NASCAR Cup Series Predictons at Richmond
Kevin Harvick smoking out the front stretch following his win at Richmond.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Richmond Raceway for the second and final time this Sunday for the Cook Out 400 at 3PM EST on USA.
Kevin Harvick won this race last year after finishing 2nd in the Spring, leading the last 52 laps en route to his 60th Cup Series win.
Martin Truex Jr enters as the favorite to win, with momentum on his side. He’s won twice on short tracks twice this season at Martinsville and New Hampshire. Truex Jr has also won three of the last eight races at Richmond, along with six Top 5’s and seven Top 10’s, with an average finish of 4th. He’s not the only driver from Joe Gibbs Racing who’s dangerously good at this track.
Denny Hamlin has become Public Enemy #1 following his controversial win at Pocono against Kyle Larson, the winner of the Spring Richmond race. He also rides on a wave of momentum and being the guy everyone hates. Not to mention Hamlin heads into his home track, with a win back in the Spring ‘22 race. Over his last eight starts at Richmond, Hamlin has racked up six Top 5’s and Top 10’s, with an average finish of 6th. The Toyotas will be strong on Sunday, Hamlin will look to lead the charge.
Christopher Bell is another Toyota driver who’s looking for his first Cup Series win at Richmond. Coming off a 6th place run at Pocono, Bell heads into Richmond 4th in the points standings, -75 points behind JGR teammate Martin Truex Jr. In Bell’s six Cup starts, he gathered four Top 5’s, five Top 10’s, and an average finish of 5th.
Kyle Busch is still searching for a seventh win at Richmond, and he’s in need for a Top 10 run. Since Busch swept Richmond in 2018, he’s accumulated one Top 5 and seven Top 10’s, with an average finish of 8th. Fitting for the driver of the #8, lookout for KFB.
Ryan Blaney is another driver who’s looking for some momentum in the right direction. Since winning the Coca-Cola 600, Blaney’s only finished in the Top 10 twice in the last seven races. RIchmond is a good track for Blaney and Penske to focus on the right path. He’s run 11th or better in four of his last five starts, and he’s looking to crack that Top 10 and stay there for good.