The 2024 Cook Out 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on August 11, 2024, at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Contested over 408 laps—extended from 400 laps due to an overtime finish, on the asphalt short track, it was the 23rd race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. Austin Dillon won the race, breaking a 68-race winless drought, dating back to the 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400. Denny Hamlin finished 2nd, and Tyler Reddick finished 3rd. Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain rounded out the top five, and Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Carson Hocevar, Chase Elliott, and Daniel Suárez rounded out the top ten.
Report
Background
Richmond Raceway (RR) is a 0.75 miles (1.21 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Known as "America's premier short track", it has formerly hosted events such as the International Race of Champions, Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown, and the USAC sprint car series. Due to Richmond Raceway's unique "D" shape which allows drivers to reach high speeds, Richmond has long been known as a short track that races like a superspeedway. With its multiple racing grooves, and proclivity for contact Richmond is a favorite among NASCAR drivers and fans.
Race Notes The race was the first after a two-week break due to NBC Sports' coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
On July 16, NASCAR announced they would use the tires used in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Teams will have six sets of yellow-lettered primary tires (it will generally require six sets of tires during the race, where teams often change tires on pit stops), and two sets of red-lettered option tires during the race, and teams will use one set of each in practice sessions. The eight sets of tires is the same as was the case in the March race, although two sets each will be of the softer option tires for this race. Teams will qualify on the primary tire, and must use both the primary and option tire during the race. Teams may not mix red and yellow letter tires on the car at the same time during the race.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Josh Berry (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Noah Gragson Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Riley Herbst (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 16 Ty Dillon (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Daniel Hemric Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 John Hunter Nemechek Legacy Motor Club Toyota 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Toyota 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Justin Haley Rick Ware Racing Ford 54 Ty Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 Parker Retzlaff (i) Power Source Ford 71 Zane Smith (R) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 77 Carson Hocevar (R) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice Austin Dillon was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 22.698 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 22.698 118.953 2 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 22.716 118.859 3 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22.735 118.760Official practice results
Qualifying Denny Hamlin scored the pole for the race with a time of 22.850 and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22.858 22.850 2 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22.548 22.916 3 4 Josh Berry (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 22.493 22.959 4 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22.655 22.861 5 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22.646 22.961 6 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 22.797 22.926 7 20 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 22.523 22.986 8 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 22.782 22.961 9 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 22.652 23.058 10 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 22.549 22.981 11 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 22.671 — 12 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 22.868 — 13 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22.672 — 14 54 Ty Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 22.896 — 15 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22.686 — 16 10 Noah Gragson Stewart-Haas Racing Toyota 22.913 — 17 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22.728 — 18 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 22.920 — 19 77 Carson Hocevar (R) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 22.742 — 20 71 Zane Smith (R) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 22.989 — 21 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 22.743 — 22 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 23.091 — 23 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 22.769 — 24 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 23.098 — 25 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 22.807 — 26 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 23.165 — 27 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Toyota 22.840 — 28 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 23.330 — 29 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 22.886 — 30 16 Ty Dillon Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 23.333 — 31 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22.960 — 32 31 Daniel Hemric Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 23.361 — 33 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 22.974 — 34 15 Riley Herbst (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 23.421 — 35 42 John Hunter Nemechek Legacy Motor Club Toyota 22.998 — 36 51 Justin Haley Rick Ware Racing Ford 23.436 — 37 66 Parker Retzlaff (i) Power Source Ford 23.189 —Official qualifying results
Race
Race results
Stage results
Stage One Laps: 70
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 102 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 93 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 84 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 75 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 66 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 48 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 39 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 210 4 Josh Berry (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 160
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 102 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 93 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 84 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 75 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 66 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 57 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 48 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 39 77 Carson Hocevar (R) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 210 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1Official stage two results
Final Stage results
Stage Three Laps: 170
Having taken the lead from Denny Hamlin with 28 laps to go, Austin Dillon, who entered the race 32nd in points, drove out to a two and a half second lead over the next twenty five laps. However, a crash right in front of him involving Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece sent the race into overtime. When the race resumed, Joey Logano, using the high line to his advantage, took the lead on the restart and led coming to turn three on the final lap. Dillon, realizing what was at stake, and despite being four car lengths back of Logano entering the corner, sent it in, and got into the back of Logano, sending him into a spin. Hamlin went through on the bottom but Dillon also got into the 11 car, sending Hamlin into the outside wall as Dillon took the win under caution. Logano and Hamlin later criticized Dillon for his actions.
Three days later, NASCAR stripped Dillon of his playoff eligibility, whilst allowing the win to stand, whilst also fining Logano $50,000 for showing his frustrating with the RCR crew by spinning his tires in front of Dillon’s pit stall. In addition, Dillon’s spotter Brandon Benesch was suspended for three races after audio surfaced of him telling Dillon to “wreck him” (Hamlin) on the team radio. RCR later announced they would appeal the penalties. An independent appeals panel upheld all but the Benesch penalty on August 21. Benesch, who had served the first of his three race suspension at Michigan, had his penalty reduced to time served (one race).
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 6 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 408 252 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 408 523 10 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 408 404 8 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 408 425 22 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 408 326 5 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 408 507 15 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 408 308 19 77 Carson Hocevar (R) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 408 319 4 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 408 3410 21 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 408 3711 11 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 408 2612 12 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 408 2513 13 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 408 2414 3 4 Josh Berry (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 408 2415 28 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 408 2716 29 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 408 2117 23 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 408 2018 7 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 408 2219 9 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 408 3220 16 10 Noah Gragson Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 407 1721 25 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 407 1622 14 54 Ty Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 407 1523 20 71 Zane Smith (R) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 407 1424 18 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 407 1325 26 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 407 1226 30 16 Ty Dillon (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 407 1127 36 51 Justin Haley Rick Ware Racing Ford 406 1028 17 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 406 929 27 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Toyota 406 830 32 31 Daniel Hemric Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 406 731 35 42 John Hunter Nemechek Legacy Motor Club Toyota 405 632 31 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 405 533 34 15 Riley Herbst (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 405 034 24 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 404 335 37 66 Parker Retzlaff (i) Power Source Ford 402 036 33 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 397 137 2 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 250 9Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 26 among 9 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 5 for 23 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 3 hours, 3 minutes, and 19 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television USA covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte called the race from the broadcast booth. Kim Coon, Marty Snider, and Dillon Welch handled the pit road duties from pit lane.
USABooth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Rick AllenColor-commentator: Jeff BurtonColor-commentator: Steve Letarte Kim CoonMarty SniderDillon Welch
Radio