FYI WIRZ: NASCAR's Top Point Aces Talk Race 9 at Richmond

Busy drivers in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) compete in 36 scheduled Sprint Cup Series races that count for points during a long season. They also compete in non-points races, the All-Star Race in Charlotte and the Budweiser Shootout in Daytona.

Only four weekends are open or off during the February to November speed show, and next year, with a later start, those off weekends will likely shrink to three. 

This past weekend off for Easter was time for drivers to enjoy family and other interests. Teams often use every available moment to improve their fleet of race cars, and after the holiday many team workers were back at it.

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked in Talladega what he was going to be working on during a rare off weekend to get the pieces of the racing puzzle together, his answer was blunt.

“I ain’t going to work on it,” Earnhardt said. “I’m going to chill.”

That’s probably a good approach for every Sprint Cup competitor with so few weekends off.

The next weekend on is at Richmond International Raceway. The race is the Crown Royal presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400. The 0.75-mile oval track is known for creating just enough exciting speed to cause crashes and triumphs in one bump and bang night. The show will be broadcast on Saturday, April 30 by FOX at 7:30 p.m.   

After their weekend off, the top five drivers in points for the Chase for the Sprint Cup—Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch—had fresh words for the media as they got ready for Richmond.

FYI WIRZ is the select presentation of motorsports topics by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com. Quotes derived from motorsports industry press releases.

Carl Edwards [No. 99 Ford]

“We’re going to Richmond leading the points and we’ve been having a great season,” Edwards said. “I think our team has shown that it can run well on short tracks this season. Going in with the point lead is great. There’s no pressure, just go and have a good time and just race.”

Jimmie Johnson [No. 48 Chevrolet]

“When you come to a track where you have a lot of success and you have a good car and a good baseline, it’s easier to control emotions that you can work your way forward, you can pass people, and it’s the setup you’re looking for,” Johnson said. “So I think a lot of it has to do with the mental status of it. Guys that like certain tracks typically can find a way by without making enemies; and then you’re usually not in a position to defend and to make enemies then, as well.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. [No. 88 Chevrolet]

"I used to race at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) which is real similar to Richmond,” Earnhardt said. “The line there and the track are kind of similar. It reminds me a lot of Myrtle Beach, so I was pretty comfortable as soon as I got there, as soon as I started running laps there. Just rolling the center (is what it takes to be fast at RIR). The car has to turn and cut in the center of the corner and have good drive off, especially in Turn 4. You can spin your tires real bad coming off of (Turn) 4 if you aren’t careful."

Kevin Harvick [No. 29 Chevrolet]

“Richmond has probably been our best track on paper in both divisions,” Harvick said. “We look at that place as if we’re having a bad start, that at least when we go to Richmond, we expect a top 10 out of the car. Richmond has been a very good race track for us. I think it’s just kind of how I was brought up. We just adapted well right off the bat to those types of race tracks.”

Kurt Busch [No. 22 Dodge]

“We have to take the finishing the laps and scoring top-10s and bump it up to the next level,” Busch said. “If we’re gonna be in serious contention come September, we have to start threatening for wins and finishing in the top five. We just have to keep as consistent as we’ve been in finishing the races, but we have to take it to take it up a notch and start getting wins and top-fives.”

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com