NASCAR: 5 drivers most likely to win the Cook Out 400 at Richmond

The NASCAR Cup Series is set for the second of its two annual trips to Richmond Raceway this weekend for the Cook Out 400.

Richmond Raceway is set to become the second track to host two races in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. Three weekends ago, Atlanta Motor Speedway became the first.

The four-turn, 0.75-mile (1.207-kilometer) Richmond, Virginia oval also hosted a race back in April, a race won by Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson.

This Sunday’s Cook Out 400 is scheduled to be another 400-lap race. Can Larson become the first driver to sweep the two Richmond Raceway races since Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. won them both back in 2019?

Richmond Raceway has been a track at which the favorites and championship contenders have thrived in recent NASCAR Cup Series seasons.

Just look at some of the names of the drivers who have won at the venue on multiple occasions since 2016 alone. They include Larson, Truex, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. Other winners since then include champions Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Kevin Harvick.

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Based on the recent trends, the favorites should continue to thrive at the short track. FanDuel lists Truex as the +400 favorite to win the Cook Out 400.

Here are the five drivers most likely to win Sunday’s race, according to the odds.

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It is no surprise that Larson, Truex, and Hamlin are all listed in the top three, though it is somewhat surprising that Busch is not even included in the top five.

Neither Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron nor Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell have won at the track, but both look capable of making a championship run this year, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them win at Richmond Raceway along the way.

Byron has looked like he is capable of winning anywhere this year, and one of Bell’s strengths is short tracks. At Richmond Raceway, he is a three-time winner in the Xfinity Series, and he has not finished lower than sixth place in five starts at the track for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series, recording finishes of fourth, third, sixth, second, and fourth, respectively.

The Cook Out 400 is set to be broadcast live on USA Network from Richmond Raceway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 30. FuboTV is currently offering fans a free trial, so begin yours today and don’t miss it!