NASCAR Preview: Richmond 400
- Ashton Hughes
- 48 minutes ago
- 2 min read
With just three races left until the Chase, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond Raceway to contest 400 laps of short track racing.
Track Preview
Richmond Raceway is a 0.75-mile oval located in Richmond, Virginia. It features 14 degrees of banking in the corners, eight degrees on the frontstretch and two degrees on the backstretch.
Richmond Raceway has been a staple on the NASCAR calendar since the mid-1950s. It is one of five short tracks on the Cup Series schedule, where patience often wears thin and aggression can escalate quickly.
The race is scheduled to include 400 laps. Stage 1 will be 60 laps, Stage 2 will be 160 laps and Stage 3 will be 170 laps.
Weather Forecast
The weather report indicates partly sunny skies during race time. No precipitation is expected. Temperatures at the start of the race will be around 28 degrees Celsius and drop as the event goes into the night.
The race is scheduled to begin on August 15 at 19:00 ET (16:00 PT, 00:00 BST August 16th).
The Storylines
Denny Hamlin comes into Richmond looking to be the one to beat. In the last four races at the track, he has an average finish of 3.75 and has been one of the most consistent drivers all season, still first in the points standings. He has won at Richmond five times in his career. He is expected to be near the front of the pack throughout the race.
After finishing third last week at Iowa - a track the same shape as Richmond and only slightly larger - Ryan Blaney could contend for victory this weekend. Historically, Blaney has not found much success at Richmond - his third place result last year was his only top five in 18 starts at the track. With a good handling car, however, he could easily equal his performance from a year ago or do even better.
Ty Gibbs has been one of the most consistent drivers all year, sitting second in the points standings with 10 top-fives. His two wins in 2026 have come at short tracks. Despite just one top-10 finish at Richmond in his six starts, his recent success makes him one to watch.
Another driver to keep an eye on is Austin Dillon. Dillon is currently 27th in the standings but won the last two Cup events at Richmond. He also cracked the top-10 at Iowa just a week ago. If he and his team can deliver another solid performance and execute the right strategy, he may very well pull off a three-peat.
Joey Logano has finished in the top 10 in the eight of the last 10 Richmond races. His team has been improving over the course of the season, and he captured a short track win just a few weeks ago at North Wilkesboro. Logano is one of the most experienced drivers in the field, and that experience may help him return to victory lane on Saturday night.
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