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Tuesday, September 4
Hendrick's hopes high at Richmond
ESPN.com news services
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RICHMOND, Va. -- Ricky Hendrick has raced at Richmond International Raceway and knows it is anything but easy. But, after a strong fifth-place finish in the most recent NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Nazareth, Pa., Hendrick is confident he can conquer the challenging Richmond oval in Thursday night's Kroger 200.
"I am really looking forward to racing in Richmond," Hendrick said. "We have some experience there and I think that will really help. We have developed so much as a team and so have I as a driver. It is a track I would love to win at because it's such a tough track."
Hendrick, the driver of the No. 17 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet, competed in the NASCAR Busch Series event at Richmond in the Hardees 250 and struggled to a 28th-place finish.The truck rookie thinks that experience will prove valuable in the upcoming clash at RIR.
"I always feel a little better about going back to a track I've been to before," said the 21-year old Charlotte, N.C., native. "There are no guarantees in racing. They put a sealer down on the track and I'm sure that will change everything. You can't go there with a normal setup. Maybe it will help the rookies out because everyone will be trying to get it figured out."
Hendrick has posted 14 top-10 finishes in 18 events this season, including his first career victory at Kansas Speedway. Crew chief Lance McGrew has confidence his young driver can turn in another top performance at Richmond.
"I'm depending on Ricky's experience to help us perform as well as we have been," McGrew said. "I think he is more confident in his abilibites as a driver after nearly a full season in the Craftsman Truck Series. Richmond is a very challenging track and the driver has to have confidence he can turn in a winning performance."
Richmond has been on the series schedule since it's inception in 1995. Jack Sprague, Hendrick's teammate, has won at Richmond before and posted three top-five finishes in six events. Knowing his Hendrick Motorsports team has the ability to go to Victory Lane has Hendrick looking for a top finish.
"I would really like to win at Richmond," Hendrick said. "I hope to be racing for a long time and this track is an important event for the Truck, Busch and Winston Cup Series. I would like to learn how to be really good at this track because the turns are so different. It is impossible to set up your truck to be really good through the whole track. It almost requires two set-ups. That is the challenge for the driver." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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