Federated Auto Parts 400 Starting Lineup and Stats for NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Race

Last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff opener at Darlington gave fans all of the entertainment they could ask for. Several playoff drivers will look to recover from the carnage that took place this Saturday night as the action shifts north to Richmond Raceway. The 63rd annual running of the Federated Auto Parts 400 marks the second of three races in the Round of 16. After last week’s chaos, it’s anyone’s guess what might ensue under the lights at “America’s Premier Short Track”. While all 16 playoff drivers are at the front of the Federated Auto Parts 400 starting lineup, they’ll certainly be hard-pressed to stay there.

The following article contains all kinds of vital information to get you set for Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series action. Read on for the complete Federated Auto Parts 400 starting lineup, start time, race facts and NASCAR stats.

NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway

63rd Federated Auto Parts 400
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Track: Richmond Raceway — Richmond, VA
Coverage: NBCSN
Pole Sitter: Kyle Larson
Defending Champion: Brad Keselowski

Federated Auto Parts 400 Race Details

Distance: 300 miles
Laps: 400
Lap Length: 0.75 miles
Stages: Three (Laps 1-80; 81-235; 236-400)
Surface: Asphalt
Turns: 4

Federated Auto Parts 400 Starting Lineup

See below for a breakdown of the qualifying metrics formula.

Starting Position	Driver	Car Number	Team	Manufacturer
1	Cole Custer	41	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford
2	Christopher Bell	20	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
3	Tyler Reddick	8	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet
4	Chase Briscoe	14	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford
5	Kyle Larson	5	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
6	Justin Haley	31	Kaulig Racing	Chevrolet
7	Ty Dillon	42	Petty GMS Motorsports	Chevrolet
8	Alex Bowman	48	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
9	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
10	Joey Logano	22	Team Penske	Ford
11	Kyle Busch	18	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
12	Austin Dillon	3	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet
13	Kurt Busch	45	23XI Racing	Toyota
14	Erik Jones	43	Petty GMS Motorsports	Chevrolet
15	Chris Buescher	17	Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing	Ford
16	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	47	JTG Daugherty Racing	Chevrolet
17	Michael McDowell	34	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
18	Brad Keselowski	6	Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing	Ford
19	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
20	Austin Cindric	2	Team Penske	Ford
21	Daniel Suarez	99	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
22	Bubba Wallace	23	23XI Racing	Toyota
23	Todd Gilliland	38	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
24	Harrison Burton	21	Wood Brothers Racing	Ford
25	Ryan Blaney	12	Team Penske	Ford
26	Corey LaJoie	7	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
27	Justin Allgaier	77	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
28	Noah Gragson	16	Kaulig Racing	Chevrolet
29	J.J. Yeley	15	Rick Ware Racing	Ford
30	Martin Truex Jr.	19	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
31	Aric Almirola	10	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford
32	Kevin Harvick	4	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford
33	Ross Chastain	1	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
34	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
35	Cody Ware	51	Rick Ware Racing	Ford
36	Josh Williams	78	Live Fast Motorsports	Ford

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Overview

Following the interruption to racing last season, NASCAR did away with practice and qualifying runs at the majority of races. A combination of grouped draws and a performance-metrics formula was used to determine starting grids. That same formula remains in place for the majority of races on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, including this Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 starting lineup.

So, what exactly is involved in the performance-metrics formula? Well, it draws on a number of factors including individual race performances and season-long results. The following breakdown illustrates the weighted grades associated with each component of NASCAR’s metrics formula:

NASCAR Cup Series Metrics Formula Breakdown

• 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
• 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
• 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
• 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

Federated Auto Parts 400 Race History and NASCAR Stats

• The very first running of this race came all the way back in 1958. It was a 200-lap, 100-mile event billed as the “Richmond 200” and was won by Speedy Thompson.
• Although it has been run at several distances and under various title sponsors, the Federated Auto Parts 400 has been a fixture of the fall NASCAR Cup Series calendar every year since its inception.
• After a steady increase in race distance since its inception, the event reached its peak as a 500-lap feature on the old half-mile track configuration in 1970. It was run at this distance from 1970-1976 with Richard Petty winning five of those six races.
• In 1988, Richmond Raceway was converted from a 0.5-mile oval to 0.75 miles in lap length. The race remained 400 laps long with the reconfiguration bringing the total distance to the current 300 miles.
• “The King”, Richard Petty, leads the all-time driver wins list with seven Federated Auto Parts 400 victories. Bobby Allison stands alone in second with five.
• Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with three wins in this race. Only Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski can also claim multiple wins with two apiece.
• Petty Enterprises may no longer be an acitve race team, but they are still tied for the all-time wins lead when it comes to this specific race. Joe Gibbs Racing shares the lead with seven victories, incluidng four wins in the laqst six editions.
• Team Penske sits just behind with six Federated Auto Parts 400 wins as a team including Brad Keselowski’s victory last year.
• Chevrolet holds a one-race lead over Ford (17-16) for the most wins all-time among car manufacturers in this race. Dodge is a distant third with nine while the only other current manufacturer, Toyota, has seven.