The Olympic break is ending for NASCAR Cup drivers and teams, as the series returns to the track this weekend at Richmond Raceway.
Here is a look at the drivers to watch in Sunday’s race (pre-race at 5:30 p.m. and race coverage at 6 p.m. ET on USA):
FRONTRUNNERS
Denny Hamlin
Points position: 4th
Best finish this season: 1st (Bristol I, Richmond I, Dover I)
2024 stats: Three wins, eight top fives and nine top 10s. Has led 772 laps and has an average finish of 15.2.
Going into the weekend: Hamlin won at Richmond in the spring, taking the lead in overtime and leading the final seven laps. He has finished either first or second in five of the last seven Richmond races. Hamlin has five Richmond wins in Cup. He has one top 10 in the last seven races this season, but he does three stage wins in that span.
Martin Truex Jr.
Points position: 7th
Best finish this season: 2nd (Bristol I)
2024 stats: No wins, four top fives and nine top 10s. Has led 461 laps and has an average finish of 14.6
Going into the weekend: Truex finished fourth at Richmond in the spring. He has eight top-five finishes, including three wins, in the last 11 starts at that track. Richmond comes at a good time for Truex. He has two top-10 results in the last 10 races this season.
Joey Logano
Points position: 15th
Best finish this season: 1st (Nashville)
2024 stats: One win, four top fives and seven top 10s. Has led 228 laps and has an average finish of 17.6.
Going into the weekend: Logano finished second at Richmond in March, his fourth consecutive top 10 at that track. He has seven top 10s in his last eight starts at Richmond.
Christopher Bell
Points position: 8th
Best finish this season: 1st (Phoenix I, Coca-Cola 600, New Hampshire)
2024 stats: Three wins, seven top fives and 12 top 10s. Has led 598 laps and has an average finish of 15.6.
Going into the weekend: Bell leads the series with nine stage wins. He has six top 10s in his last seven Cup starts at Richmond. He has six top 10s in the last nine races this season, including two wins.
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
Tyler Reddick
Points position: 3rd
Best finish this season: 1st (Talladega I)
2024 stats: One win, nine top fives and 15 top 10s. Has led 449 laps and has an average finish of 11.3.
Going into the weekend: Reddick leads the series in top-10 finishes this season. He heads into Richmond with eight top 10s in the last nine races, including two runner-up results. Reddick finished 10th at Richmond in the spring, his only top 10 in eight Cup starts there.
Kyle Larson
Points position: 1st
Best finish this season: 1st (Las Vegas I, Kansas I, Sonoma, Indianapolis)
2024 stats: Four wins, nine top fives and 11 top 10s. Has led 763 laps and has an average finish of 13.1.
Going into the weekend: Larson won the most recent Cup race before the Olympic break. He finished third at Richmond in March. Larson has four top 10s in the last six starts at Richmond, including a win.
Chase Elliott
Points position: 2nd
Best finish this season: 1st (Texas)
2024 stats: One win, seven top fives and 11 top 10s. Has led 179 laps and has an average finish of 10.5.
Going into the weekend: Elliott finished fifth at Richmond earlier this year, his fourth top five in his last seven starts at Richmond. He had back-to-back top 10s before the Olympic break.
Bubba Wallace
Points position: 14th
Best finish this season: 4th (Martinsville I)
2024 stats: No wins, four top fives and eight top 10s. Has led 61 laps and has an average finish of 16.3.
Going into the weekend: Wallace, the first driver outside a playoff spot, has never finished better than 12th in 12 career Cup starts at Richmond. He has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four races this season.
