Haas Factory Team
Richmond Raceway
NASCAR Cup Series Notes
Race Information
● Event: Cook Out 400 (Round 24 of 36)
● Date/Time: Saturday, August 15 | 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
● TV/Radio: USA / Motor Racing Network / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90)
● Location: Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Virginia
● Layout: 0.75-mile asphalt D-shaped short track oval
● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/300 miles (Stages: 70-160-170)
● Track Activity:
Friday, August, 14
Practice
3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
TruTV | MRN | SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Qualifying
4:40 p.m. ET/1:40 p.m. PT
TruTV | MRN | SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular season enters its closing stretch this weekend as Cole Custer and Haas Factory Team head to Richmond Raceway for a showdown under the lights.
● Known as America’s Premier Short Track, Richmond Raceway has played host to NASCAR racing since 1953, when Lee Petty drove a Dodge to victory on what was then a half-mile dirt track located at the Richmond Fairgrounds.
● Located just outside the Richmond, Virginia, city limits, the historic 3/4-mile, D-shaped oval has played host to more than 100 NASCAR Cup Series races.
● Richmond’s worn-down asphalt surface creates one of the biggest challenges for drivers. Finding speed while managing tire wear is critical, and significant tire falloff can create multiple racing lines and plenty of passing opportunities.
By the Numbers
● Custer makes his eighth NASCAR Cup Series start at Richmond this weekend, where he owns a 22.4 average finish. His best result came in September 2020 when he finished 14th.
● The California native has recorded six top-10 finishes in nine O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Richmond, highlighted by a victory in the 2019 spring race after leading 122 laps.
● In his 23 NASCAR Cup Series starts this season, Custer has completed 5,534 of a possible 5,880 laps, resulting in an impressive 94.1% lap completion percentage.
● NASCAR Cup Series teams will run a familiar Goodyear Racing Eagle tire setup at Richmond Raceway this weekend, with the same left- and right-side tires that were used at Martinsville Speedway in March and North Wilkesboro Speedway last month. This short-track tire setup is designed to offer increased grip and lap time fall-off over the course of a run. The right-side tire has also been used at Bowman Gray Stadium and Phoenix Raceway this season.
No. 41 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Driver and Crew Chief
Driver: Cole Custer
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California
Crew Chief: Aaron Kramer
Hometown: Wellsville, New York