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NASCAR comes to Richmond Raceway

But fans will have to settle for watching all four races on television

By Nick Vandeloecht Richmond Suburban News

NASCAR will run four races across its three top national touring series at Richmond Raceway from Sept. 10 to Sept. 12 without fans in attendance.

“This was a difficult decision, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic we believe at this time it is in the best interests of the local community to host races without fans,” said Richmond President Dennis Bickmeier in a Richmond Raceway release. “We are grateful for the patience and support of our long-time loyal fans in this unprecedented season, but we will unite over race weekend as we tune in to the national broadcasts on NBCSN, FS1, and MRN to watch NASCAR’s best compete in four races over three days at America’s Premier Short Track.”

The 0.75-mile short track will open its three days of racing with the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series’ regular season finale on Thursday, Sept. 10, 8 p.m., on FS1.

This is the first time since 2005 that the Truck Series will race in Richmond.

The truck race will be followed by consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series races, with the Go Bowling 250 running on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7:30 p.m. and the Racing Lovers 250 to be held Saturday, Sept. 12, at 2:30 p.m. Both races will air on NBCSN.

The nightcap on Saturday

Group to bring CP soccer to RVA

By Dave Lawrence

Joel Klein for The Local

Martin Truex Jr. would love a repeat performance of last year’s Federated Auto Parts 400 win in the second round of the Monster Energy Cup playoffs Saturday night at Richmond Raceway. Saturday night’s race will cap a series of four races in three days.

Sports Editor

see NASCAR, pg. 22

MECHANICSVILLE – Not that long ago, kids with disabilities such as severe brain injuries had few opportunities to participate in athletics.

Fortunately, that is changing, and Sportable is working to bring another option to the area.

The group has been working with CP Soccer US – CP stands for cerebral palsy – to introduce youths suffering from brain injuries to the sport.

“We think that this sport is particular particularly unique in the adaptive sports world because it’s specifically for these athletes with disabilities like cerebral palsy, [traumatic brain injury] and stroke,” said Forrest Lodge, pro

see CP SOCCER, pg. 22

Continued from pg. 21

gram manager at Sportable.

“A lot of those athletes fall through the cracks because sometimes they’re able to keep up to a certain extent with their peers that are able bodied. But, as they get older and get into more competitive settings, they might not be able to [keep up], whereas this sport gives them that unique environment that’s made for them.”

In order to introduce CP soccer – Para-7-A-Side Soccer in the Paralympics – to the area, Sportable, in conjunction with CP Soccer US, will hold a clinic for youths 5-18 at the Sports Center of Richmond (SCOR) from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. The clinic is for children whose mobility is limited as a result of cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries or strokes, yet who are still ambulatory – can still run and walk.

There are some differences from traditional soccer.

“They’re going to be playing with a lesser number of players on a smaller pitch and

Courtesy of Logan Whitton

Nick Creasey, former member of the U.S. Paralympic National Team, shows that a disability does not have to a relegate a kid to the bench, nor does it have to keep them from achieving excellence in competition, either.

smaller goals,” Lodge said. “And some of the rules are adapted. Throw-ins for some of those athletes would be difficult to do with two hands over their head because of how their disability affects them. So the throw-ins become roll-ins – almost like you’re bowling the ball. So certain things are adapted to allow for the athletes to play the sport. . . . It’s still soccer.”

NASCAR

Continued from pg. 21 will be the NASCAR Cup Series’ Federated Auto Parts 400, the second race in the first round of the playoffs, at 7:30 p.m. The Cup Series race will also air on NBCSN. This will be the first and only Richmond Cup race in 2020 after the spring race was cut and replaced on the schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NASCAR’s 16 drivers in the Cup playoffs are Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Austin Dillon, Cole Custer, Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer and Matt DiBenedetto.

One of those helping organize the event is Nick Creasey, a Richmond-area resident and former member of the U.S. Paralympic National Team. As a preschooler he lost use of By Tim Pearrell

Richmond Times-Dispatch

The Virginia High School

League moved its meeting to finalize regular-season and postseason schedules to Sept. 17.

The meeting was scheduled for Thursday, but the executive committee and

VHSL staff wanted more time to discuss feedback from members.

The VHSL presented a

Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who is retiring from fulltime much of the right side of his body as a result of the effects of surgery to remove a brain tumor.

Because of his young age, he was able to recover much plan last week where teams would play 60% of their normal regular-season games, with a week for regional playoffs and two rounds of state playoffs. The plan would cut region playoffs in football to four teams.

That came after the executive committee voted in late July not to play sports this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. The three seasons were rearranged – winter, followed by fall and spring – into racing at the end of 2020, missed making the top 16 by six points. of the lost fine motor control through a lot of physical and occupational therapy, but he was a competitive child, and was eager to play sports – making the Monacan JV boys soccer team before surgery on his legs interrupted his high school career while a junior.

Creasey knows that not everyone is a candidate for the national team. But he said that just the ability to compete at all has plenty of benefits for those like him.

“Our number one goal is just to be able to start a great league and make it appropriate for kids with these disabilities and give them confidence. Give them a sense of community and also self-worth,” Creasey said. “Hopefully the CP program will go all over the nation eventually. . . . But we definitely want to start local here with our population.”

For more information:

Anyone interested in learning more about the program should contact Forrest Lodge at forrest@sportable.org. Registration details will soon be

Joel Klein for The Local

Kyle Busch (front left) and Martin Truex Jr. (front right) will be battling with 14 other drivers in the Monster Energy Cup Series playoff battling for a bid to advance to the second round when they start the Federated Auto Parts 400 Saturday night.

VHSL punts on season start date

available at Sportable.org. a condensed calendar starting in late December and ending in late June.

Any plan still is contingent on more athletic activity being allowed to start in the winter. With the state still under Phase Three reopening restrictions, sports considered high risk, such as football and basketball, likely can’t be played until the guidelines are loosened.

Tim Pearrell can be reached at tpearrell@timesdispatch.

com.

Nick Vandeloecht can be reached at nvandeloecht@powhatantoday.com.