Cook Out 400
Location: Richmond, Va.
Course: Richmond Raceway
Format: 0.75-mile oval
Laps: 400
NASCAR Cup Race Preview
Ty Gibbs grabbed his second win of the season a week ago at Iowa, using a two-tire stop in the final pit sequence to get ahead of teammate Christopher Bell and holding the lead all the way to the checkered flag. This week, the series heads to another short oval at Richmond Raceway for its first and only race of the year at the storied circuit. Teams know the venue well, with Saturday night's race marking the 138th NASCAR Cup Series event at the track. As the first of the final three regular-season races, it will also help bring the championship picture into greater focus. Every position and point will matter as opportunities to make an impact slip away. Austin Dillon has won the last two Richmond races, but he remains outside the championship positions looking in. Austin Cindric, meanwhile, will look to expand his 29-point advantage over Ryan Preece at the cutline. With several drivers fighting their way into the championship hunt, Saturday night promises another epic short-track showdown.
Key Stats at Richmond Raceway
- Number of races: 137
- Winners from pole: 23
- Winners from top-5 starters: 73
- Winners from top-10 starters: 102
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 13
- Fastest race: 109.047 mph
Previous 10 Richmond Winners
2025 - Austin Dillon
2024 fall - Austin Dillon
2024 spring - Denny Hamlin
2023 fall - Chris Buescher
2023 spring - Kyle Larson
2022 fall - Kevin Harvick
2022 spring - Denny Hamlin
2021 fall - Martin Truex Jr.
2021 spring - Alex Bowman
2020 - Brad Keselowski
Richmond Raceway's 0.75-mile tri-oval is similar in nature to last week's venue, but Richmond does not share Iowa's progressive banking, and its narrow racing line makes track position even more important. Chevrolet has won the last two Richmond races, but every manufacturer has visited Victory Lane at the track with the current car. While qualifying can be an indicator of success, lower starting spots have not prevented drivers from winning. Pit strategy can move drivers forward very quickly, as we saw last week when Ty Gibbs used a two-tire stop to win. Generally, though, a driver needs to be within striking distance of the top spots to pull that off. Only one driver has won this race after starting outside the top 15 since the new car was introduced. For that reason, having a good race car is often more important than having the fastest machine in qualifying. During the race, four fresh tires and the extra grip they provide can be the deciding factor, but teams may have to weigh that against track position. This race can be won through strategy, but fast long-run practice times should be one of the best indicators of potential success this week.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Cook Out 400
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,500
Christopher Bell - $11,200
Ryan Blaney - $11,000
Joey Logano - $10,500
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Kyle Larson - $9,700
Chase Briscoe - $9,500
William Byron - $9,200
Tyler Reddick - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Chase Elliott - $8,700
Bubba Wallace - $8,500
Austin Dillon - $8,300
Ross Chastain - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Brad Keselowski - $7,500
Josh Berry - $7,200
Daniel Suarez - $6,500
Shane van Gisbergen - $6,400
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Cook Out 400
Denny Hamlin - $11,500
Joey Logano - $10,500
Brad Keselowski - $7,500
Josh Berry - $7,200
Alex Bowman - $6,700
Daniel Suarez - $6,500
Denny Hamlin (DK $11,500, FD $14,000) continues to be the weekly favorite. Even with brake problems last week at Iowa, he and the team still managed to fight back for a fifth-place finish. That was their fourth top-five from the last five races, too. Also, Hamlin has been one of the best drivers on short tracks the past few seasons, winning several races, including at Richmond in 2024. That victory was his fifth at this track. For those reasons, among others, Hamlin remains a top fantasy selection again this week.
One driver gaining momentum with The Chase approaching is Joey Logano (DK $10,500, FD $13,000). He and the team struggled much of the season to get the most out of the car and capitalize on the times that they had speed. Those challenges may have been a blessing in disguise because the No. 22 team is demonstrating that they've got some major problems sorted. Logano won at North Wilkesboro and hasn't finished outside of the top 15 for the past five races. He is also a two-time winner at Richmond.
If Brad Keselowski (DK $7,500, FD $8,000) can avoid the problems he suffered early in the weekend at Iowa, he could be a value pick for fantasy rosters this week. Though the team hasn't been the strongest this season, Keselowski is still within reach of a spot in The Chase. He is also turning in some of his best performances of the season in recent weeks. He delivered back-to-back top-10 finishes at Indianapolis and North Wilkesboro, which are two track-position heavy circuits. At Richmond, another in that same class, he is a two-time victor with four top-10 finishes from the last five visits.
Though Josh Berry (DK $7,200, FD $7,000) does not yet have announced plans for 2027, he is having some success in his final races with Wood Brothers Racing. He finished fourth a week ago at Iowa and was seventh the race prior at Indianapolis. At Richmond, Berry has also been good. He scored a second-place finish there in 2023 while substituting for Chase Elliott and hasn't finished worse than 14th there since. Last year, he finished eighth. The Chase may be out of his reach, but he is auditioning for future employers again this week, and has been making a strong case to get a seat.
Alex Bowman (DK $6,700, FD $7,200) is also looking to get the most out of his now limited remaining races in the series and with Hendrick Motorsports. Early contact at Iowa ruined his chances of showing his capabilities that afternoon, but he may have some upside potential again this week at Richmond. Bowman is a former winner at the circuit and scored four finishes of ninth or better in the last six visits. The No. 48 has been hit or miss this season, but this is a week where a hit should be the expectation.
Lastly, Daniel Suarez (DK $6,500, FD $6,200) rounds out the selections with what might be another bargain selection. Suarez has had success with Spire Motorsports this season including his win at Charlotte. At short tracks, he has generally been among the top 15, too. Suarez has five top-10 Richmond finishes, and two of those came in the last two races. Fantasy players should expect a relatively confident top-15 finish from this team again this week.
Best Bets for the Cook Out 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 11:30 AM ET Friday
Race Winner - Denny Hamlin +475, Christopher Bell +550
Top-Five Finish - Ty Gibbs +120
Top-10 Finish - Brad Keselowski +190
Choosing between Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell to win this Saturday night's race at Richmond is a tough prospect. On one hand, Hamlin has been the most dominant short-track driver in recent memory, and he has five prior Richmond victories to his credit. On the other, Bell is the hottest driver in the series, and his winless streak seems destined to be broken imminently. You can't really go wrong with either choice, and the difference in odds between the pair isn't big enough to prefer one over the other. I, like the current odds, would give Hamlin the slight edge, though, because of his short-track success the past few seasons, including this one. For those who don't choose Bell, next week's trip to New Hampshire will likely also be a good time to have him in mind considering he has won two of the last four races at that track.
Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs could also be a wise choice to finish among the top five. Gibbs hasn't had much success at Richmond in his career. His best finish was a ninth-place run in the 2023 spring race. However, he is coming off of his second win of the season a week ago at Iowa and has been very strong at short-track stops this season. He finished fourth at North Wilkesboro and Martinsville and won at Bristol. Gibbs should be in line to score his best series Richmond finish this week.
One other driver that could be in store for a top finish this week is Brad Keselowski. He came with high expectations a week ago at Iowa, but damage to his car early in the weekend got his race off on the wrong foot and he wasn't able to recover. He gets a second chance this week at Richmond, and a spot in The Chase could be on the line. Keselowski is a two-time Richmond winner who finished in the top 10 four of the last five races at the circuit. He is currently 48 points out of the championship positions, and this weekend's race could be his biggest chance to make up that ground.
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