NASCAR: 3 longshot picks to win the Cook Out 400 at Richmond

While Richmond Raceway is generally a track at which the favorites shine, who could pull off the upset in this Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race?

Richmond Raceway is set to host its second NASCAR Cup Series race of the 2023 season this coming Sunday, making it the second track on the schedule to host two races this year.

The track hosted its first back in April, and Sunday afternoon’s Cook Out 400 is the 22nd race on the 36-race schedule.

The four-turn, 0.75-mile (1.207-kilometer) Richmond, Virginia oval has generally been a track at which the favorites and championship contenders have found victory lane in years past. Could it be time for an upset winner at the short track?

FanDuel Sportsbook is currently offering fans an instant $100 just for betting $5, so why not take a chance on an underdog?

Here are three possible longshot picks to win Sunday’s 400-lap race.

NASCAR at Richmond: Cook Out 400 longshot picks – Ty Gibbs

Every week, it seems like Ty Gibbs’ time is coming, and never has that been truer than after this past Sunday afternoon’s race at Pocono Raceway, when he finished in a career-high fifth place.

Toyota have been well clear of everybody else in recent weeks, and the rookie has taken advantage. Now the Cup Series is set to visit a track where Gibbs won en route to winning the 2022 Xfinity Series championship. Will this be the weekend of car No. 54’s first victory since 1978?

NASCAR at Richmond: Cook Out 400 longshot picks – Alex Bowman

It’s hard to believe that a Hendrick Motorsports driver can be considered a longshot, but just look at how Alex Bowman’s season has gone since he suffered a fractured vertebra in a sprint car crash back in April.

He hasn’t finished in the top 10 in 11 starts since then, and he finds himself in 21st place in the point standings, well below the playoff cut line, after leading the standings earlier this year.

His most recent top 10 finish ironically came at Richmond Raceway, however, back in April, and this track is a track at which he found victory lane back in 2021. This weekend might present him with his best chance to qualify to the playoffs.

NASCAR at Richmond: Cook Out 400 longshot picks – Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon has had a miserable 2023 season and needs a win to lock into the playoffs. Fortunately for him, he has gotten into the playoffs from outside the top 16 in the point standings four times since the modern format was introduced in 2014. No other driver has pulled it off more than once.

After an early spin at Pocono Raceway, he and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team worked their way back into the top 10 before a hard wreck.

As Kyle Busch has shown all year, this organization has the speed to contend at the front, and Richmond Raceway is a track where Dillon has had some success as of late, with several top 10 finishes over the last few seasons. Can he turn that success into a much-needed win?

Odds and availability are subject to change, so lock in your $100 now before this offer passes you by!

USA Network is set to broadcast the Cook Out 400 live from Richmond Raceway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, July 30. If you haven’t started a free trial of FuboTV, do so now!