Something new for NASCAR starts in Richmond

It's race weekend in Richmond, once again. But this year's event is not your grandpappy's NASCAR race.

Driving the news: NASCAR hits Richmond Raceway every April and August for two days, but this summer's race kicked off with Bubba's Block Party — an event featuring NASCAR star Bubba Wallace, live music from rapper Wale and DJ Domo and food from some Richmond Black-owned food trucks.

• The event was Thursday night and reached capacity almost as soon as ticket registration was announced.

State of play: Wallace chose Richmond as the kick-off location for the block party that NASCAR hopes to replicate in other cities, Richmond Raceway president Lori Waran told Axios.

• Wallace is NASCAR's sole Black driver and was the driving force behind the sport banning Confederate flags at its events in 2020.

Of note: Waran, a former local media executive, is another sign of changes afoot in racing — she's the first female president at the Richmond track in its 76-year history. And this weekend is her first race as track president since she started the role in June.

Details: The gates open Saturday at 11am for food and entertainment with the first race starting at 8pm; Sunday, gates at 9am, the race at 3pm. Tickets start at $25.