Nascar Richmond 2025 | Schedule & Sessions | MotorSportRadar

Nascar Cup - Richmond

Dunlaing Watches
Event Start

Richmond

Dunlaing Watches
0 D
0 H
0 M
0 S

16 - 17 Aug

Completed
Richmond Raceway

Richmond Raceway

Practice
08:35 - Sat, 16 Aug
Qualifying
09:40 - Sat, 16 Aug
Race
11:30 - Sun, 17 Aug

Where To Watch Nascar in United States

Where To Watch Nascar in United States
Prime Video United States exclusive streaming home for five mid-season Cup Series races and much of early-season practice and qualifying.
TNT Sports / WBD United States summer partner for five Cup Series races on TNT Sports / Warner Bros. Discovery platforms.
NordVPN
Stream Nascar securely from anywhere with NordVPN Traveling abroad or using public Wi-Fi? Protect your connection and access your usual coverage more securely.

Upcoming in Nascar

Upcoming in Nascar
Texas
3 - 4 May
Watkins Glen
10 - 11 May
All-Star Dover
17 - 18 May
View More

Track Info

Richmond Raceway - Richmond, Virginia, USA

0.750 mi D-shaped short track - asphalt - clockwise - 4 turns - banking: 14° turns, 8° frontstretch, 2° backstretch

First Race
Oct 12, 1946
First automobile event at the State Fairgrounds oval won by Ted Horn.
Circuit Length
0.750 mi / 1.207 km
Current D-shaped configuration dates to 1988.
Turns
4
Banking 14° in the corners - 8° frontstretch - 2° backstretch.
Lap Records
IndyCar race lap 0:15.9368 - Sam Hornish Jr. (2004) • NASCAR Cup race lap 0:21.849 - Kevin Harvick (2019)
Outright speed has belonged to open-wheel on the short oval, while modern Cup race laps sit in the low 22s.

When was the track built?

Opened in 1946 as a 0.5 mi dirt oval at the Atlantic Rural Exposition grounds, Richmond was paved in 1968 and reconfigured in 1988 to the current 0.75 mi D-shape. The facility has hosted top-tier NASCAR for most seasons since 1953 and welcomed IndyCar from 2001 to 2009.

When was its first race?

First race activity took place on October 12, 1946, when AAA big cars headlined and Ted Horn won the feature. NASCAR’s first Cup date followed in the 1950s, evolving into today’s Cook Out 400 and spring events.

What’s the circuit like?

  • Technical short-track feel: Long, arcing entries reward trail-braking and throttle discipline off Turns 2 and 4.
  • Pit strategy theater: Two-wide restarts and tyre falloff flip scripts late, especially on green-flag cycles.
  • Benchmark pace: IndyCar-era laps dipped under 16 seconds; modern Cup race-lap records hover around 22 seconds.

Lap records and benchmarks

  • Outright race lap (oval): 0:15.9368 - Sam Hornish Jr. - Dallara IR-03 - 2004 SunTrust Indy Challenge (IndyCar).
  • NASCAR Cup - race lap: 0:21.849 - Kevin Harvick - 2019 Toyota Owners 400.
  • NASCAR Cup - qualifying (track Q record): 20.674 s - Jeff Gordon - 2013.

Why go?

Richmond blends short-track elbows-out racing with superspeedway-level venue polish. Expect tire management, undercuts, and late cautions bringing drama under the lights. Fan access is strong and the compact layout means you see a lot of the lap from many seats.

Where’s the best place to watch?

  • Turn 1 entry: Deep-brake divebombs at the end of the frontstretch and restart chaos.
  • Turn 4 exit: Traction battles set up passes to the line.
  • High rows on the frontstretch: Full view of pit road and scoring pylon for strategy geeks.

Not just one series - headline events

NASCAR Cup: Cook Out 400 and spring event anchors.

IndyCar history: Ran 2001 to 2009 with sub-16-second laps showing the oval’s raw speed.

Hotels & Accommodation

Never Miss Lights Out

Get alerts before every race, across all major series.

Email reminders • Calendar sync • Push notifications