All across the country, Saturday night means one thing and one thing only for racers and race fans alike. Saturday night is the night for short track racing as tracks far and wide hold their features, whether for the local programs that race on their tracks each week or for whatever regional or even national touring series comes to visit. This Saturday night, Richmond Raceway in Virginia opens its gates for a night of short track racing, but on a far grander scale than anywhere else.

For just the second time in 2025, the NASCAR Cup Series will race on a Saturday night with their annual stop in Richmond for the Cook Out 400, a highly anticipated event given Richmond’s move from two race dates annually to just one. It’s also the penultimate race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, which means the last opportunity for winless drivers this season to earn a playoff spot before next weekend’s all-or-nothing regular season finale at Daytona.

The tension this race presents could show exactly what drivers are willing to do to win a race, as was the case last year when a desperate Austin Dillon bowled over both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the final corner to take the win by force — A move which wound up setting a precedent, as NASCAR would later penalize Dillon for rough driving and rule that his win was impermissible for playoff eligibility.

Where to watch the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond

When: Sat., Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Richmond Raceway — Richmond, Va.
TV: USA
Stream: fubo (Start watching, save $20!)

Storyline to watch

This weekend marks the fourth time this season that Goodyear has brought its softer short track tire, as the same tire that was used at Bowman Gray Stadium, Martinsville Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway will be used at Richmond. The right side tire is the same compound that was used for the “Option” tire brought to Richmond a year ago, while the left side is slightly softer — Which will place even more of an emphasis on tire management and conservation given the heavy falloff these tires present and Richmond’s highly worn and abrasive surface.

When asked by CBS Sports about his expectations for the tire — particularly given how the shape and geometry of Richmond is far different than the bullring-style tracks it’s run on before — Austin Cindric pointed to last year’s Option tire in offering a guideline as to how the tire is expected to influence Richmond’s racing.

“I don’t have any big question marks heading into the weekend other than just kind of adjusting for it,” Cindric said. “It’s very similar to the Red tire that we ran in the Option tire race last year, so I expect a lot of similarities in falloff, in balance characteristics to that. And that’s kind of what we’ve been working on as a team to look at.”

NASCAR news of the weekNASCAR officials say they have no plans to curtail or regulate driver celebrations after Xfinity Series star Connor Zilisch broke his collarbone after slipping and falling off the door of his car in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen. Zilisch, who was briefly knocked unconscious in the fall and was forced to withdraw from a planned start in last Sunday’s Cup Series race, had surgery to have plates and screws inserted into his collarbone in order to help his injury heal and return to racing as quickly as possible.

Though there are no plans to prevent drivers from climbing on their cars in celebration, NASCAR managing director of communications Mike Forde noted on an episode of Hauler Talk that officials may implement a check to ensure that the window net is placed inside of the car for post-race celebrations instead of on the door. Zilisch’s window net was hanging over the door during his Victory Lane incident, which is believed to have been a contributing factor to him slipping.

The Athletic reports that Dover Motor Speedway is being considered as the site of the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race, a move which would have major implications for both Dover and North Wilkesboro Speedway, which has hosted the All-Star Race since 2023. The corresponding move for Dover hosting the All-Star Race, if it comes to pass, would be for North Wilkesboro to hold a Cup Series points race for the first time since 1996.Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice told SiriusXM Friday that Ty Dillon is expected to return to the team in 2026, and that they are close to having a deal done for him to do so. Dillon has rejuvenated his Cup career with Kaulig, finishing a season-best eighth at Atlanta and making it all the way to the final round of NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge.NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Stewart Friesen declined to apply for a playoff waiver, effectively withdrawing from the Truck Series playoffs as he continues to recover from pelvis and leg injuries suffered in a massive dirt modified accident. Friesen’s withdrawal comes just ahead of the Truck Series regular season finale, and it has major consequences at the cut line: Jake Garcia now holds the final spot in the playoffs by 11 points over Ben Rhodes and 21 points over Gio Ruggiero entering Friday night’s cutoff race.

While Friesen will likely miss the rest of the season, his team will continue to compete for both the Truck Series driver’s and owner’s championship. Kaden Honeycutt, who is virtually locked into the playoffs, will drive Friesen’s No. 52 for the rest of the season beginning at Richmond.

Pick to Win

Ryan Preece (+4000) – This race is tailor made for Ryan Preece. He comes off a fifth place finish at Iowa where he ran as high as third late in the race, his skills as a short track racer are set to matter enormously given how important tire conservation will be, and he flashed his upside at Richmond two years ago when he ran up front in the closing laps and finished fifth despite plodding through what was otherwise a miserable season in Stewart-Haas’ 41 car.

I usually avoid outright proclamations when it comes to race picks, but I’m pushing my chips to the center of the table on this one. I say Ryan Preece gets his first Cup win at Richmond and locks himself into the playoffs.