RICHMOND, Va. -- The NASCAR Cup Series is back in action Sunday evening at Richmond Raceway. This is one of four races remaining before the end of the regular season, and it is another opportunity for drivers to lock up a spot in the playoffs.
This is the second race of the season at the Virginia short track. Denny Hamlin won the spring race after taking the lead in overtime. Chris Buescher is the defending winner of the summer Richmond Race.
Sunday's race will feature a wild card factor. The teams will have two sets of softer "option" tires that provide more grip with more tire wear. This will provide opportunities for teams to mix up strategy throughout the race.
Weather forecast
Sunday forecast: Partly cloudy skies with a high of 83 degrees and a 2% chance of rain at the start of the Cup Series race.
Sunday, Aug. 11, schedule (Eastern Time)
- 3 p.m. -- Cup Series garage hours
- 6 p.m. -- Cup Series race (400 laps, 300 miles)
TV info: USA Network will provide coverage for the Cup Series race at 6 p.m. ET. Pre-race coverage will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET with Countdown to Green.
Pre-race: The command to fire engines will take place at 5:54 p.m. ET. The green flag to start the race will wave at 6:01 p.m.
Playoff picture: Twelve drivers have locked up spots in the playoffs by winning at least one race. Kyle Larson leads the series with four wins while Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and William Byron all have three wins. Ryan Blaney has two wins.
Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick, and Brad Keselowski have all won one race during the regular season.
Ross Chastain currently holds the final spot above the playoff cutline. He is seven points ahead of Bubba Wallace, the first driver on the outside looking in. Chris Buescher is 17 points above the cutline and Wallace. Ty Gibbs is 42 points above the cutline.
Martin Truex Jr. sits in the best position of the drivers without a win this season. He is 108 points above the cutline with four races remaining in the season. Barring a catastrophic stretch of races or four new winners, he should be in a position to lock up a playoff appearance in his final full-time season.