After Stage 2 winner Brad Keselowski had an awkward pit stop in the middle of Stage 3, Chris Buescher found himself in the lead and in the late stages of the Cook Out 400, four seconds and several lapped cars in front of second-place Denny Hamlin. Buescher held off a stiff Hamlin challenge on the restart with three laps to go following a late Daniel Suárez spin and went on to win his third career Cup race. With the win, Buescher is assured a spot in the playoffs.
Keselowski claims Stage 2
Brad Keselowski won Stage 2 at Richmond, a 160-lap affair that featured multiple rounds of green-flag pit stops and no yellow flags. Bubba Wallace, who took the lead on the third lap of the stage and led comfortably through one round of green-flag stops, had a jack issue during his second pit stop of the stage and fell to fifth.
Toyotas take Stage 1
Pole-sitter Tyler Reddick won an uneventful all-green Stage 1 of the Cook Out 400 ahead of 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace and 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin. A.J. Allmendinger, who started at the rear of the field because he did not practice or qualify the car Saturday while driving the Xfinity Series race at Road America, clawed his way up 25th by the end of the 70-lap stage.
Cook Out 400 results
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Cook Out 400 TV/streaming schedule
All times Eastern
Saturday12:30-1:20 p.m.: Practice (USA, NBC Sports app)1:20-2:30 p.m.: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports app)
Sunday2:30-3 p.m.: Pre-race show (USA)3-6:30 p.m.: Cook Out 400 (USA, NBC Sports app)
Cook Out 400 details
Track: Richmond Raceway (0.75-mile tri-oval), Henrico County, VirginiaLength: 400 laps for 300 milesBanking: Turns – 14 degrees | Tri-oval – 8 degrees | Backstretch – 2 degrees2022 winner: Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Cook Out 400 starting grid
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Top drivers and best bets for the Cook Out 400
Martin Truex Jr. has three career wins at Richmond and enters the weekend as the favorite, according to BetMGM, with a +375 moneyline. Denny Hamlin (+500) and Kyle Larson (+600) — who were at the center of last week's kerfuffle at Pocono — have the next-best odds.
Best odds to win• Martin Truex Jr. +375• Denny Hamlin +500• Kyle Larson +600• Christopher Bell +800• William Byron +900• Kevin Harvick +900
Yahoo Sports' Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week on some of the best bets for the weekend. He suggests good mid-tier value can be found in Larson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott (+1600), and 23XI's Tyler Reddick (+1800). Elliott has five top-five finishes in 14 starts at Richmond, while Toyota and 23XI have been particularly strong this season on short tracks.
Cook Out 400 entry list
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing ChevroletAustin Cindric (2), Team Penske FordAustin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing ChevroletKevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing FordKyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBrad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing FordCorey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports ChevroletKyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing ChevroletChase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletAric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing FordDenny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaRyan Blaney (12), Team Penske FordChase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing FordJ.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing FordA.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing ChevroletChris Buescher (17), RFK Racing FordMartin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaChristopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaHarrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing FordJoey Logano (22), Team Penske FordBubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing ToyotaWilliam Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletJustin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing ChevroletMichael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports FordTodd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports FordRyan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing FordNoah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club ChevroletErik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club ChevroletTyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing ToyotaRicky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing ChevroletAlex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletRyan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing FordTy Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaTy Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports ChevroletBJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports FordDaniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Weather for the Cook Out 400
The forecast calls for highs in the upper-90s and a 51 percent chance of rain for both days of Cup Series running. Three of the last four Cup Series races and five overall have been significantly impacted by rain this season, with Truex already having won two of them.