JOEY LOGANO WINS CUP SERIES RACE AT RICHMOND RACEWAY
RICHMOND, Va. – Joey Logano issued a not-too-subtle reminder Saturday night that he is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and absolutely ready to position himself for yet another title run.
Logano claimed his second win of the 2026 season – in fact, his second victory in the last four races – driving his No. 22 Team Penske Ford to a dramatic 0.392-second win in the Cook Out 400 under the lights in front of an enthusiastic sellout crowd at Richmond Raceway.
The veteran led 95 of the 400 laps and has improved from 20th place to ninth place in the championship standings in just the last six races after the slowest season start in his 39-time race-winning championship career.
“Don’t let the boys get hot, we’re pretty strong right now,” the 36-year-old Logano said, grinning. “It’s awesome to see the speed in the 22 again. Gosh, it was a great car and we’ve had a great car here in the last five races but weren’t able to capitalize on the win. So close, but sweet redemption today.”
Logano had to work at it, leading six different times on the night, ultimately taking the point for good during pit stop exchanges with only 25 laps remaining. And even then, he had to hold off what looked like the night’s strongest car, the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Chase Briscoe, whose runner-up showing marked not only his first at the famed 0.75-mile Richmond track, but his first career top 10 in the River City. He led a race-best 171 laps but said an issue with the brakes late in the race may have ultimately hampered his ability to get back by Logano.
“As I lost that [brakes] I just kind of lost my advantage and then I just became not mediocre but not quite as strong as I needed to be to maintain there,” said Briscoe, who clinched a position into the 16-driver championship field with his effort Saturday. “Definitely frustrating from that standpoint but still a huge improvement from what I’ve been here, so go on to the next one.”
Logano’s Penske teammate Austin Cindric finished third in the No. 2 Ford, his work having major championship implications. He was strong all evening and that third-place effort moved him up from 16th to 15th in the standings, with the top-16 drivers advancing to settle the 2026 title when the 10-race Chase begins in three weeks at Darlington Raceway.
Championship points leader and the Virginia hometown favorite Denny Hamlin was fourth Saturday in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. He now holds a 115-point advantage atop the standings over Richmond polesitter Ryan Blaney, whose No. 12 Team Penske Ford led 88 laps and won Stage 1, but finished 13th.
Chase Elliott finished fifth in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, notably his first top-10 showing in the last nine races. A two-time winner this season, he formally clinched his Chase position and sits sixth in the standings with two races remaining to set that 16-driver Chase field.
Following the Richmond race, seven drivers have now earned their title shot – Hamlin, Blaney, JGR’s Ty Gibbs, who finished 15th Saturday after an early pit-road penalty, as well as five-race winner, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who finished 11th Saturday night after a disappointing 36th-place showing last week in Iowa.
Briscoe, Elliott and JGR’s Christopher Bell also formally claimed a championship chance, now holding positions fifth through seventh in the standings.
Two-time and reigning series champion Kyle Larson finished sixth Saturday in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, a position ahead of Bell in the No. 20 JGR Toyota. Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry was eighth, followed by Hendrick teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman.
Only two races – at New Hampshire and Daytona International Speedway – now remain to set that 16-driver Chase field. Larson, Logano, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar, Byron, Spire’s Daniel Suárez and Reddick’s 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace hold positions eight through 14th now in the standings.
The season’s two-race winner, Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen, claims that pivotal 16th place in the standings. He finished 14th at Richmond and takes a 50-point edge on RFK’s Ryan Preece to next week’s stop in New Hampshire. Ross Chastain is 63 points off his teammate van Gisbergen’s pace.
The run for the title continues as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for next Sunday’s Dollar Tree 301 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Blaney is the defending race winner.
Stage 2 recap
After Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney took Stage 1, Joey Logano paced the final half of a long Stage 2 at Richmond Raceway to take the green-checkered flag.
Blaney and Logano have combined to lead over 140 of the 230 laps so far in the Cook Out 400.
The lone caution in the stage came out for Zane Smith, who spun out on his own in Turns 1 and 2 before hitting the outside wall at Lap 125. The yellow came out during the green-flag cycle that put the likes of Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs on their back foot, and the two Toyota drivers fell off the lead lap at the race break.
Austin Cindric and Daniel Suárez also had an extremely close call on pit road at Lap 180 as the No. 2 Ford came to his stall as the No. 7 exited, but they avoided hitting each other and went about their respective races.
Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric, Blaney, Josh Berry, Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and William Byron scored points in Stage 2.
Only 12 cars were scored on the lead lap at the Lap 230 caution.
Stage 1 recap
Polesitter Ryan Blaney commanded Stage 1 of Saturday evening’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway.
The No. 12 Team Penske Ford driver led 60 of the 70-lap opening frame at the Virginia short track to nab a series-high sixth stage win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott and William Byron also tallied points in Stage 1. Cindric, who started 23rd, gained a boatload of spots on the opening pit cycle to drive into the top five.
Ty Gibbs, who won last Sunday at Iowa Speedway, incurred a speeding penalty during the green-flag pit cycle and finished outside the top 20. Austin Hill also had a pit-road penalty for an uncontrolled tire.
Note: Inspection was completed in the Cup Series garage with no issues, confirming Logano as the Richmond winner. The Nos. 2, 9, 20 and 97 cars will return to the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, for engine dynamometer testing. Additionally, the Nos. 9 and 20 cars will also undergo a teardown inspection.
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