• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Crown Royal 400 Preview

May 3, 2008 - 10:22 AM

May 3, 2008
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond, Virginia
Race 10 of 36 on Sprint Cup circuit

TV: FOX, 7 p.m. EDT

Laps: 400
Track length: 0.75 miles
Race length: 300 miles

Qualifying record: Brian Vickers, Chevrolet, 129.983 mph, 2004
Race record: Dale Jarrett, Ford, 109.047 mph, 1997

DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Jeff Burton 
Team: Richard Childress Racing 
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala 
2008 Earnings: $1,602,410

One of the circuit's most consistent drivers, finished third at 
Martinsville to take over top spot in the standings; saw his 
lead over Kyle Busch drop to 22 points after finishing 12th at
Talladega; won at Bristol for first win of the season; finished 
13th in the Daytona 500 and eighth at California; was fifth in 
Las Vegas and 10th at Atlanta; finished eighth in last season's 
standings, one year after placing seventh; finished in the top 
10 in half of the races last season, including nine top fives; 
lone win of the 2007 season came in April at Texas; finished the 
season strong with five top 10s over the final six races; ran 
43rd here last May after blowing an engine.


Kurt Busch 
Team: Penske Racing South 
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2008 Earnings: $1,759,395

Pushed teammate Ryan Newman across the finish line to give 
Penske Racing a 1-2 finish in the Daytona 500; followed with a 
13th at California, but finished 38th at Las Vegas and 11th at 
Atlanta; bounced back from an inconsistent first season with 
Penske to finish seventh in the standings last year; won at 
Michigan and Pocono and posted 14 top-10 finishes; also had four 
finishes of 30th or worse; won the championship in 2004 but was 
released from his contract at Roush Racing after the following 
season, when he finished 10th in the standings and was suspended 
for the final two races after an incident with the Phoenix 
police; finished 39th at Talladega to drop to 20th in the 
standings; finished fifth here in May last year.


Kyle Busch 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry 
2008 Earnings: $1,990,063

Has gotten off to a strong start with Joe Gibbs Racing, placing 
fourth in the first two races and winning at Atlanta; finished 
17th at Bristol after power steering failed and transmission 
issues relegated him to 38th at Martinsville; won at Talladega
and sits second in the standings, 22 points out of the lead; 
had the dominant car and led the most laps at the Daytona 500; 
was strong at Las Vegas early, but struggled late and wound up 
11th; is looking to build off a sensational run at Hendrick 
Motorsports as he moves to JGR and Toyota; finished fifth in the 
final 2007 standings after qualifying for the Chase for the 
second consecutive season; had 20 top-10 finishes in 36 races 
last season, including 11 top-fives; lone win came during the 
first Bristol race - the inaugural Car of Tomorrow event; ran 
second in this race last year.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala 
2008 Earnings: $1,611,620

The circuit's most popular driver finished seventh at Texas to 
move up to third in the standings; ran fifth at Bristol after a 
third at Atlanta and second at Las Vegas; was the top finishing 
Hendrick car at the Daytona 500 with a ninth-place showing; was 
involved in an early race crash at California and finished 40th; 
made the move from his father's Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he 
won 17 Cup events, to Hendrick Motorsports; got off to a good 
start with his new team by winning the Bud Shootout; has not won 
a points race since Richmond in May 2006; suffered through a 
tough final season at DEI, finishing 16th in the standings; had 
12 top 10's last season, but also posted 11 finishes of 25th or 
worse; finished 13th in this race last season.


Carl Edwards 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $2,328,450

Won at Texas for his third win of the season; was docked 100 
points and fell from the top spot in the standings after being 
penalized after his win at Las Vegas; victory at Texas was his 
10th career Cup win; had the dominant car again at Atlanta, but 
blew an engine and finished 42nd; ran 19th in the Daytona 500; 
qualified for the Chase last year and won at Dover after 
12th at New Hampshire, but failed post-race inspection and was 
docked 25 points and fined; penalty dropped him from third to 
sixth in the standings and he never recovered; won the 2007 
NASCAR Busch Series championship; finished with 11 top fives 
and 15 top 10s last year; also won at Michigan and Bristol; ran 
12th here in May last year.


Jeff Gordon 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala 
2008 Earnings: $1,409,017

Ran 19th at Talladega and 13th at Phoenix after finishing dead 
last at Texas; ran second at Martinsville; rebounded to finish 
fifth at Atlanta after being involved in a scary late-race crash
at Las Vegas where he finished 35th; bounced back with a third 
at California after opening his 2008 season with a 
disappointing 39th in the Daytona 500; already has three DNFs 
this season after posting just one last year; only a dominant 
finish by teammate Jimmie Johnson kept him from capturing a 
fifth championship last season; finished with 10 top-10 
finishes in the final 11 races - the other finish in that span 
was an 11th at Dover; totaled a remarkable 30 top-10 finishes 
and 21 top-fives in 36 races last year; spun with less than two 
laps remaining at Watkins Glen while leading, costing him another 
potential win - still managed to finish ninth; had six checkered 
flags last season and 81 career, just two shy of tying Cale 
Yarborough for fifth place all-time; reached a landmark milestone 
at the first Talladega race, recording his 77th career victory to 
pass the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth all-time; had 10 poles 
last season - double that of Ryan Newman who had five; finished
fourth in this race last season.


Jimmie Johnson 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala 
2008 Earnings: $1,966,119

Two-time defending series champion picked up his first win of 
the season at Phoenix, then ran 13th at Talladega; finished 
second at Texas following a fourth at Martinsville; had a 
disappointing three-race stretch at Las Vegas, Atlanta and 
Bristol when his average finish was 20th; at ran second at 
California after starting this campaign with a 27th at the 
Daytona 500; sits fifth in the standings; battled teammate 
Gordon for the top spot in the Chase early last season, then 
took off - winning four straight races over the second half of 
the Chase; suffered through an up-and-down season before the 
Chase, finishing 39th at the Brickyard after a fiery crash on 
the heels of a 37th at Chicago; finished the season with 10 wins, 
20 top fives, 24 top 10s and failed to finish four races; 
won both Richmond races last season. 


Matt Kenseth 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $1,410,657

Dropped to 19th in the standings after finishing 41st at 
Talladega; ran 38th at Phoenix following a ninth at Texas and 
30th at Martinsville; had consecutive top-10s at Bristol and 
Atlanta; was 20th at Las Vegas due to a late-race incident with 
Jeff Gordon; ran fifth at California, fresh off a disappointing 
35th place showing at the Daytona 500; last season had a 
late-Chase surge with a win at the season-ending race at 
Homestead, following a third at Phoenix and a second at Texas; 
finished fourth in the final standings; had 13 top-five finishes 
and 22 top 10s last season; won the series championship in 2003 
despite capturing only one checkered flag, prompting NASCAR to 
change to its current Chase format; enters this season without 
longtime crew chief Robbie Reiser who has been replaced atop 
the box by Chip Bolin; ran 10th in this race last year.


Tony Stewart 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $2,147,715

With rumors swirling about his future at JGR, finished 38th at
Talladega; ran 14th at Phoenix following back-to-back top-10 
finishes at Martinsville and Texas; finished second to teammate 
Kyle Busch at Atlanta, but was vocal about the poor Goodyear 
tire quality; suffered a hard crash at Las Vegas, injured his 
ankle and finished last; had another disappointment at Daytona, 
finishing third despite having the lead with one lap to go; took 
sixth at California after the Daytona 500; moved within two 
points of the points lead after the first two Chase races last 
year, but could not keep pace with Johnson and Gordon and faded 
to sixth in the final standings; finished second at Richmond to 
enter the Chase on a hot streak; pre-Chase surge included fourth 
at Bristol as well as running 10th at Michigan on the heels of 
winning at Watkins Glen - his third win; captured back-to-back 
victories at Chicagoland and at the Brickyard; won three races in 
total to go along with 23 top-10s; ran eighth in this race last 
year.


2007 Top 10
-----------
 1. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
 2. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet 
 3. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet 
 4. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
 5. Kurt Busch (2), Dodge
 6. Ryan Newman (12), Dodge 
 7. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
 8. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
 9. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
10. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford

Past Champions
--------------
2007  Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 91.270 mph
2006  Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 97.061 mph
2005  Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 100.316 mph
2004  Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 98.253 mph
2003  Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 87.134 mph
2002  Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 86.824 mph
2001  Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 95.872 mph
2000  Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 99.374 mph
1999  Dale Jarrett, Ford, 100.102 mph
1998  Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 97.044 mph
1997  Rusty Wallace, Ford, 108.499 mph
1996  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 102.750 mph
1995  Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 106.425 mph
1994  Ernie Irvan, Ford, 98.334 mph
1993  Davey Allison, Ford, 107.709 mph
1992  Bill Elliot, Ford, 104.378 mph
1991  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 105.397 mph
1990  Mark Martin, Ford, 92.158 mph
1989  Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 89.619 mph
1988  Neil Bonnett, Chevrolet, 66.401 mph
1987  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 81.520 mph
1986  Kyle Petty, Ford, 71.078 mph
1985  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 67.945 mph
1984  Ricky Rudd, Ford, 76.736 mph
1983  Bobby Allison, Buick, 79.584 mph
1982  Dave Marcis, Chevrolet, 72.914 mph
1981  Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 76.570 mph
1980  Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 67.703 mph
1979  Cale Yarborough, Oldsmobile, 83.608 mph
1978  Benny Parsons, Chevrolet, 80.304 mph
1977  Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 73.084 mph
1976  Dave Marcis, Dodge, 72.792 mph
1975  Richard Petty, Dodge, 74.913 mph
1974  Bobby Allison, 74 Chevrolet, 80.095 mph
1973  Richard Petty, 73 Dodge, 74.764 mph
1972  Richard Petty, 72 Plymouth, 76.258 mph
1971  Richard Petty, 70 Plymouth, 79.836 mph
1970  James Hylton, 69 Ford, 82.044 mph
1969  David Pearson, 69 Ford, 73.752 mph
1968  David Pearson, 68 Ford, 65.217 mph
1967  Richard Petty, 67 Plymouth, 65.982 mph
1966  David Pearson, 64 Dodge, 66.539 mph
1965  Junior Johnson, 65 Ford, 61.416 mph
1964  David Pearson, 64 Dodge, 58.660 mph
1963  Joe Weatherly, 63 Pontiac, 58.624 mph
1962  Rex White, 61 Chevrolet, 51.360 mph
1961  Richard Petty, 60 Plymouth, 62.460 mph
1960  Lee Petty, 60 Plymouth, 62.250 mph
1959  Tom Pistone, 59 Thunderbird, 56.860 mph