News

Cook Out 400
Richmond, Virginia - August 14, 2026

Ryan Blaney, driver, No. 12 BODYARMOR Flash I.V. Caffeine Ford Mustang Dark Horse - 1st

Joey Logano, driver, No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse - 10th

Austin Cindric, driver, No. 2 Menards/Quaker State Ford Mustang Dark Horse - 23rd

THE ROAD TO THE CHASE: NASCAR Cup Series teams arrived at Richmond Raceway Friday morning for practice and qualifying in anticipation of Saturday night's sprint under the lights, which kicks off the final three-race stretch before The Chase. The remaining schedule presents three different challenges, beginning with Richmond's three-quarter-mile short track before moving to the flat, one-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway and concluding at the 2.5-mile, high-banked drafting track at Daytona International Speedway. Ryan Blaney emerged as the pole winner for Saturday night's 400-lap event at Richmond, with Joey Logano qualifying 10th and Austin Cindric set to start 23rd.

SHORT-TRACK STRENGTH: Richmond marks the fifth of seven short-track races on the 2026 Cup Series schedule. Team Penske enters the weekend with a strong history at the Virginia short track, having earned nine Cup Series victories at Richmond, while all three Team Penske drivers finished inside the top five in last year's event. Logano has been particularly consistent at Richmond, scoring two wins and a 9.8 average finish across 32 career starts. That success has carried into 2026, as Logano and Blaney rank first and second in laps led on short tracks this season with 323 and 322, respectively.

UP NEXT: Saturday's Cook Out 400 is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m. ET, airing live on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.