Beat The Experts: Federated Auto Parts 400 At Richmond
By Cole Mentzel
The final weekend before the Chase has arrived and the Sprint Cup Series will be in Richmond. Though Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer hold the final five spots, there will be a total of 21 drivers in in the mix on Saturday night.
Most of the drivers on the outside of the Chase will need a win to make it in since they don’t have enough points to compete with the drivers on the bubble. All who are not locked into the Chase will be going as hard as they can go this weekend, which will set up a perfect racing atmosphere with tons of competition.
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The BTF staff gives their predictions for the race:
Cole Mentzel – Brad Keselowski – After an incredible run last weekend at Darlington, Keselowski was not able to pull together a win. That will change at Richmond. He won there last year and is due for another win. It seems like a track and a situation that fits his style of racing so I believe he will make it to Victory Lane on Saturday night.
John Harlow – Tony Stewart – My pick would’ve been Denny Hamlin but not after he tore his ACL. I’ll go with Tony Stewart because I would like to see him in the Chase.
Mike Hutton – Kyle Busch – I still think he has more to prove. With a Chase spot already secured, he now wants to get his 5th win of the season and not just go into the Chase but go in as the #1 seed. Busch has a history of being very aggressive here (i.e. his 8 tires are better than 4 move on Dale Earnhardt Jr. a few years ago) and has nothing to lose. He has never won the fall race at Richmond, despite his 4 victories in the spring.
Claire Steen – Tony Stewart – This is Richmond, anything can happen and on three occasions, he’s ben fastest to the checkered flag. He also has 19 top ten finishes at this track and has always had a knack for short track racing. I’m thinking we will witness Smoke up to his old school winning antics this weekend.
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Underdog of the Weekend – Kasey Kahne – He virtually has to win to make the Chase and with a winning team in Hendrick Motorsports behind him, you can never count him out. Kahne won at Richmond back in 2005, so he understands what it takes to win here. He could shock NASCAR by winning and pushing someone out of the Chase picture.
With the regular season coming to a close, this race will determine the season results for many drivers. Short track racing is some of the most exciting racing in NASCAR and with so much on the line, fans will be on edge. It’s going to be emotional and filled with twists and turns. We’ll get to see a glimpse of the Chase at Richmond.
Who do you think will win at Richmond? Leave a comment below and let us know!