NASCAR At Richmond 2012: Kyle Busch Wins, But Controversy Rules Capital City 400

After an 18th-place finish on Saturday night at Richmond, Greg Biffle’s lead in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings was reduced to just five points over second-place Dale Earnhardt Jr., who moved up two spots in the standings after finishing runner-up to race-winner Kyle Busch.

Also jumping two spots in the championship order was Denny Hamlin, who now sits third overall following his fourth-place finish. The top five is rounded out by Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr.

With five laps to go in Saturday night’s NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway, it looked like it was finally going to happen: NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was finally going to snap his 137-race winless streak after nearly four years and several near-misses.

Running second to leader Kyle Busch, all Earnhardt Jr. had to do was find his way around the No. 18 Toyota, which seemed like a foregone conclusion considering Earnhardt Jr. was clicking off his fastest laps of the evening.

On Saturday night, I emerged from the Richmond International Raceway infield tunnel after walking down from the press box and looked up at the scoring pylon to try and figure out who was leading the race with 83 laps to go.

The race was under caution for Jeff Burton’s collision with the wall, which came in the middle of green-flag pit stops. Because of the odd timing, it was confusing to try and figure out exactly who was leading the race.

Pulling away from Dale Earnhardt Jr. after a restart with eight laps left in Saturday night’s Capital City 400 at Richmond International Raceway, Kyle Busch streaked to his fourth straight victory in the spring race at the .75-mile track.

The win was Busch’s first of the season and the 24th of his career. Tony Stewart, the race leader before the fifth and final caution for debris in Turn 2, lost ground on the restart and finished third. Denny Hamlin ran fourth, followed by Kasey Kahne.

All day, there has been concern that rain might affect tonight’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway because of showers and storms earlier this afternoon. The good news is the forecast is looking mostly dry this evening.

Showers moving through western and northern Virginia have weakened and all but dissipated with the rest of the activity staying to the north. This looks like a mostly dry forecast for the Capital City 400, and there is only a slight chance of a stray shower during the race. Given how fast these showers have been moving all day, any isolated shower would be quick.

It’s NASCAR race night in Richmond, and here are some storylines and drivers to watch heading into tonight’s race:

A Kyle Busch Breakthrough?

Action sports superstar Travis Pastrana finally made his long-awaited NASCAR Nationwide Series debut on Friday night, finishing 22nd at Richmond International Raceway.

A pit road speeding penalty thwarted his shot at a top-15 finish, but he ran a respectable race other than that.

Ryan Blaney introduced himself to NASCAR fans in a big way on Friday night, driving to a surprising seventh-place finish in his first-ever Nationwide Series start.

Blaney, the son of Sprint Cup Series driver Dave Blaney, showed poise, patience and speed throughout the 250-lap race at Richmond International Raceway, demonstrating why garage insiders are high on his talent and potential.

Mark Martin may only be a part-timer this season, but his cars are certainly fast every time he shows up.

The veteran Martin won the pole position for Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway, knocking off Carl Edwards as the final car to take a qualifying lap.

NASCAR drivers have each been asked about the string of uneventful races so far this year, and Carl Edwards was no different when it came time for his Friday media session at Richmond International Raceway.

Edwards, though, was one of the few to offer a solution. I thought it was pretty interesting, so I’m posting it below:

With the dearth of cautions and passing the last couple of weeks, there have been a variety of different ideas bandied about regarding why the on-track action has seemingly been lacking in NASCAR as of late.

And like many others, five-time series champion Jimmie Johnson had his own theory as to why the quality of racing isn’t at the level many have grown accustomed to watching.

Weather will be quiet for Friday’s NASCAR actitivies at Richmond International Raceway, but Saturday and Saturday night is when things get tricky.

A cold front will stall to the south in the Carolinas during the day on Friday. High pressure will build in and provide mostly sunny skies to the region. It should also remain dry for Friday night’s Nationwide Series race.

Kyle Busch, once a familiar face in NASCAR media centers around the country, returned to the interview room on Thursday for his first scheduled press session since Las Vegas.

Since NASCAR typically only asks drivers to schedule a pre-race interview with reporters if they’re in the top 12 of the Sprint Cup Series point standings or is a compelling storyline for the weekend, Busch has been a virtual stranger in the media center this year.

Remember the “Pastranathon?” Or at least what was supposed to be the Pastranathon?

Last July, action sports superstar Travis Pastrana planned to pull double duty by participating in both the X Games in Los Angeles and the NASCAR Nationwide Series in Indianapolis – two deliciously cross-promoted ESPN events that would perhaps move some of Pastrana’s young male fans to watch NASCAR for the first times in their lives.

Denny Hamlin’s fond memories of his Richmond International Raceway predate his racing career, when once he was just a young fan in the stands. But Hamlin’s reminiscing in recent years has been about stellar performances on one of his best tracks.

Whether the reason is nostalgia or more recent history, Hamlin is happy to see Richmond on the schedule for Saturday night’s Capital City 400 Presented By Virginia Is For Lovers (7 p.m. ET, FOX).