Cook Out 400 Preview: Chase Hunt Intensifies

We leave the short track of Iowa Speedway and head to Richmond, Virginia and Richmond Raceway this weekend for the 24th race of the season and approaching a climax in the run up to the NASCAR Cup Series post-season. During the earlier years of the playoff era, this had been the track where NASCAR ended its regular season and determined the field for the playoffs. However, the schedule got a shakeup a few seasons ago, and NASCAR decided to move this event into the 10 races of the playoff. This changed in 2022 as the sanctioning body decided to return Richmond back into the races that lead up to the cutoff to make the Chase. The urgency and the heated competition will be different this weekend. Instead of trying to advance in the post-season, drivers will instead be trying to make it into the playoff field of drivers as the clock is rapidly winding down on this regular season. This Richmond race will have a different feel, but all the same importance as the past. Drivers will be going all out to grab that valuable win that transfers them into the Chase field. As we saw at Indianapolis and Iowa, drivers are taking chances at this point in the season that they have not up until this point. That will make for higher stakes, more contact, harder racing and when we put that on the small oval at Richmond Raceway, we're sure to be thrilled by what we see take place. 

Since Richmond's oval is a short track with its own group of dominant drivers, let's take a quick look at the recent history of this facility and see who will be running up front this weekend. The short tracks usually produce familiar names when it comes to driver efficiency, so some of these drivers should look familiar as compared to Iowa Speedway which was run just last Sunday. The urgency to make the playoff field will have an impact on performances, but we still expect the short track aces to have the best outings at Richmond. Here are the loop stats for the last 40 races at Richmond Raceway.

This is the first and only visit of the 2026 season at Richmond Raceway. If we look back to the race last August, we get very good vibes for the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team and Austin Dillon. The veteran driver started 11th on the grid and led 107 laps before finally cruising to a 2.5-second victory over Alex Bowman. It was Dillon's second consecutive win at the Richmond oval, and it places a great deal of scrutiny on the RCR veteran ahead of this Saturday night's Cook Out 400. Dillon is coming off a steady Top-10 finish at Iowa this past Sunday and showing his short track performance is up to speed.    

In addition to Dillon, there were several suitors who challenged for that Richmond win in this event one year ago. Chief among them were Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano. Both are trying to improve their performance for the quickly approaching Chase, so the return to Richmond will be welcome for both Penske Racing drivers. We'll highlight them, along with other short track specialists and give you the drivers you need to dominate your fantasy league this weekend at Richmond Raceway for the Cook Out 400.

The Contenders – Drivers in the Hunt for the Win

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2:30 PM ET Wednesday

Ryan Blaney – Blaney has been one of the top performing drivers on the short tracks this season. Qualifying well has especially been a top priority of the Penske Racing No. 12 team. Blaney has converted that good starting track position (three poles) into three Top-5 and four Top-10 finishes. Richmond Raceway isn't Blaney's favorite short track, but he's had some good performances here since 2021. In this event one year ago, the veteran driver led 39 laps and finished a Richmond career-best third-place in the Cook Out 400. The notes from that performance will come in handy this weekend as Blaney looks to grab his first-career Richmond victory.    

Christopher Bell – The Joe Gibbs Racing youngster has been almost flawless at Richmond Raceway in his seven-season Cup Series career. Bell owns four Top-5 and seven Top-10 finishes in his 10 Richmond starts for a dazzling 70-percent Top-10 rate and miniscule 8.7 average finish at the Virginia short track. The driver of the No. 20 Toyota has led 230 laps at Richmond during this time and he has cracked the Top 10 twice in this last three Richmond starts. Bell has been a supreme short track performer in 2026 with two runner-up finishes and three Top-10 finishes to go along with 284 laps led. He grabbed one of his two runner-up finishes this past Sunday at Iowa Speedway. Bell and his Joe Gibbs Racing team are not to be underestimated in this Cook Out 400.       

Denny Hamlin – Hamlin has been zeroed-in on the short tracks in 2026. He has two runner-up finishes, 306 laps led and a spotless 4.6 average finish on ovals one-mile in size or less. Richmond Raceway has yielded five victories, 20 Top-5 finishes (54-percent) and over 2,300 career laps led at the Virginia short track. Hamlin grabbed his fourth runner-up finish at Richmond Raceway since the 2021 season with his effort in this event two years ago. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has won or finished runner-up in three of his last four Richmond starts. That's stellar by any measure. Hamlin will be a top driver to beat at Richmond Raceway.    

Austin Dillon – The winner of the last two Richmond races proved those performances weren't flukes with his strong performance in this event one year ago. Dillon led 107 laps and marched to the convincing win in last season's Cook Out 400. The driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet carries a 36-percent Top-10 rate at Richmond Raceway and reasonably good 15.2 average finish at the track spread across 22 starts. Dillon and his crew chief, Richard Boswell, have figured something out about this oval and they're putting it to good effect. Dillon is coming off a steady 10th-place finish at Iowa Speedway this past Sunday and looking in good shape coming to Richmond Raceway this week.

Solid Plays – Near Locks for Top 10 with an Outside Shot to Win

Ty Gibbs – With his win this past Sunday at Iowa Speedway, Gibbs has become the top driver in the series on the short tracks. He's grabbed two victories (Bristol & Iowa) and has five Top-5 finishes in all five short track races to this point. The 2.8 average finish across the span is quite impressive and shows just how good the No. 54 Toyota team have been on these small ovals. Gibbs hasn't been overly impressive in his previous Richmond starts. In those six appearances, the young driver has only notched one Top 10 and two Top 15's. The 19.3 average finish is higher than we'd like to see in a top contender. However, you cannot deny what this driver and team have accomplished this season on the small ovals.

Chase Briscoe – One of the hottest drivers the last two months is Briscoe and his Joe Gibbs Racing team. They're fresh off a sixth-place finish at Iowa Speedway and have nabbed one win, one runner-up finish and four Top-5 finishes since his Sonoma start back in late-June. Briscoe has been strong on the short tracks this season with two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes (60-percent) and a strong 13.0 average finish on the bull rings. This veteran driver has never produced a Top 10 in nine prior Richmond starts, which may lead some fantasy players to pan Briscoe this weekend. We believe that would be a big mistake. He's currently redefining expectations on several tracks and is riding a three-race Top-10 streak on the small ovals.

Joey Logano – Logano has enjoyed some success this season on the circuit's short tracks. A victory at North Wilkesboro and a pair of Top-5 finishes have the veteran driver sitting at a respectable 11.2 average finish on the bull ring circuit. The Penske Racing star is a two-time Richmond winner and his 20 Top-10 finishes at the track check in at a strong 63-percent rate. The career average finish at the Virginia short track is a tidy 9.8. Coming off a respectable 14th-place finish in our last short track event at Iowa last Sunday afternoon, Logano appears to be visiting Richmond Raceway at just the right time. He'll be one of Ford's top performers in this 400-mile short track battle. 

William Byron – Byron has been heating up in recent races. His ninth-place finish at Iowa Speedway this past Sunday made him one of the top finishers for Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports in that race. Now the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet sets his sights on the short track in Richmond. Byron hasn't had much success here with just a 21-percent Top-10 rate and 14.8 average finish. However, we believe he'll be a driver to watch closely in the Cook Out 400. Byron has led 239 laps here since 2022 so he's no stranger to racing up front at Richmond Raceway. He seems to be putting all together prior to this visit to Virginia and his 10.7 average finish at Richmond Raceway in his last three starts is an encouraging statistic.

Sleepers – Drivers with Good History at Richmond & Solid Upside

Brad Keselowski – The owner/driver of the No. 6 Ford has seemingly turned the corner on his short track struggles of earlier this season in more recent races. Keselowski nabbed a strong seventh-place finish at North Wilkesboro recently. That's a good sign heading into Saturday night's Cook Out 400. He's a two-time Richmond winner and as recently as the 2020 season. Keselowski's 16 Top-10 finishes at the track net a strong 52-percent Top-10 rate at Richmond Raceway and hold down a respectable career 12.0 average finish. The veteran driver has four Top 10's in his last five Richmond starts and is looking to build on that streak in this weekend's Cook Out 400.

Kyle Larson – Larson has had an up-and-down season to this point, but he's been pretty consistent on the short tracks in 2026. He grabbed a pair of Top-5 finishes earlier in the spring and has three Top-10 finishes (60-percent) on ovals one-mile in size and less. Not the usual dominant driver we're used to, so we've slotted the Hendrick Motorsports star in the sleepers list this week. Larson's two victories and 11 Top-10 finishes at Richmond have all come since the 2016 season. He boasts a win and six Top 10's in his last eight starts at Richmond Raceway, including his victory in the 2023 Toyota Owners 400. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet finished sixth in this event one year ago and that experience will be helpful for this driver and team.

Chase Elliott – Elliott does not have the kind of Richmond stats that inspire much confidence, however, he has been turning his performances there more positive in recent seasons. Elliott owns three Top-5 and four Top-10 finishes in his last seven Richmond Raceway starts. That has increased his Top-10 rate at the oval to 44-percent and lowered his average finish to a steady 12.2. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet has been a bit inconsistent on short tracks in 2026, with one win and two Top-15 finishes on ovals one-mile in size and less. Elliott nabbed a steady 15th-place finish at Iowa Speedway this past weekend and that's a good sign heading to Richmond Raceway.

Josh Berry – We were down on Berry at Iowa last Sunday and he proved us wrong by forging an impressive fourth-place finish in the Iowa Corn 350. It's been a tough season for the Wood Brothers Racing driver but it looks like he can deliver the results on the short tracks. We're willing to give him a chance in the Cook Out 400. Berry has just four-career Cup Series starts at this oval, but they've been consistent and dependable results. He's collected two Top-10 and four Top-15 finishes in those efforts for an impressive 8.8 average finish across those starts. Berry is racing for his future in NASCAR and that motivation is working right now.   

Bubba Wallace – Wallace is coming off some laps led and a steady 12th-place finish at Iowa Speedway last weekend and looking to keep it rolling in Richmond. The 23XI Racing driver has not been a good Richmond Raceway performer over the years (20.9 average finish) but he did grab a career-best Richmond finish in this event two seasons ago with a strong fourth-place effort. The notes from that outing will come in handy this weekend. Wallace has been solid on the short tracks in 2026 with two Top-10 and four Top-15 finishes to this point, including a strong sixth-place a few weeks ago at North Wilkesboro Speedway. All the indicators point towards a potential Top-10 finish for this driver and team at the Richmond oval.  

Ross Chastain – The veteran driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet offers some fantasy racing upside this week. Chastain seems to have turned the corner on some of his earlier season struggles in recent outings. The short tracks have been somewhat inconsistent for this driver and team until last Sunday's Iowa Corn 350. Chastain was a steady seventh-place finisher at Iowa Speedway. Richmond Raceway has offered some mixed success to this driver and team over the years, but Chastain has two of his best Richmond outings in his last five attempts. He nabbed a third-place at the track in 2023 and a fifth-place at Richmond in this event two seasons ago. We believe he has a high ceiling in Saturday night's Cook Out 400.

Slow Down - Drivers to Avoid This Week

Alex Bowman – Despite being a one-time Richmond winner and finishing runner-up in this event one year ago, we recommend the fantasy racing bench for Bowman this week. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet is mired in a slump at present. He hasn't cracked the Top 10 in his last four races and he's currently experiencing the worst season of his Cup Series career. Bowman has had a lot of his struggles on the short tracks in 2026. His three starts on the small ovals have resulted in finishes of 37th-, 26th- and 34th-place. The last of those came this past Sunday at Iowa Speedway. From a career-long perspective, Bowman's 28-percent Top-10 rate at Richmond and 18.2 average finish are pedestrian numbers at best.  

Austin Cindric – Even though Cindric posted a Top-5 finish in this event one year ago, we're calling for the fade this round at Richmond Raceway. The driver of the No. 2 Ford has labored tremendously with short tracks this season. Cindric has just one Top-10 finish in five starts and an average finish of 20.2 on the Cup Series short tracks in 2026. That includes his 29th-place effort at Iowa just this past weekend. Cindric has eight-career starts at Richmond Raceway and only one Top 10 to his credit (13-percent). He's never DNF'd at the Virginia oval and that's the good news. However, Cindric is likely heading towards another mid-20's finish again this Saturday night in the Cook Out 400.        

Erik Jones – With 16-career starts at Richmond Raceway, Jones is one of the more experienced drivers at this small oval. However, his results have been pretty thin here for years. The Legacy Motor Club veteran has just one Top 10 in those efforts for a lowly 6-percent Top-10 rate and 22.7 average finish. Short tracks have been a tough puzzle for the No. 43 Toyota team this season. Jones has one Top-10 finish but also four finishes outside the Top 20. The 22.0 average finish on short tracks doesn't instill much confidence in Jones or this team this weekend. He's a driver to pan in weekly lineup and salary cap leagues at Richmond Raceway.  

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – The HYAK Motorsports driver has always been known for his superspeedway and intermediate oval exploits, much less so for his short track accomplishments. Stenhouse has had a tough season on the bull rings with only two Top-20 finishes and an inflated 24.2 average finish. Very recently he struggled to a 34th-place finish at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Stenhouse has 24-career starts at Richmond Raceway but only two Top-10 finishes in those efforts (8-percent) for a high 21.7 average. The last three Richmond outings the veteran driver slogged to 33rd-, 36th- and 23rd-place finishes at Richmond Raceway. He's to be passed up this week in all fantasy racing formats.