Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch: Richmond

Refreshed and ready to go. The Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch series took a small sabbatical over the past 3 weeks. However, the series is returning this week in anticipation of the lone Richmond weekend this year. NASCAR’s Cup and Craftsman Truck Series will head to the Virginia short track to race under the lights. For both series, this race will be pivotal for the playoffs. The Cup Series only has 2 races left of the regular season. Meanwhile, this Friday night marks the end of the regular season for the trucks. Could a new winner throw either playoff picture out of whack? Will one of this week’s Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch find their way to victory lane at Richmond Raceway?

With 2 races to go until the playoffs start, the Cup Series essentially boils down to whether there is a new winner or not. Chris Buescher is currently the last driver in on points. He trails Alex Bowman by 26 points for a potential driver buffer. Meanwhile, he has a 34 point lead over his RFK Racing teammate. Unless one of the two drivers above the cutline have a terrible race, not much should change there in terms of points. As for the Truck Series, the question boils down to whether Stewart Friesen receives a waiver or not. If so, only a new winner could alter the playoff picture. Under the assumption there is not one granted, look out for the battle between teammates Jake Garcia and Ben Rhodes.

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Chase Briscoe

No one has been hotter in the Cup Series than Chase Briscoe over the summer months. Starting in Mexico City, Briscoe has a Top-10 in 6 of the last 9 races. In the 3 races prior to this stretch, he nabbed 3 straight poles. Even when his results are not strong, the 19 car usually is in contention throughout the running of a race. While it took some time for Briscoe to find his footing with his new team, the performances are illuminating the potential most thought when this pairing was announced. Chase Briscoe is firmly putting himself into the championship conversation.

As for Richmond, Briscoe is hoping that the Toyota/Joe Gibbs Racing dominance of the track will turn around his mediocre results. Through 8 starts at the short track, Briscoe is still in search of his first Top-10. Meanwhile, the 19 JGR car has been a force to be reckoned with in Virginia. With Martin Truex Jr behind the wheel, the 19 car averaged a 11.7 finish while leading 382 laps in the Gen7 era. That average finish would be better if not for a blown engine in his final start. With that performance record, there should be optimism for Briscoe this weekend. Watch out for that 19 to find itself in a familiar place up front.

Kyle Busch

If you are looking for someone who could pull the upset on Saturday, Kyle Busch might be your answer. It is well remembered what his teammate did last year to win this race, but Austin Dillon’s car was a race winning car before turning into a demolition machine. The 8 team also brought noticeably improved speed last year. While it paled in comparison to the 3, Busch put together a better race than expected. Heading into this weekend, Richard Childress Racing has likely push their chips all in for Richmond. While either driver could be a good shout, this article is going to highlight Busch.

Although Richmond has been a strong track for Busch, the concern is that RCR still sits well behind the competition. Sure, RCR looked good here last year but there is no guarantee that is translate. What should bring Busch fans optimism though is their recent runs. The 8 car has been fast over the last few weeks. Not only fast, but resilient to an extent. Despite constant hurdles, Busch has found his way to be running inside the Top-10 during the past couple of races. Unfortunately, the bad luck has been too great to allow him finish there. If there was a track to turn that fortune around, it would be Richmond.

Ryan Preece

Already in the midst of a career season, Ryan Preece could pull the upset from within his own team. Few thought that Preece would have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs. However, he sits only 34 points back of a spot. Although pointing his way in is still feasible, the preferred path would be to pick up the win. Preece has put together solid runs on the short tracks this season. Usually, the 60 car unloads middling to slow. The team works on the car throughout the race to give Preece one of the better cars in the field. That is what occurred in Iowa, which shares the most similarities to Richmond on the schedule.

If Ryan Preece is going all out for the win, then qualifying is going to be important. While strategy plays a huge factor, being near the front is almost impairative to implement the race winning one. Preece cannot afford another start outside the Top-20 on a short track. The car needs to unload with pace. If not, the team needs to make the necessary adjustments to put together a speedy qualifying lap. Competition will be fierce for the win this weekend, but RFK Racing has a solid resume at Richmond in this car. It would not be a shock to see Ryan Preece pick up his first career Cup win Saturday.

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Daniel Hemric

Fresh off a second place finish at Watkins Glen, Daniel Hemric will be searching for the speed to finish one spot better. Not only speed, but the courage to take an aggressive line against the leader. For some, the Watkins Glen finish left questions about Hemric. While he is a well-respected driver who does not cross that aggression line too much, Hemric gave way more than it seemed he should racing against Corey Heim. At times, it felt as if Hemric backed off during opportune times to snag the lead. There is being respectful, but this felt too passive.

For Richmond, Daniel Hemric should show a bit more aggression if he battling for the win. There is not much to race for outside of the win. At best, Hemric could leapfrog the Front Row Motorsports drivers in points. However, that would take those two having bad days for that be possible. Instead of the dreaded “points racing”, the 19 team should chase as many playoff points as they can garner. If stage wins are not on the table, then the race win should be the priority. Hemric already has a win on a short track this year. Why not make it 2?

Kaden Honeycutt

While the Cup Series silly season has been tame, the Craftsman Truck Series is picking up the slack. Over the past 2 weeks, bombshell news has shaken NASCAR’s third series with young drivers switching teams. Kicking that off was Kaden Honeycutt who decided to pull a Tyler Reddick-esque move. Before Niece Motorsports could get around to offering him a contract for next season, Honeycutt had already inked a deal to swap over to Toyota next season. Upon learning this information, Niece decided to cut ties with the young driver, which certainly was not done out of pettiness. In order to keep his playoff hopes alive, Honeycutt jumped into the 02 truck last week. Starting this weekend, Honeycutt will have a more stable opportunity.

With the unfortunate injury to Stewart Friesen, Kaden Honeycutt will now pilot the 52 for (assumedly) the rest of the season. After winning Michigan, Friesen locked the 52 team in the owners playoffs. Now, that team has a stable driver to guide them through while Friesen heals up from injury. For Honeycutt, driving the 52 is an ideal landing spot after losing a ride midseason. The 52 has proven to be a solid truck this season, which is an improvement over the past couple of seasons. That said, Honeycutt should not be on the shortlist of favorites to win Friday night. Expect to see the learning curve kick in during the race as Honeycutt gets accustomed to his temporary home.

Andres Perez

A week after the Kaden Honeycutt news, Andres Perez joined the silly season fun after he was let go by Spire Motorsports. It had been a long rumor that Spire was looking to downsize their Trucks operation. Unfortunately for Perez, he was the one to get cut from the program. Coming off an ARCA Series Championship, Perez still entered his rookie season with limited expectations. This would be a project rather than a known solution out the gates.

Through 17 races, Perez has struggled to find consistent results. Usually, the 77 truck had been lacking the speed seen out of the 7, 71, and 07 over the season. Perez clearly sat as the odd man out. Many expected Perez to be the man let go by Spire. Surprisingly, Perez has only managed 2 Top-10s. Barring a last second win on the final race of the regular season, playoffs seem to be a farfetched idea for the rookie. Instead, shift your focus to see how well Niece Motorsports will mesh with Perez. If things go well over the next few races, it would be expected to see Perez latch on with Niece.

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