Getty Cup Series drivers race at Richmond Raceway.
The top three series in NASCAR return to action to start the month of April. Though they will compete at two different tracks on April 1-2.
The Xfinity Series and Cup Series will both head east after the trip to Circuit of the Americas. They will compete at Richmond Raceway with the Toyota Owners 400 serving as the weekend’s main event. Meanwhile, the Craftsman Truck Series drivers will remain in the Lone Star State as they head to Texas Motor Speedway.
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The Xfinity Series will kick off a doubleheader day on Saturday, April 1. The drivers will compete at Richmond Raceway at 1 p.m. ET (FS1). They will complete 250 laps while battling for the win and a spot in the playoffs.
The weekend’s action will continue as the broadcast shifts to Texas Motor Speedway. The Truck Series drivers will cap off the April 1 schedule with a race at 4:30 p.m. ET (FS1). The series regulars will complete 167 laps while trying to join Zane Smith and Christian Eckes in the playoff picture.
The April 2 schedule will only feature one race. The Toyota Owners 400 will be the main event as it begins at 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1). The Cup Series drivers will complete 400 laps in an event that bears extra significance for members of the Toyota Racing lineup.
There Will Be Less Crossover During the April 1-2 Race Weekend
GettyThe Cup Series returns to Richmond Raceway on April 1-2.
The race weekend at Richmond Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway will feature high-profile battles between prominent drivers. What it will not feature is some crossover between the national series.
There are multiple reasons for this. First, traveling between the two tracks will not be a simple matter for drivers. This means that the No. 51 of Kyle Busch Motorsports will have anchor driver Jack Wood instead of someone like Kyle Busch or William Byron.
The Cup Series and Xfinity Series races will take place at the same track, but there will not be a crossover between these two events. The reason for this is that the ToyotaCare 250 is the first Dash 4 Cash event in which one of four eligible drivers can win $100,000 by securing the best finishing position.
According to NASCAR’s rules, drivers who have not declared for the Xfinity Series points are not eligible to compete in the playoff races, elimination events, the Chicago Street Race, or the Dash 4 Cash races. This means that the Kaulig Racing star car will have Derek Kraus in control instead of a Chevrolet-affiliated Cup Series driver.
The Short Track Package Gets Another Important Test
The trip to Richmond Raceway will be important for the Cup Series. This will be the first true short track on the schedule. The drivers showcased the new short track aero package at Phoenix Raceway and Circuit of the Americas, but Richmond is the first venue under one mile in length.
The trip to Richmond will provide some real answers about whether NASCAR was able to improve the action at short tracks. Will the drivers have less room to make mistakes? Will there be more opportunities to pass in the packed field?
The answer remains unclear even after the trip to Phoenix Raceway. Some drivers said that the new aero package led to improvements on the track, but there were others that were still hesitant to make a strong opinion. The race at Richmond will provide a clearer answer.
“I think there are less places to hide at Richmond as far as when you’re bad, you’re really bad,” Austin Cindric said in a press conference at COTA. “This package, even at Phoenix, even when you were a little bit off, you were really off. I could certainly see Richmond being more of an extreme example and probably the most extreme you’d ever see as far as that’s concerned.
“I think that’s a perfect example of a race weekend that you’re going to have to think the guys that execute and keep up with the track are going to really be able to excel with this package or have the opportunity to excel more with this package than the previous package.”