NASCAR: Richmond Preview

Image by Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway via FlickrNASCAR is on a tight schedule at Richmond International Raceway this weekend.  The Sprint Cup race, the Air Guard 400, is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC).  The Nationwide race, the Virginia 529 College Savings 250, is already underway (ESPN2).  The Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend; they'll be back next weekend at Loudon.

Unlike past years, there's not a lot of drama going into this final race of the "regular season" over who will make the Chase.  Ten drivers have already qualified.  If 13th place Ryan Newman wins Saturday night and leads the most laps, earning the maximum 195 points, Greg Biffle needs to finish 42nd or better and Clint Bowyer needs to finish 28th or better to make the Chase field.  Bowyer leads Newman by 117 points in the points standings.

Carl Edwards earned the pole for Saturday night's race in the just completed qualifying session.  Edwards ran a lap of 21.13 seconds (127.762 mph), edging Juan Pablo Montoya (21.18 seconds, 127.455 mph).  A. J. Allmendinger will start third, followed by Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann.  Bobby Labonte needed to use the past champion's provisional to make the field.  That meant that the provisional wasn't available for brother Terry, who was making his first attempt with a new team, Stavola Labonte Racing.  Michael McDowell, Todd Bodine, Scott Riggs and Brian Keselowski also failed to make the 43-car field.  (Race lineup)

Mattias Ekstrom will be driving the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota.  The two-time German Touring car champ made his NASCAR debut in June at Infineon Raceway.  This will be Ekstrom's oval debut. Brian Vickers is scheduled to be back in the car next season.