NASCAR Cook Out 400 at Richmond: Iowa's Ty Gibbs Looks to Repeat at Short Track
NASCAR heads to Richmond Raceway this Saturday for the Cook Out 400, and for Iowa racing fans, there is a familiar name at the top of the list of contenders. Ty Gibbs, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and grew up in Iowa, is coming off a victory at Iowa Speedway last week and will look to make it two in a row on the 0.75-mile short track in Virginia.
The race is set for Saturday, Aug. 15, with the green flag waving at 7:10 p.m. ET. The event marks NASCAR's annual visit to Richmond, a track that has been on the schedule since 1953 and remains one of the most unique venues on the circuit.
Why Richmond is a different kind of challenge
Richmond is the only three-quarter-mile track on the NASCAR schedule. The surface has not been repaved since 2004, which means heavy tire wear and a variety of pit strategies come into play as the race wears on. Teams that manage their tires well and adapt to changing track conditions often find themselves at the front late in the evening.
That kind of racing tends to favor organizations with strong engineering and driver feedback, which is why Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have traditionally dominated at Richmond.
Iowa connection: Ty Gibbs rolling after home-state win
Gibbs, a native of Huntersville, North Carolina, but with deep family ties to Iowa through the Gibbs family's racing roots, is coming off a strong performance at Iowa Speedway in Newton. He won last week's race, and his teammate Christopher Bell finished second. Bell has seven second-place finishes this season, including that runner-up showing in Iowa.
Ryan Blaney of Team Penske finished third at Iowa and also placed third at Richmond last summer, making him another driver to watch.
Denny Hamlin remains the driver to beat at his hometown track. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has five wins at Richmond and an average finish of 8.2 in 37 starts. Joey Logano has two wins at Richmond for Penske with an average finish of 9.8 in 32 starts.
Recent Richmond results have been unpredictable
Despite the historical dominance of JGR and Penske, neither organization has won at Richmond in the last two years. Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing has scored back-to-back victories at the track in stunning upsets. Dillon is rarely a factor in most races, but Richmond seems to fit his driving style perfectly.
Two other longshots worth monitoring are Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry. Wallace led a race-high 123 laps at Richmond last year before a pit road miscue cost him the win. Berry, who drives for Wood Brothers Racing, is coming off a season-best fourth-place finish at Iowa and has an 8.8 average finish at Richmond.
Full schedule and how to watch
Practice and qualifying take place Friday, Aug. 14, with 37 drivers split into two groups for 50 total minutes of practice. Qualifying follows immediately, with each driver getting two laps to set their fastest time.
The race airs Saturday on USA Network, with streaming available online. Leigh Diffey handles play-by-play, with Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte providing analysis. Marty Snider, Kim Coon, and Dave Burns report from pit road.
Chase for the Championship standings
NASCAR has returned to the Chase format for the first time since 2013. The top 16 drivers at the end of the regular season will advance to the 10-race Chase, with the points leader after those races crowned champion. There are just three races left before the Chase begins, and only the top four drivers have mathematically clinched a spot.
Past winners at Richmond
Seven of the 37 drivers in the field have won at Richmond. Hamlin leads with five victories, followed by Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and Logano with two each. Chris Buescher (2023) and Alex Bowman (2021) are the one-time winners.
With the regular season winding down and the Chase looming, Saturday night's race at Richmond carries extra weight for drivers fighting for playoff position. For Iowa fans, the spotlight will be on Gibbs as he tries to build on his home-state momentum.