NASCAR Cup Richmond starting lineup: Ryan Blaney takes pole position
The grid is set for Saturday night's NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway. Team Penske's Ryan Blaney earned pole position in the No. 12 Ford, running a fast lap of 22.225s. He will share the front row with Chase Briscoe in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, who missed the pole by 0.050s. "I appreciate the cloud," said Blaney after practice. "I think a handful of us got the benefit of the…
Richmond Raceway will host the opening race of the 2027 NASCAR Cup Chase, marking a notable shift in the schedule. After a hiatus since the 2021 season, the Virginia short track will now welcome the Chase competition in September, moving up from its previous August date. The race weekend will span September 10-11, with night racing returning to the event.
This will be the first time Richmond has served as the Chase opener, a role it last held as the regular-season finale. The Southern 500 at Darlington will take the Chase's opening spot this year, making it the inaugural Chase race for the newly-formed NASCAR O Reilly Auto Parts Series. Speaking on the significance of the move, Richmond Raceway President Lori Waran expressed excitement about the heightened stakes for participants and an enhanced fan experience.
Richmond has been a fixture on the NASCAR calendar since 1953, cementing its status as one of the sport's most storied tracks.
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