RICHMOND RACE REVIEW

Our Great Virginia!

Date: 4-3-2022.
Name of the race: Toyota Owners 400.
Laps: 400.
Track: Richmond Raceway.
Pole winner: Ryan Blaney. 
Outside pole: William Byron.
Stage 1 winner: Ryan Blaney. 
Stage 2 winner: Martin Truex Jr.
Stage 3 winner (won the race): Denny Hamlin.
Top 5: Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, William Byron, Martin Truex Jr, and Kyle Larson.
FYI: Ryan Blaney once again claimed the front row spot earning his third pole of the season for race number seven. Blaney would carry his strength to the end of stage one with Byron the driver of the #24 Camaro coming in second, and last week's winner Ross Chastain finishing third. In stages one and two of the race, positions were gained or lost on pit road with multiple green flag stops and drivers having different varying strategies, giving the advantage to Joe Gibbs drivers Martin Truex Jr(who won stage two) and Christopher Bell (who would finish second). The start of the final stage looked like a mad dash as Byron, Hamlin, Truex, and Harvick would all race to the checkered flag. During the last thirty laps of the race, the two Joe Gibbs teammates would reel in Byron and close in on his lead, with the help of Williams's old tires and lap traffic also being a factor. Kevin Harvick would eventually pass Martin and would attempt to take the lead from Hamlin, but it was a little too late and the Virginia native would earn his first victory of the season, and become the first driver this year to win a race being over the age of thirty. Along with it being Toyota's first point-paying win of the season as well. 
Next race: Martinsville Speedway night race on Saturday night (4-9-2022).