Well, let me tell you somethin’ ’bout that Richmond Qualifying. It ain’t as simple as plantin’ taters, that’s for sure. That Richmond, it’s a race track, you see. A race track for them NASCAR fellers. They go round and round real fast. I heard it’s a short one, not even a full mile. They call it a D-shape, whatever that means. But that ain’t the point. The point is, how they get to racin’, that’s the qualifyin’ part.

Now, them car drivers, they gotta go fast to get a good spot at the start. Faster you go, the closer to the front you are. Makes sense, right? Like gettin’ to the front of the line at the church potluck. First come, first served, just like fast car, first place start.
- First thing, they gotta check the weather.
- If it’s rainin’, I reckon they don’t race.
- If it’s sunny, they go out there and zoom around.
- Someone said something about 86 degrees. Hotter than a July day in a hayfield, I tell ya.
They got these races, one after another. They call it the NASCAR. And they got this thing called the NASCAR Richmond Qualifying. It’s important, this qualifyin’. It’s like pickin’ the best seeds for your garden. You want the strong ones up front.
They do laps. One lap, two laps. Sometimes they do a couple rounds. They time ’em, see who’s the fastest. Some fella said it might be two laps. You know, to make things fair and square. Otherwise, the early birds would get all the worms, right?
And this here Richmond Qualifying, it decides who starts where. Top ten, they’re the cream of the crop. They get the best spots. The rest, well, they gotta start from wherever they landed. Like when you’re pickin’ apples, the best ones are at the top of the tree.
They got a race called the Cook Out 400. Sounds like a big ol’ barbecue to me. But it’s a race. They do it at that Richmond Raceway. Heard it’s after some big to-do in France. Some games or somethin’. Them French folks sure know how to throw a party. That Richmond race, it happens afterward.

Then there’s another race, the Toyota Owners 400, I think they call it. On Easter Sunday, no less! Lordy, they racin’ on the Lord’s day? Well, I suppose that’s their business. My business is gettin’ to church on time and maybe bakin’ a ham.
Now this track, this Richmond Raceway, it’s down in Virginia. Henrico County, they say. Never been there myself. Too busy tendin’ to my chickens and garden. Don’t have time for all that fancy racin’. But I hear about it. Everyone talks about it, this NASCAR Richmond Qualifying.
It is all about time, you see. That NASCAR Richmond Race, that qualifying is all about who is quickest. They use a clock, I reckon. A fancy one. Not like the one on my kitchen wall. That old thing’s been tickin’ for fifty years. And you gotta set it with the sun, or else you’ll be late for everything.
They got it all figured out, these NASCAR folks. They got rules and such. Like when you’re makin’ jam, you gotta follow the recipe. Too much sugar, and it’ll be too sweet. Not enough, and it won’t set right. Same with racin’, I guess. Gotta follow the rules to make it all work.
- They got a green flag.
- Means go, I suppose.
- Like when the dinner bell rings, time to eat.
- They go at 6 o’clock. In the evenin’.
So, that’s what I know about that Richmond Qualifying. It’s a big deal for them NASCAR fellers. Lots of folks watch it. Not me, though. I’d rather watch the birds at my feeder. More peaceful, you know? But if you like that sort of thing, that fast car racin’, then I reckon that NASCAR Richmond Qualifying is somethin’ you’d wanna see. It’s a whole to-do. Just like harvest time. Busy, busy, busy. Everyone’s got somethin’ to do. And it’s all gotta be done just right. Just like those racers, tryin’ to get the best time in that qualifying. They are all tryin’ to be the best at the NASCAR Richmond Race. Yep, that’s the way it is.
