NASCAR Xfinity Series at Richmond 2015: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
There are few things more exciting when it comes to NASCAR than short-track races, and fans will get the opportunity to watch a thrilling showdown between marquee names at Richmond International Raceway Friday.
The Xfinity Series hits Richmond for the Toyota Care 250 on the 0.75-mile oval track, and stars such as Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott will look to add to their 2015 resumes.
Here is a look at the complete schedule for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Richmond, as well as the Xfinity Series standings entering the race:
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| FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 | 08:00 AM ET | PRACTICE 1 | -- | -- |
| FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 | 03:30 PM ET | QUALIFYING | -- | FOXSPORTS 1 |
| FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 | 07:30 PM ET | TOYOTACARE 250 | MRN | FOXSPORTS1 |
| 1 | Chris Buescher | 258 |
| 2 | Ty Dillon | 258 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 246 |
| 4 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | 236 |
| 5 | Ryan Reed | 220 |
| 6 | Elliott Sadler | 215 |
| 7 | Brendan Gaughan | 211 |
| 8 | Regan Smith | 211 |
| 9 | Brian Scott | 205 |
| 10 | Daniel Suarez | 202 |
One of the biggest stories for Friday’s race is the return of Johanna Long to the Xfinity Series. She has not started an Xfinity race since 2013, although she attempted to race in Daytona in February (and ultimately could not because of a lack of sponsorship).
She did start 41 races in the 2012 and 2013 seasons in the NASCAR Nationwide (which is now the Xfinity Series) and finished a career-best 12th place three times.
Team owner Mike Affarano discussed her return to the track, per Jerry Bonkowski of NBCSports.com: “I am confident Johanna will be competitive. She has a very loyal and supportive fan base that is anxious to see her back in the series.”
Outside of Long, Sprint Cup stars such as Harvick, Logano, Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin will also race Friday in the Xfinity Series event. Harvick has seven Xfinity victories at Richmond in his formidable career.
In fact, Harvick has been nothing short of excellent during his past five Xfinity Series races in the 2015 calendar year. He won the Hisense 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, finished in third place at the Axalta 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, won the Drive4Clots.com 300 and finished in seventh place in the Drive to Stop Diabetes 300.
The Atlanta victory was Harvick’s third Xfinity win in a row there, while Logano was the runner-up the past two years.
Logano commented on how he wants to continue racing Xfinity, but The Associated Press weighed in on how difficult beating the proven Harvick truly is on NASCAR’s second-tier series (via ESPN.com): “Good luck beating Harvick, the defending Sprint Cup champion and a 45-time winner in the Xfinity cars.”
That is what the entire field must deal with Friday, and there is no reason to think Harvick’s pattern of top-10 finishes will change given his history of success at Richmond.
What’s more, one of his biggest competitors on paper outside of Logano would have been Kyle Busch. Busch’s first career Xfinity win came at Richmond back in 2004, and he is more than comfortable dealing with the quick turns and short-track traffic. However, Busch is still out with a fractured right leg and left foot from his accident at Daytona in February.
Outside of Logano, Elliott figures to challenge Harvick Friday, considering the fact that he is currently third in the Xfinity standings. He boasts three top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes in seven starts this year and has been one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit.
Elsewhere, standings leader Chris Buescher has four top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes in seven starts, while Dillon (who is tied with Buescher atop the standings) has three top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes in seven starts.
Harvick has a history of success at Richmond and has been red-hot when he races on the Xfinity Series. He may be the safe bet, but the field is loaded with competitors.
Throw in the overall unpredictability that comes with every short-track race, and the Toyota Care 250 is appointment viewing this year.
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