Viewer's Guide: RichmondBy Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM
September 9, 2004
11:49 AM EDT (15:49 GMT)
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ATLANTA -- -- Since the Chase for the Nextel Cup was announced back in January,
NASCAR fans have all been pointing to Saturday night's race at Richmond as the
can't-miss event of the year.

After the Chevy Rock and Roll 400, the field will be set for the 10-race Chase
for the Nextel Cup and only those drivers will have a chance at the
championship.

Not surprising, TNT will be all over the deciding race Saturday night.

At 7 p.m. ET, the prerace show from Richmond will feature interviews with each
of the nine drivers that are going after the final four spots in the Chase. In
addition, the on-air bunch will take a look back at how those involved in the
battle got to where they are.

After the field is determined, TNT will present "The Chase for the NASCAR Nextel
Cup Championship Preview Show," a look at the championship field and a look
ahead to the final 10 races of the season. That show will run from shortly after
the checkered flag until midnight ET.

In addition, Saturday's broadcast will be available in high definition.
Sam Flood
Ask The Producer: This week's question comes from several fans who wonder why
NBC/TNT changed its NASCAR theme song.

NBC/TNT producer Sam Flood said simply that the production staff felt like it
was time for a change and time to move forward into the new era of NASCAR with a
new look and a new sound.

Let your voice be heard: Each week, we'll pick one question to ask the producer
of the NBC/TNT telecast. Why did they do things this way? Why did they talk to
that driver? Any question that eats at you could be answered right here in the
Viewer's Guide.

Send your questions to the e-mail box in this piece.

The Rant: This week, James MacRae of Parts Unknown says he'll follow the Chase
for the Nextel Cup, but he doesn't see it as the crowning of a champion.
ALSO
• "Bubble" Standings• "Clinch" Standings

"My rant is over people comparing 'The Chase for the Nextel Cup' to the Super
Bowl or the World Series. Football and baseball seasons end with the champions
winning their final game. No one considers their season a success because they
won the season opener or the Monday Night game in Green Bay in October. NASCAR
is all about 36 main events each season.

"Don't get me wrong, I am following the Chase with interest, but would compare
it more with the Cy Young or an MVP type of award (acknowledging excellence
rather than naming a champion)."

I understand what you're saying James, but under this new system, it is all
about these final 10 races. Whoever performs the best in these final 10 races
will be the champion, just like the team that peaks during the playoffs wins in
baseball or football.
EMAIL
Send Mark your take for "The Rant" or your question for "Ask The Producer"


Get in on the action: In "The Rant," we'll pick e-mails each week to argue about
a TV coverage issue, be it a commentator's comment, a driver's comment, a
pre-race feature -- basically anything you want to spout off about.

Come with an intelligent, passionate argument and you may see your take on
NASCAR.COM.

On to this weekend's schedule:
Nextel Cup Series: Chevy Rock and Roll 400

Site: Richmond, Va.
Last year
Final laps
Newman comes out on top in a thriller at RIR.Hot tempers
Harvick confronts Rudd on pit road following the raceTough night
Stewart is involved in a pair of incidents

Track: Richmond International Raceway (.75-mile tri-oval, 14-degree banking in
turns).

Race distance: 300 miles, 400 laps

TV: Bud Pole Qualifying: TNT, 3 p.m. ET Friday. Happy Hour: TNT, 7 p.m. ET
Friday. Race: TNT, 7 p.m. ET Saturday.

Last race: Elliott Sadler assured himself of a spot in the championship chase by
winning the Pop Secret 500 in Fontana, Calif. Sadler has to start the next race
to officially clinch a spot.

Last year: Ryan Newman held on through three restarts, the last with four laps
to go, and won the Chevrolet 400.

Potential storyline: Jamie McMurray sits 11th in the Nextel Cup standings, 25
points behind 10th-place Mark Martin. McMurray was penalized 25 points back in
March after violations at Bristol.

Point to ponder: Richmond International Raceway actually began holding auto
racing events in 1946, starting out as a half-mile dirt track. The speedway was
paved in 1968. It was a half-mile asphalt track for 20 years; after Neil Bonnett
won the 1988 Pontiac Excitement 400, Richard Petty climbed aboard a bulldozer
and in a ceremonial move began digging up the old racing surface to begin
construction on the new three-quarters-mile configuration.
Busch Series: Emerson Radio 250

Site: Richmond, Va.
Last year
Spin to win
Sauter spins Kenseth to get his second NBS victoryTrash talk
Riggs has some harsh words for HornadayTalking it over
Harvick and Kenseth share words after the wild finish

Track: Richmond International Raceway (.75-mile tri-oval, 14-degree banking in
turns).

Race distance: 187.5 miles, 250 laps

TV: Busch Pole Qualifying: SPEED, 3:30 p.m. ET Thursday. Race: TNT, 8 p.m. ET
Friday.

Last race: Greg Biffle and Casey Mears dominated the Target House 300 at
Fontana, Calif., swapping the lead twice down the stretch before Biffle pulled
away with two laps remaining for the win.

Last year: Johnny Sauter bumped Matt Kenseth into the wall in the final turn and
won the Funai 250 at Richmond for his second career Busch victory.

Potential storyline: Akins Motorsports owners Doug Stringer and Brad Akins
announced Wednesday that it will field a two-car program for a minimum of 20
NASCAR Busch Series events in 2005 with ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Brent Sherman
behind the wheel.

Point to ponder: Jason Leffler has five top-10 finishes in his past six starts.
Craftsman Truck Series: Kroger 200

Site: Richmond, Va.
Last year
Victorious
Stewart celebrates another Truck Series win at RIRNot happy
Jimmy Spencer is miffed after getting taken out

Track: Richmond International Raceway (.75-mile tri-oval, 14-degree banking in
turns).

Race distance: 150 miles, 200 laps

TV: Race: SPEED, 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday.

Last race: Carl Edwards came from the back of the field and edged Shane Hmiel to
win the O'Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 25. Edwards qualified
fifth, but his crew elected to make unapproved pre-race repairs after a spin on
his second qualifying lap.

Last year: Tony Stewart passed Ted Musgrave for the lead with 16 laps to go and
won his second consecutive truck race at Richmond.

Potential storyline: Jamie McMurray will make a return to the NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series as the driver of the No. 2 Dodge in the Kroger 200 at Richmond on
Thursday. McMurray replaces Andy Houston in the Ultra Motorsports truck.

Point to ponder: Ken Schrader won his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Bud
Pole at Bristol two weeks ago. He is the fourth competitor to win both a pole
and a race on all three of NASCAR's national touring series. The others are Greg
Biffle, Terry Labonte and Jimmy Spencer.

Mark Spoor is an interactive producer of NASCAR.COM. The Domino's Viewer's Guide
appears each Thursday during race weeks.



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