Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images Brad Keselowski leads the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series into the second race of the playoffs at Richmond Raceway on Sunday for the Federated Auto Parts 400. Keselowski, clearly pulling inspiration from other multi-race winners this year, won his third race in a row during the first event of the postseason, pulling him ahead on the leaderboard for the time being. The results through one week pose some interesting questions and lessons, the bigger of the latter being simple enough—regular-season wins don't necessarily equate to postseason success. Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch might have 13 combined checkered flags, but it's Keselowski in control of the postseason so far. Saturday presents another chance for those without a playoff win so far, while the back end of the leaderboard has to start thinking about the looming cut day. Viewing Details Video Play Button Videos you might like Where: Richmond Raceway When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET Watch: NBCSN Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Tickets: StubHub Federated Auto Parts 400 Note: Qualifying is Friday. Entry list. 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Standings 1. Brad Keselowski 2069 2. Martin Truex Jr. 2087 3. Kyle Busch 2085 4. Kevin Harvick 2060 5. Joey Logano 2056 6. Kurt Busch 2046 7. Ryan Blaney 2042 8. Kyle Larson 2041 9. Aric Almirola 2034 10. Austin Dillon 2031 11. Clint Bowyer 2029 12. Alex Bowman 2028 13. Jimmie Johnson 2022 14. Chase Elliott 2019 15. Erik Jones 2009 16. Denny Hamlin 2008 ESPN.com Drivers to Watch Kevin Harvick Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images This isn't exactly how Harvick wanted to start the playoffs. A blown tire in Las Vegas led to a finish of 39th, Harvick's worst finishing spot since May and only his fourth finish outside of the top 40 all season. It also broke a streak of eight top-10 performances in a row, with two wins baked into that stretch. Blame a blown tire, which Harvick himself wasn't too pleased about: The good news? Harvick created an incredible point cushion for himself during the regular season after taking down seven wins. Barring another dramatic early exit, Harvick isn't in major danger of missing the first cut. Perhaps more interesting is how an angry-driving Harvick can influence the standings for other drivers as he lets out some frustration at Richmond. Equipped with plenty of postseason experience already, a bit of adversity for a guy with alarming consistency is nothing but a good thing for viewers. Martin Truex Jr. Chris Graythen/Getty Images It's the opposite story for Martin Truex Jr., who broke up a miserable run to end the season with a third-place finish in Las Vegas. Entering the playoffs, Truex had finished 30th or worse in two of the final three races of the season, an uncanny turn of events for a driver who had won four races to cement himself as part of the "big three" during the regular season. But Las Vegas changed things for the Furniture Row Racing driver, who turned a starting spot of 10th into a third-place finish with 96 laps led. The current points leader isn't complaining, as he told NASCAR.com's Holly Cain: "We finished third with the best car. The last three weeks we had a top-three car and we finished 14th or worse in every one of them; know what I'm saying? So it's a tough sport. A lot of things can happen, and momentum and luck being on your side, there's a lot to say for it. Obviously, they're executing, they're doing all the little things right, and that's what it takes to win these things." It all adds up to a clear sign Truex hit on a small streak of bad luck, nothing more. He's not the most dominant Richmond driver entering the weekend, but he could leave the event looking like it while already setting up nicely for the post-cutdown races. Brad Keselowski Matt Sullivan/Getty Images Keselowski is the big winner of the "get hot at the right time" sweepstakes. But it goes deeper than that. Yes, Brad Keselowski won at Darlington and The Brickyard before Las Vegas. Yes, it is even his first three wins in a row of his career. Perhaps most important of all, though, is that Keselowski matched some history and made some of his own next to a modern legend, as ESPN.com's Matt Willis noted: "Keselowski entered the playoffs as just the second driver to win the last two races of the regular season. Jimmie Johnson is the other, doing it in both 2007 and 2008 (and won the championship both years). But Keselowski is the first driver to do it and then win the playoff opener as well." Never mind he also made some history for those around him: Keselowski is red hot, but it runs deeper than a simple winning streak for a recognizable name. The question now becomes whether he can keep it going for the duration of the playoffs, as the most recent win hasn't exactly distanced himself from the rest of the pack at the top. A year ago, Keselowski finished 11th at this event but didn't enter it nearly as hot. And a year ago, Keselowski wasn't setting career-best marks for himself, so it will be interesting to see just how much more he can raise the bar Sunday and beyond.<doc-sep>Hello? There's no Racing News down here. Where ya off to? Bob, this doesn't look good... Are you lost... The blue dot on the GPS won't help you here. It's probably too late to turn back now anyway. Baby Jessica, it appears you've fallen into the well. Like a mummy at night fightin' with bright lightnin'. I'm not here to save you. I'm just here for the ride. So, let me entertain you and everything will be fine. Have you had it up to here? That's Rock Bottom. Click here to exit the well.<doc-sep>Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) The NASCAR race weekend begins today at Richmond Raceway and includes Cup qualifying and the Xfinity Series playoff opener. Here’s the day’s full schedule with TV and radio info: (All times are Eastern) 7:30 a.m. – Xfinity garage opens 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Cup garage opens 8:30 – 9:15 a.m. – Xfinity practice (NBC Sports App) 10:10 – 10:55 a.m. – Final Xfinity practice (NBC Sports App) 11:35 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Cup practice (NBCSN, Motor Racing Network) 1:30 – 2:20 p.m. – Final Cup practice (NBCSN, MRN) 4:35 p.m. – Xfinity qualifying; multi-car/three rounds (NBCSN) 5:40 p.m. – Xfinity driver-crew chief meeting 6:05 p.m. – Cup qualifying impound; multi-car/three rounds (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 7 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions 7:30 p.m. – GoBowling 250; 250 laps/187.5 miles (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)<doc-sep>Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) The NASCAR postseason continues this weekend at Richmond Raceway, which hosts its first playoff weekend. Both Cup and Xfinity Series teams will be in action. The weekend is capped off on Saturday by the Cup Series’ Federated Auto Parts 400. Here’s the full weekend schedule with TV and radio info. (All times are Eastern) Friday, Sept. 21 7:30 a.m. – Xfinity garage opens 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Cup garage opens 8:30 – 9:15 a.m. – Xfinity practice (NBC Sports App) 10:10 – 10:55 a.m. – Final Xfinity practice (NBC Sports App) 11:35 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Cup practice (NBCSN, Motor Racing Network) 1:30 – 2:20 p.m. – Final Cup practice (NBCSN, MRN) 4:35 p.m. – Xfinity qualifying; multi-car/three rounds (NBCSN) 5:40 p.m. – Xfinity driver-crew chief meeting 6:05 p.m. – Cup qualifying impound; multi-car/three rounds (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 7 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions 7:30 p.m. – GoBowling 250; 250 laps/187.5 miles (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) Saturday, Sept. 22 Noon – Cup garage opens 5:30 p.m. – Driver-crew chief meeting 6:50 p.m. – Driver introductions 7:30 p.m. – Federated Auto Parts 400; 400 laps/300 miles (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)<doc-sep>
It’s NASCAR race day at Richmond Raceway, and we’ve got some essential information you need to get ready for Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400, the second playoff race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: START TIME: Tim Trudnowski, President of Automotive Jobber Supply, will instruct drivers to start their engines at 7:27 p.m. ET followed by the green flag at 7:33 p.m. ET. RACE DISTANCE: The Federated Auto Parts 400 is 400 laps around the 0.75-mile Richmond Raceway for a total of 300 miles. RACE STAGES: After a successful run last season, NASCAR will once again be dividing races into stages and handing out points. Here are the segments for tonight's Cup race: Stage 1: 100 laps, Stage 2: 100 laps, Stage 3: 200 laps. PLAYOFFS: Tonight's race is the second of 10 playoff races and the second of the three-race first round, which concludes next weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Sixteen drivers qualified for the postseason and four will be eliminated after the Sept. 30 Charlotte race. PREVIEW:Richmond could hold key to playoff advancement DALE JR.:How four best playoff drivers can be stopped ATHLETES:Former college football players flock to NASCAR pit crews NATIONAL ANTHEM: The President’s Own United States Marine Band will perform the national anthem at 7:21 p.m. ET, followed by a flyover by four F-15s from the 159th Fighter Wing, Louisiana Air National Guard. TV RADIO SCHEDULE: The race will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, with a pre-show beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Radio calls can be found on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius/XM NASCAR Radio. LIVE STREAMING: NBCSports.com will live-stream the race for those who sign in with their cable/satellite provider's credentials. WEATHER: The race should begin under cloudy skies with temperatures around 70. As the temperature drops into the high 60s as the night wears on, the chance of precipitation increases. The Weather Channel is forecasting a 10-20% chance of showers after 9 p.m. LAST TIME: Kyle Busch led the final 11 laps and 32 overall in April to win at Richmond for the fifth time in the Cup Series. In September 2017, in the final regular-season race of last season, Kyle Larson led 53 laps to record his fifth career Cup win. LINEUP: Kevin Harvick won his third pole of the season and the 24th of his Cup Series career, turned a lap at 121.880 mph on Friday night to edge hometown favorite Denny Hamlin, who will start second. Three drivers had their qualifying speeds disallowed after failing inspection and will start at the rear of the field: Daniel Suarez, Regan Smith and David Ragan. Kyle Busch will also drop the to rear of the field after making unapproved adjustments following qualifying. Here is the starting lineup for the Federated Auto Parts 400 (car number in parentheses; *-dropping to rear of field). 1. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford 2. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota 3. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota 4. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford 5. (41) Kurt Busch, Ford 6. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford 7. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford 8. (20) Erik Jones, Toyota 9. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet 10. (51) Cole Custer, Ford *-11. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota 12. (22) Joey Logano, Ford 13. (88) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet 14. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet 15. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford 16. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet 17. (6) Matt Kenseth, Ford 18. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet 19. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet 20. (21) Paul Menard, Ford 21. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet 22. (37) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet 23. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford 24. (14) Clint Bowyer, Ford 25. (43) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet 26. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet 27. (32) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford 28. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet 29. (13) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet 30. (15) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet 31. (72) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet 32. (96) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Toyota 33. (52) Gray Gaulding, Ford 34. (23) Alon Day, Toyota 35. (00) Joey Gase, Chevrolet 36. (99) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet 37. (66) Timmy Hill, Toyota 38. (19) Daniel Suarez, Toyota 39. (95) Regan Smith, Chevrolet 40. (38) David Ragan, Ford