It’s time for NASCAR to take over Richmond for a weekend of racing. Here are the details as the top stock car drivers arrive in town:<\/p>\n
Did I miss the spring race?<\/p>\n
For the first time, NASCAR only scheduled one weekend of racing this year in Richmond. The second weekend was moved to Mexico City as part of NASCAR’s push into new markets.<\/p>\n
Are tickets available?<\/p>\n
A limited number of seats<\/a> are still available for Saturday night’s main event, the Cook Out 400 Cup Series race. Tickets are plentiful for Friday night, when the Truck Series will race.<\/p>\n The consolidation to one race, plus a return to night racing, appears to have led to an increase in fan interest. Richmond’s races were moved to the daytime to accommodate television preferences, but did not draw as well in the midday sun.<\/p>\n When does the race start?<\/p>\n The race is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., and will be broadcast on USA Network.<\/p>\n Sign up for The Richmonder<\/p>\n Local news that matters, with unbiased reporting on the issues Richmond cares about.<\/p>\n No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.<\/p>\n Who’s going to win?<\/p>\n Never bet against Denny Hamlin in Richmond. The Chesterfield native is considered one of the the greatest NASCAR drivers to never win a championship, but is in the mix this season, even at age 44.<\/p>\n Former crew chief Steve Letarte said this week he’s defying the norms of aging and sports.<\/p>\n “I think he is as good as he’s ever been, and that’s rare to say of an athlete of his age,” said Letarte, who will call the race on USA. “Most races we run, he’s the oldest driver in the field.<\/p>\n “It appears from the broadcast booth that his reaction time, his physical attributes, are as good as ever.”<\/p>\n There are only two races until NASCAR’s playoffs begin, and a number of big-name drivers, including Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, must win in Richmond to make the postseason.<\/p>\n Did you see the driver slip and fall while celebrating?<\/p>\n It’s the talk of the racing world. Connor Zilisch won’t be in Richmond<\/a> this weekend.<\/p>\n I’ve watched racing for 35 yrs and I’ve never seen anything like this happen. Zilisch the biggest young star in Nascar you hate to see something so flukey like this happen to the kid. pic.twitter.com\/JCl5dPaHoM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Wesley Colvin (@TruUKFan) August 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t