Austin Dillon seeks Richmond three-peat in Cup return

NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 13, 2026

Dillon’s Richmond chase

Austin Dillon returns to Richmond Raceway with a chance to keep one of NASCAR’s sharpest active streaks alive. The two-time defending Richmond winner is trying to become the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1982-83 to win three straight Cup races at the track. Dillon has built that run on tire management and long-run pace, and Richard Boswell said the No. 3 team needs to stay focused on execution and minor adjustments instead of a major overhaul. Boswell said the group “cannot beat themselves.” Dillon knows what a Richmond victory can bring. He won there in August 2024 after late-race contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in a controversial finish, and that victory knocked him out of playoff eligibility. He returned to Richmond in 2025 and won again, leading 107 of 400 laps. Even with that success, he arrives 27th in the points and out of Chase contention. The Cook Out 400 gives him another shot to back up a track record that keeps getting stronger.

Playoff spots at Richmond

The Cook Out 400 opens the final three regular-season races, and the playoff picture still has room to change. Hamlin enters Richmond as the points leader, a hometown favorite from Chesterfield, Virginia, and a five-time winner at the track. Ty Gibbs moved to second in the standings after his win at Iowa, and both he and Hamlin arrive with playoff spots already locked in along with Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney. The rest of the field still has work to do. Chase Briscoe can clinch with 39 points. Christopher Bell needs 43, Chase Elliott 44, Carson Hocevar 55, Chris Buescher 57 and Kyle Larson 65. William Byron, Daniel Suarez, Logano and Bubba Wallace can only get in with help. The playoff bubble also includes Suarez, Logano, Wallace, Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Cindric. Toyota has 14 wins through 23 races, and Joe Gibbs Racing has 19 Cup wins at Richmond, more than any other organization. That kind of history gives the team a strong foothold as the regular season reaches its closing stretch.

Austin Hill’s Richmond debut

Austin Hill will make his first Cup start at Richmond in the No. 33 Chevrolet, and the team will carry a special tribute to Kyle Busch’s legacy and The Bundle of Joy Fund throughout the weekend. That debut adds another layer to a race weekend already built around pressure, history and playoff math. Richmond has long rewarded teams that manage tires and stay patient over long runs, and that challenge sits at the center of Dillon’s bid for a third straight win. It also shapes the wider field as drivers chase points and playoff security in the final regular-season stretch. The Cook Out 400 is set for 400 laps and 300 miles, with the green flag scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern. USA Network and the Motor Racing Network will carry the race. With Hamlin on top of the standings, Gibbs surging, the bubble tightening and Dillon chasing a record that only Allison has matched, Richmond once again stands as one of the key stops on the schedule.