Overview
- The Cook Out 400 is scheduled for Saturday night, Aug. 15, and is the 24th race of the season and the third-to-last regular-season event with major implications for the 16-driver Chase.
- NASCAR published a 37-car entry list that guarantees every listed driver a start and includes part-time entries such as Austin Hill and Josh Bilicki while Austin Dillon returns as the two-time defending Richmond winner.
- Only four drivers have clinched postseason berths so far — Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick — leaving many drivers still fighting for points or a win to make the Chase.
- DraftKings odds and pre-race previews list Denny Hamlin the early favorite, with Christopher Bell and Joey Logano among the next choices, and sportsbooks and analysts expect race-day strategy to shape the result.
- Teams will focus on Friday’s practice and Saturday qualifying to learn how the new left-side Goodyear compound affects left-side wear, long-run balance and pit strategy, a topic drivers such as Kyle Larson have said will be central to success at Richmond.