Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Deer Season XP Chevrolet Team Earn Back-to-Back Wins at Richmond Raceway

Finish: 1st
Start: 11th
Points: 25th

“Man, that feels good. Got to thank the good Lord above. I really wanted that one. Last year hurt really bad, just going through the whole process of it, but this one feels so sweet. I love Richmond. Our No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Deer Season XP Chevrolet was really good. That was awesome. I’m probably the slowest to get going on some of these tracks when it really comes to high grip. But when it comes to these places and taking care of your stuff, I’ll go against the best of them. Welcome, North Carolina — when you cross those railroad tracks, it’s all for one and one for all. Really pumped to be driving for my grandfather and my family.” -Austin Dillon

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Rebel Bourbon Chevrolet Team Leave Richmond Raceway with 16th-Place Effort

Finish: 16th
Start: 28th
Points: 16th

“Practice showed us that we had a strong No. 8 Rebel Bourbon Chevrolet here in Richmond, and we began the race optimistic we could drive to the front of the field despite qualifying at the back. We battled being loose early in the race, but with each tire change, the balance improved and we drove ourselves into the top-10. We got caught up in a wreck at roughly the halfway point, and battled a few other issues, including having no rear lateral, but still managed to bring home a top-20 finish.” -Kyle Busch

Jesse Love and the No. 33 C4 Ultimate Energy Chevrolet Team Log Laps and Battle Through Adversity at Richmond Raceway

Finish: 33rd
Start: 35th
Points: N/A

“Our C4 Ultimate Energy Chevrolet was decent tonight. We fought rubber buildup issues throughout the weekend, and during the second stage, a fire started in the left front. Unfortunately, that fire burned for a little bit and melted a couple spark plug wires off. We lost three laps in the process of fixing it. We made a couple strategy calls after that, hoping for a caution to fall at the right time, but that didn’t happen. Proud of the effort but frustrated by the result.” -Jesse Love

Cook Out 400 – Richmond Raceway
Richmond, Va. – August 16, 2025

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 MENARDS/RICHMOND WATER HEATERS FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 13TH STAGE 1: 5TH STAGE 2: 8TH FINISH: 5TH POINTS: 15TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Menards/Richmond Water Heaters team collected a top-five finish under the lights at Richmond Raceway, rounding out a top-five effort from all three Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horses at the .75-mile track. Cindric lined up 13th for the race start, spending the majority of the 400-lap race within the field’s top-10. In a race where fresh tires were at a premium to gain track position, the No. 2 crew used that to their advantage throughout the event to position Cindric at the front of the field. A timely four-tire green-flag stop in Stage 1 propelled the No. 2 forward and ultimately had Cindric crossing the line fifth at the first stage break. The No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse was refreshed with four more tires and fuel prior to the next 160-lap segment, and a spot gained from the crew’s speedy efforts had the Menards/Richmond Water Heaters Ford Mustang Dark Horse ready for another charge to the front. The first 30 laps of Stage 2 were run caution-free and with minimal on-track passes to be seen, but another round of green-flag stops reignited the No. 2. Cindric took full advantage and made some aggressive passes to advance; even engaging a three-wide move to eventually overtake fifth place. A melee of cautions towards the end of the second stage forced multiple restarts though, with the final one creating a 20-lap shootout to the second stage finish. Cindric found himself pinned to the bottom lane yet salvaged an eighth-place result and still pleased with his overall handling as the track continued to tighten. In the race’s final stage, teams continued to strategize with their remaining tire allotment, and with just over 100 laps remaining, the field’s leaders began their penultimate green-flag stops. Crew chief Brian Wilson called Cindric to pit lane towards the end of the established cycle, and it wasn’t long after Cindric returned track that he maneuvered his way back into the top 10. As the laps ticked, the steady climb continued with only one final green-flag stop remaining to ultimately seal the No. 2’s team fate. In the end, it was Cindric taking fifth with the result advancing Cindric one position in the point standings to 15th with just one final race left in the regular season before the NASCAR Playoffs begin.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “I’m happy with the effort. It’s a shame the restart in stage three went the way it did because we had a really great long run car and I just had to drive the snot out of it to move through the field. I thought we were maybe good enough to contend for a top three finish if not a win if we didn’t get so far back, but it takes all the pieces. My team ran a playoff capable race tonight and the boys are ramping up.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 BODYARMOR SPORTS DRINK FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 20TH STAGE 1: 7TH STAGE 2: 3RD FINISH: 3RD POINTS: 5TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney led 39 laps and was in contention for the win late in Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond before ultimately taking the checkered flag third – marking a career-best finish at the Virginia short track. With the result, Blaney and the No. 12 team have finished eighth or better in the last five races to move up to fifth in the points standings heading into the regular season finale at Daytona next weekend. After starting 20th, the BODYARMOR Sports Drink Ford gained seven spots in the opening 20 laps prior to the start of the first green flag pit cycle of the night. Blaney went on to break into the top-10 by lap 61 before crossing the line seventh at the end of Stage 1. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler made the call to run long during the opening stint of Stage 2, allowing Blaney to work his way into the top-five before hitting pit road on lap 128 for four tires and fuel. Three cautions in the final 50 laps of the segment set up a restart with 17 laps to go in the stage as Blaney took the green flag from the inside of row two and went on to post a third-place finish in Stage 2. Blaney settled into sixth in the running order after the ensuing restart as the 12 team’s long run speed came to life, vaulting the BODYARMOR Sports Drink Ford to second by lap 285 prior to a scheduled green flag stop just six laps later. After making his way off pit road, Blaney made quick work to take over the race lead on lap 304 as he stretched out his lead while the pit cycle completed. The No. 3 began to close in on Blaney nearly 30 later as the two raced side-by-side for the lead for several laps before he conceded the spot, prompting the No. 3 team to short pit from the lead four laps prior to Blaney making his way to pit road for the final stop of the night with 55 laps remaining. Blaney fought to cut into a six-second deficit to the leader upon rejoining the field, but the tire falloff in the final 30 laps was too much to overcome as the 12 team settled for a third-place result.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “Overall, honestly, it was a really good night and a really good weekend. We got better all night and led some laps. I thought we were in a great position to try to contend for it. I thought running long was the play there because [Austin Dillon] came up there and passed me. So we were like, let’s try and have a handful of fresher tires. I was trying to be really disciplined when I got back on the racetrack of like, ‘let the tires do their thing and maybe I’ll get to him at the end of this run.’ I don’t know. They just fell off a cliff really hard. It kind of surprised me a little bit, but, overall, a good night. I wish we could have been closer. It’s unfortunate that our worst run of the race was our last run, but I don’t really know what we could have done differently. It was just one of those odd things, but, overall, a really good finish and a good showing. We work really hard at this place, so hopefully we learned some stuff going forward.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 38TH STAGE 1: 19TH STAGE 2: 15TH FINISH: 4TH POINTS: 12TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Despite starting at the rear of the field Saturday night due to an incident in practice the day prior, Joey Logano and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team rallied to come away with a fourth-place finish at Richmond, marking Logano’s 18th top-10 finish in his last 22 Cup Series starts at the Virginia short track. After the No. 22 team made extensive repairs to the right side suspension of the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse late Friday night, Logano faced an uphill battle from the onset of the Cookout 400, but gained 10 positions in the first 30 laps prior to the start of the first green flag pit cycle. Logano went a lap down following his four tire stop on lap 35 but worked his way back on the lead lap with 18 to go in the opening segment before crossing the line 19th in Stage 1. The Shell-Pennzoil Ford continued to make its way towards the top-10 early on in Stage 2, but a string of three cautions in a 50-lap span halted Logano’s momentum on the long run. Logano lined up to restart from the outside row two with 17 laps remaining in the segment and had to manage a right rear tire going down through the end of the run, resulting in a 15th-place finish in Stage 2. After the field took the green to begin the final run of the night, Logano quickly worked his way inside the top-10 after restarting 12th, climbing the leaderboard to fifth prior to the No. 22 team’s final stop of the 400-lap event on lap 344. Logano was scored seventh by the time the green flag cycle was complete and the Shell-Pennzoil Ford’s long run speed came to life over the final 40 laps, picking up three more spots during the course of the final run culminating in a fourth-place effort.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “We had a really fast Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. The car had a lot of speed in it, but we just had to overcome too much. We got up into contention and then we had a flat right-rear and lost all of it again, and then steadily grind your way back into the top-five. Apparently, I needed maybe 500 or 600 laps. It’s just not our weekend. We had a flat tire in practice and then another flat tire in the race and both of them were punctures. It’s not like we were being too aggressive or anything like that, it’s just running over stuff on the racetrack. Not our weekend.”

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Daytona for the final race of the regular season on Saturday, August 23. Coverage of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 begins at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on NBC, MRN, and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Preece Scores Pole, Keselowski Grabs Top-10 at Richmond

RICHMOND, VA (August 16, 2025) – RFK Racing came out swinging at Richmond Raceway, with Ryan Preece storming to the pole and leading early laps in the No. 60 Ford, Brad Keselowski charging to a gritty ninth-place finish to extend his string of strong runs, and Chris Buescher grinding through handling challenges as he continued his playoff push.

6 Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski came into Saturday seeking his third career Richmond win—a victory that would propel him into the NASCAR Playoffs. Starting sixth, the BuildSubmarines.com Ford showed early strength as Keselowski battled Chase Elliott for a top-five position. He made his first pit stop on lap 42, which briefly dropped him to 23rd, but as the cycle completed, he steadily climbed forward. By the end of Stage One, Keselowski had raced back into the top 10, finishing eighth.

Beginning Stage Two, Keselowski restarted seventh and wasted no time advancing to sixth. The car was fast, but tire wear and fall-off were significant, leading Keselowski and crew chief Jeremy Bullins to scrutinize strategy throughout the night. When the BuildSubmarines.com Ford was caught in a multi-car crash, suffering minor fender damage, the decision to pit or not was challenging. The team opted not to give up track position or burn another set of tires, ultimately finishing the segment without stopping for repairs. Keselowski ended Stage Two in 19th.

In the final segment, Keselowski and his team used that saved set of tires to their advantage. Restarting 16th after pitting between stages, Keselowski held position before climbing as the laps wore on. A stop at lap 289 briefly dropped him outside the top 20, but fresher tires in the closing laps gave him the grip he needed to charge forward. By lap 315 he was up to 14th, then cracked the top 10 in the final run. With a determined push over the last three laps, Keselowski secured a hard-fought ninth-place finish—his fourth top-10 in his last five races.

17 Chris Buescher

Chris Buescher continued his playoff push Saturday night at Richmond Raceway, a track where he was the winner in 2023. As the green flag dropped, the Fifth Third Bank Ford fired off from the 12th position. Although the car slipped back early, Buescher persevered, managing the car in the race’s opening circuits. Fighting through adversity and a lack of rear grip, he finished 24th in Stage One.

Between stages, crew chief Scott Graves asked Buescher to be patient as he and the team went to work adjusting the car. Early in the next run, Buescher reported improvement. A pit stop on lap 122 continued to help as he climbed as high as sixth by lap 134. However, as the run wore on, the handling began to fade. The No. 17 was caught in tight traffic on a late restart, where Buescher skillfully avoided a multi-car crash but lost track position in the shuffle, finishing Stage Two in 22nd.

The final stage saw the team continue to fight, making adjustments throughout the segment. After multiple pit stops to try and improve the car, Buescher noted the center of the turns felt “better” compared to earlier runs. Despite grinding through a long night and making up small gains late, Buescher couldn’t recover the lost ground. He ultimately crossed the line 30th.

60 Ryan Preece

With two top-five finishes in his last three starts, Ryan Preece entered Richmond Raceway riding momentum. That energy carried into the weekend as Preece claimed his second career NASCAR Cup Series pole, putting the No. 60 Kroger/Kleenex Ford Mustang on the front row for the second time this season. Needing a win to secure a playoff berth, Preece seized the early advantage, leading the opening 58 laps of Saturday’s race. Despite being on older tires, crew chief Derrick Finley made the calculated decision to keep Preece on track, preserving a fresh set of sticker tires for later. Preece surrendered the lead on lap 59 to Tyler Reddick and hung on to finish the stage in 15th.

Following a four-tire stop at the stage break, Preece restarted 14th but slipped back in dirty air, falling to 19th. Finley responded by calling for the saved sticker set on lap 112. The move paid off as Preece cycled briefly to the lead during green-flag pit stops before coming in again on lap 150. Just 33 laps later, a timely caution allowed Preece to pit from sixth and remain on the lead lap. With fresh tires, he charged back to finish Stage Two in sixth, collecting four valuable stage points.

Restarting eighth in the final stage, Preece looked poised for a strong result. However, a brake-pedal issue around lap 285 hindered his ability to charge the corners effectively. He eventually lost a lap and struggled to maintain pace as the problem worsened. On lap 334, the team made a longer pit stop to remove brake tape in hopes of cooling the brakes, but the delay dropped him four laps down. With the final stretch running green, Preece was unable to recover, finishing a disappointing 35th.

Up Next:

Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, FL) – Saturday, August 23, 2025, on NBC at 7:30 p.m. ET

About RFK Racing

RFK Racing, in its 38th season in 2025, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion Brad Keselowski and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988, and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass 300 wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content, and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

RICK WARE RACING
Cook Out 400
Date: Aug. 16, 2025
Event: Cook Out 400 (Round 25 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Richmond (Va.) Raceway (.75-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into three stages (70 laps/160 laps/170 laps)
Race Winner: Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing (Toyota)

RWR Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 37th, Finished 32nd / Running, completed 397 of 400 laps)

RWR Points:

● Cody Ware (36th with 168 points)

Race Notes:

● Austin Dillon won the Cook Out 400 to score his sixth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second at Richmond. His margin over second-place Alex Bowman was 2.471 seconds.

● Dillon was the 14th different winner in the 25 NASCAR Cup Series races run this season.

● There were five caution periods for a total of 44 laps.

● Only 13 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● William Byron remains the championship leader after Richmond with a 68-point advantage over second-place Chase Elliott.

Sound Bites:

“The team definitely made a fast No. 51 Arrowhead Brass Ford Mustang today. Sped twice on pit road, so it was a lot of mistakes from me today. Definitely frustrated with that. Going to have to take a look at that and see what I need to clean up to do better. Disappointed to let the guys down, but had a fast car. It gives me a lot of confidence and momentum going into the last 11 races of the season.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Arrowhead Brass Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, Aug. 23 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The race begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

No. 10 Sea Best/Roma Camaro ZL1

Start: 16th
Stage 1 Finish: 36th
Stage 2 Finish: 25th
Finish: 20th

Ty Dillon and the No. 10 SeaBest/Roma Chevrolet team qualified for Saturday night’s race at Richmond Raceway in the 16th position. With a fast Chevy, Dillon was running inside the top 15 when he made a green-flag pit stop on lap 33 and unfortunately, was tagged with a penalty for the pit crew being over the wall too soon. With focus and determination, Dillon was able to make his way to the lucky dog position and return to the lead lap at the stage one break. Resetting as a team, Dillon and the No. 10 team restarted the second stage from the 33rd position and was making progress when the field slowed on lap 198 for a multi-car accident. With minor damage, Dillon was able to continue the race and make routine stops throughout the remainder of the race to finish the Cook Out 400 in the 20th position.

 
No. 16 Black’s Tire Service Camaro ZL1

Start: 3rd
Stage 1 Finish: 11th
Stage 2 Finish: 25th
Finish: 22nd

AJ Allmendinger qualified third for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Early in the race, Allmendinger took over second place where he focused on saving his tires before pitting under green for scuffs on lap 26. Battling a loose handling No. 16 Chevy, Allmendinger went on to finish the stage in 11th place. Allmendinger pitted for sticker tires and restarted at the tail of the field after receiving a vehicle interference penalty on pit road during the stage break. Working through strategy, Allmendinger earned the lucky dog position when the green-white-checkered waved at the end of Stage 2. He battled within the top 16 during the final stage and went on to finish in 22nd place.
 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 27 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
RICHMOND RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
AUGUST 16, 2025

Austin Dillon Drives to Richmond Repeat and Berth into

2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team conquered the Richmond repeat – taking the checkered flag in the Cook Out 400 for the team’s first trip to victory lane of the season and a guaranteed spot into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Dillon delivered Chevrolet it’s 12th win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, with the 35-year-old Welcome, North Carolina, native becoming the sixth driver from the third different Chevrolet organization to earn a spot in the 16-driver playoff field.

A pair of Hendrick Motorsports teammates had strong points days, with Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet team earning a runner-up result to build a 60-point cushion over the cutline heading into the series’ regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway. Williams Byron turned in a 12th-place finish in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to clinch his first career regular season title in NASCAR’s top division.

Ending a strong Friday with a third-place qualifying effort, AJ Allmendinger picked up right where he left – driving his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet to the runner-up position and quickly closed in on the pole sitter and then race leader Ryan Preece. The first green-flag pit cycle of the race began during the halfway point of Stage One with crew chief, Trent Owens, calling Allmendinger to pit road on Lap 37 to put a set of scuff tires on his No. 16 Chevrolet. Despite fighting very loose conditions on the second run, the 43-year-old California native clawed his way back up into the top-10 to take the first green-white checkered flag.

It was defending Richmond winner, Austin Dillon, that led the Bowtie brigade to the end of Stage One with a fourth-place result. Returning to pit road for a fresh set of Goodyear tires and fuel under the stage break, Dillon lined up his No. 3 Chevrolet in the third position to begin Stage Two. Running steady in the top-10, Dillon made a 53-lap run before crew chief, Richard Boswell, called the team to pit road under the green-flag pit cycle – making his way back to the front of the pack to take the lead at the Lap 134 marker. Battling overall grip throughout the second run, Dillon managed to hold on to a top-10 running position before making his second green-flag stop for four tires, fuel and a round of adjustments to help with corner entry. The 35-year-old North Carolina native cycled back up into the top-five on the third run of the stage – holding onto position through a trio of late cautions to score back-to-back fourth-place stage points.


Restarting in the third position, Dillon powered his No. 3 Chevrolet back to the lead to open the final stage – pulling away to a three-second lead when the race hit 130 laps to go. Finding rhythm at the top of the leaderboard, yet another green-flag pit cycle found Dillon back in the runner-up position and at a half-second margin behind then-race leader Ryan Blaney. A side-by-side battle for the lead for a handful of laps saw Dillon take the lead right before a call from Boswell with 59 laps to go brought the Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet down pit road for the team’s final scheduled stop. Quickly cycling back up the running order, Dillon went on to inherit a six-second lead with 48 laps to go in the race. Masterfully conserving his tires, Dillon maintained a nearly three-second lead en route to his sixth career victory in NASCAR’s top division.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:

POS. DRIVER

1st – Austin Dillon
2nd – Alex Bowman
6th – Kyle Larson
7th – Daniel Suarez

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 25 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 12
Poles: 10
Top-Fives: 50
Top 10s: 107
Stage Wins: 20

UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular season will conclude at Daytona International Speedway with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, August 23, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes:

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 1st

The way it all played out last year, how important was it for you to come back in front of sellout crowd and do it the right way?

“Man, that feels good. Got to thank the good Lord above. I really wanted that one. Last year hurt really bad, just going through the whole process of it. But this one feels so sweet. Man, I love Richmond.

Our No. 3 Winchester/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet was really good. I didn’t feel great this week. I’ve actually been racing with a broken rib right now for the last two weeks. But man, that was awesome.”

All the emotion this team went through, the entire organization at RCR, does this year-long wait make it worth it?

“Oh, for sure. God has timing. His timing is the best timing. So excited to get my wife and kids here to celebrate with us.

Man, it’s so sweet. My dad prayed with me before the race. He was at our hunting land doing some food plots. It’s just so special. Every one of these means so much to me. My grandfather, for all that he’s put up in believing in me because there’s been a lot of ups and downs. It could have been easy for him to change the drivers in this No. 3 car. Today, it feels really darn good.”

What is it about this place that makes you come alive?

“Tire management. I’m probably the slowest to get going on some of these tracks when it really comes to high grip. But when it comes to these places and taking care of your stuff, I’ll go against the best of them.”

How about doing this for RCR, did you feel you were carrying the weight of the entire company?

“We really love it. Welcome, North Carolina — when you cross those railroad tracks, it’s all for one and one for all. Really pumped to be driving for my grandfather and my family.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 6th

Sixth-place finish after having to come from the back of the field. How much of a struggle was it tonight?

“Yeah, on equal tires, it was really difficult to pass. I felt like my team did an amazing job with our strategy today in every stage of the race. Without the great calls, we definitely wouldn’t have finished up here, so huge kudos to Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) and everyone on the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet team. They worked really hard all night and grinded it out.”

How was the balance on the No. 5 Chevrolet tonight?

“I thought restarts and stuff in traffic, I felt like I was too tight in the center, and then it would just kind of beat my stuff up. We short-pitted early in the race and then went long in the second and third stages and I felt like that allowed me to take care of my tires better; come out in fresher air and just not stress the tires too badly. It helped us on the long run, for sure.”

Thoughts on going to Daytona next weekend:

“Yeah, there’s one more race until the playoffs start. Anybody has a shot to win at Daytona (International Speedway), so hopefully we can go there and have a good race, a good points day and get ready for the playoffs.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage Two.

Finished: 38th

Elliott on the incident that ended the No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet team’s day in Stage Two.

“I think Kyle (Busch) just didn’t know that we were trying to squeeze by the wreck on the bottom. He was kind of angled back towards the bottom of the racetrack, and I was just coming through. It’s just unfortunate. We had a good start to the race. We kind of got on the wrong end there in the beginning and lost some track position. We got behind the No. 19 (Chase Briscoe) and got a penalty. I thought we were in a pretty good spot right there. We finally got on some better tires and we were making our way through there well, so I was excited to see where that was going to go, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance.”

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Byron Clinched the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship

Finished: 12th

From being involved in a wreck to winning the regular-season championship, how big of a swing was that?

“Yeah, I was kind of losing my mind there for a minute. Just felt like there was so much going on and just such a balance of trying to manage tires all night. It just got crazy on those couple restarts. That one restart was kind of the tipping point.

We had some really good runs tonight. I was happy with the end of stage one and the beginning of stage two. Throughout stage two, we were pretty good. Beginning of stage three, we climbed up; had that one set of tires that we put on and we fell way back.

It just feels great. It’s really the best 12th-place finish I’ve ever had. The No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet team came in here and really just did a solid job. We qualified solid. We always want more, but this is definitely our toughest racetrack. We just kind of came in here, had a solid plan and executed it. All the guys have worked hard through the summer months. I feel like this has been the best summer we’ve ever had, speed-wise. We had a lot of tough things happen throughout early July. We had a lot of speed, but some crashes in practice and qualifying. Just some car issues and things that happened. But yeah, it’s just really, really cool. We’re looking forward to the Playoffs.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 2nd

What did you need tonight?

“A couple favors. I sure complained about it on the radio, but that’s just part of what we do.

We had a really good No. 48 Ally Chevrolet in the last run, just broke the tires off too much in lap traffic. We didn’t get any breaks and that made me kind of work the rears harder than I needed to. We just needed to be a little better through there to get to him (Austin Dillon, race winner). I certainly think we had the better car ,but unfortunately, we didn’t get there. Blake (Harris, crew chief) and all the guys did a great job. Just came up a little bit short.”

Next week, you will be 16th, at that cutoff point. Can you talk to us about being a stressor, how will you handle the week?

“Yeah, certainly really stressful on a lot of fronts. I mean, I think with the way that race normally goes, it’s about a must-win at that point because I think you’re most likely going to have a new winner. We just need to go execute and try to win the race. That’s all we can really do.

Just proud of all the guys to continue to work hard and try to overcome the situation we’re in. We’ll keep digging.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 14th

“That was fun! A good recovery and great result in my first Cup start at Richmond. Tire strategy was huge tonight and my 88 WeatherTech team did an awesome job executing. Some good momentum for us as we get closer to the playoffs. Looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish at Daytona.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 7th

“It was a good night for the No. 99 Quaker State Chevrolet team. I wish it was a win, but overall, it was a decent night. There’s a couple of things we maybe could have done better, but our Chevrolet was a top-five or top-10 car all night long and that’s where we ended up. It’s good to get two top-10 finishes in a row.”

About 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. Learn more at GM.com.

RICHMOND, VA (August 16, 2025) – Cole Custer and Haas Factory Team (HFT) entered Richmond Raceway with confidence, fueled by a strong record on short tracks this season. Saturday night’s race was a challenge of tire management, long green-flag runs, and pit strategy — all of which played major roles in the outcome.

Starting 24th, Custer held position early as the opening 70-lap stage ran caution-free. Crew chief Aaron Kramer chose to split the stage with a scheduled stop for four tires and fuel around halfway. Custer dropped to 26th during the cycle and wrapped up Stage One in 27th. A fast pit stop during the stage break allowed him to restart 21st for Stage Two.

As another long run unfolded, Custer climbed to 24th in his No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford before hitting pit road on lap 125. Kramer’s decision to stretch the next run proved smart when a caution on lap 180 caught much of the field mid-cycle — with Custer running ninth. The timely yellow allowed the No. 41 to pit under caution and restart inside the top 20.

Unfortunately, a series of late-stage cautions led to multiple restarts, and Custer slipped back to finish Stage Two in 24th. The final stage saw the longest green-flag run of the night — 130 laps without interruption. During the pit cycles, Custer briefly reached as high as second, but as stops played out, he settled back and ultimately crossed the line in 24th.

Up Next
The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series head to Daytona International Speedway next weekend. Race coverage for the Xfinity Series is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC for the Cup Series.

About Haas Factory Team
The Haas Factory Team is a NASCAR Cup and Xfinity program owned by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. Beginning in 2025, the team will feature Cole Custer driving the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer take on the Xfinity Series in the No. 00 and No. 41 Ford Mustangs, respectively. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Haas Factory Team reflects a commitment to performance and engineering excellence, carrying forward Gene Haas’s commitment to motorsports.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Cook Out 400
Saturday, August 16, 2025

Ford Finishing Results:

3rd – Ryan Blaney
4th – Joey Logano
5th – Austin Cindric
8th – Josh Berry
9th – Brad Keselowski
11th – Zane Smith
24th – Cole Custer
25th – Todd Gilliland
27th – Noah Gragson
30th – Chris Buescher
32nd – Cody Ware
35th – Ryan Preece

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 BodyArmor Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAPPENED WITH THOSE FOUR LAP FRESHER TIRES ON THE LAST RUN? EVERYBODY THOUGHT YOU WOULD RUN DILLON DOWN. “Yeah, me too. Overall, honestly, it was a really good night and a really good weekend. We got better all night and led some laps. I thought we were in a great position to try to contend for it. I thought running long was the play there because he came up there and passed me. So we were like, let’s try and have a handful of fresher tires. I was trying to be really disciplined when I got back on the racetrack of like, ‘let the tires do their thing and maybe I’ll get to him at the end of this run.’ I don’t know. They just fell off a cliff really hard. It kind of surprised me a little bit, but, overall, a good night. I wish we could have been closer. It’s unfortunate that our worst run of the race was our last run, but I don’t really know what we could have done different. It was just one of those odd things, but, overall, a really good finish and a good showing. We work really hard at this place, so hopefully we learned some stuff going forward.” THREE TEAM PENSKE FORDS IN THE TOP FIVE. HOW DOES THAT FEEL? “Yeah, it’s a great night by Penske to have all of us right there. Obviously, we would have liked to have been one, two, three, but it’s a really good night. I thought we had a great shot at having a chance to win it there. Gosh, I was really good at the end of the first run of the third stage and then I kind of jumped him. I think we pitted a lap earlier than him and he got back by me at the end, and then we ran a handful of laps later trying to have a little tire advantage there at the end. I was trying to be super conservative, like mindful of letting the tires do their thing the last run and just be really straight, and I just fell off a cliff right away. It kind of surprised me. I thought I was being the most conservative I was all night and it was the worst result, but, overall, a good night. This is a place I struggle at a little bit and we work really hard to get better here, and it was a really good showing for us and a really good showing for all of Team Penske.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I’m happy with the effort. It’s a shame the restart in stage three went the way it did because we had a really great long run car and I just had to drive the snot out of it to move through the field. I thought we were maybe good enough to contend for a top three finish if not a win if we didn’t get so far back, but it takes all the pieces. My team ran a playoff capable race tonight and the boys are ramping up.” HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DAY WITH THE TIRES AND STRATEGY? “We had just a really fast race car, a complete car, and that’s what it takes at a racetrack like this. I always say there’s nowhere to hide and sometimes I’ve wanted to hide coming here and other times like tonight it’s a really rewarding track to get into that rhythm. Obviously, everybody at Team Penske did a great job building three fast Ford Mustangs and I wish the initial restart in stage three would have gone better for us. We kind of got stuck top of four and in the wash, but I’m proud of the guys. They kept up with the track well and I’m proud of the effort.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 21 eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was an up-and-down day. I thought we did a really good job managing everything, but we would have liked to have been a little bit better. We just struggled with the balance a little bit. It got better the second half for sure, but would have liked to have been a little bit better towards the end, but, all in all, a really good job for these 21 guys.” HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET A TOP 10 AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR? “This is what we know we’re capable of, but we’ve had some misfortune. Maybe we had a couple races where we weren’t as fast as we wanted, but we’ve had a lot of bad luck. Tonight is what we’re capable of. We know that going into the playoffs, so it’s nice to have a solid run and, like I said, we’ll go to Daytona and get ready for the playoffs after that.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We had a really fast Shell/Pennzoil Mustang. The car had a lot of speed in it, but we just had to overcome too much. We got up into contention and then we had a flat right-rear and lost all of it again, and then steadily grind your way back into the top five. Apparently, I needed maybe 500 or 600 laps. It’s just not our weekend. We had a flat tire in practice and then another flat tire in the race and both of them were punctures. It’s not like we were being too aggressive or anything like that, it’s just running over crap on the racetrack. Not our weekend.”

HAMLIN LEADS TOYOTA IN RICHMOND

RICHMOND, Va. (August 16, 2025) – Denny Hamlin led Toyota with a top-10 finish at Richmond Raceway on Saturday evening.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Richmond Raceway
Race 25 of 36 – 300 miles, 400 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Austin Dillon*
2nd, Alex Bowman*
3rd, Ryan Blaney*
4th, Joey Logano*
5th, Austin Cindric*
10th, DENNY HAMLIN
13th, CHASE BRISCOE
18th, TY GIBBS
21st, CHRISTOPHER BELL
26th, ERIK JONES
28th, BUBBA WALLACE
29th, COREY HEIM
31st, RILEY HERBST
34th, TYLER REDDICK
36th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Progressive Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

Several issues tonight, but you were able to come back for a top-10. Can you tell us about your race?

“Yeah, just kind of a missed race. We were really bad on pit lane, I sped. Team had a lot of bad stops, and this track – you can’t give up track position, and we did. I thought we were fortunate to get back to the top-10 there. The only reason we did is we had a fast Progressive Camry.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.