Cup Series finally reaches Richmond as drivers angle for playoffs

Time is running out on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, but it can’t end fast enough for Ford driver Chris Buescher.
Coming off another strong showing at Watkins Glen — though not nearly strong enough to even begin thinking of threatening the nearly invincible Shane van Gisbergen — Buescher is in the 16-car playoff field that will try to raise the season-long trophy in Phoenix.
For now, at least.
Two races remain to create the postseason lineup, starting with Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va.
In a rare move by NASCAR, the stop in the Virginia capital is the only one this campaign, marking the first time since 1958 (excluding the 2020 COVID-impacted season) that the top series has raced just once at the short track.
Buescher currently sits on the bubble at 16th, ahead of RFK Racing teammate Ryan Preece. He earned 44 points Sunday — second only to Ryan Blaney’s 45 — and expanded his lead to 34 over Preece, driver of the No. 60 Ford.
With little chance Sunday of catching and passing van Gisbergen, the No. 17 team decided to focus on points by staying out. Buescher won Stage 1 and ultimately finished third after being passed by Christopher Bell on the last lap.
“We took the opportunity to capitalize on some big stage points there early,” Buescher said after his fourth straight top-10 on the New York road course. “I’m an avid person against points racing, but I do understand our situation at this time.”
Added Buescher’s crew chief Scott Graves, “It’s a tough decision, but unfortunately it’s the box we’re in, having to manage the two sides of it.”
Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch serve as racers who could derail Buescher in his efforts to become one of the 16 competitors seeking a title beginning on Aug. 31 at the Southern 500 in Darlington.
Those drivers represent the trio currently below the cut line who have previously won at the 3/4-mile, D-shaped “Action Track” in Virginia’s capital, though Buescher also won this race two years ago.
In fact, all four drivers have won at Richmond and Daytona, where the regular season concludes in another Saturday night shootout next week.
The previous Richmond race had an ending that fans of racing on tight bullrings have seen all around the country on Saturday nights.
Winless a year ago in the season’s 23rd race, Dillon bashed his way to the checkers by punting the Ford of leader Joey Logano in the final turn and right-rearing Denny Hamlin’s Toyota into the frontstretch wall on the way to his fifth career victory.
The last 100 yards of physicality rankled the drivers and crews of the Nos. 22 and 11 teams plus many others around the sport.
Not fond of taking wins away from the first to the line, NASCAR split the difference for the driver of the No. 3 immortalized by Dale Earnhardt, whose Wrangler Chevrolet also famously tangled with Darrell Waltrip’s ride in 1986 at Richmond — another 3 and 11 dust up.
The sanctioning body allowed Dillon’s win to stand, but ruled it would not count toward the playoffs, therefore not granting eligibility to the Richard Childress Racing team.
When drivers are heading to the start/finish line under caution before restarting, they always get the same message from their spotters: “It’ll be one to go when you get here.”
But when teams arrive at Richmond this weekend, it’ll be two to go in the big picture.