Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

In 11 career starts on the Richmond track, Kyle Busch has two wins, nine top-five finishes and nine top 10s.

OPINION

By Brian Brown

updated 10:36 a.m. ET Sept. 8, 2010

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Richmond International Raceway for the 26th race of the 2010 season, the Air Guard 400. This event will be one of the most exciting races of the year as drivers attempt to manage the tricky configuration of RIR's "long-short" track. We took a look at past performances, season trends, and talked to NASCAR contacts to shed a light on how the field should finish on Saturday night.

When
Saturday, September 11, 2010
7:43 p.m. ET

Weather
Mostly sunny with a high around 82; wind out of the NE at 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10 percent.

The Track
Richmond International Raceway is a .75 mile D-shaped oval. It has fairly flat 14 degree banking in the turns and 8 degree banking on the straights.

Key to Race: Saturday Night Lights
Saturday night racing seem to bring out the best and worst in NASCAR drivers. Add to that a Chase Cut-Off Race, and the Air Guard 400 will be wild. There should be plenty of bent sheet metal and angry drivers when the checkers fly.

Qualifying Procedures
Forty-eight cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2010 owner point standings will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined during qualifying on Friday, Sept. 10 at 5:40 p.m. ET.

Fantasy Cheat Sheet

Top 5
No. 18 Kyle Busch: Rowdy has run excellent at RIR during his career. He dominated the May race this year and has nine top-five finishes in 11 career starts.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin had the best car at RIR in both races last season. The Virginia native is a great pick in his home state.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has finished in the top 12 in 11 of the last 12 races at RIR. A top 10 finish is expected.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has finished in the top 11 in the past six races at Richmond. He is once again a very good option if he can avoid an incident.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson admitted in the past that RIR is a tough track for him, but he has won three of the last seven races at the track.

6 to 10
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch won the fall race at RIR in 2005 and has finished in the top 10 in five of the past seven races at the track. Another top 10 finish should be expected.
No. 39 Ryan Newman: Newman has the best chance to bump Clint Bowyer from the Chase and has been very successful at RIR in the past. He is worth taking a chance on.
No. 33 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer won the May 2008 race at RIR and has finished worse than 12th just one time at the track during his career. He needs a solid run to lock of the final spot in the Chase. This is a good weekend to use the No. 33 car.
No. 56 Martin Truex Jr.: RIR is one of Truex's favorite tracks. He finished seventh at the track in May and is a great pick this weekend.
No. 14 Tony Stewart: Smoke has three career wins at RIR and has 15 top 10 finishes in 23 career starts. He hasn't won at the track since 2002 so he is due for another visit to victory lane.