NASCAR is back at the action track. At night. On Easter Sunday.
For first time this season, the Cup Series heads to the ¾-mile Richmond Raceway for the Toyota Owners 400. The green flag drops at 7 p.m. (FOX).
It’s the 13th time in NASCAR history where a Cup race will be held on Easter Sunday. Richmond hosted an Easter race in 1989 after the original date was snowed out. Rustin Wallace won that race.
This year, Richmond-area native Denny Hamlin comes back to his home track as the co-favorite with Chistopher Bell, who are both at +400, according to BetMGM.
Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with six wins on Richmond’s D-shaped oval, with the last coming in 2018 when he swept both races. Busch is +1800 to take the checkered flag this week.
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FrontPageBets takes a look at drivers to watch in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway this Sunday, which will be the 135th NASCAR Cup Race held at the track since 1953.
(All odds courtesy of BetMGM and are subject to change)
Richmond NASCAR pick to win: Denny Hamlin (+400)
Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, has had a lot of success on his home track. He’s won four times in 34 starts at the ¾-mile short track, with the last one coming in the spring of 2022.
Hamlin also has 22 top-10 finishes in his Cup career at Richmond, including 18 top-5s.
Hamlin currently sits in fourth in driver points for the 2024 season.
Top-5 Richmond pick: Kyle Larson (+160)
Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, won last year’s spring race at Richmond Raceway to give him two career victories at the action track in 18 starts.
Larson also has eight top-10 finishes, including four top-5s.
So far this season, Larson, who is in fifth in points, has already qualified for the playoffs with a win at Las Vegas.
Longshot Ricmond Toyota Owners 400 pick: Alex Bowman (+4000)
Yes, it’s a long longshot, but Bowman does have success at Richmond.
The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy won there in the 2021 spring race, and since has turned in two top-10 finishes.
In six races so far this year, Bowman has three top-5 finishes, including fourth at Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago. He was second at Daytona as well.
NASCAR Cup Series Richmond odds-on favorites
Denny Hamlin +400
Christopher Bell +400
Martin Truex Jr. +625
Ty Gibbs +900
Kyle Larson +1000
Chris Buescher +1000
Brad Keselowski +1100
William Byron +1200
Tyler Reddick +1600
Kyle Busch +1800
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Mike Szvetitz is the General Manager and Content Director for FrontPageBets.com. Szvetitz is a 24-year veteran reporter and editor, including serving 17 years as a sports editor in Florida, Alabama and Virginia, covering everything from preps to pros. His "View From The Lazy Boy" column won multiple state and national awards. He can be reached at mszvetitz@timesdispatch.com.