Chris Buescher wins at Richmond ahead of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, to clinch playoff spot

After Stage 2 winner Brad Keselowski had an awkward pit stop in the middle of Stage 3, Chris Buescher found himself in the lead and in the late stages, four seconds and several lapped cars in front of second-place Denny Hamlin. Buescher held off a stiff Hamlin challenge on the restart with three laps to go following a late Daniel Suárez spin and went on to win his third career Cup race. With the win, Buescher is assured a spot in the playoffs.

Keselowski claims Stage 2

Brad Keselowski won Stage 2 at Richmond, a 160-lap affair that featured multiple rounds of green-flag pit stops and no yellow flags. Bubba Wallace, who took the lead on the third lap of the stage and led comfortably through one round of green-flag stops, had a jack issue during his second pit stop of the stage and fell to fifth.

Toyotas take Stage 1

Pole-sitter Tyler Reddick won an uneventful all-green Stage 1 of the Cook Out 400 ahead of 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace and 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin. A.J. Allmendinger, who started at the rear of the field because he did not practice or qualify the car Saturday while driving the Xfinity Series race at Road America, clawed his way up 25th by the end of the 70-lap stage.

Cook Out 400 results

1. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

2. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

3. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

4. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

5. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

6. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

7. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

9. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

10. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

11. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

12. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

13. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

14. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

15. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

16. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

18. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

19. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

20. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

21. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

22. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

23. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

24. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

25. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

26. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

27. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

28. Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

29. Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

30. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

31. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

32. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

33. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

34. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

35. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

Cook Out 400 TV/streaming schedule

All times Eastern

Saturday
12:30-1:20 p.m.: Practice (USA, NBC Sports app)
1:20-2:30 p.m.: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports app)

Sunday
2:30-3 p.m.: Pre-race show (USA)
3-6:30 p.m.: Cook Out 400 (USA, NBC Sports app)

Cook Out 400 details

Track: Richmond Raceway (0.75-mile tri-oval), Henrico County, Virginia
Length: 400 laps for 300 miles
Banking: Turns – 14 degrees | Tri-oval – 8 degrees | Backstretch – 2 degrees
2022 winner: Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Cook Out 400 starting grid

1. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

2. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

3. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

4. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

5. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

6. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

7. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

10. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

11. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

12. Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

13. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

14. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

15. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

16. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

17. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

18. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

19. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

20. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

21. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

22. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

23. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

24. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

25. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

26. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

27. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

28. Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

29. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

30. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

31. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

32. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

33. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

34. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

35. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Top drivers and best bets for the Cook Out 400

Martin Truex Jr. has three career wins at Richmond and enters the weekend as the favorite, according to BetMGM, with a +375 moneyline. Denny Hamlin (+500) and Kyle Larson (+600) — who were at the center of last week’s kerfuffle at Pocono — have the next-best odds.

Best odds to win
• Martin Truex Jr. +375
• Denny Hamlin +500
• Kyle Larson +600
• Christopher Bell +800
• William Byron +900
• Kevin Harvick +900

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week on some of the best bets for the weekend. He suggests good mid-tier value can be found in Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott (+1600), and 23XI’s Tyler Reddick (+1800). Elliott has five top-five finishes in 14 starts at Richmond, while Toyota and 23XI have been particularly strong this season on short tracks.

Cook Out 400 entry list

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Weather for the Cook Out 400

The forecast calls for highs in the upper-90s and a 51 percent chance of rain for both days of Cup Series running. Three of the last four Cup Series races and five overall have been significantly impacted by rain this season, with Truex already having won two of them.