This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Cook Out 400
Location: Richmond, Va.
Course: Richmond Raceway
Format: 0.75-mile oval
Laps: 400
NASCAR Cook Out 400 Race Preview
After a tense visit to Pocono Raceway, the NASCAR Cup Series goes short-track racing this week at Richmond. Denny Hamlin won last time out at Pocono's long track, but the race wasn't short of controversy. The No. 11's aggressive racing failed to win over many fans in the grandstands and drivers on track. What better venue to follow that race up than Richmond's short oval? Kyle Larson, one driver on the wrong side of Hamlin's victory a week ago, is the returning winner from the spring race, but Hamlin has been no slouch there with four victories of his own. With races in the regular season rapidly dwindling, the pressure on everyone continues to increase. Five races remain for drivers to book their spot in the playoff field, and five playoff spots remain for drivers to qualify for the championship battle on points alone. Michael McDowell enters Richmond in the 16th and final playoff position, but AJ Allmendinger is just 17 points behind. With five drivers straddling the cut line separated by less than 30 points, the battle at the front at Richmond won't be the only one that could bring fireworks.
Key Stats at Richmond International Raceway
- Number of races: 133
- Winners from pole: 23
- Winners from top-5 starters: 73
- Winners from top-10 starters: 101
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 12
- Fastest race: 109.047 mph
Previous 10 Richmond Winners
2023 spring - Kyle Larson
2022 fall - Kevin Harvick
2022 spring - Denny Hamlin
2021 fall - Martin Truex Jr.
2021 spring - Alex Bowman
2020 - Brad Keselowski
2019 fall - Martin Truex Jr.
2019 spring - Martin Truex Jr.
2018 fall - Kyle Busch
2018 spring - Kyle Busch
Richmond Raceway is a relatively flat and wide oval where track position can make or break a driver's race. The short 0.75-mile oval forces every car to work in traffic for nearly the entire race. The only chance to get out of that traffic is on restarts for drivers at the front. The emphasis on track position places greater focus on getting the most out of qualifying. Only three races at the track since 2014 have been won by someone starting outside of the top 15, and the vast majority of races are won by drivers starting inside the top 10. Not having the speed to start at the front means the goal early in the race will be on not falling a lap down. Leaders rapidly encounter the back of the field and can put much of the field behind under long green-flag stints. Like other short ovals, mistakes on pit road are very costly, too. Richmond's short lap means losing a lap when heading to pit road under green-flag conditions. That inherent deficit is only compounded with a slow stop, or an unexpected caution. As the race ages, teams may try gaining track position by staying on old tires. Fresh rubber is almost always faster, though. Fantasy players should focus their choices on drivers starting inside the top six rows this weekend.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Cook Out 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Martin Truex Jr. - $11,000
Kyle Larson - $10,800
Denny Hamlin - $10,500
Christopher Bell - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
William Byron - $9,900
Joey Logano - $9,700
Chase Elliott - $9,500
Ross Chastain - $9,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Tyler Reddick - $8,900
Brad Keselowski - $8,600
Ty Gibbs - $8,300
Alex Bowman - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Bubba Wallace - $7,500
Ryan Preece - $6,900
Erik Jones - $6,300
AJ Allmendinger - $6,200
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Cook Out 400
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Martin Truex Jr. - $11,000
Christopher Bell - $10,200
Ty Gibbs - $8,300
Alex Bowman - $8,100
Erik Jones - $6,300
Michael McDowell - $5,900
The lower-risk lineup for Richmond rests heavily on the pace of the Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. The team was very competitive at Richmond in April despite not producing the winner. Leading the charge is Martin Truex Jr. (DK $11,000, FD $14,000), who is at his best so far in the 2023 season. A Richmond short-track visit should only offer him a chance to extend that run, too. The current points leader has his eyes on the regular-season championship with three top-three finishes in the last five races. He is also a three-time Richmond winner who finished 11th or better in his last nine races there. Teammate Christopher Bell (DK $10,200, FD $12,000) was in the mix for the win at the track in April and also has a remarkable Richmond history. He led 26 laps and finished fourth in the spring despite starting just 21st and then was second in the fall race at the track last season. Bell has four top-fives and five top-10s from six Richmond starts and makes a confident option for fantasy rosters this week. Rookie Ty Gibbs (DK $8,300, FD $7,200) got his playoff push back on track last week with his first top-five of the season. He has five races left to win or earn enough points to claim his spot, and this venue should be a good stop for him. He is a former Xfinity Series winner here and finished ninth in the spring race. He should be another driver capable of a top-10 or better this week.
Alex Bowman (DK $8,100, FD $8,000) breaks the JGR choices for some Hendrick Motorsports support. Bowman has not had the best of times since returning from injury. Last week's 24th-place finish at Pocono lost him some ground in the playoff quest. However, Bowman is a former Richmond winner and started from pole at the track in April. He finished eighth that race, which would be a turnaround for him if he could replicate that Sunday. More optimism is coming from Erik Jones (DK $6,300, FD $5,000). He finished ninth at Pocono and was 11th or better in four of the last five races. He will be getting married after this week's race, and a top finish would be a great way for him to celebrate. Michael McDowell (DK $5,900, FD $5,500) is on a similar trajectory. He sits 16th and in the playoff positions with two top-10s and three top-15s from the last five races. McDowell also finished sixth at Richmond in April, which was his best finish at the track.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kevin Harvick - $10,100
William Byron - $9,900
Ross Chastain - $9,200
Bubba Wallace - $7,500
Ryan Preece - $6,900
AJ Allmendinger - $6,200
Richmond's higher-risk lineup option focuses a bit more on some long-shot choices. Kevin Harvick (DK $10,100, FD $12,500) should not be considered a long shot, but he is not one of the main favorites. His recent consistency and track record make him an attractive option for Sunday, though. This will be the veteran's final race at Richmond, which is a place he has won at four times. He brings back-to-back finishes of fourth into the weekend and finished fifth here in the spring. William Byron (DK $9,900, FD $11,500) remains a top choice nearly every week. He leads the series in 2023 victories and led 117 laps at the track in April. He only has two top-10 Richmond finishes, but that number does not reflect his true potential. Similarly, Ross Chastain (DK $9,200, FD $9,500) has been more competitive at Richmond than his previous results would suggest. He finished third in April, leading 16 laps, but also led 80 laps in his 16th-place finish in this race last season.
Bubba Wallace (DK $7,500, FD $6,500) led a lap and finished 22nd at Richmond in April, but he has his sights on the playoffs now. He enters the weekend 27 points ahead of the first driver out of the top 16 and is seeking to widen that margin. He finished 11th last week at Pocono and eighth the week before at New Hampshire. His previous best finish at Richmond was a 12th-place finish in this race back in 2019. Ryan Preece (DK $6,900, FD $6,200) is another driver that should be able to outperform his current trend this week. He scored his best Richmond finish of 18th earlier this season and, with many more full-time races under his belt, he should be optimistic about his chances this week. This week's race could be an opportunity to end his run of three-races finishing outside of the top 20. For his part, AJ Allmendinger (DK $6,200, FD $5,200) is eyeing a playoff berth. He is just 17 points behind the playoff positions and has been on an upturn in form in recent weeks. He finished 27th at Richmond in April but does have three top-10 finishes there. He has also finished inside the top 20 every race since the All-Star Race.
