Chris Buescher

Mother Nature thowing us an occasional curveball is no surprise, who was leading the field when a heavy fog descended upon Monday's Pennsylvania 400 might be a shock to some. NASCAR rookie Chris Buescher outlasted other cars to take the top spot just before the red flag waved the field to pit roac. It was the first Cup win by a NASCAR rookie since Joey Logano took home the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 trophy in 2009. "It was stressful," said Buescher, who lost a lap because of a pit road speeding penalty on Lap 94 and regained it as the highest-scored lapped car under caution on Lap 109. “I tried not to get my hopes up because I know how these things can play out." But the fog hasn't completely lifted for Buescher yet. The rookie is still on the outside looking in the top 30 in points, sitting six behind David Ragan. "We're in a good spot, and we can definitely make up those six points," Buescher said. "We're going to try and get a lot more than that and be ready when the Chase does start to make sure we can advance as it goes through."

NASCAR Trading Cards

NASCAR and Panini America have collaborated together to release the first line of officially licensed trading cards, which will include stars from the NASCAR Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. "We are excited to bring NASCAR trading cards back into the marketplace," said Mark Warsop, CEO of Panini America. "NASCAR fans are some of the most passionate in all of sport, and we look forward to delivering an assortment of products across a broad range of price points that meet the needs of collectors and race fans alike." You said it Mark, our fans are pretty awesome. So much so we'll be celebrating them all weekend long this September.

Tony Stewart

We remember another driver who missed time early in the season last year, and by all accounts it ended pretty well for him. This season, Tony Stewart is doing his best Kyle Busch impression with a mid-summer tear that's reminded us all he is a three-time Sprint Cup Champion. Going back to his win at Sonoma in late June, Stewart has four top-five finishes in his last six starts. He also is up to 27th in the Sprint Cup point standings. Considering he has five career wins at Watkins Glen International, there's a good chance he'll make another jump in the standings this weekend.

AJ Allmendinger

The Glen's 2.45-mile road course has been a unique twist in the midst of NASCAR's end of season stretch. Throw in the track's recent repave, and there's a chance the Chase point's scramble becomes even more intense after this weekend. Stewart is the track's all-time victories leader, and though his last win came in 2009 - his victory at Sonoma earlier this season shows he's still a threat.  AJ Allmendinger took advantage of his road course background in 2014, when his victory over Marcos Ambrose vaulted him into the only win and Chase berth of his 10-year Cup career. Even Jeff Gordon, who will continue to run the No. 88 in Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s absence, has four career wins at the New York track.  With only three repeat winners in the last decade,  there's a chance this weekend could be one of the most exciting stops on the Road to Richmond.
10:58 AM

We're taking look at a pair of teammates who clinched in mid-July after the New Hampshire 301, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. There's been some impressive racing by these two members of the Joe Gibbs Racing family, who also had a little sibling rivalry back at Richmond's TOYOTA OWNERS 400. Congrats on the job guys, and we'll look forward to seeing you at Gridside Live! in September.


2016 Rearview
Kyle Busch wasted little time proving his 2015 Sprint Cup Championship was no fluke. Through the season's first 21 races, the reigning champ has four wins, a top-5 finish in over half of his races while leading laps in all but six. How's that for an encore?
2015 Chase
The 2016 Chase didn't exactly start smooth for Busch (37th place finish at Loudon, 20th at Charlotte within first four races). But the ending couldn't have been any sweeter. Four straight top-5's to finish out the Chase, punctuated by taking the checkered flag in Homestead for his first Sprint Cup Championship.

Cup Career at Richmond
Four Wins  |  16 Top-10's  |  6.9 Avg. Finish (best track with min. 10 races)


2016 Rearview
There's something to be said for consistency, and Carl's performance in 2016 is on par with what he's done almost his entire career. In fact, he's already matched his 2015 numbers in wins (two), top-5 finishes (seven) and poles (three) with still 15 races left on the schedule. A good deal of Edward's success can be attributed to the remarkable job he's done in qualifying, posting an average starting position of 7.3 (the best of his career).

2015 Chase
Though he was close on several occasions, Edwards could quite break into the winner's circle during the 2015 Chase. Six top-10 finishes were enough to keep him in contention through Phoenix, but was left on the outside looking in at the Championship Four for the Championship.

Cup Career at Richmond
Two Wins (Including 2015 TOYOTA OWNERS 400)  | 12 Top-10's  |  12.8 Avg. Finish
4:15 PM

As the 2016 NASCAR regular season hits the final stretch, eyes turn towards who'll be racing for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship come November. We're hoping back on the Road to Richmond to paint the complete Chase picture, examining each driver as they clinch their spot in the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski was the first driver to clinch his spot in the 2016 Chase following his July win at Kentucky.
2016 Rearview
After winning just one race all of last season, Brad's 2016 campaign might be one of the best of his career. With four wins through 20 races, the No. 2 driver is averaging a top-10 finish every time he rolls out onto the track - a testament to his ability considering the number of driver's who've fallen prey to wrecks this season. He's been a spokesman for the new downforce package since it's roll out last season in Darlington, and with the success he's had it's easy to see why.

2015 Chase
Keselowski was half of the Penske equation that dominated most of the 2015 Chase, but a wreck in the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 dampened his chances to advance past the round of eight. But that still didn't stop him from leaving his mark on the Championship race in Homestead, leading a race-high 86 laps. 

Cup Career at Richmond
One Win (2014 Federared Auto Parts 400)  |  Five Top-10's  |  15.9 Avg. Finish
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Kyle Busch Back at it again

And he's back at it again. It's hard to forget Kyle's scorching 2015 campaign, the one that saw him return from an 11-race absence to pick up five wins and a Sprint Cup Championship. But what he's done through the first 20 races this season might be even more impressive, punctuated by a dominating weekend at the Brickyard - two poles awards, two trips to Gatorade Victory Lane. The sweep means the Joe Gibbs driver has taken the last four NASCAR races at Indy. “It’s so cool because it hasn’t been done before," Busch said of the streak. "I’ve tried and been successful at being able to do a lot of things that others haven’t been able to do before. It helps you and when it helps you win on Sunday, that’s what makes everything so worthwhile on those Saturday races."

Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart

"I know you want to keep (your last year) on the low down, but I'm sorry buddy - we're in your home state," Jeff Gordon said to fellow NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart at the driver's meeting. "As we've gotten to know each other as friends and competitors over the years, I know what (Indianapolis) means to you...and I think that this is a year not about saying goodbye, but a year about celebrating what you've done." On a weekend where Kyle Busch dominated the competition, these two might've stolen the show. With Gordon filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 88 and Tony Stewart returning to his hometown track in his final season, Sunday's race was very important to two of NASCAR's biggest stars. The future Hall of Famers also hooked up for a final lap run after the checkered flag."I knew when we got the checkered you didn't want to come in just yet," Stewart said. "I wanted to run one more lap and Jeff was around us. I couldn't think of a better guy to share that moment with."

Stewart Haas

As the saying goes, there's no time like the present. Turns out the folks over at Setwart-Haas have taken that heart with their decision to field an XFINITY Series team beginning in 2017. “An XFINITY Series team has always been something we would consider when the time was right, and that time is now,” said Stewart, who co-owns SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. “Staying successful in this sport means staying ahead of the curve, and having an XFINITY Series team provides a positive impact with our race team.” Cheers guys! And we're looking forward to watching them whip around the Action Track in next year's ToyotaCare 250 and Virginia529 College Savings 250.

Matt Kenseth Pocono

Mid-Summer Awakening
After a "mini-funk" that saw Joe Gibbs Racing go over two months without sending a driver to Victory Lane, they've now done so in back-to-back weeks for the fourth time this season. We're not necessarily saying history repeats itself, but it's hard not to consider this the beginning of something big for Coach's squad. Consider just a year ago when a JGR driver took home the checkered flag 10 times in a 13-race stretch spanning from late June to September. The upcoming Pennsylvania 400 in Pocono was one of those races, dominated by JGR's Matt Kenseth.
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Tony Stewart at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

2:56 PM

Alright, alright. We dragged our feet a little bit to embrace this whole Pokemon Go thing, but we've been hooked since checking out our very own PokeStop. While out catching 'em all, it was hard not to notice a few similarities to some guys we're a little more familiar with... 

Carl Edwards - Machoke

It's only logical that NASCAR's preeminent gym rat would draw comparisons to the bodybuilding Pokemon Machoke. Whether he's one-upping Jay Glaser in the gym or speaking for the "Eat Smart, Move More" campaign, a healthy lifestyle has always been important for Edwards. We're not sure who'd win between these two in an arm wrestling competition, but smart money is on Carl when it comes to back flips.

Joey Logano - Jolteon

Starting out as a common Eevee, the right trainer - or team - can quickly evolve this Pokemon into the hardcore Jolteon; one guy you don't want to mess with, if you can help it. Similarly, Joey Logano's work with Team Penske makes him a formidable opponent on the track. While only capturing one (points-eligible) W this year, last year's Chase run was nothing short of intimidating. Bottom line: don't underestimate these two.

Tony Stewart - Charizard

You know what they say, where there's "Smoke" there's fire - so it's easy to see the parallels between Tony Stewart and the fire-breathing Charizard. The future NASCAR Hall of Famer is a legend on and off the track, and well-known for his fiery personality and driving style.

Chase Elliott - Squirtle

One of the most popular rookie drivers, meet one of the most popular "rookie" Pokemon. Aside from Pikachu (don't worry, we'll get to him), Squirtle is a top choice for both new and veteran Pokemon players. Elliott's popularity spans generations, too: NASCAR fans looking for a new driver after Jeff Gordon's retirement were quick choose the new caretaker of the 24 - a strong driver from day one and possibly the best new talent out there.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Pikachu

What better comparison for the 13-time reigning "Most Popular Driver" award winner than the Pokemon that everyone chooses? Pikachu is the face of Pokemon, just like Dale Earnhardt Jr. really is the face of NASCAR. This little guy is lightning-quick, loyal, and is the only Pokemon famous enough to have his own brand. Need we say more?

Any other suggestions? Comment below and let us know what you think!
9:49 AM

Matt Kenseth

Boom, called it. In last week's Victory Lap, we named Matt Kenseth as the one to watch in New Hampshire, and he sure delivered. The Joe Gibbs driver picked up his second win of the season while also adding to his aquarium with his second straight Loudon the Lobster. “You’re always pleased to be in Victory Lane,” Kenseth said. “The farther down the road you get, the better they feel for sure. Thanks to everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing – I’ve said it a million times, but I’m blessed with this opportunity to be over here with the guys I get to work with and my great sponsors.”

New Hampshire

 The Richmond Times Dispatch's Chris Wilbers made the trek up to Loudon, N.H. for Sunday's race, and color him impressed. The folks hosting the New Hampshire 301 treated Richmond's own to some first-rate, New England hospitality, but while he notes "you can’t go wrong with a road trip to Loudon in late September," he also mentioned there's still a certain short track that gives you a bit more bang for your buck. Click the link above to find out.

Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch

Sunday's action saw quite a bit of movement inside the Chase Grid, including JGR teammates Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards locking in their spot in the field of 16. "With NASCAR, it's our playoff. That's what it's all about," said Coach Joe Gibbs. "It's a thrill for us to be in there. I think the key is, as you continue to work during the year, try and keep your performance up and try and point towards the playoffs." So far 11 drivers have wins on the season, leaving just five playoff spots available on points. Tony Stewart, one of those with a 2016 win, continued his rapid climb in the standings with a second-place finish. It was the future Hall of Famer's fourth top-10 in last five races.

Jeff Gordon

Heeeeeee's Bacccckkkkkk?
Late last week Hendrick Motorsports announced that should Dale Earnhardt Jr. be forced to miss this weekend's race in Indianapolis, the recently retired Jeff Gordon would suit up behind the wheel of the No. 88 in his stead. "I think a lot of us on the team have worked for Jeff throughout his illustrious career at Hendrick Motorsports," said crew chief Greg Ives. "To be able to be part of that one more time would be pretty cool for those who have worked with him in the past, but also for those who've never worked with him." It'd definitely be a new look for the NASCAR legend, who spent his career tied with the now-iconic 24. But if you saw him in the booth at all this season, you know he can sport a "new suit" pretty well. 
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