With a weekend that had plenty of old-school feel to it, Austin Dillon was the one who shined the brightest in a short-track showdown under the lights. The Richard Childress Racing driver guided the iconic No. 3 ride to Victory Lane at Richmond Raceway with ease after leading 107 laps and earning redemption to return to Cup Series Playoffs.
RELATED: Race results | At-track photos
With one race left in the regular season, let’s take a look at three drivers moving in the right direction and three drivers on their back foot before another Saturday night thriller at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 ET, NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock).
THREE UP ⬆️
1. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Started: 20th
Finished: 3rd
What happened: Overall, it was a banner day for Team Penske with the 2023 Cup Series champ carrying the flag, scoring his first top-five finish at Richmond. Blaney was a force all evening, scoring points in both stages and coming alive in the second half of the race to challenge Dillon for the win. In the end, he couldn’t make up the gap to catch Dillon in the final stint, settling for his ninth top five of the season.
What’s next: Blaney has proven to be a master on drafting tracks, and he does have a summer win at Daytona from 2021. With how much pace the whole organization is showing right now, Penske is peaking at the right time before the playoffs, and Blaney has a chance to end the regular season on a six-race top-10 streak.
2. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Started: 38th
Finished: 4th
What happened: The defending champ had a mountain to climb before the green flag dropped, with a tire failure in practice sending him into the wall and not setting a lap in qualifying. He admitted it was a frustrating night post-race, but Logano kept his head down and didn’t lollygag as he charged up to fourth by midway through Stage 2. His speed held true once the checkered flag flew, which resulted in his fifth top 10 at Richmond over the last six races there.
What’s next: With a season that’s now only produced seven top-10 finishes through 25 races, this was the perfect tone-setting weekend for Logano and Co. to execute through adversity and build momentum before the playoffs picking up their first top five since Nashville, and we know how dangerous it is to give the No. 22 crew momentum at this point of the year.
3. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Started: 27th
Finished: 14th
What happened: Van Gisbergen chipped away at spots all night and slowly got more comfortable as the race went on. Plus, the Kiwi stayed clean once chaos did strike in the middle portions of the race. The result ties his best finish on ovals since the Coca-Cola 600 and his sixth top 20 at such tracks.
What’s next: With the second-most playoff points already in hand, this solid run at Richmond gives a shot in the arm to van Gisbergen as he continues to progress on ovals. The momentum should boost his confidence for the postseason, where every lap of experience matters and each clean finish could mean the difference in advancing.
THREE DOWN ⬇️
1. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
Started: 1st
Finished: 35th
What happened: RFK Racing had a dismal day after showing blazing speed on Friday, highlighted no more clearly than by polesitter Preece. Preece appeared to have the car early to sail into his first career Cup Series win and lock into the playoffs. Instead, the No. 60 team opted for a different strategy and saved fresher tires for later in the race. The gamble didn’t pay off as Preece faded throughout the 400-lapper before being plagued by brake issues.
What’s next: Some good news is that the Fords show speed at drafting tracks and Preece has had great qualifying efforts two out of his last three visits to Daytona. It’s going to take a mighty effort in close-quarter racing next Saturday for the Connecticut wheelman to keep his playoff hopes alive.
2. Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
Started: 12th
Finished: 30th
What happened: Buescher never found the pace to contend and leaned on an alternate strategy to try and gain track position. The move didn’t stick, and he steadily slipped back from the top 15 during the race.
What’s next: He came in as the last driver clinging to the playoff bubble, but Austin Dillon’s win pushes him below the elimination line, a full 60 points back of Alex Bowman for the provisional final spot in the 16-driver postseason grid. That effectively leaves Daytona as a must-win with his postseason hopes against the wall.
3. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Started: 2nd
Finished: 34th
What happened: Reddick flexed early on, winning the opening stage and leading 41 laps at a track where he only has two top 10s. Unfortunately, contact from the lapped car of Ty Gibbs cost the No. 45 driver a chance to remain upfront and vie for his first win of the season as Reddick spun and never recovered.
What’s next: His points cushion to the playoff elimination line is still solid, and though he didn’t clinch a spot with a race to spare, Reddick just needs to avoid calamity in the final tilt of the regular season and focus on getting off to a strong start in the Cup Series Playoffs.
