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NASCAR heads to Richmond Raceway this weekend for the second race of the season on the track. Coming off an eventful weekend at Pocono, there are many storylines that will be resumed on track at Richmond, Virginia.
Richmond Raceway will host the 22nd race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. The Cook Out 400 Cup race is scheduled for 3:00 PM ET this Sunday, July 30.
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With the Cup series drivers making their second trip of the season to the three-quarter mile oval in Virginia, the pecking order for Sunday's race is already known. Hendrick Motorsports drivers dominated in the Toyota Owners 400 in April, but Joe Gibbs Racing was also a strong contender in the early stages of the race.
With JGR drivers going from strength to strength in the last few races, another strong weekend is expected for the Toyota drivers. But with the playoffs nearing and plenty of drivers desperately looking for a win, the race might hold a few surprises.
Here are the four drivers that fans need to keep an eye on in the Cook Out 400:
#4 Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain who had a flying start to his 2023 campaign had scored a third-place finish in Richmond in the spring race. Although his recent performances have been far from how his season began, the Trackhouse Racing driver will be hoping to better his results from the previous visit.
Chastain has already won a race at Nashville and is now looking forward to scoring playoff points to cement his position for the playoff season. He currently stands fifth in the regular season drivers standings, almost 100 points behind the leader.
#3 William Byron
William Byron has not been the fastest driver in the last few races, but he will now be returning to the tracks where he dominated early in the season. The #24 Hendrick Motorsports driver finished 24th in the Toyota Owners 400, owing to a late race spin.
However, he led 155 laps in the spring race, the highest among the grid, and will be seeking redemption on the 0.75-mile oval. Byron has a third-place best finish at Richmond and will be looking to better that stat by scoring his fifth win of the season.
#2 Kyle Larson
While Byron dominated the spring race, it was teammate Kyle Larson who went to the victory lane. Larson has two wins on the track and is a top pick for the win on Sunday, given his recent form.
Larson will be coming in hot from the debacle at Pocono where he was on course to victory but ended up finishing 20th. Keep an eye on the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver, who will be aiming for his elusive third win of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
#1 Martin Truex Jr.
Martin Truex Jr. has led the Joe Gibbs Racing team and the Toyota contingent this season. The #19 driver's previous visit to Richmond ended on a bad note as he tumbled down the order due to a strategy mishap.
However, there were plenty of silver linings in his performance in April, as he led 56 laps. With the #19 team making huge strides in execution, Truex Jr. is a favorite to win the race.
Martin Truex Jr. has three wins on the track and will be looking to add to the list this weekend.
Catch the drivers live in action on USA, NBC Sports, and MRN at 3 pm ET.
