RADIO
Has Ryan Blaney Finally Figured Out Richmond?
Ryan Blaney will start on the pole for Saturday night's Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, his fourth pole in the last five races and his second career pole at this particular track. The last time Blaney started first at Richmond was back in 2022, where he led 128 laps en route to a seventh-place finish. Last year at this track, he rallied from a 20th-place starting spot to finish third at the end of the night. Those are really Blaney's only two noteworthy finishes at this track, though, as he has just two single-digit results in 18 career attempts at Richmond. Can he finally break through this weekend, though? As mentioned before, Blaney will start from the pole on Saturday night, and the No. 12 Ford was one of, if not the best car in practice on Friday as well. Short, flat tracks are where Blaney and Team Penske excel at the most, and if has finally figured out how to race Richmond, the competition could be in for a long 400 laps on Saturday night.
Source: Speedway Digest
Source: Speedway Digest
Joey Logano Should Have Another Good Points Day at Richmond
The Summer of Joey Logano continues this weekend at Richmond Raceway, as the Team Penske driver looks to have one of the best long-run cars in practice for the upcoming Cook Out 400. Logano is a two-time Richmond winner and a constant top five threat. He started back in 38th-place in last year's race and ended up finishing fourth, and this weekend his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, says that the No. 22 Ford is even better this time around. Could we see another Logano win coming? Don't be surprised if we do. When it comes to DFS this weekend, Joey Logano ($10.5K on DraftKings) looks like a great pick, as he has some place-differential upside (starting 10th) as well as dominator and race-winning potential. As he continues his charge to solidify his Chase berth, it looks to be another strong race for Logano coming up.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Denny Hamlin Looking to Tie Kyle Busch with Six Richmond Wins
Kyle Busch was always one of the best race car drivers at Richmond Raceway, and Denny Hamlin is right there with him. Busch got to victory lane six times in his career at this track, and Hamlin is close behind him, with five so far in 37 attempts. Can he tie the sure Hall of Famer this weekend? Denny will roll off the starting grid from 14th-place when the Cook Out 400 goes green this weekend, and the No. 11 Toyota was strong in practice, ranking seventh-fastest in 30-lap average. Hamlin finished 10th in this race one year ago and has finished first or second in six of his last nine starts at this track as well. He should, no doubt, be strong again on Saturday night. As far as DFS goes, Hamlin makes for an interesting tournament option, as he is the highest-priced driver on the slate ($11.5K) and may be under-owned due to daily fantasy players targeting some of the more obvious plays in that price range. Hamlin has Place Differential upside and some dominator potential, though, so don't fade him by any means.
Source: FOX Sports
Source: FOX Sports
Can Christopher Bell Finally Get a Win at Richmond?
It was another second-place finish for Christopher Bell last weekend at Iowa, as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has now finished runner-up seven times this season (and four times in the last five races). Can he finally get to victory lane here at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night? Bell qualified eighth for this weekend's Cook Out 400, and his track record here is solid. Although he's never went to victory lane at Richmond, Bell does have seven finishes of sixth or better over his last eight starts here, and he led a career-high 122 laps in this race in 2024. Looking at practice speeds this weekend, Bell wasn't one of the best like he typically is at a short, flat track, but that shouldn't make fantasy players shy away from picking him. In DFS, Bell ($11.2K on DraftKings) is a solid pivot option in tournaments from some of the other drivers expected to garner high ownerships. One thing worth noting, though: the No. 20 Toyota did fail pre-race inspection twice, so Bell will lose his car chief and pit selection.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Ty Gibbs Qualifies Fourth at Richmond
Last week's winner at Iowa, Ty Gibbs, will have a good starting spot for this weekend's race at Richmond, as the No. 54 Toyota was fourth-fastest during qualifying on Friday evening. That was a bit surprising, as Gibbs struggled to find any speed during the practice session earlier that day, ranking 20th-fastest overall. Additionally, Richmond Raceway hasn't been an amazing track for Ty, as he has just one top-10 finish here in six career starts, and that ninth-place result is also his only finish better than 15th. Still, as we have learned time and time again this season, we need to disregard previous efforts by Ty Gibbs and just focus on how that No. 54 team is running this season, which is one of the fastest on track. Don't be surprised if Gibbs challenges for another top-five finish here on Saturday night under the lights.
Source: Jayski
Source: Jayski
Kyle Larson Will Start 30th at Richmond
Kyle Larson will have some work to do at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night, as the two-time Cup Series Champion qualified back in 30th place for this weekend's Cook Out 400. Now, with that being said, it's not like Larson hasn't had to deal with this before. In fact, he started 30th in last year's Richmond race, and ended up finishing sixth when it was all said and done (even leading nine laps along the way). One of the biggest reasons why Larson qualified so poorly this weekend is because he had an early qualifying draw, which was a major disadvantage for those drivers. The No. 5 Chevrolet had some speed in it during practice, though, so that's a good sign for Larson fans. As far as DFS goes, he is a solid place-differential play at $9.7K on DraftKings. However, do you want to tie up all of that cap space for a driver that only has place-differential upside? That is a decision that daily fantasy players are going to have to make on Saturday night.
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Chase Briscoe Has Never Finished in the Top 10 at Richmond
Sometimes you come across a statistic that doesn't seem real, but it is. This weekend, that is the fact that Chase Briscoe has never finished inside the top 10 at Richmond Raceway. He has gotten close a few times, but in Chase's nine career attempts at this race track, his best finish thus far is 11th. Can that end on Saturday night, though? Briscoe is starting a career-best second at Richmond in this weekend's Cook Out 400, and the No. 19 Toyota looked really strong in practice on Friday, ranking fifth-fastest in both 25- and 30-lap average. Additionally, Briscoe drives a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, which is a great combination for success at Richmond Raceway. As far as DFS goes, Briscoe is a potential dominator of the race on Saturday night, but he's a risky pick on DraftKings with his $9.5K salary due to his shaky track history as well as the best car in practice starting on the pole.
Source: DriverAverages
Source: DriverAverages
William Byron Leads Hendrick Motorsports in Qualifying at Richmond
The Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets were all over the board in qualifying at Richmond Raceway on Friday evening, ending up fifth, 13th, 25th, and 30th. The driver leading the way? William Byron in the No. 24 Chevrolet, who will roll off the starting grid from row three on Saturday night. Surprisingly enough, Richmond Raceway hasn't been an amazing track for Willy B. He does have a third-place finish to his credit here (back in 2022), but in 14 career starts at the track, he has just three top-10 finishes, and over the last two here, the No. 24 Chevrolet has been a high-teens car at best. Finish-wise, Byron ended up 12th and 13th in those two races. He will have good track position to start the race on Saturday night, though, and Byron wasn't awful in practice. Still, with the way Hendrick Motorsports is running right now, a top 10 day might be the ceiling for William Byron on Saturday night. He's not a very attractive DFS option this weekend ($9.2K on DraftKings).
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Is Tyler Reddick a Must-Play in DFS at Richmond?
At first glance, Tyler Reddick looks like a slam-dunk DFS pick this weekend at Richmond Raceway. He's super affordable for his skill set ($9.0K salary) and he starts way back in 32nd-place for Saturday night's Cook Out 400, giving him massive Place Differential upside. But is he a must-play? There is no doubt that Reddick has had speed at Richmond Raceway ever since joining 23XI Racing. He led 81 laps from the pole here in 2023 before finishing 16th, and he finished a career-best third here in the 2024 race. Last season, he won the first Stage and led 41 laps before ultimately finishing 34th. As far as speed this weekend, Reddick had a strong car in practice until he spun out and had to get towed back to pit road. Now the question comes up, did that damage the race car any? You definitely should have Tyler Reddick exposure with your daily fantasy lineups this weekend, but with his limited dominator upside, it may be a good strategy move to go underweight with a $9.0K driver relying so heavily on Place Differential.
Source: Catchfence
Source: Catchfence
Can Chase Elliott Get Back Into the Top 10 at Richmond?
It has been nine races since Chase Elliott last finished inside the top 10, and a full 13 races since he has notched a top-five result. And although his results during that span aren't awful--he has finished between 11th and 17th in seven of the last eight races--they're definitely not up to the standard that Hendrick Motorsports has set. But can that change this weekend at Richmond? Chase has a pretty good track record at this race track, with three top 10 finishes in his last five starts and just one result worse than 15th over his last 14 attempts. He qualified in 13th for this weekend's Cook Out 400, and as we saw at Iowa last weekend, this No. 9 team is more than willing to gamble on track position during the race. Elliott was middle-of-the-road when it came to overall speed during practice this weekend, but at a relatively cheap salary on DraftKings ($8.7K) he makes for an interesting tournament option at a track where he has found success at before.
Source: Jayski
Source: Jayski
Bubba Wallace Has Upside at Richmond
Don't count out Bubba Wallace in Saturday night's Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. The 23XI Racing driver has been very impressive at this track over the last few years, as he has finished eighth or better in all eight Stages during that span (including a Stage win last year). The final race results have lacked, though, as Bubba has just one result better than 12th--a fourth-place finish in 2024. The speed is there, though, and eventually the results will come. This weekend, Bubba had a pretty good long-run car in practice, ranking 11th-fastest in both 25- and 30-lap average. He also qualified up in seventh for this weekend's race. He's always a risky pick, but Bubba has solid upside this weekend at Richmond. He's a tournament play for sure on DraftKings with his $8.5K salary.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Can Austin Dillon Win Three in a Row at Richmond?
Richmond Raceway has always been a good race track for Austin Dillon, but with this Next Gen car in the Cup Series, it's easily his best. Dillon has undoubtedly found something that his competitors have not, as the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing has gone to victory lane in each of the last two races here. Some industry experts say that Austin runs such a unique line through the corners that it's hard to replicate. Last year, Dillon started 11th and led 107 laps en route to victory. This year, he qualified 16th, so he has a little more work to do comparatively speaking. Still, with his record at this race track, how can you bet against the guy? At an $8.3K salary on DraftKings, and with his Place Differential upside, Austin Dillon makes for a great DFS play for the Cook Out 400 on Saturday evening at Richmond.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Josh Berry Looks Strong for Richmond as He Races for His Career
Don't overlook Josh Berry in the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway this weekend. Fresh off his season-best finish of fourth last week at Iowa, Berry will now start from third place at Richmond on Saturday night--and he just may finish up there as well. Berry has made four career Cup Series starts at this track and hasn't finished worse than 14th. He wound up eighth one year ago after starting 17th, and posted a career-best finish of second here in his first attempt while driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. This weekend, Berry's No. 21 Ford has been sporty, as it ranked fourth-fastest in both 25- and 30-lap averages during practice. If you need a sleeper pick this weekend, once again Josh Berry is your guy. He's a little risky of a tournament play in DraftKings, but at his $7.2K salary, you should definitely have some exposure.
Source: Catchfence
Source: Catchfence
Ty Gibbs Triumphs at Iowa for his Second Career Cup Series Win
Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing won the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway after overcoming mistakes and teammates. The No. 54 Toyota driver started the race from sixth and ran well throughout most of the race. Gibbs moved into the top five and stayed there for the rest of the first stage as he ended it in fourth, earning six stage points. During the stage break, Gibbs' team on pit road struggled with changing the right rear tire, causing him to drop down to 29th on the ensuing restart in stage two. Gibbs spent the rest of the second stage recovering from this mistake, and thanks to a fast car and some pit calls, he returned to the fourth position at the end of the stage. In the final stage, Gibbs went from being inside the top 10 to eventually running second after passing Ryan Blaney before his final green flag pit stop. After the completion of his pit stop, Gibbs got ahead of his teammate Christopher Bell for the lead and spent the rest of the race holding him off. Despite some close calls, Gibbs held on for his second career Cup Series victory, which helps move him into second in the Cup Series standings behind Denny Hamlin after 23 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Christopher Bell Finishes Second for the Seventh Time This Season at Iowa
Christopher Bell started out slowly in the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway, but went on to become one of the main contenders for the race win on Sunday. Bell started 22nd and spent the entire first stage making up positions on the track. At the end of the first stage, Bell made it up to seventh and scored four stage points. In the second stage, Bell's team made a call to stay off of pit road during a lap 140 caution while all other drivers went to pit road, leaving him with the lead on the restart. With no further cautions until the end of the stage, Bell went on to win the second stage. In the final stage, Bell started out third after pit stops and then returned to the lead midway through the stage after passing Ryan Blaney. Bell maintained the lead until having his final pit stop on lap 291, but lost the lead to his teammate Ty Gibbs in the cycle of pit stops. The No. 20 Toyota driver spent the rest of the race chasing down Gibbs for the win, but fell short of passing him in the closing laps, leaving Bell to finish in second for the seventh time this season. Although he missed out on winning, Bell's strong performance moves him up to sixth in the Cup Series standings after 23 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
