NASCAR viewer’s guide: Richmond Raceway

After the twists and turns of COTA, NASCAR heads to Richmond Raceway for its first points race at a short track this season.

The Cup Series hits the track for 400 laps Sunday (3:30 pm ET, Fox) at the ¾-mile D-shaped oval as the Next Gen car makes its maiden voyage to Virginia for competition.

This week marks the first of three short tracks in a row, with Martinsville and Bristol ahead in the subsequent weeks, although Bristol will be covered in dirt for the second consecutive year. But for now, take a look at the storylines entering Richmond.

While this week marks the first points race on a short track this season, it isn’t the first time the Next Gen has raced within tight confines.

The season began with the exhibition Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a ¼-mile track built within the stadium that has hosted NFL, MLB, NCAA and Olympic events.

Consider that Richmond is three times bigger than the Coliseum’s track and modeled completely differently than the paperclip-shaped LA track, which compares more to Martinsville. But teams are still learning how to navigate setups on each different track type. With a stretch of short tracks ahead, teams may look at how their cars reacted at the Clash in preparation for this weekend’s event.

And while the car is different from years past, tire conservation may still play a prevalent role come Sunday.

“I would say Richmond is one of the most challenging racetracks we go to for managing your tires throughout the run,” Aric Almirola said in a press release. “The first 10, 15 or 20 laps of the run can make you feel like Superman roaring through the field, but you will pay a major penalty for that by lap 40. It makes it fun because, when we show up at Richmond, it really is