After 10 races of the 35-race season, Bowyer leads Edwards, the defending series champion, by 27 points.
Bowyer has led the series after the past five races with Edwards second.
They are so close, their misfortunes even appear to be timed. Last week at Talladega, each posted his worse
finish of the season. Bowyer finished 25th for the second time in 2008, and Edwards finished 31st.
Bowyer is the defending champion of the spring race at Richmond, a tight three-quarter-mile track.
"That win led to a lot of good things," Bowyer said. "We ran well last season. We only had two less top
fives than Carl, and we only ran a part-time schedule. I don't think it's a mystery that I'm looking
forward to going to Richmond. I'm hoping we can put Talladega behind us and pick our momentum back up and
hang on to the points lead."
Edwards won at Richmond in 2005 and finished second last September. He can't wait to get on the track
Friday night.
"I don't like waiting around for the night race," Edwards said. "That's what kills me, but once we get
started, it's one of the best races of the year. Richmond under the lights is always spectacular and makes
for some exciting racing."
Kyle Busch, third in the standings 39 points back, has two wins at Richmond, including last fall.
Cup regulars Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth are in the mix, too, and have the two highest driver ratings at
Richmond. Harvick, at 118.6, is making his first Nationwide start since April 11 at Phoenix. He has four
wins at Richmond in 14 races and has finished outside the top five only five times.
Kenseth, 118.3, finished fifth (Daytona) and first (Atlanta) in his only two starts of the season. Although
Kenseth has yet to win at Richmond, he has 14 top 10s in 16 races and has finished in the top eight in his
past 11 starts.
Denny Hamlin, a native of suburban Richmond, is making his sixth Nationwide start of the season and looking
for his first win at his home track.
"I know it's not just another race for me," Hamlin said. "When I go to Richmond, there's definitely a lot
more pressure. I'm constantly looking in the stands at the people cheering me on and that means a lot to
me. I take a lot of pride in trying to run well there because I spent so many years watching from there.
When I do have a good run at Richmond, it means just a little bit more there than it does anywhere else."
Note: Rookie Bryan Clauson will fill in for injured Dario Franchitti in the No. 40 Chip Ganassi Racing
Dodge. Franchitti suffered a broken ankle last weekend in Talladega.
Fast facts
What: Lipton Tea 250.
Where: Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.
When: 7:30 p.m. ET Friday.
TV: Speed, ESPN Classic, 7 p.m. ET. (The race, originally scheduled for ESPN2, also will streamed live on
NASCAR.com and ESPN.com.)
Radio: MRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128.
Track layout: 0.75-mile oval.
Race distance: 250 laps/187.5 miles.
2007 winner: Clint Bowyer.
2007 polesitter: Denny Hamlin.
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