This weekend, the NASCAR Cup
Series returns to Virginia for their second visit of the year to Richmond Raceway. Coverage of the Cook Out 400 starts with Countdown to Green at 5:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The race broadcast starts at 6 p.m. ET with the green
flag scheduled to drop around 6:15 p.m. ET and can be heard on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
Records and
facts
Last year's Cook Out 400 was generally a very clean race. There was only one caution outside of the stage breaks. However, that caution came with nine
laps to go after Noah Gragson and Daniel Suarez collided.
The yellow brought everyone to pit road for the all-important final stops. Chris Buescher won the race off pit road to take the lead. From there, he held on to take the victory.
Buescher's margin of victory was .549 seconds over Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch was third, then Joey Logano and Ryan Preece.
All-time, Richard Petty is the winningest driver at Richmond with 13 career
victories. Of those 13, three came on the dirt while the other 10 came on the old, .542-mile paved oval prior to the track's 1988 renovation. Petty's count also includes seven in a row from 1970-73, a NASCAR record for this track. Bobby Allison is second with seven wins while Rusty Wallace, Kyle Busch, Darrell Waltrip and David Pearson have six apiece. Wallace and Kyle Busch's wins have all come on the present three-quarters of a mile configuration.
Among active drivers, Kyle Busch is the winningest driver at Richmond with
six triumphs. Denny Hamlin has five victories, while Jimmie Johnson (not entered) and Martin Truex Jr. have three wins apiece. Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson and Joey Logano have two each.
Track Facts
Track / Race
Length: .750-mile D-shaped oval, 400 laps (300 miles)
Banking: 14 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,290 feet, banked 8 degrees
Backstretch: 860 feet, banked 5 degrees
Grandstand Seating: 59,000
Pit Road Speed: 40 mph
Pace Car Speed: 45 mph
Opened: 1946 (first Cup race in 1953)
Website: http://www.richmondraceway.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richmond.raceway
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RichmondRaceway
Pre-Race Sessions:
Practice: Saturday, Aug. 10, 4:30 - 5:20 p.m. ET on NBCSports.com/NBC Sports App
Qualifying: Saturday, Aug. 10, 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSports.com/NBC Sports App
"We have had some really good runs at Richmond (Raceway) lately and I think we are in a good position to continue that this weekend. The option tires are going to possibly throw a new wrench in things, but
with everyone in the same boat, the playing field is even. Getting the most out of practice on Saturday will be crucial to prepare strategy-wise for Sunday. I’m interested to see how it will play out and hopefully we come out on the good end of it." - William Byron
"I love the track, it’s great. Been very successful there, especially lately with
our Bass Pro Shops Camry. Been lucky enough to win some races there. I really enjoy the track because it’s kind of unique. It’s a short track, but it races like a bigger track than it is. You can really move around there the way the tires wear out and the track is really slippery, and that makes it fun and a challenge, and it’s always a good race for the fans." - Martin Truex
Jr.
"The short tracks have been a bit of a tall task for us
figure out in this car, but everyone has been working hard to identify the areas we need to improve on. I think Richmond will be a challenge for us, but it’s one we are up for. I’m excited to be back from our two-week break and get back to normal business, which is racing every weekend from now until Phoenix." - Daniel
Hemric
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Photo is courtesy of Nigel Kinrade
Photography.
