TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Richmond Raceway
August 14-15, 2026
The 2026 regular season enters its closing stretch this weekend as the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series head to Richmond Raceway for a pair of short-track showdowns under the lights. Friday’s Black’s Tire 250 presented by BTS Rewards marks the penultimate race of the Truck Series regular season, while Saturday’s Cook Out 400 serves as the second of three consecutive short-track events for NASCAR’s premier series before its regular season finale at the “World Center of Racing”.
The historic Virginia venue presents the potential for a big weekend for the Bowtie brigade. Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon will have his sights set on a three-peat. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain will look to continue his impressive late-season charge towards the Chase cutline. Strong points runs by Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson could end with an early clinch into the title hunt.
DILLON CHASING RICHMOND HISTORY
On the heels of a strong top-10 run last weekend, few drivers will arrive at Richmond Raceway with more momentum than Austin Dillon. The Richard Childress Racing driver has won the last two Cup Series races at the Virginia short-track, making him the only active driver and the 12th driver all-time in series history to earn consecutive wins at the track in the sport’s top division. If he keeps his streak alive in Saturday’s event, the win would make Dillon the first driver in over 40 years to accomplish a Richmond three-peat (Bobby Allison – Sept. 1982; 1983 sweep). In the Next Gen era, the North Carolina native ranks seventh in the field with a 12.3 average finish at Richmond – earned by four top-10s, including his pair of wins, in seven events.
CHASTAIN CONTINUES CHARGE TOWARDS THE CHASE
At Iowa Speedway last weekend, Ross Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team put together a statement performance to prove that they’re still in the Chase conversation. With 40 laps led and top-six points earned in each stage, the Florida native brought home a seventh-place finish and a 43-point day – an effort that made him the biggest mover up the standings of those on the outside looking in. With a 35-point gain towards the cutline, Chastain now sits 18th and just 47 points below the cutline with three races remaining in the regular season.
LARSON’S AVERAGES AT “THE ACTION TRACK”
Kyle Larson enters Richmond Raceway looking to rebound from a difficult afternoon at Iowa Speedway where race contending speed gave way to an accident in Stage Two that ultimately took the No. 5 team out of contention. Despite the setback, the Hendrick Motorsports driver remains one of Chevrolet’s strongest short-track competitors. The reigning champion is a six-time short-track winner in NASCAR’s top division, two of which have come at Richmond Raceway (2017 and 2023). “The Action Track” has fit right into Larson’s wheelhouse throughout his NASCAR Cup Series career. In 21 starts, only one time did he finish outside the top-20 to earn an average finish of 10.476. In the Next Gen era, he’s one of just five drivers to own a single-digit average finish at the track, putting him second at 7.9 courtesy of a win and five top-seven results.
ENFINGER, HEMRIC CONTINUE TRUCK PLAYOFF PUSH
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series enters its penultimate regular season race with Chevrolet drivers positioned throughout the Chase battle. Ranked in the fourth position is McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes, and as one of the five drivers who has already clinched a postseason position, he remains one of the manufacturer’s strongest championship contenders. With five spots left up for grabs, CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger leads the Team Chevy contingent in eighth with a 26-point cushion over the cutline, while Daniel Hemric sits ninth with a 14-point advantage.
Enfinger’s stout resume at the Virginia-based short-track sets up for the opportunity to build an even stronger position heading into the series’ regular season finale. The Alabama native is one of just four past Richmond winners entered in Friday’s event – a victory that came in his first-ever Truck Series start at the track (2020). In his six career starts, he’s finished no worse than 13th, including five results that came within the top-nine.
MCKEE SET FOR TRUCK SERIES DEBUT
One of Team Chevy’s youngest talents, Tristan McKee, will step foot into the NASCAR national ranks for the first time in his career this weekend to pilot the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Silverado RST entry in Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series race. At just 16 years old, McKee is currently competing in a full-time campaign in the ARCA Menards Series East Series with Pinnacle Racing Group where he sits as the points leader courtesy of podium finishes in six of the seven events this season, including four trips to victory lane. The North Carolina native also has 10 ARCA Menards Series starts under his belt, adding an additional three wins to his resume. McKee will race alongside Team Chevy Cup Series regular, Shane van Gisbergen, as the New Zealand native will take over the driving duties for the No. 7 Silverado RST for the weekend. This will mark Van Gisbergen’s fourth Truck Series start of the season, with his most recent at North Wilkesboro Speedway ending with a third-place result.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway:
Austin Dillon: two wins (2024, 2025)
Kyle Larson: two wins (2017, 2023)
Alex Bowman: one win (2021)
· In 137 NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway, Chevrolet has amassed a series-leading 42 victories and 48 pole wins.
· Chevrolet recorded six consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victories at Richmond Raceway from 2006 to 2008 – a record for the longest streak of consecutive wins by a single manufacturer at the .75-mile Virginia oval. With back-to-back wins, Austin Dillon is the only active driver and the 12th driver all-time in series history to earn consecutive wins at Richmond in NASCAR’s premier series.
· With Grant Enfinger’s win at Lime Rock Park, Chevrolet sits just two wins away from its milestone 300th all-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.
· With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.
· In 166 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 73 victories – a winning percentage of 44%.
· Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.
· With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 887 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series
Cook Out 400
Sunday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. ET
USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Black’s Tire 250 presented by BTS Rewards
Friday, Aug. 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET
FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
You’re still within striking distance of making the chase, so how do you approach the next three weeks?
“It’s just about the speed. The points come with speed, especially at these tracks where, yes, there was some strategy at Iowa where you can be off, but it didn’t play itself out for the end of the stages where you had to make a choice, stage points or track position, for the later in the race. So we were able to play it straight up until the final stage and then we took a shot on running long. Richmond though after 15 laps, maybe even 10 laps, I want a pit, I want tires, so it’s all about speed and that really plays itself similar to Loudon, as well.”
Can you talk a little bit about the pit and tire strategy at Richmond?
“At Richmond, if you go two more laps than your competitor, they will pass you if they’re behind you and they’re within a couple of seconds. So the tire life, the tire grip goes down so much quicker at Richmond than at Iowa, and then Loudon is somewhere in the middle of those three. Those decisions are for Brandon McSwain, Trackhouse and Chevy to weigh in on and give McSwain all the information he needs to make that call on each track. But you will not see us running until we need fuel at Richmond. I can assure you, I don’t think that will happen for anybody this weekend.”
Thoughts on Richmond?
“Have to be easy on the throttle there. Yeah, just trying to be easy, be calm, take care of my rear tires. I’ve not done a good job of that in the past. I love riding up there. I’m going to drive up there and then fly home with the team. I’ll go by some farms on the way, do some go kart racing on the way. It’s only a four hour drive which is nice that it’s pretty close to home.”
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Did you notice any similarities this weekend between Iowa Speedway and Richmond Raceway?
“I used to think they didn’t correlate a lot. In the old asphalt getting to the patch in Iowa, I noticed some of the yaw moments you get turning into the corner in Richmond. When you run the bottom its closer to Richmond, but the higher you run, it isn’t conducive. But there are tendencies at Iowa you can make at Richmond.”
You’ve been dominant the last two years at Richmond Raceway. What has the No. 3 team figured out about the drivability of the car, unlike anyone else?
“I feel like I have a good feel for what I need in our No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Supreme Long Range Chevrolet. We go to the sim, we do some runs and I am pretty adamant on what I am looking for. I guess I am giving good feedback to the guys, and they are delivering what we need. Richmond Raceway is all about managing tire heat and energy, and the way I approach it has just worked out over the long runs. And last year, we could take off on the short runs. We’ve always been good on long runs, and we’ve mixed in short run speed. Last year was the most dominant we have been, but we need to make it better. The other teams will come out swinging. They will have seen the data of what we’ve been doing, so you need to put it all together and hope it works out.”
What are your thoughts on the new practice format?
“Fifty minutes is plenty of time, especially at Richmond Raceway. You normally get one to two long runs on tires, and you don’t make a lot of adjustments because your cycles can affect the way the car handles. You try not to hit pit road too much in practice.”
You’re 144 points back from making The Chase. You’re still in the ball game, but can’t make any errors. How do you view the final three races?
“We want to go get a win with the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Supreme Long Range Chevrolet, if we could do that, it would be great for Chevrolet and RCR. We have fought through a lot of adversity this year losing Kyle. Making solid runs is what we’re focused on; making sure we’re set up for a good following year and trying to learn as much as we can. We want to win. We want to get to Victory Lane and points follow that. If you can get to Victory Lane, you don’t need to worry about points.”
You have had such an amazing run at Richmond Raceway. What is it about that track, and how can you apply that to other tracks because it is amazing how you get around that racetrack.
“I would say Richmond Raceway was probably my worst track at one point in my career. I really struggled there. At one test, I kind of figured out how to approach a particular groove or line around the track. I’ve kept that consistency ever since. I’m also very decisive before we get there in the simulator. I have a feel for it there, as well. Of course, I am trying to recreate that feeling at other places, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. I think another track we have shown promise at was Iowa Speedway. I think there are similarities between the two aging surfaces. Any place that has high tire wear, I think I show up and have pretty good throttle control and that tends to help me. Just trying to be decisive on a line when I get to these tracks is pretty important.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What do you like about racing at Richmond, and what makes it such a tough track?
“Richmond is a track I really enjoy because there’s a lot going on throughout the race. It’s a short track, but it doesn’t feel simple. You’re constantly managing the tires, looking for the right line and trying to keep the car underneath you as the track changes. The long green-flag runs can make a big difference and you have to be smart about when you push and when you save.
I think the experience we’ve gained on the short tracks this year will help us at Richmond. We’ve learned more about what I need from the car, especially as the tires start to fall off. Hopefully, we can unload with a strong car, make the right adjustments during the race and put ourselves in position to compete for a strong finish.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
What are your thoughts on Richmond Raceway?
“Richmond is one of my favorite tracks. I love short-track racing, so this race is always circled on my calendar every year. Our short-track program at Kaulig Racing has been strong this year. We had good runs at North Wilkesboro and Iowa last weekend.”
What are your thoughts on short-track racing?
“Our sport was built on short-track racing and our fans want to see more of it. I’d like to see as many short tracks on the schedule as possible. There’s nothing more fun than watching these cars and these drivers on short tracks to me.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Richmond has presented some challenges for you and the team in the past. What are your goals heading into this weekend to maximize performance?
“Richmond hasn’t always been one of my best tracks. We qualified third there last time and were about to take the lead 40 laps in, but within 50 laps, all the sudden we were slow. Knowing that, we’ll go to Richmond and give everything we’ve got, just like we did at Iowa.”
You’re coming off your 91st career top-10. Knowing the team has no support, what are some difference-makers you can identify that is putting you in position for respectable finishes?
“Kaulig Racing is just grinding – at the track, in the race shop and on pit road. The team is further ahead than we’ve ever been when it comes to having our cars prepped and ready to go. Our pit crew has been delivering some solid pit stops, and at Iowa in particular, they played a big role in helping us break into the top 10. We earned a top-10 finish at Iowa, and everyone on this team fought hard for us to bring home a strong result. It feels good to see that work paying off, but we’re never satisfied. We’re highly competitive and we don’t want to settle. We want to win races.”
Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
With making your first Cup Series start at Richmond Raceway this weekend, what is the outlook?
“I’ve been watching a lot of videos and SMT of what AD (Austin Dillon) does there to be good. I feel like I naturally run some of the line that he does. He does a little different stuff in Turns 3 and 4 to help with his exit, but the concept is close. I’ve always had confidence that Richmond could be a track that I could be halfway decent at, but we have struggled there at times on the O’Reilly (Auto Parts Series) side. Things have also not gone our way in some of those races, like cording a right front tire. To be good at Richmond though, you have to make the tires last. Tracks that have tire fall off are ones that I really enjoy racing at. It’s a short track but similar to Darlington or Homestead, tracks that I like. It has low grip, and your car needs good drive off to not burn the right rear off of our Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
“Richmond is always a fun place to race, especially under the lights. It’s a track where tire management and having a good handling car throughout a long run are really important. We’re excited to have Brazier Lumber Company back on the No. 47 Chevrolet, and hopefully we can put together a strong night for them.”
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
“Richmond is a difficult racetrack because you have two corners that are wildly different. Finding a rhythm there is very tough. Going into turn one, you’ve got a lot of banking holding you into the corner. Then as you’re coming off the corner and getting down to the back straightaway, you transition onto the flat pretty aggressively. Your entry into turn three is completely different. It’s very flat, not a whole lot of banking. You’re braking very early and lifting very early because you can’t carry speed into the corner like you can in turn one. You don’t have that grip and that banking to hold you into the corner.”
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Talk about the differences and similarities between Iowa and Richmond.
“Richmond is very different from Iowa (Speedway). It’s not as bumpy or rough. Richmond is smooth and both tracks are essentially the same shape. Iowa was modeled after Richmond when Rusty (Wallace) and that group put the track together, but it doesn’t feel like Richmond at all. Iowa really is one of a kind. You can burn up rear tires there if you’re not careful, but Richmond has always been the same. Even after transitioning from the old car to the NextGen, we really haven’t seen much of a change. We need a good day in Richmond. We qualified well last year and had a decent day, so hopefully we can take the next step with our short track package and gain some points this weekend.”
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What are your thoughts heading to Richmond after a tough day last Sunday in Iowa?
“I like racing at Richmond. It is one of those places I can move around and find something that may work for me, but doesn’t necessarily translate to anyone else, similar to North Wilkesboro a few weeks back. Qualifying will be important since it is tough to pass, but we have shown good speed on Saturdays throughout the year. Iowa obviously didn’t go how we wanted. Even with as bad of a day as we had, fifth in points is still within reach.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturer Championships:
Total (1949-2025): 44
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Most recent: 2025
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Driver Championships:
Total (1949-2025): 34
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)
Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2026 STATISTICS:
Wins: 6
Poles: 5
Laps Led: 1,693
Top-Fives: 38
Top-10s: 78
Stage Wins: 16
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 887 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 771
Laps led to date: 258,427
Top-fives to date: 4,474
Top-10s to date: 9,229
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,221
Chevrolet: 887
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 851
Ford: 751
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 217About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.
GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.
