Stage 1 recap
Polesitter Ryan Blaney commanded Stage 1 of Saturday evening’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway (live on USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The No. 12 Team Penske Ford driver led 60 of the 70-lap opening frame at the Virginia short track to nab a series-high sixth stage win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
RELATED: Live leaderboard | At-track photos: Richmond
Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott and William Byron also tallied points in Stage 1. Cindric, who started 23rd, gained a boatload of spots on the opening pit cycle to drive into the top five.
MORE: Full Stage 1 results
Ty Gibbs, who won last Sunday at Iowa Speedway, incurred a speeding penalty during the green-flag pit cycle and finished outside the top 20. Austin Hill also had a pit-road penalty for an uncontrolled tire.
This story will be updated.