will be next to guarantee advancement?
Here’s what to look for:
Ford Performance – #NASCAR | #Ford goes 2-for-2 in qualifying today @RichmondRaceway as @keselowski wins the pole for tomorrow’s @MonsterEnergy Cup race. #NASCARPlayoffs #Federated400 (Source: @FordPerformance)
–Brad Keselowski (7.8 over the last ten Richmond races) is our Unofficial Polesitter heading into the Federated Auto Parts 400. This is a track that gets especially busy through the middle of the field, so being out front will be great for him. He won this race way back in 2014, but has had a few Top 10s since then. Keep an eye on the Blue Deuce tonight.
HBPRacing – Today, @KevinHarvick heads east, and he’s bringing the west coast heat! Let’s show ‘em how it’s done at @RichmondRaceway. #HBPRacing #Federated400 #4TheCup #NASCARplayoffs (Source: @hbpRacing)
–Kevin Harvick, last week’s runner-up, will start Outside Pole. He sports a 6.2 over the last ten races, 2nd best among active drivers. This is a whole bunch of 2’s for the #4, he’ll be trying hard to be #1 tonight.
Martin Truex Jr. – YES! Awesome way to start the #NASCARPlayoffs!! Unbelievable job by our @BassProShops team! #TeamToyota (Source: @MartinTruex_Jr)
–Martin Truex Jr won this race in the Spring, and he might take this one home, too. Locking into the next round via only applies to those who haven’t yet won in the current round, and doubling up certainly isn’t out of the question.
Kyle Busch – I nodded my head, gave a slight wave and said hi while still walking to media session b4 qualifying. Didn’t hear u ask me to stop or if u could get a photo like these fine folks did as I obliged. Boo on https://twitter.com/Jwilliams8825/status/1175197578021023744 … (Source: @KyleBusch)
–Kyle Busch swept both Richmond races in 2018, and followed that up with an 8th earlier this year. He’s got a pretty good average here, too, a 6.9. Probably a pretty good bet tonight, especially considering how he did last week at Las Vegas. Rowdy will be extra aggressive, and looking for clean air early. The #18 rolls off 4th.
Joey Logano – Cup qualifying is set for tomorrow’s @nascar night race at @RichmondRaceway. Starting P28. #NASCARPlayoffs (Source: @joeylogano)
–Joey Logano (who we mentioned briefly up there) actually has the best average of all drivers here over the last ten races, a mystifying 5.5! He won the 2017 Spring race, and has nine Top 10s over that span. He finished 2nd back in the Spring, looking to improve on that tonight.
Richmond Raceway – It’s a classic day for a race here in the Commonwealth. #Federated400 #NASCARPlayoffs #ALLINRICHMOND (Source: @RichmondRaceway)
Coverage of the race starts on NBCSN at 7:30pm, green flag scheduled for 7:44pm.
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