SI.com's experts weigh in with their predictions for this Saturday's race in Richmond, Va.
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LARS
ANDERSON |
MARK
BEECH |
TOM
BOWLES |
| The winner of the Crown Royal 400 will be ... |
Denny Hamlin
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Kyle Busch
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Denny Hamlin
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| Why? |
| Richmond is Hamlin's home track, and the 26-year-old is due for a win. You could argue that he should have won all three Car of Tomorrow races; in each event he had one of the top two cars in the field. If his team can be solid on pit road, which is where Hamlin lost this race a year ago, Hamlin should reach Victory Lane for the first time this season.
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Busch has made a habit this year of following up poor performances with solid races, and I expect him to do the same tomorrow after a 37th-place finish at Talladega. He's been outstanding at Richmond so far, having never finished outside the top five in any race he's started.
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In a weekend of remembrance for Virginia Tech, no one seems more genuinely touched by the tragedy than local boy Hamlin. After a runner-up finish in this race last year, Hamlin's ready to take it one step further to score a touching victory at his hometown track.
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| Keep an eye on ... |
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Little E won this event last year, but he hasn't taken a checkered flag since then, a span of 35 races. Earnhardt, currently 13th in the points, is one of the top short-track racers on the circuit, and if he finishes in the top five on Saturday night he'll be in the top 12 in points for the first time this season.
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Kevin Harvick
The Daytona-500 winner has quietly started to turn his season around after suffering through a prolonged early-season slump. He's back in the top 10 in the standings, and tomorrow he'll be back on a track he loves. All he does at Richmond is run in the top 10.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.
For whatever reason, Junior runs far better in the sSpring here than he does in the fall. All three of his career wins at the track have occurred in the May event, including this race last year. There's no better way to get what you want out of a new contract than by continuing to run up front, and recently, Junior's been doing just that.
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| Don't expect much from ... |
Jamie McMurray
Richmond traditionally hasn't been a kind track to McMurray. In eight career starts at .75-mile oval, McMurray's average finish is 22.8. Though McMurray has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season -- he's had four top-10s in the last five starts -- he'll likely struggle on Saturday night.
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Jimmie Johnson
I'm going out on a limb here, as JJ could easily win this thing. But he's made a habit this season of running a clunker every few races. I'm not saying he's due, but his average finish at Richmond is 21.2, and he's got just one top-five finish there.
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Jeff Gordon
The point leader's on a roll, but Richmond's been the track that always slows the No. 24 car down to a crawl, at least recently. In his last four starts at this facility, Gordon has finished no better than 30th, racking up two DNF's in the process.
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| Mythical SI.com Cup |
TOTAL POINTS: 1,244
Last week: 84 (Tony Stewart) |
TOTAL POINTS: 1,368
Last week: 84 (Tony Stewart) |
TOTAL POINTS: 1,293
Last week: 84 (Tony Stewart) |
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