Richmond Raceway Set for Action as Ryan Preece Wins Pole for Cook Out 400
Ryan Preece will start from the pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway, aiming for a crucial postseason berth. Preece recorded a lap of 121.381 mph (22.244 seconds), marking his second career pole and his first with RFK Racing.
“Our objective was to assess tire fall-off and manage pace. I pushed the limits in qualifying, and the communication and trust with my team really grew,” Preece stated following his pole performance. "I drove it into Turn 1 knowing I was on the limit, thanks to great adjustments from Derrick [Finley] and the entire No. 60 team."
Tyler Reddick will join Preece on the front row with a qualifying speed of 120.908 mph. The top five qualifiers include AJ Allmendinger (third, 120.854 mph), Denny Hamlin (fourth, 120.822 mph), and Chase Elliott (fifth, 120.746 mph). Notable qualifiers outside the top ten include defending race winner Austin Dillon (11th) and Cup Series points leader William Byron (14th).
Chris Buescher, currently holding the final playoff spot, qualified 12th, just ahead of Preece. Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson will start 28th and 30th, respectively, despite Busch being the fastest in practice. Ross Chastain will begin 33rd.
Joey Logano’s qualifying attempt was abandoned due to a significant tire rub following damage from a wall contact in practice. Extensive repairs are underway, and Logano will start from the back of the field.
The Cook Out 400 is scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, promising an exciting showdown as the playoffs approach.
