THANK YOU FANS
Thank you for helping us close out the NASCAR regular season in style! You've proven time and time again that you're the best fans in motorsports, and it wouldn't have been the season it was without you.

 We want to give you an inside look about everything that went down during the Federated Auto Parts 400 weekend - so be sure to check out the RIR Race Hub, and check back in with us throughout the Chase for interesting storylines and the inside scoop of what's happening in our sport!
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Welcome back race fans! It was an exciting time out at your favorite short track for the 2015 Federated Auto Parts race weekend. To relive some of the best sites, sounds and stories from the Last Race to Make the Chase, check out our Race Hub below!

Post-Race Party - The Battle is Set
On Saturday, September 12th, the stage was set for a 10-week battle between 16 driver nations that would crown the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. The field was set in Richmond, and we're so glad to have had you along for the ride. And while the night was filled with confetti, smiles and cheers all around, eyes now turn to Chicagoland and the first race in the Chase.
Saturday September 12 - Federated Auto Parts 400

Matt Kenseth Wins 2015 Federated Auto Parts 400
Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, scored his fourth win of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at the Federated Auto Parts 400 "under the lights" at RIR Saturday. 

In dominating fashion, Kenseth led 352 laps tonight leading to his victory over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch, who finished second tonight. Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. rounded out the top five.

The victory in the "Last Race to Make the Chase" moved Kenseth to the second seed on the Chase Grid. Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Paul Menard, and Clint Bowyer raced their way into the Chase tonight at RIR. All 16 drivers who made the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup took to the stage at Post-Race Party. Confetti, pyro, thunder sticks, and big heads made fans pumped up to see all 16 drivers in one place for the first time. These drivers will move on to the Challenger Round, and battle it out to see who will be crowned the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.
Sights From The Day

Numbers You Need to Know:
Department of Veteran's Affairs Pole Qualifier: Joey Logano; 21.349; 126.470
NSCS Fastest Practice: Kevin Harvick; 21.526; 125.430

Media Interviews


Federated Auto Parts 400 Winner Matt Kenseth


Chase for the Sprint Cup Qualifier Kevin Harvick


Chase for the Sprint Cup Qualifiers Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson,
Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray

The Stories You're Hearing:
• Now or Never: This is it. For those winless drivers, there’s one more chance to lock up a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Eleven drivers already have clinched a Chase spot. For four others – Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Paul Menard – certain finishes will lock up a spot no matter who wins the race. For others, it’s likely a win-or-else proposition. 
• Clinch Scenarios for Richmond: Jamie McMurray will lock up his first career Chase berth simply by starting the race on Saturday. For three others, it’s a little tougher. Ryan Newman clinches with a top- 31 finish; Jeff Gordon with a top-17; and Paul Menard with a top-nine. If there’s a new winner, a Richmond win is realistically the only path to the Chase for winless drivers beyond Menard.
• Bonus Points Still Up for Grabs: For those 11 drivers who have locked up a Chase spot, there’s still plenty on the line – in the form of three Chase bonus points for a victory. After the race at Richmond, each Chase driver will have his/her points reset to 2,000, with three bonus points tacked on for each win during the regular season. Currently, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, both with four wins, would enter the Chase with the most points (2,012).


Friday, September 11 - Virginia529 College Savings 250 XFINITY Series 

 Chase Elliott Wins the 2015 Virginia529 College Savings 250
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, took home his first checkered flag of the XFINITY series season at RIR Friday, winning the 2015 Virginia529 College Savings 250. It was also Elliott's first win at RIR, who managed to hold off a late surge from a determined Kyle Busch down the stretch. 

"It's been a really solid weekend overall," said Elliott. "You never know when you'll get back to Victory Lane, so we'll try to take the momentum and learn from what we did so we're even better next time."

The victory marked the first time a non-full time Cup driver won the Richmond XFINITY Series event in over 10 years. It was actually Busch, race pole-sitter and runner-up, who was the last driver to do so - winning the FUNAI 250 back in May 2004. 

But that wasn't the only drought broken tonight, it was also Elliott's first win in 39 races. 

"Chase put the pressure on (himself) this weekend," said JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. "He told me 'If I only won by 21 points last year then I can definitely make some things happen.'"

Rounding out the top-5 were Brian Scott (No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet), Joey Logano (No. 22 Hertz Ford) and Erik Jones (No. 20 Gamestop/Lego Dimensions Toyota).  Josh Barry, Elliott's JR Motorsports teammate, finished 7th in just his second career XFINITY Series start. 

Sights From The Day



Numbers You Need to Know:
NBC12 Pole Qualifier: Kyle Busch; 122.073 mph
NXS Fastest Practice Time: Austin Dillon; 22.227; 121.474 mph

Media Interviews


Virginia529 College Savings 250 Winner Chase Elliott


Virginia529 College Savings 250 Winning Owner Dale Earnhardt Jr


Coors Light Pole Winner Joey Logano

The Stories You're Hearing:
• Buescher Commands Championship Lead with Nine Races Remaining After watching his points lead dwindle for three consecutive weeks in August, Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher needed to turn up the heat at Darlington and he did just that. Buescher earned his 11th top five this season while his closest championship contender finished 15th. He now holds a 29-point lead over second-place Ty Dillon and 35 points over third-place Chase Elliott.
• Virginia Natives: Sadler, McClure Right at Home at RIR Virginia is home to some of NASCAR’s most talented drivers and this weekend’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race is no exception. Local fans will have a chance to cheer on two drivers entered in the Virginia529 College Savings 250 that have their home state recorded as Virginia – Elliott Sadler and Eric McClure.
• Suarez Earns Third Top-3 Finish of Rookie Season Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings leader Daniel Suarez earned his third finish of third or better this season at Darlington. The Mexico City native has posted six top fives, 11 top 10s and two poles during his rookie year in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.


4:08 PM

It's here.

We've come to the Last Race to Make the Chase, and Jeff Gordon still finds himself without a win in his final full-time season. Although we're sure he'd like to have earned more hardware over the course of the 2015 season, he still finds himself sitting 14th in points with a couple different ways he can clinch a spot in the Chase at Richmond:   

A- Win and he's in. Plain and simple. 

B- If a driver inside the current top-16 in Chase points finds their way to Victory Lane, Gordon qualifies regardless of where he finishes. 

C- If a driver outside the top-16 takes home the checkered flag AND Clint Bowyer finishes 2nd place while leading the most laps, then Gordon would need to finish better than 17th. 

D- If scenario C comes to fruition and Gordon finishes worse than 17th, he could still make it into the Chase so long as he finishes no more than seven spots below Paul Menard.

Head hurting yet? For simplicity's sake Jeff, why don't you just pick up your third Richmond win. 
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As part of our initiative to live a more active lifestyle, we want you to join the RIR staff in our weekly Wellness Wednesday walk around property! Lace up your sneakers, grab a water bottle and come on out!

THE DETAILS 

Who: RIR staff, all campers and guests
Where: The Bus Lot near Lot D
When: Wednesday, Sept. 9 1:00 PM


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Darlington has been more than kind to the Chesterfield, Va driver
By most accounts Denny Hamlin has had a strong season. His eight Top-5 finishes are already more than he's had in three of the last four seasons, and he's already led more laps this year that in either of the past two.

Denny hasn’t had a multi-win campaign since 2012 – his lone 2015 win came back in March at Martinsville. If he can borrow some of his team’s momentum this weekend at Darlington, Denny might just be able to slap a second winner’s sticker on the No. 11. With a win, four Top-5's and seven Top-10's in his nine races at Darlington, there isn't a track on the circuit where Hamlin has a stronger average finish.

Fueled by some JGR mojo and a special Cale Yarborough throwback scheme (he had five Darlington wins), maybe Denny can channel some of the "Timmonsvile Flash" spark this weekend.


2:41 PM


RIR has acres of FREE parking – a tailgate enthusiast’s dream. You’ll want to make sure to get here early (lots open at 7 am) to avoid traffic. Go ahead and follow @HenricoPolice – they’ll be providing route and traffic updates throughout the weekend.

Skipping the drive? The Richmond Coliseum provides a free shuttle service from the Coliseum parking garage at North 7th Street downtown.


Post-Race Party is loud. It’s hype. It’s NASCAR America meets downtown nightclub. It’s celebrating the newly set Chase field WITH the newly set Chase field. DJ? Check. Glowsticks? Check. Beach balls? Big heads? Thundersticks? Yeah, we’ve got all that. When the burnout smoke clears, you’ve got to get to the Post-Race Party.


Score autographs from NASCAR’s brightest rising stars. Ryan Reed, Ty Dillon, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney, and Regan Smith are all slated to attend the XFINITY Series autograph session, and that list is growing. Be there on Friday prior to the Virginia 529 College Savings 250.

And get this – the entire UNOH 100 field will be giving out autographs prior to the start of the Thursday night race. Better bring an extra pen.

Click here to see the rest of our race weekend appearance schedule.


The perfect place to soak in the day? RIR’s must-see Midway and Commonwealth Mall. Located just outside the Frontstretch gate, we’ve got displays, food, and entertainment, plus the brand new Fanatics Trackside Superstore which you HAVE to see for yourself. Take a breather at the Miller Lite Party Zone before heading back out for more.



We’ve got family fun on deck all day for your newest NASCAR fans. If you’ve got kiddos, put this at the top of your must-see list: the Virginia 529 Kids Zone. Packed with interactive displays emphasizing on science, technology, engineering, and math, you’ll leave the track with a little crew chief of your very own.

We also have a grandstand section devoted just to families on both Friday and Saturday. Your family can soak up the NASCAR experience in the Family Section presented by Virginia529, located in the Colonial Grandstand, Section E. Leave the brews behind though – alcohol is prohibited in this section.


Short Track Sliders, Pork Belly Monty Cristo. YUM.

Developed with local ingredients, these in-house smoked pulled pork sliders are seasoned with chef’s own BBQ spice and slow smoked for 14-18 hours. We use Smithfield pork butts and provide a choice of BBQ sauces to accommodate each fan’s personal flavor.

The Pork Belly Monty Cristo is a slow-roasted pork belly sandwich layered with shaved ham, crisp bacon, pound cake, Swiss cheese and Texas toast. This deep fried masterpiece gets a drizzle of our pecan and bacon maple butter to finish off this masterpiece.


Trust us, don’t be that guy. At RIR, we’re committed to providing a memorable, enjoyable, and safe race day experience for all our guests. Guests who act in an unruly manner will be subject to removal from the facility, possible loss of ticket and/or camping privileges and, in some cases, arrest. Instead, we recommend leaving with good memories, some photos, and maybe an autograph or two.


Make the most of your race day experience. Give out some high fives at Driver Introductions to wish your favorites good luck. Watch practice and qualifying from the pits. Get a behind-the-scenes view of the action with a COLD Garage Pass. If you’re a hardcore NASCAR fan, these upgrades put you as far inside the action as we can get you.


Got a problem on race day? No worries, we’ve got your back. Stop by any of our Guest Services booths for assistance. You can also send a text to 69050, include RIRFAN in the body of the message, and your issue and we’ll help ASAP.


#Federated400 | #PostRaceParty | #VA529 | #UNOH100 

We’ve got some pretty neat things happening in the social media world. Have FOMO? Let us be everywhere for you – follow along as we document everything from the garages to the parking lots and everything in between (literally).

Want to join the conversation? Here’s a handy list of event hashtags to use so you can make sure your voice is heard.

Finally, download our free app to make sure you receive up-to-the-minute news and track alerts.
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