Previewing the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond

Last year's Cook Out 400 saw a dramatic finish, as Austin Dillon raced to the checkered flag after contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final lap. Following the race, NASCAR declared the win would not grant Dillon playoff eligibility, believing his actions on the final lap crossed the line of acceptable behavior, even in the "contact sport" nature of NASCAR.

That ruling will undoubtedly be on drivers' minds late in the race on Saturday with a chance to win their way into the Playoffs. Late-race contact is nothing new at Richmond, and plenty of fans can recite their favorite memories of feuds involving the likes of Kevin Harvick and Ricky Rudd, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch, and so on.

However, drivers now know that NASCAR will step in if they believe that line is crossed again. How far are you willing to go to earn a spot in the Playoffs, but how far will be considered too far?

Past Richmond Winners Looking to Return to Victory Lane

Five drivers who have yet to win a race during the 2025 season are past winners at the Richmond Raceway. Kyle Busch leads that category, with six career wins at the Virginia 3/4-mile.

Brad Keselowski is a two-time winner at Richmond. Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, and the aforementioned Austin Dillon have also won there.

Buescher currently holds a 34-point advantage over Ryan Preece for the final playoff spot, but the cutline would move with any first-time winner at Richmond. That could be one of these past Richmond winners, or even a new name such as Preece,

Richmond Domination? Not So Fast

In the first three short track races to start the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, the driver who led the most laps went on to victory lane. Denny Hamlin led 274 of 400 laps at Martinsville, Kyle Larson led 411 of 500 laps at Bristol, and William Byron led 141 of 350 laps at Iowa two weeks ago.

More of the same at Richmond, you say? The recent trend at the track says that's not so likely. The driver who led the most laps has failed to win the last eight Richmond NASCAR Cup Series races. You have to go back to 2020, when Richmond still hosted two events each year, to find when Brad Keselowski led 192 laps and won at Richmond.