Crew chiefs and drivers will have to re-engage the short track mindset for this Saturday’s race at Richmond International Raceway, the first night race of the betting online NASCAR season. A 75-Mile D-Shaped oval that demands communication between chief and driver, RIR is an excellent test for the patience and communication between teams.
On the issue of patience and communication between teams, or teammates in some cases, perhaps the biggest storyline outside of hockey betting heading in to this weekend’s Sprint Cup Series race will be the relationship between Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. The two were involved in an incident this past Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway that led to Gordon’s wrecking and subsequent 22nd place finish. Gordon was furious with Johnson after the race and told reporters that his patience with the 48-car was being tested. The four-time defending SCS champion responded by taking full accountability for the move that led to Gordon’s crash, noting that he was attempting to help his teammate out but miscalculated his timing. The 24-car has wrecked in consecutive races after placing in the top-five in two straight prior to that, and has been a lot more aggressive in recent weeks. That style of driving combined with this latest incident with Johnson could lead to fireworks when these two start their engines at a track known for tempers flaring, and player betting on boxing and not racing.
Contact is as inevitable as the NBA finals odds at RIR, something that comes naturally on a track that demands close driving and tons of rubbing, so it will be critical for drivers to maintain that balance of not being careless, but not being too careful either. Last year’s winners Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin did an excellent job of illustrating that, not only placing first but also each finishing in the top-three in laps led. Hamlin finished first, while Busch finished third. Who was the driver that split the two winners up in laps led? Jeff Gordon. Busch particularly has run well in Richmond, placing in the top-ten in all ten starts, and after closing the gap between him and Johnson for first spot in the standings to just 160 points with his third consecutive top-ten finish, the 18-car will be gunning for top spot once again.
In order to get there, Busch will have to leapfrog three other drivers, including Talladega Superspeedway winner Kevin Harvick. Harvick’s improbably slingshot move on the final turn at Talladega rocketed him past Jamie McMurray for his first win of the NASCAR season, and sixth top-ten finish in ten races to move in to second in the standings, only 26 points behind Johnson for the lead. In 18 races at Richmond, the RCR-driver does have one trip to victory lane, but a season ago placed 34th in May, and ninth in September with problems finding the rhythm of the track. Harvick will need to level out and solve this grinder once more to hold position in the standings as NASCAR battles for ratings with the Kentucky Derby Winners. Only 73 points separates him from Matt Kenseth in fourth place in the Sprint Cup Series, with Greg Biffle only 60 back.
Pick: Kyle Busch
