The Cup Series travels to Richmond Raceway for some Saturday night short track racing around the ¾ mile track with the Cook Out 400. Just four races remain in the regular season for the Cup Series drivers.
Austin Dillon hass won the past two Richmond races.
Noah Gragsson has signed a contract extension with Front Row Motorsports.
Joe Gibbs Racing has announced that M&M’s returns for the Bristol race as a sponsor on the number 54 car driven by Ty Gibbs as a tribute to Kyle Busch.
Christopher Bell’s number 20 car has failed the pre-race inspection process twice. As a result the team loses their car chief for the weekend and will have his pit stall assigned by NASCAR.
This is the final week that the drivers have been divided into two groups for qualifying. Each group gets 25 minutes for practice before being combined for a qualifying run.
Tire falloff is an issue at Richmond.
Cody Ware spun out and reports that he lost 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears in his car. He kept the car off the wall. The crew reports that they lost the transaxle in the car.
NASCAR is giving the teams an extra set of tires for the race on Saturday night.
NASCAR has moved the pit cone/box marker 75 feet closer to pit road after several drivers missed it last year. If you touch the orange box, you cannot come down pit road. All four tires must be below the orange pit box for a legal pit road entry.
Tyler Reddick spun out but did not hit anything. He is having trouble getting the car started.
Erik Jones tops the leaderboard in group one practice.
Richmond Raceway is a home track for Denny Hamlin. On Friday morning, the track dedicated the seats where he sat as a child to the Hamlin family.
Daniel Suarez tops the leaderboard in group two practice and overall in both groups.
The first driver on the track to make a qualifying runs is Josh Bilicki who posted a time of 23.302 seconds.
Cody Ware will not make a qualifying run after his transaxle issue during practice.
With a time of 22.225 seconds, Ryan Blaney puts his number 12 car on the pole with Chase Briscoe starting alongside on the front row. Blaney was the second to the last car out on the track.
The starting lineup for the Cook Out 400:
Ryan Blaney
Chase Briscoe
Josh Berry
Ty Gibbs
William Byron
Ryan Preece
Bubba Wallace
Christopher Bell
Brad Keselowski
Joey Logano
Connor Zilisch
John Hunter Nemechek
Chase Elliott
Denny Hamlin
AJ Allmendinger
Austin Dillon
Riley Herbst
Ross Chastain
Chris Buescher
Daniel Suarez
Erik Jones
Carson Hocevar
Austin Cindric
Zane Smith
Alex Bowman
Michael McDowell
Todd Gilliland
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Cole Custer
Kyle Larson
Shane van Gisbergen
Tyler Reddick
Austin Hill
Ty Dillon
Noah Gragson
Josh Bilicki
Cody Ware
Stage one of the race is 70 laps, stage two is 160 laps, and stage three is 170 laps for a total of 400 laps around the ¾ mile track.
With a packed house, Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with Chase Briscoe alongside. After some side by side racing Chase Briscoe edges out for the lead on lap seven.
Drivers are getting three wide through the field.
Lap eight, the top five are Chase Briscoe, Ryan Blaney, Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, and Bubba Wallace.
After starting in 31st, Shane van Gisbergen has moves up to 26th.
Just eleven laps into the race, Kyle Larson is already having to worry about getting lapped.
Lap 14, Ryan Blaney leads the race with Chasse Brisscoe and Josh Berry in a battle for second.
Lapa 15, Josh Berry takes second.
Lap 16, the top five are Ryan Blaneh, Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, and Bubba Wallace.
Lap 20, Ryan Blaney has a lead of over a second on Josh Berry; Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, and Bubba Walalce round out the top five.
Lap 26, Ryan Blaney has a near second and a half lead on Josh Berry.
Lap 32, Kyle Larson makes a pit stop reporting numerous handling issues. While the drivers can make it to the end of the race on fuel, tire wear is an issue and the drivers come down pit road for fresh tires.
Austin Hill is charged with an uncontrolled tire and Ty Gibbs was caught speeding on pit road. Both drivers will have to make passthrough penalties.
Lap 40, after pit stops have cycled through, Ryan Blaney retakes the lead of the race with Chase Briscoe in second, Joey Logano, Josh Berry, and Austin Cindric round out the top five. There are 32 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 49, leader Ryan Blaney has begun lapping slower cars.
Twenty laps remain in stage one, Ryan Blaney has a lead of over a second and a half on Chase Briscoe; Josh Berry, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric round out the top five.
Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick had the fastest pit stop times with 9.2 seconds during the first pit stop.
Ten laps remain in stage one, Ryan Blaney is mired in traffic with 30 cars on the lead lap.
Goodyear has provided the teams with an extra set of tires for the race with nine.
With 27 cars on the lead lap, Ryan Blaney wins stage one for his sixth stage win of the season – the most of any driver.
The top 10 drivers at the end of stage one:
Ryan Blaney
Chase Briscoe
Joey Logano
Austin Cindric
Josh Berry
Bubba Wallace
Denny Hamlin
Christopher Bell
Chase Elliott
William Byron
Drivers come down pit road for service with Ryan Blaney winning the race off of pit road in a three way battle. Blaney reported a tight condition in his car.
Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two with Chase Briscoe alongside on lap 80. Chase Briscoe takes the lead with Ryan Blaney in second; Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, and Denny Hamlin round out the top five.
Bubba Wallace got loose but saved the car after contact from Josh Berry.
Lap 87, Chase Briscoe has a lead of just a third of a second over Ryan Blaney; Austin Cindric, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano round out the top five.
Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin battle for fourth.
After starting near the back of the field, Tyler Reddick is just outside the top 10 in eleventh place.
With a stage of 160 laps, the drivers will need to use three sets of tires in stage two due to the tire wear.
Cole Custer is the last car on the lead lap in 28th.
Lap 96, Chase Briscoe has pulled out to a lead of over half a second on Ryan Blaney; Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, and Denny Hamlin round out the top five.
Lap 103, after having to serve a passthrough penalty, Ty Gibbs has made back in the top 20.
Lap 105, Ryan Blaney is on leader Chase Briscoe’s bumper and challenging for the lead.
Lap 107, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Blaney battle for the lead.
Lap 108, Ryan Blaney retakes the lead.
Chase Briscoe is reporting some brake shake in the car.
Thirty-one laps into the stage, the lap times are two seconds slower than when the stage started.
Lap 118, drivers are beginning to make green flag pit stops.
Ryan Blaney has a one second lead on Chase Briscoe; Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, and Josh Berry round out the top five.
The first caution flag for an on track incident came on lap 126 when Zane Smith got loose and into the wall in a cloud of smoke.
Chase Briscoe leads the race with Ryan Blaney in second.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Chase Briscoe winning the race off of pit road.
Several drivers took the wave around with Chase Briscoe bringing the field down for the green flag restart with Joey Logano alongside on lap 133. Chase Briscoe takes the lead.
The top five are Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, and William Byron.
Lap 139, Chase Briscoe has a one second lead on Joey Logano; Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, and William Byron round out the top five.
Lap 146, Chase Briscoe has a second and a half lead on Joey Logano; Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, and William Byron round out the top five.
Denny Hamlin makes contact with Ryan Blaney, but Blaney saved the car and the track stays green.
Lap 156, Denny Hamlin passes Ryan Blaney for third.
Lap 159, drivers are beginning to make another round of green flag pit stops.
Leader Chase Briscoe reports more brake shake, so rough it takin the wheel out of his hands.
Lap 165, Chase Briscoe has a lead of less than a second on Joey Logano; Denny Hamlin, Austin Cindric, and Ryan Blaney round out the top five.
Lap 170, Joey Logano is just a quarter of a second behind leader Chase Briscoe and begins the battle for the lead. In a three wide battle, Joey Logano takes the lead.
Lap 179, more drivers come down pit road for fresh tires including Joey Logano. Denny Hamlin is the new leader.
Lap 181, leader Denny Hamlin comes down pit road for service.
Austing Cindric nearly hit Daniel Suarez on pit road when Suarez was coming out and Cindric was coming into his pit stall. The guy with the air hose avoided disaster and got the air hose over the car!
Joey Logano retakes the lead on lap 183.
The top five are Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Preece, and Christopher Bell.
Lap 191, the top five are Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell.
Lap 196, Joey Logano passes Bubba Wallace to put him a lap down in 18th. In 19th, Ty Gibbs is also one lap down.
Lap 199, the top five are Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott. Logano has a two second lead on Briscoe.
Lap 203, there are only 16 cars on the lead lap.
Zane Smith returns to the track 30 laps down.
Lap 210, Joey Logano has a near five second lead on Chasse Briscoe with just 13 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 214, Joey Logano now has a five and a half second lead on Chase Briscoe; Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
Lap 217, Austin Cindric passes Chase Elliott for fifth.
With 12 laps remaining in stage two, Joey Logano is “driving it like he stole it” with a lead of over seven seconds; Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Cindric round out the top five.
Six lalps remain in stage two, Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin battle for second. Denny Hamlin takes second.
In 13th place, one lap down, Kyle Larson is working hard to get his lap back.
Four seconds to go in stage two, Joey Logano continues to expand his lead and is now nearly nine seconds out in front of Denny Hamlin.
Joey Logano wins stage two.
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Joey Logano
Denny Hamlin
Chase Briscoe
Ryan Blaney
Austin Cindric
Josh Berry
Chase Elliott
Christopher Bell
Tyler Reddick
William Byron
Kyle Larson fell short of getting his lap back on the track but is back on the lead lap as the “lucky dog”.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Joey Logano winning the race off of pit road.
Joey Logano brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three with Chase Briscoe alongside on lap 240. The battle is on between Logano and Briscoe for the lead.
Lap 244, Chase Briscoe takes the lead with Joey Logano in second; Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, and Denny Hamlin round out the top five.
In 14th, Shane van Gisbergen is the last car on the lead lap.
Lap 252, Shane van Gisbergen is the first driver to make a green flag pit stop.
Lap 253, Chase Brisscoe has a near one second lead on Joey Logano; Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, and Denny Hamlin round out the top five.
Lap 263, Chase Briscoe has a lead of over a second and a half on Joey Logano; Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, and Denny Hamlin round out the top five. There are just 13 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 274, Chase Briscoe has a near two and a half second lead on Joey Logano; Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
With 124 laps remaining in the race, another round of green flag pit stops begin with Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell.
Lap 180, leader Chasse Briscoe makes his green flag pit stop and gives the lead over to Chase Elliott.
Lap 281, Chase Elliott comes down pit road and gives the lead over to Kyle Larson.
Chase Elliott had a slow pit stop with an air gun issue.
Lap 283, Kyle Larson makes his pit stop. Tyler Reddick is the new leader.
Carson Hocevar is slowed on the track and stops to bring out the caution flag on lap 285. The window net is down and Hocevar gets a push to pit road. Reports are that he missed a shift.
Tyler Reddick is the only driver that has not made a pit stop. Off cycle, Shane van Gisbergen is in 13th.
Some of the drivers come down pit road including leader Tyler Reddick and Shane van Gisbergen.
Chase Briscoe brings the field down for the green flag restart with Joey Logano alongside on lap 293. Drivers are getting three and four wide on the track.
Chase Brisscoe takes the lead with Joey Logano in second; Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick, and Christopher Bell round out the top five.
Kyle Larson is the last car on the lead lap in 14th.
Lap 299, Chase Briscoe has just a half second lead on Joey Logano; Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, and Austin Cindric round out the top five.
Lap 309, Chase Briscoe has a near one second lead on Joey Logano; Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, and Austin Cindric round out the top five.
Christopher Bell passes Tyler Reddick for third.
Lap 315, leading the most laps at 142 so far, Chase Briscoe now has a second and a half lead on Joey Logano with just 14 cars on the lead lap.
Ryan Blaney is reporting a very soft brake pedal.
Lap 322, green flag pit stops begin.
Lap 325, leader Chase Briscoe comes down pit road for service. Christopher Bell is the new leader.
Denny Hamlin reports that he is really loose going in. He had a slow pit stop.
Lap 332, the top four drivers – Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Larson – have yet to make a pit stop.
With 58 laps remaining in the race, Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell finally make their pit stops. Chase Briscoe is the new leader.
The top five are Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman. Bell and Reddick return to the track in 13th and 14th.
With 52 laps to go, Chase Briscoe has a near two second lead on Joey Logano.
Christopher Bell has unlapped himself and is back on the lead lap.
Tyler Reddick is back on the lead lap.
Just 40 laps to go, Joey Logano and Chase Briscoe battle for the lead. Logano takes the lead. Logano and Briscoe make their final green flag pit stops. Logano wins the drag race of getting off of pit road.
Christopher Bell leads the race; Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick Joey Logano, and Chase Briscoe round out the top five. Christopher Bell has finished second in the last seven races.
Just 28 laps to go, with just 12 cars on the lead lap.
Christopher Bell has a two second lead on Joey Logano; Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, and Austin Cindric round out the top five.
Twenty to go, Joey Logano has a half second lead on Chase Briscoe; Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, and Austin Cindric round out the top five.
Austin Cindric passes Tyler Reddick for fourth.
Thirteen to go, Joey Logano has a lead of over half a second on Chase Brisscoe; Christopher Bell, Austin Cindric, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
With eleven to go, Austin Cindric passes Christopher Bell for third.
Ten to go, Chase Briscoe is less than half a second behind leader Joey Logano.
Eight to go, Chase Briscoe has caught leader Joey Logano and looking to take the lead.
Just five laps to go, Joey Logano and Chase Briscoe are separated by just a third of a second.
Three to go, leaders encounter slower traffic.
Joey Logano takes the white flag.
With just eleven cars on the lead lap, Joey Logano wins the race at Richmond Raceway.
The unofficial results of the Cook Out 400:
Joey Logano
Chase Briscoe
Austin Cindric
Denny Hamlin
Chase Elliott
Kyle Larson
Christopher Bell
Josh Berry
William Byron
Alex Bowman
Tyler Reddick
Ross Chastain
Ryan Blaney
Shane van Gisbergen
Ty Gibbs
Daniel Suarez
Ryan Preece
Noah Gragsson
Austin Dillon
Bubba Wallace
Chris Buescher
John Hunter Nemechek
Austin Hill
Riley Herbst
Connor Zilisch
Brad Keselowski
Erik Joness
Michael McDowell
Cole Custer
Todd Gilliland
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Ty Dillon
AJ Allmendinger
Cody Ware
Josh Bilicki
Zane Smith
Carson Hocevar