2021 Race Facts, Rules and Tires...

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"RULES PACKAGE

The NASCAR rules package for short tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 750 horsepower. The cars will use a reduced downforce package with a shorter spoiler, a shorter splitter overhang and other aerodynamic changes.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Cup Series teams have nine sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for the 300-mile marathon at Richmond. Due to the high wear nature of the track, four tires and maintaining track position is even more crucial at every opportunity.

“Richmond has emerged as a high wear track over the past decade as the track surface has aged,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “As that has happened, it has given us some great racing. Even though Richmond is technically a short track, the cars carry a great deal of speed. You add in the fact that the surface wears tires and you end up having a race with multiple grooves and a lot of passing throughout the field. That makes Richmond a very popular track for both drivers and fans.”

Recommended tire inflation is 12 psi for the left side tires, 30 psi for the right front and 27 psi for the right rear.

RICHMOND FAST FACTS

— Since its inaugural race in 1953, Richmond Raceway has hosted a Cup Series race every year since 1955 and Sunday marks the 129th.
— Joe Gibbs Racing has dominated recent history at Richmond, winning four of the last five races and seven of the last 10.
— Two of the last three Richmond races had a green flag stretch of 148 or more laps to finish the race.
— In the last 12 races at Richmond, the race winner has started inside the top 10 all but two times.

Source: Racing Insights "

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WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

Oddsmakers favor Hamlin to finally get over the winless streak after dazzling performances in nearly every race this season. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman tops the chart at 13-2, with rival Logano just off the pace at 9-1. Two-time Talladega winner Ryan Blaney at 10-1 edges out teammate Brad Keselowski and reigning series champion Chase Elliott — both 11-1 — to complete the list of frontrunners.

As fans know, superspeedways tend to produce electric moments from the underdogs. William Byron (20-1), Ryan Newman (30-1) and Erik Jones (40-1) each present intriguing value based on recent performances at the track.

Byron has led a lap in five of six career starts at Talladega and has a pair of consecutive finishes in 11th or better, Newman has five finishes of ninth or better in the last seven races — including two runner-ups — and Erik Jones has finished in the top five in each of the last two races.

Who’s your best bet? See the full list of BetMGM odds for the GEICO 500.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Cup Series teams have seven sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for the 188-lap race on the 2.66-mile circuit. The length of the track allows for the possibility of drivers pitting under green without going a lap down.

Last repaved in 2010, the surface has increased its effect on tire wear over time, but the grip is still sustainable over longer runs — meaning two-tire and fuel-only stops should definitely be in play throughout the afternoon.

The minimum recommended inflation is 26 psi for the left side tires, 50 psi for the right front and 48 psi for the right rear.

FORD, TEAM PENSKE DOMINANT AT ‘DEGA

— In the last 11 races at Talladega, a Ford driver has reached Victory Lane nine times.

— During the 2018 race, Stewart-Haas Racing drivers ran 1-2-3-4 for 122 of 162 green flag laps and Aric Almirola won after taking the lead on the final lap.

— Team Penske and Team Penske-related drivers (No. 21) have either won or been passed for the win in six of the last seven Talladega races.

— Blaney led a race-high 63 laps in last year’s spring victory and has won two out of the last three races at Talladega.

Source: Racing Insights

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Darlington :

RULES PACKAGE

The NASCAR rules package also used at tracks 1 mile in length and under and at road courses will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 750 horsepower, along with a low-downforce race package.

GOODYEAR “BLUE STREAK” TIRES

Cup Series teams are allotted 11 sets of Goodyear “Blue Streak” Speedway Radials to conquer the 400-mile marathon. Exclusively tailored for throwback weekend, Goodyear is bringing back the 1960s and 1970s blue streak to the sidewall design that is popular among fans and drivers alike.

“There is a lot to be excited about at Darlington this weekend,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Not only is the Cup race called the ‘Goodyear 400’, it’s throwback weekend for the sport, we are running our ‘Blue Streak’ sidewall design and, with the abrasive track surface, tires are always a story.”

With such an abrasive surface, could the perfect pit stop decide the winner of the race?

HISTORY AT DARLINGTON

— Sunday’s Cup Series race will be the 120th premier series race at Darlington Raceway.

— 2021 is the first time since 2004 that Darlington has two races originally scheduled for one season. Three races were held there in 2020 after the schedule realignment.

— South Carolina’s David Pearson leads all drivers with 10 wins and 12 poles (five were consecutive) at Darlington; Pearson is from Spartanburg, S.C. which is 165 miles west of the track.

— Joe Gibbs Racing won six of the last 10 races at Darlington and have not gone consecutive Darlington races without a win since 2011 and 2012.

— The final lead change was with less than 25 to go in eight of the last 10 Darlington races.

Source: Racing Insights

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The Circuit of The Americas :

RULES PACKAGE

The usual road-course package returns this weekend, featuring a significantly shorter rear spoiler and front splitter. Cars are fitted with a tapered-spacer engine, targeting around 750 horsepower and emphasizing lower downforce due to aerodynamic changes.

GOODYEAR TIRES, RAINY FORECAST

Though both practice and qualifying sessions should aid teams in dialing in their cars for the weekend, many will look to combine familiar aspects of previous road courses to plan ahead. The Circuit of The Americas combines high-speed straights often seen at Watkins Glen International with the technical turns of Sonoma Raceway and will test race strategy throughout the entire afternoon.

Cup Series teams will have three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for practice, one set for qualifying and six sets for the race (five new sets plus one transferred from practice or qualifying).

With this weekend’s forecast showing rain on the radar, the wet weather radials are expected to be in play at some point during the afternoon. Differing from the standard radials, wet weather tires will be treaded and have white lettering in the place of yellow.

RELATED: Procedures for rain tires in event of wet weather at COTA

SEASON TRENDS, WEEKEND STORY LINES

— Through 13 races, there have been 10 different winners with Truex (three wins) and Bowman (two) being the only repeat winners so far this season.

— Four different organizations have reached Victory Lane in 2021, but Stewart-Haas Racing has yet to join them after winning 10 races a season ago.

— Elliott won four of the last five road-course races, only ending the streak after Bell’s 2021 win at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

— The race winner started in the top 10 in eight of the last 10 road-course races, and seven of the last eight road-course winners were 26 or younger.

Source: Racing Insights

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600 MILES OF REMEMBRANCE

This Memorial Day weekend, NASCAR continues the established NASCAR Salutes tradition of honoring fallen soldiers of the U.S. military with the 600 Miles of Remembrance. During the race, each Cup Series car will feature a unique front-windshield banner that bears the name of one of the soldiers. See the car number and their respective hero being honored at Charlotte.

RULES PACKAGE

The NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to achieve a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.

GOODYEAR TIRE TRIBUTE

As done in years past, Cup teams will run sets of Goodyear “Honor and Remember” Speedway Radials — a special tire marked with a gold star and the slogan in white letters on a red banner. Each team has three sets for practice, one set for qualifying and 13 sets for the race (12 new sets, plus one set transferred from practice or qualifying).

For a race carrying from the early evening into the night, managing tire temperature is important for teams throughout the lengthy race.

“The temperature-sensitive nature of the track surface at Charlotte — as well as starting the race in daylight and ending at night — poses a great challenge for teams as drivers need to convey how the track is changing and crew chiefs need to make changes to stay ahead of those conditions,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “With 13 sets of tires, and the race divided into four stages instead of the ‘normal’ three, teams will constantly be trying to keep up with, or ahead of, the changing conditions.”

CHARLOTTE HISTORY, 600 INSIGHTS

— First raced on in June 1960, Charlotte Motor Speedway is the oldest of the current 1.5-mile tracks on the Cup Series Schedule. (Atlanta Motor Speedway held a race one month later.)

— The Coca-Cola 600 is the only race on the schedule with four stages instead of three: Stage 1 at Lap 100, Stage 2 at Lap 200, Stage 3 at Lap 300 and the Final Stage at Lap 400.

— Three of the last five Coca-Cola 600s were won by current Joe Gibbs Racing drivers and two of the last three were won by drivers starting outside the top 10.

— After Brad Keselowski reached Victory Lane in the 2020 Coca-Cola 600, it marked the first 600 win for Ford since Mark Martin won in 2002.

Source: Racing Insights...

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WHO’S IN?

Eligible for this year’s All-Star contest are points-race winners from 2020-21, past All-Star winners who compete full-time and past Cup champions who compete full-time.

Everyone else will have to compete in the NASCAR All-Star Open on Sunday (6 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) if they want to make it into the main event.

Each of the three stage winners from the Open will advance into the All-Star Race, as will the winner of the fan vote.

RACK ‘EM UP

Kyle Larson is winning everything these days, and apparently the random draw to set the All-Star starting grid was no exception. Larson, who has won each of the last two races, will start from the pole alongside Kyle Busch. Behind them in Row 2 will be Daytona International Speedway road-course winner Christopher Bell and last year’s Kentucky Speedway victor, Cole Custer.

STARTING LINEUPS: All-Star Race | All-Star Open

In the Open, Tyler Reddick will lead the field to green alongside Chris Buescher, with Matt DiBenedetto and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in tow.

THE FORMAT

The All-Star Race will be split into six different stages this year that will total 100 laps.

Each of the first four stages will be 15 laps in length, followed by a 30-lap fifth stage before a 10-lap shootout takes the field to the checkered flag. A full breakdown of this year’s unique twists can be found here.

ALL-STAR RACE HISTORY

– The last eight All-Star Races have been won by eight different drivers, dating back to Jamie McMurray’s victory in 2013.

– This year’s edition marks the 37th running of this exhibition race. Darrell Waltrip won the inaugural event at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1985.

– Four drivers have won the All-Star Race after transferring in from the Open, most recently Kyle Larson in 2019.

– The only two times the All-Star Race has been held outside of Charlotte, an Elliott went to Victory Lane: Bill Elliott at Atlanta in 1986 and Chase Elliott at Bristol one year ago.

– 2021 marks the 22nd consecutive year Hendrick Motorsports has fielded at least three cars in the All-Star Race. The next longest streak is nine years, currently held by Joe Gibbs Racing and dating back to 2013.

– Hendrick holds a tight grasp around the All-Star Race with nine wins, 39 top fives and 64 top 10s in 116 starts among 23 drivers. The organizations with the next highest win totals in the event are Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Childress Racing, which each hold four.

Source: Racing Insights

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RULES PACKAGE

The rules package this weekend will be similar to a normal 1.5-mile configuration but will feature smaller tapered spacers, reducing the size from 59/64th of an inch to 57/64th, setting horsepower targets in the 500-510 range.

GOODYEAR TIRES

This week’s tires are in line with what Goodyear brought to Texas last fall for the Cup Series’ playoff race in October. Because the track’s surface is so smooth, Goodyear aims for these tires to provide plenty of grip while also allowing for some wear.

“As of last fall, we have been able to adjust our right-side tread compound for the Cup cars to give them more grip as the track surface at Texas begins to age,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “This weekend’s NASCAR Cup All-Star race has a very racy format with four 15-lap segments followed by one 30-lap segment and concluding with a 10-lap sprint to the finish. Teams will have to manage their tires, getting four sets for those six segments, and balancing tire wear, track position, and the benefits of cooler, fresher tires.”

ALL ABOUT CASHING IN

“Yung Money” Kyle Larson is the favorite by a significant margin heading into Sunday night’s All-Star Race at 13-4 odds, according to BetMGM. The next closest on the radar is Martin Truex Jr. at 7-1 and Chase Elliott at 15-2.

If you’re looking for an underdog, consider Austin Dillon at 40-1 odds. Dillon won at Texas last summer and is currently posting the best average finish of his career at 13.0.

MORE: All-Star betting odds

ALL-STAR STORYLINES AND TRENDS

– Joey Logano and Kyle Busch hold the longest active top-10 streaks in the event with six straight, tying them with Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ken Schrader for third-most top 10s in All-Star history.

– Brad Keselowski (115 laps) and Ryan Blaney (77) are the only drivers to have led more than 57 total laps in their All-Star starts without a victory.

– Kyle Busch has led the most All-Star Race laps with 267 laps led.

– Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. are the only active Cup champions who not have won the All-Star Race.

Source: Racing Insights

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FAN ATTENDANCE

Fans will be welcomed back to Pocono Raceway in full capacity for the first time since 2019 as the COVID-19 pandemic barred spectators from entry last year.

Camping spots have already sold out for the venue, while tickets still remain available at

www.poconoraceway.com/tickets

. Fans who are fully vaccinated will not be required to wear masks, and the facility will operate without social distancing. More information can be found via the track’s website.

RULES PACKAGE

Cup Series teams will utilize the high-downforce, 550-horsepower package in the Pocono Mountains this weekend. This package features a taller spoiler and longer splitter to increase downforce around the racetrack.

POCONO HISTORY

— Pocono Raceway is celebrating 50 years of hosting races on its 2.5-mile triangular layout. The facility opened with a USAC open-wheel race in 1971 before welcoming the Cup Series in 1974.

— Denny Hamlin’s win in the race No. 2 in the 2020 doubleheader was his sixth Pocono victory, tying him with Jeff Gordon for the most wins all-time at Pocono.

— Hendrick Motorsports is the most successful team in the track’s history with 17 wins, 71 top fives and 129 top 10s in 253 combined starts. The organization has led an astounding 3,270 laps. Joe Gibbs Racing has led the next most with 1,721 laps led.

— Despite its historic Pocono success, Hendrick Motorsports is 0-12 in its last 12 Pocono tries. Hendrick had won six of its prior 12 starts at the Tricky Triangle.

— Joe Gibbs Racing has picked up where Hendrick left off, winning five of the last seven Pocono races (and Toyota has wins in six of the last seven). Denny Hamlin has won two of the last three.

Source: Racing Insights

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RULES PACKAGE

Because Atlanta Motor Speedway sits at 1.54 miles, the NASCAR Cup Series will utilize the 550-horsepower, high-downforce package this weekend. This package features taller spoilers and longer splitters to increase drag and downforce.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Atlanta’s surface is one of if not the most abrasive on the Cup Series circuit. Its rough, aggregate asphalt tears tires to shreds, wearing tires as much as three seconds per lap, according to Goodyear.

Teams will have 10 sets of tires to use this weekend, made of the same compounds used during the March race weekend, and it’s fair to expect them to utilize a new set every chance they get.

“It is well known that Atlanta’s abrasive surface really wears tires very aggressively,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “It’s also a track where the pit crews play almost as big a part in the race as the drivers. For the drivers, ‘tire management’ will be the phrase of the day. Those that are smoother on and off the throttle and don’t slide their tires will be able to save more of their tires’ performance for the end of a run.

“As a result, some guys will be able to run several tenths of a second quicker over the second half of a run and make up a lot of positions over those that were aggressive early.”

RELATED: See every winner in Atlanta history | Opportunities for crews to turn it up at Atlanta

NASCAR HISTORY AT ATLANTA

— NASCAR has been visiting Atlanta Motor Speedway since 1960, one year after its scheduled debut was delayed due to inclement weather delaying construction.

— This season marks the first since 2010 that Atlanta will host two Cup Series races as it did since 1960. The Hampton, Georgia, track hosted just one race yearly between 2011-2020.

— Last paved and reconfigured in 1997, Atlanta’s surface is the second-oldest in the series, only behind the concrete at Dover International Speedway.

— On Tuesday, Atlanta announced it would again be resurfacing and reconfiguring the mile-and-a-half track, this time creating 28 degrees of banking in the corners while also narrowing the racing surface.

— Ryan Blaney’s March victory was Ford’s fifth in a row, the longest manufacturer streak in track history.

Source: Racing Insights