Racing Insights: A thriller awaits under the lights at Richmond

Posted on August 16, 2025August 16, 2025 by Alex Cadavid

Editor’s Note: Saturday’s projected finish has been updated after Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions.

Get ready for a Saturday showdown under the lights at the historic Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). This weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race is sure to have plenty of action with two weekends left before the grid of 16 title hopefuls is set.

If history holds, expect chaos in the closing laps. The last eight Richmond races have seen the driver leading the most laps come up short — but in 2025, that same stat has delivered a clean sweep of wins on short tracks. Add in the fact that the past three Richmond races have all had cautions in the final 10 laps, each setting up a pass for the win, and you’ve got the recipe for a finish that could rewrite the playoff picture.

RELATED: Richmond schedule | Cup Series standings

One thing we do know is Joe Gibbs Racing will likely set the pace. Racing Insights’ metric has Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell as top-three mainstays — and for good reason. With 10 wins in the last 18 Richmond races, JGR ranks among an elite few teams in the track’s history. Hamlin boasts six top-two finishes in his last eight Richmond starts. Bell is still seeking his first win at the 0.75-mile oval, but has finished outside the top 10 only twice in nine attempts. Combine that with JGR’s strong short-track form in 2025, and it’s clear they’re poised to control the night.

We also can’t forget about the man who leads the series in pole awards so far. Though Chase Briscoe’s career numbers at Richmond don’t jump off the page, there’s still something to be said about how the Hoosier has been running better with the No. 19 team at tracks he struggled at in the past. Not to mention, he’s the only driver to finish top 10 in every short-track race this year, and just a few weeks ago, he led 81 laps at Iowa.

With a Hendrick Motorsports trio of Chase Elliott, William Byron and Kyle Larson predicted to finish inside the top five, all signs point to a heavyweight bout at the top. However, there are several candidates to consider joining the winner’s club if chaos does strike in the closing moments again.

FANTASY: Set your lineup | Make a 36 for 36 pick

OTHER DRIVERS TO WATCH

ALEX BOWMAN: Only three drivers have won in their 350th Cup Series start, and this former Richmond winner has a chance to make it four and lock all Hendrick teams in the playoffs. Bowman’s recent starts at the track may paint a different picture, but he has a 9.3 average finish over the last nine races this year — best among full-time drivers.

TY GIBBS: Similar to Bowman, Gibbs is the lone man at his organization without a win. He’s nabbed just one top-10 finish in five Richmond starts, but the equipment he’s in makes him a threat to break through. The third-year driver is also aiming to make history — no first-time winner has stepped into Victory Lane at Richmond since Kasey Kahne in 2005.

BRAD KESELOWSKI: RFK’s driver/co-owner has flirted with playoff shakeups the last few weeks, with six finishes of 11th or better in the last eight races. Richmond is a stronghold — two wins, 1,280 laps led, top 10s in half of his 30 starts and a solid 12.1 average finish there.

AUSTIN DILLON: Another driver who could turn the playoff grid on its head, Dillon enters as the defending winner and has seven top 10s at Richmond. The main thing with Dillon, though, is that three of his five Cup Series wins have come on the final two regular-season tracks, making him a dark-horse candidate this week and next.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE COOK OUT 400

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula incorporates current track, track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to predict a projected winner and provide full race results. Updated on race day with practice and qualifying factored in.

Finish	Car No.	Driver
1	11	Denny Hamlin
2	9	Chase Elliott
3	20	Christopher Bell
4	24	William Byron
5	5	Kyle Larson
6	12	Ryan Blaney
7	17	Chris Buescher
8	23	Bubba Wallace
9	45	Tyler Reddick
10	6	Brad Keselowski
11	21	Josh Berry
12	60	Ryan Preece
13	19	Chase Briscoe
14	48	Alex Bowman
15	22	Joey Logano
16	54	Ty Gibbs
17	8	Kyle Busch
18	1	Ross Chastain
19	2	Austin Cindric
20	3	Austin Dillon
21	77	Carson Hocevar
22	16	AJ Allmendinger
23	99	Daniel Suárez
24	71	Michael McDowell
25	43	Erik Jones
26	10	Ty Dillon
27	7	Justin Haley
28	4	Noah Gragson
29	34	Todd Gilliland
30	42	John Hunter Nemechek
31	38	Zane Smith
32	41	Cole Custer
33	88	Shane van Gisbergen
34	35	Riley Herbst
35	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
36	33	Jesse Love
37	67	Corey Heim
38	51	Cody Ware

Posted on August 15, 2025August 16, 2025 by Zack Albert

RICHMOND, Va. — Jake Garcia rode the swells of an undulating regular season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, flashing some pole-winning speed near its midpoint but suffering setbacks later that made his playoff fate an uncertain one. A crash-plagued day at Pocono in June was followed by a pair of lap-down finishes at Lime Rock and Indianapolis Raceway Park. He was outside the postseason picture until Stewart Friesen’s injury and loss of playoff eligibility opened an avenue.

Friday night at Richmond Raceway, Garcia had reason for some relief.

“We’re in now, so that’s all that matters,” Garcia said from pit road at Richmond Raceway. “There were some points in the season where we were sixth or seventh in points. But either way, we’re in and we’ll have a shot to compete for a championship.”

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Richmond

Garcia finished seventh in Friday night’s eero 250, locking up the last of 10 spots in the postseason field by 19 points over ThorSport Racing teammate Ben Rhodes, a two-time series champion. Corey Heim surged to his seventh win of the year to deny a new regular-season winner from swooping in for a last-minute clincher from below the playoff bubble. Gio Ruggerio came the closest to converting that goal, lining up third on the final restart after a fortunate late-race caution but fading to sixth at the checkered flag.

Through it all, Garcia kept close tabs on his nearest playoff competitors, and the 20-year-old driver padded his margin by placing ninth and second in the stages.

“I was paying attention to that, especially after we had two good first stages and built a cushion,” Garcia said. “At that point, it was just a matter of managing our gap and just making sure there was no possible way we could crash. And so, you know, I think we did a good job at that. I tried my best to run a smart race after we had a little bit of a cushion, and just get this thing in the playoffs.”

Rhodes entered Friday’s race with an 11-point deficit relative to the elimination line. He started 17th to Garcia’s eighth, but erred on his first pit stop of the night, breezing past his stall during the Stage 1 intermission. Rhodes restarted 11th, and his team broke ranks on strategy by bolting on fresh tires when a caution flag flew early in the stage. Another quick yellow offset the No. 99 Ford team’s edge, and no other caution periods provided much relief. Rhodes ultimately wound up eighth — one spot behind Garcia.

MORE: Truck Series Playoffs field is set

Rhodes cited a pair of regular-season races that could have helped turn the outcome — a power-steering failure at Rockingham; a Lap 1 crash with Ruggiero at Homestead — but indicated that more competitive speed could have cured all.

“It just seems like we need a little bit more pace right now,” Rhodes said. “You can point your finger at like anything, right? But obviously, some of those low-hanging-fruit items, the mechanical issues that we had earlier on, that would have changed the story for tonight. But yeah, the pace. We’ve got to find that still. We’ve had moments of brilliance throughout the year, same with my teammates, but we need that consistent speed that some of our competitors have, like obviously, the 11 truck (Heim).”

Ruggiero entered with a 21-point gap below the elimination barrier, and he faced an uphill path from the outset. He started last in the 35-truck field after a broken rear hub on his No. 17 Tricon Garage Toyota kept him from posting a qualifying lap.

He worked his way up the leaderboard, then caught a beneficial break on the final caution flag for an incident with Ty Majeski and teammate Matt Crafton that left him as one of few drivers on the lead lap. He restarted third, but was among the others who could not catch Heim.

“Just a tough ending to a hard-fought day,” Ruggiero said. “Just had some problems with the truck in practice and didn’t get to qualify and struggled with the truck a little bit there in the race. It’s always harder when you don’t have track position, so I thought I did a good job coming through the field. My pit crew did a great job on our stops, made up a couple spots each time, I think, on pit road there and helped me get to the front and drove it to second place there at the end. I just couldn’t do nothing with it. Didn’t have the speed and didn’t have the drive off to keep up with the 11 and the 7 (Sammy Smith), so just kind of burnt the tires up trying to keep up with them there. Fell back a little bit at the end and fell short, but we’ll go on to the next one and hopefully be able to compete for the win.”

Posted on August 15, 2025August 16, 2025 by Zach Sturniolo

Track: Richmond Raceway
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Track length: 0.75 miles
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where to tune in: USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App
Race purse: $9,797,935
Race distance: 400 laps | 300 miles
Stages: 70 | 230 | 400
Defending winner: Austin Dillon, August 2024
Starting lineup: Ryan Preece scores statement pole

Richmond may be site of more drama in postseason chase

One year ago, Austin Dillon used his bumper — a couple of times — to score a last-gasp victory at Richmond Raceway at the expense of both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. The controversial contact ultimately left Dillon the race winner but not a playoff entrant, NASCAR officials ruled, but the stage was set: Leave it all on the track.

That mindset will come into focus once more under the lights on Saturday night as the Cook Out 400 at Richmond signifies the penultimate race of the 2025 regular season.

MORE: Cup standings entering Richmond

The 0.75-mile short track has long been home to thrills and spills — from Rusty Wallace spinning Jeff Gordon in 1998 to Ricky Rudd and Kevin Harvick clashing in 2003, to Kyle Busch turning Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008 and Carl Edwards moving Busch for the win in 2016.

Dillon certainly added his own moment to the list a season ago. But a cleaner rebound in 2025 could propel the driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to the postseason for the first time since 2022.

With Tyler Reddick entering Saturday’s affair 117 points above the provisional elimination line, two of the 16 playoff spots are realistically available for grabs. Richmond provides opportunities for short-track stars to rise to prominence — such as RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece, who surged to the Busch Light Pole Award in Friday’s qualifying session.

Preece is still seeking his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory but heads into Saturday’s race only 34 points beneath the elimination line, the first driver on the outside looking in. The Connecticut native clawed his way into the Cup Series by way of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, earning the tour championship in 2013 and this week earning a spot among the tour’s 40 Greatest Drivers. His expertise has always been the short, paved ovals, evidenced by his first career pole at Martinsville Speedway in 2023.

Others like Josh Berry and Denny Hamlin stand out as short-track specialists, but both are already locked into the 2025 playoffs by virtue of wins this season. The pressure is on for Preece, who just propelled his postseason chances significantly with a pivotal pole position.

MORE: Full Friday recap

Logan Whitton | Getty Images

From atop the pit box …

What do crew chiefs have in focus to win Saturday’s race?

Adam Stevens missed the Cup Series’ summertime visit to Richmond Raceway last year, curtailing his travel as the crew chief of Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after injuring both knees in an odd diving-board mishap while on vacation. Nearly one year to the day post-surgery, Stevens says he’s at 100% in daily function, maybe 95% while working out.

“I haven’t even swam this year, oddly, and I would kill for a pool today,” Stevens said, swigging from a water bottle in the afternoon sun after inspection. “It’s pretty hot.”

While Stevens was active with the team back at JGR’s race control center, he wasn’t atop the pit box for last year’s event with two Goodyear tire choices – the standard “prime” tire and the red-sidewall “option” tires, which provided short-term grip and speed at the expense of advanced wear.

RELATED: Richmond schedule | Full 2025 schedule

This year’s 400-lapper won’t feature tire choice, but the option-tire compound will be a part of the right-side setup at the 0.75-mile track. The same Goodyear configuration has been used on other short tracks this season — Bowman Gray Stadium, Martinsville Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway.

“It’s definitely a little different than the pure option tire with the left side being slightly different, so it makes it race different,” Stevens said. “But we have Bowman Gray under our belts, and we have North Wilkesboro under our belts. We did a little bit of testing at Loudon recently and got to run this tire combination, amongst some other combinations. The prime tire basically was on the car up there, too, that we had last year. So we’ve got some good cross-references for our balance.”

Teams will have eight sets of tires allotted to them, plus one set that transfers over from qualifying. That number will place a premium on tire management, with some drivers expressing concerns about how long a set might last and how their strategy will need to adjust.

Most teams saved a set of option tires for the final stage of last year’s race, which was also held in nighttime conditions. So while a new left-side tire may introduce some uncertainty, the conclusion to last year’s event provides a solid reference point.

“Everybody’s going to be looking pretty hard at the start of Stage 3 data from last year,” said Phil Surgen, crew chief for Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. “Obviously, that tire has a little bit more potential, but goes away real fast, and I think you’ll see that have some impact — more impact on Stage 1 than anything. Richmond is a little unique, because the tire falls off a lot and we don’t get that many sets. The way that everybody plays the strategy, there’s a limited number of tires for an unforeseen caution, so trying to balance the natural strategy and leaving yourself a set for a caution will be a focus for everybody. Already is.”

— Zack Albert in Richmond

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

History tells us …

A first career win at Richmond is unlikely. Don’t let Preece or Ty Gibbs see this one. Per Racing Insights, Richmond has not had a first-time winner since May 2005 — 39 Richmond races and 20-plus years ago — when Kasey Kahne went to Victory Lane.

He may not be the favorite to win, but watch out for …

CHASE BRISCOE. Throwing out the name of a Joe Gibbs Racing driver sitting inside the top 10 in points isn’t the flimsiest limb to stand on, but Briscoe has yet to win on a track shorter than 1 mile in length. In his first year driving the No. 19 Toyota for JGR, Briscoe is the only driver this season to score top 10s in each of the three short-track races in 2025, including a runner-up performance at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 3. Briscoe has never finished better than 11th (twice) in eight Richmond starts.

Fantasy update

NASCAR Fantasy Live expert Dustin Albino provides insight for your Saturday night lineup.

The contrast between practice and qualifying at Richmond might need a case study. Richmond is among the hardest tracks to gauge how good a car is, given how heat-sensitive the track is. For instance, both Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson looked to be among the best cars in practice but qualified outside the top 25. Joey Logano has dropped from my lineup after a disastrous practice session when he clobbered the outside wall. Meanwhile, RFK Racing shined with short-track ace Ryan Preece scoring his second career pole. I’ve slotted the No. 60 car into my lineup and am finally using Preece as my 36 for 36 pick after flirting with it for months.

Lineup: Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Ryan Preece, Brad Keselowski.

Garage: Kyle Larson.

MORE: Lineup advice in Fantasy Fastlane

Speed reads

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• NASCAR at Richmond: Key info, practice reports and more from doubleheader weekend | Read more
• “Sweet redemption” in mind: Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin return to Richmond after last year’s ruckus | Read more
• Zilisch recovering from injury: Xfinity phenom Connor Zilisch healing from broken collarbone | Read more
• Friesen forgoing playoff waiver: Truck Series veteran won’t pursue title in recovery from dirt-racing injuries | Read more
• Racing Insights: Where your favorite driver is projected to finish Saturday night | Read more
• Field of 16: Is a Cinderella sequel on deck for Austin Dillon? | Read more
• Turning Point to Richmond: Last-ditch efforts on deck for postseason prowess | Read more
• At-track photos: Scenes, sights from the Richmond | View gallery
• Paint Scheme Preview: Fresh looks to love in Virginia | View gallery
• Power Rankings: Ryan Preece in focus at Richmond | This week’s top 20

Posted on August 15, 2025August 16, 2025 by Holly Cain

RICHMOND, Va. – Corey Heim earned a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ best seventh victory of the season in the eero 250 at Richmond Raceway Friday night, but this first short-track victory for the Regular Season Champion took a fast Toyota truck, some real perseverance and a bit of racing good fortune.

The 23-year-old Georgia native started from pole position in the series’ regular-season finale on the historic three-quarter mile venue, but he quickly had to deal with his front-row starting mate, Ty Majeski, who pressed him all night. Majeski swept both stage wins and his race-best 143 of the 250 laps out front was more laps led than he turned in the entire season.

Ultimately, Majeski’s shot at his first win of the year suffered a setback when he was collected in an incident with his ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton while leading late in the race.

Although Majeski recovered and raced forward, Heim, who led 75 laps himself in the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota, got to the front when it mattered most and drove away — taking the lead for good with 20 laps remaining and then holding off the reigning series champ Majeski by 0.923 seconds at the checkered flag.

With the victory, Heim becomes the youngest driver in series history to get to 18 career wins, breaking Kyle Busch’s record.

“Felt like we were the best truck at [short tracks] Martinsville and North Wilkesboro, but they got away from us and we kind of got this one back,” Heim said of his short track struggles this season. “I didn’t feel like we were the best truck tonight. I feel like the 98 [Majeski] was really stout, but obviously had a run-in and got some damage.

“Being there when it counted was the first goal and we were and just able to execute from there.”

The race formally set the 10-driver playoff field. Heim, Layne Riggs, Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric, Tyler Ankrum and Rajah Caruth advanced to the six-race playoffs via victories. Majeski, Grant Enfinger, Kaden Honeycutt and Jake Garcia topped the rest of the series in points to earn their championship chance.

The 20-year-old Garcia had to hold off two-time series champion Ben Rhodes and highly-touted rookie Gio Ruggiero for most of Friday night’s event. Ultimately, Garcia’s seventh-place finish was enough to give him a 19-point edge on Rhodes and a 31-point margin on Ruggiero, who made a valiant run, restarting second on that final restart with 35 laps remaining despite starting last in the 35-truck field.

“Just did my best to run a smart race the second half,” said Garcia, driver of the No. 13 ThorSport Racing Ford. “Even in the first half there were moments we were four-wide and that’s not gonna work out at Richmond. There were some points I had to bail out and lost a lot of spots on the restarts just being really conservative.

“But our truck was really fast and I think we could have finished top five. I want to thank all my guys. They worked really, really hard on this truck like they do all the trucks and gave me a really fast piece today.”

Riggs finished third in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford with Spire Motorsports teammates Sammy Smith and newly minted driver of the No. 77 Spire entry Corey LaJoie rounding out the top five positions.

Ruggiero, Garcia, Rhodes, Chandler Smith and Honeycutt rounded out the top-10. Honeycutt will compete for the driver’s title and his No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota will contend for owners’ points.

The Truck Series Playoffs will begin Saturday, Aug. 30, at Darlington Raceway (noon ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Cup Series regular Ross Chastain won the 2024 race at Darlington. This is the first year the historic track has hosted the series in a playoff contest.

NOTE: Post-race technical inspection concluded without issue, confirming Heim as the race winner. The Nos. 7, 17 and 34 trucks will be taken back to the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, for further inspection.

Posted on August 15, 2025August 16, 2025 by Staff Report

Following Tricon Garage driver Corey Heim’s victory in Friday night’s regular-season finale at Richmond Raceway, the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs field was finalized with 10 drivers securing a spot to compete for a championship.

Heim enters the postseason as the top seed, having won this year’s Regular Season Championship and seven races.

Layne Riggs, Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric, Tyler Ankrum and Rajah Caruth all locked up their respective playoff berths by winning at least one race.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Richmond

Grant Enfinger, defending series champion Ty Majeski, Kaden Honeycutt and Jake Garcia made the playoffs on points.

With ThorSport Racing’s Garcia being the 10th and final driver in the postseason, the first driver out was his teammate and two-time Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes.

An additional playoff spot opened up before Richmond, with Halmar Friesen Racing’s Stewart Friesen declining to pursue a medical waiver to retain his postseason eligibility that he earned after winning at Michigan International Speedway in June. Friesen continues to recover from pelvic and leg fractures suffered in a dirt modified wreck in late July, while Honeycutt pilots the No. 52 Toyota during his absence.

The Truck Series Playoffs kick off with the Sober or Slammer 200 on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Darlington Raceway (noon ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

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Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by Zack Albert

RICHMOND, Va. — Chase Briscoe went fishing last Saturday afternoon of Watkins Glen weekend, enjoying the tranquility of Seneca Lake after the rush of Cup Series qualifying. He paused briefly from wetting a hook to check on who had won the Xfinity Series race later that day, and the notifications on his phone made him think of the worst.

“All I saw was ‘prayers for Zilisch,’ so I started kind of panicking,” said Briscoe, driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 Toyota. “I didn’t know what was going on.”

The picture became clearer once a replay of Zilisch’s Victory Lane tumble appeared, showing the Xfinity Series rookie sensation losing his footing as he stood atop the door and roof of his winning car. The 19-year-old driver hit the ground sharply, unable to slow his fall after his foot became entangled in the window netting. He was later transported to a local hospital for treatment of a broken collarbone. Briscoe, watching that celebration go awry, said he could sympathize.

“I’ve been close to doing that,” Briscoe said Friday at Richmond Raceway. “It’s easy to do, especially for me. I’ve got a size 13 foot, so just in general, my feet are kind of big for the door. I’ve even fell off in a sprint car before. My first sprint car win, I fell off the top, busted my butt. So I’ve kind of been conscious ever since then, but it is super easy to do, especially with the window net. Like it’s definitely one of those things I feel like you’re conscious of now more than ever, just because it’s so fresh in everybody’s mind. But yeah, I mean, it’s crazy to say it could have been a lot worse, but I mean, he’s lucky he didn’t break his leg, and obviously even do something with his head. He didn’t really have a chance to protect himself. So yeah, just crazy though. Crazy circumstance.”

How Saturday night’s celebration might go was a fresh topic, even before Saturday’s Cook Out 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) sets sail at the 0.75-mile track. Several drivers shared their concerns for Zilisch’s health after his spill, but noted that the incident wouldn’t necessarily alter how they celebrate wins in the future.

A teammate of Briscoe’s, however, said the altercation gave him pause.

“No one’s told me that,” said JGR’s Christopher Bell, noting that team leadership had not given him a ‘best practices’ list for how to celebrate wins. “But I can promise you, I’ve done my last car-stand for a while, that’s for sure. That is, I mean, just so eye-opening and scary, and it’s bad.”

Victory Lane varies from track to track on the NASCAR schedule, but the managed chaos is a constant. Drivers tend to find a perch atop their cars to stand tall for photos, all while champagne corks fly and beverages spray. Cole Custer stumbled from his car door after an Xfinity Series win in 2019, Brad Keselowski sliced his hand on a champagne bottle after winning at Kentucky Speedway in 2014, and more recently and just as fluky, Layne Riggs dislocated his shoulder after winning Milwaukee last year — an injury that required offseason surgery.

Zilisch, a Trackhouse Racing prospect who drives full-time for JR Motorsports, has experienced the thrills of Victory Lane six times already in his first full Xfinity Series season. His slip, while dramatic, hasn’t prompted any bans from Trackhouse management, but caution may still be top of mind.

“We haven’t had a conversation specifically about it. Certainly no policy,” said Phil Surgen, crew chief for Trackhouse’s No. 1 Chevrolet. “I think back to Victory Lane celebrations, even from this year, and you can pick out a few instances where guys had unsure footing on the roof or on the door top, and they didn’t fall, of course. So we may have a conversation, but I’m sure all the drivers are going to be a little bit more careful where they make that step.”

Surgen’s own driver may need to take heed. Ross Chastain says he’s received no directives to curb his trademark celebration, smashing a homegrown watermelon on the track from high atop his No. 1 Chevy.

“It’s recommended to do that,” Chastain said. “… No hesitation here. If we’re smashing watermelons, we’re doing OK. It is a good reminder, but I mean, there’s dangerous things in life, everywhere we go.”

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Holly Cain

RICHMOND, Va. – With two races remaining to settle the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field, there are three drivers currently in title contention via points standings. But a new race winner in Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) or next week in the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway changes the outlook dramatically.

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick holds a 117-point advantage over the cutoff line and would only need to earn 30 points Saturday night to formalize his 2025 playoff opportunity.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | At-track photos

The other two drivers above the playoff elimination line include Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, who holds a 60-point cushion to the good and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher, who is only 34 points up on his RFK teammate Ryan Preece. Their other RFK teammate, team co-owner and the 2012 series champion Brad Keselowski, is also in need of a victory to vie for another title.

“I think ideally we would have all liked to have either won by now and kind of locked ourselves in, but when you look at the past however many weeks, 24, to be right there with each other and both of us have penalties. …It’s not like one of us had a penalty and all that, where we’ve been neck and neck,” the driver of the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford, Preece, said of racing his teammate for that last points position.

“I’m just grateful to be a part of this opportunity or to have this opportunity because it’s been a lot of fun.”

“I think Chris and I are both trying to figure out what’s the best strategy for us,” Preece continued. “I know crew chiefs Scott (Graves) and Derrick (Finley) are working hard on that. I have really fast race cars and need to go execute great races. If you’re in a position for a green-white-checkered and you have an opportunity to win, when it comes Monday, I don’t think about what I should have done different.”

As with Preece, Buescher, driver of the No. 17 RFK Ford, tends to have a very easy-going personality. He said he wasn’t surprised either that, after two-thirds of the season, the final playoff position may ultimately come down to RFK teammates.

MORE: Clinching scenarios for Richmond

Keselowski and Buescher have previous wins at both Richmond and Daytona tracks. Keselowski won at Richmond in 2014 and 2020 and the summer Daytona race in 2016. Buescher won at both tracks in 2023.

“We’ve had some really good days and just needed to get the detail right really,” Buescher said of finding himself in this tenuous position. He said he genuinely does not spend time worrying or even thinking about it.

“There’s a whole lot of racing that got us to this point and a whole lot of racing left in the year,” Buescher said. “It’s a big part of our year and obviously the game we’re playing, but it’s not something you’re living in that little tiny box. It’s the same focus every week, figuring out how we can set ourselves up to win a race and be fast. Points come with all that stuff. It’s not that we’re just hyper-focused on it.”

“We plan on us being the new winner, that’s the first priority,” he added with a smile.

Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by Holly Cain

RICHMOND, Va. — Ryan Preece has delivered in the clutch, claiming the second Busch Light Pole Award of his career Friday afternoon at Richmond Raceway as he tries to earn a playoff position with only two regular-season races remaining to set the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series championship field.

It’s certainly a good omen for Preece heading into Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) at the three-quarter mile track.

His No. 60 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford Mustang turned a fast lap of 121.381 mph, edging 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick by .087 seconds. The 34-year-old Connecticut-native Preece last led the field to green in 2023 at another Virginia short track, Martinsville Speedway.

“I felt like it was on my bingo card, I’m not sure about everybody else’s,” said a smiling Preece, who currently trails his RFK teammate Chris Buescher by 34 points for the final playoff points position.

“That Ford Mustang was really sporty. I felt good about it in practice and it showed up for qualifying. We have a great starting spot and tomorrow we’ve just got to go execute and hopefully we can win this race.”

“At a place like this, I would rather be out front. … I’d rather be the one leading. Tomorrow is about getting out front, getting the clean air and setting my pace.”

It was also a particularly good day for the small Kaulig Racing team, whose veteran driver, AJ Allmendinger, qualified third fastest (120.854 mph) for his best career start at the track. Virginia native and hometown favorite, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (120.822 mph), will roll off fourth. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott (120.746 mph) rounds out the top five.

Among those contending for the final three playoff positions. Reddick needs only to gain 30 points if there’s no new winner on Saturday night to finalize his spot. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, who holds a 60-point advantage inside the standings, will start ninth. Buescher, in the 16th and final playoff points position, qualified 12th.

Thirteen different drivers have claimed playoff positions with victories this season. A new race winner this week at Richmond or next week in the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway would leap over Reddick, Bowman and Buescher in the playoff eligibility.

Cup Series points leader, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, qualified 14th. He holds a 42-point advantage over his teammate Elliott for the Regular Season Championship and the 15 bonus points that pay following the Daytona race.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon, the defending race winner, will start 11th.

Kyle Busch paces practice

No. 8 Richard Childress Racing wheelman and six-time Richmond winner, Busch turned the fastest lap in practice Friday evening, clocking in a lap of 118.172 mph in Group 1. He also had the best 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-lap averages.

John Hunter Nemechek (118.110 mph), Denny Hamlin (117.909 mph), Noah Gragson (117.889mph) and 23XI Racing part-time driver Corey Heim (117.575 mph) completed the top five.

Kyle Larson, Ty Dillon, Justin Haley, Cole Custer and Riley Herbst rounded out the top 10.

Two separate issues paused Group 2 practice. Joey Logano suffered a tire issue and hit the outside wall in Turn 4, and Carson Hocevar went for a spin in the final minute of the session. Logano placed last of 38 drivers in the session.

Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by Zack Albert

RICHMOND, Va. — Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin both reviewed the final lap of last year’s NASCAR Cup Series showdown at Richmond Raceway in recent days, all as part of the customary prep work for this season’s running. It wasn’t any easier to stomach the second time around.

“I did. It made me mad again,” Logano said with a hearty laugh, one aided by the passage of time. A year ago, the immediate reflection was not nearly as good-natured, not after Austin Dillon bowled through both Logano and Hamlin in the 0.75-mile track’s final set of corners to grab the checkered flag. The victory stayed in the record books, but three days later after an extensive review, NASCAR officials stripped the Cup Series Playoffs eligibility that Dillon stood to gain.

Logano was among those with frayed emotions that Sunday night, and the recent revisit wasn’t the most pleasant.

“The result didn’t change, unfortunately,” Logano said, “but yeah, obviously, I have to rewatch things to prepare and things like that. But yeah, it’s a year ago, so you’ve got to move forward here at some point. So, just got to go get sweet redemption, right? Go out there and win the race that we had won.”

All the protagonists return to the scene for Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), the next-to-last race of the Cup Series regular season. Hamlin and Logano have secured playoff berths with regular-season wins, while Dillon — 28th in points — would need another last-gasp run to clinch one of the remaining spots.

Logano was sent spinning out of victory contention here last year after Dillon rolled deep into Turn 3, dispatching the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. That opened the door — albeit briefly — for Hamlin to burst into the lead, until another bump from Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet caromed his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota into the wall.

MORE: Fantasy Fastlane: Richmond | Cup Series standings

Hamlin called his recent review of the final lap “just disappointing from my standpoint” and “just a wild moment,” but that the later ruling from NASCAR officials gave the drivers involved a better idea of which racing tactics remain above board, and which might cross the line into the realm of discipline and deterrence.

“I think NASCAR drew a line in the sand and said that was too far,” said Hamlin, a five-time winner at his home-state track. “I think that they have been better about drawing the line in the sand on certain things, like the right-rear hooks we have seen over the last year, them kind of drawing the line in the sand. They are not afraid to make hard decisions, and I think that is very, very important with the governing of the sport in general, so it is not a circus. I do feel a little bit better about it than we did 12 months ago.

“I just feel that I think certainly, that was the first time we’ve seen something like that happen and then NASCAR had a precedent to set in the sense that — what do you from here. If you let that go, then you open up a floodgate of crazy things that could happen that would be bad for the relevance and the legitimacy of the sport, and so I think everyone probably has a little better understanding now, because of the ruling. I’m not saying I agree or disagree with it, but you certainly have a better understanding.”

Wherever the sand-drawn line exists, Logano says the incident and the punishment have shaped how racing — especially in high-stakes situations on a tight, short track — goes forward.

“I’m not a big person that reads the rule book. I just look at how rules are enforced,” Logano says. “Well, if rules are enforced, then that’s a real rule. And NASCAR gets put in the spot occasionally to where they’re forced to enforce a rule, and depending on how they do that will set the tone for the future, whether that’s looking at restarts or looking at things like that. I think all of us drivers, all we want is consistency, right? And obviously that was pretty far last year, right? Both moves were — not just the first one but the second one. So I think every scenario is probably a little bit different. That one was pretty extreme, so probably pretty easy for them to make a call, but everybody, sometimes you wonder where the limits are, but you’ve also got to ask yourself, what’s your limits, right? What are you willing to do as a human in the race cars as well?”

Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by Staff Report

See where your favorite NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers will pit this weekend at Richmond Raceway.

NASCAR Cup Series

Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

RELATED: Richmond weekend schedule | How to watch NASCAR on USA Network

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Eero 250 at Richmond Raceway on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

MORE: How to watch NASCAR on FS1