Richmond schedule overview

SEVEN DRIVERS ENTER BOTH DAYS OF WEEKEND'S SAT./SUN. RICHMOND NASCAR RACES; FREE SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE BEGINS 9:00 A.M. FRIDAY FOR FAS MART POLE DAY.

RICHMOND, VA - Seven NASCAR drivers will pull double duty at this weekend's $1,290,669 Richmond International Raceway events, entering the Saturday Hardee's Frisco 250 and Sunday Pontiac Excitement 400.

Entered in Paul Sawyer's Busch Series Grand National, as well as his Winston Cup race are Mark Martin, Terry Labonte, Morgan Shepherd, Derrike Cope, Phil Parsons and the St. Louis Missouri brother combination of Mike Wallace and Kenny Wallace. Terry Labonte stormed to victory in Richmond's September Winston Cup race, while Kenny Wallace won the Grand National portion of RIR's September NASCAR weekend.

Martin may be the most serious threat to repeat the retired Harry Gant's September, 1991 feat of sweeping both halves of a Richmond NASCAR weekend. Martin has triumphed twice previously at RIR in Grand National competition and once in a Winston Cup race.

Friday's Fas Mart Pole Day qualifying sets the Saturday Hardee's Frisco 250 field and establishes the top-20 starters for Sunday's sold out Pontiac Excitement 400. Children 12 & under attending with a ticketholder are admitted free to grandstand seats Friday and Saturday.

Officials expects 150,000 spectator admisions over the March 3-5 weekend, Virginia's largest gathering ever. Virginia Lottery Free Shuttle Bus service to the Raceway begins on Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. and continues Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9:00 a.m., also. Buses operate Friday through Sunday from northside's Azalea Flea Market and Sunday from VA Parking at 5th & Jackson near the downtown Coliseum.