Austin Dillon wins the NASCAR Cook Out 400 race for the second year in a row at Richmond Raceway

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Austin Dillon -- in the Number 3 car for Richard Childress Racing -- took home back-to-back Cook Out 400 race wins on Saturday night, under the lights!

After a controversial win in 2024, Dillon returned to Richmond Raceway to hold the lead in a nail-biter with other drivers on fresher tires giving chase.

William Byron secured the Regular Season Championship with a 12th-place finish.

Starting grid

After Friday’s qualifying, Ryan Preece began the race in pole position, followed by Tyler Reddick and A.J. Allmendinger in second and third.

Local driver Denny Hamlin — the most successful driver at Richmond Raceway in the 21st Century — started the race from fourth place. Dillon started in 11th position.

As the sun goes down, the lights go up at Richmond Raceway for the Cook Out 400. (Photo: Tannock Blair, 8News)

Stage 1

Reddick lost places to Allmendinger on Lap 8 and Hamlin on Lap 29.

Less than halfway through the stage -- on Lap 31 -- Byron made a strategic early pit stop, setting off a chain reaction of other drivers following suit.

Hamlin, Allmendinger and Reddick all joined in the pit stop scramble, but Preece -- still the race leader -- chose to stay out.

Ryan Preece, driver of the #60 Kroger/Kleenex Ford, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on August 16, 2025, in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

On Lap 59 -- just 11 laps from the end of the stage -- Hamlin and Reddick caught up to Preece with Reddick taking the lead.

As the first stage came to an end, Reddick still held the lead with Bubba Wallace in second -- gaining places from his seventh-place start -- and Denny Hamlin in third. Ryan Preece closed out the stage in 15th position.

Stage 2

With a clean change during the pit stop, Bubba Wallace overtook the lead, followed by Reddick in second and Christopher Bell in third. Hamlin's crew encountered a technical issue during his stop, causing him to leave pit road in 17th place. He also received a penalty for speeding in the pits.

At Lap 81, Bell overtook Reddick and started applying pressure to Wallace.

Ryan Preece made a pit stop at Lap 113, being the first to commit to a two-stop strategy. Michael McDowell was the next driver to pit at Lap 120 -- with most of the field following shortly after.

After the pit stop reshuffling -- at Lap 142 -- Reddick found himself back in the lead with Wallace in second and Dillon in third.

At Lap 164, Wallace overtook Reddick for the lead.

Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, and Chris Buescher made a strategic pit stop on Lap 174. Hamlin -- who had been making good progress moving up the field after a tough start to the stage -- was among a group of drivers who followed suit, but his pit crew once again ran into issues with his tire change, resulting in an extended pit stop.

At Lap 184, Reddick was spun out after being hit by Ty Gibbs, who was battling with Daniel Suarez.

At the restart on Lap 189, Wallace led the pack, followed by Suarez and Joey Logano -- who clawed his way back to the front pack after starting Stage 1 in last place due to a qualifying crash.

The restart was interrupted on Lap 193 after Cody Ware was spun out battling at the rear of the field.

In the first lap back after the second restart, a big multi-car wreck in the mid-field caused yet another yellow flag. Chase Briscoe and Kyle Busch made contact, causing Hamlin, Byron, Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Justin Haley, Todd Gilliland, Cole Custer, Erik Jones and Chase Elliott to crash.

As a result of the crash, Haley and Elliott's cars were retired from the race.

At the restart on Lap 214, Wallace led the field, followed by Suarez and Ryan Blaney. All three held their positions to close out Stage 2.

Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Leidos Toyota, leads the field during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on August 16, 2025, in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Stage 3

During the caution flag pit stop at the start of Stage 3, McDowell gained an advantage by only taking two new tires, leaving pit road first. Wallace and Blaney followed him out in second and third position.

On Lap 242, Dillon made his move, taking the lead from McDowell after he made contact with Wallace.

Chastain and McDowell made their strategic pit stops on Lap 285, prompting the rest of the field to do the same over the following laps. On Lap 291, Wallace encountered issues leaving pit road as a front left tire fell off after leaving his stall. Briscoe's pit crew was closer to his vehicle and jumped into action to reattach Wallace's tire for him.

On Lap 295, Gibbs -- who was in 20th place -- had a fire break out on the front left of his vehicle due to a brake issue.

At the halfway point of the stage -- Lap 315 -- Blaney had the lead with Dillon in second and Bowman in third.

After several laps of battle, Dillon managed to take the lead over Bowman on Lap 340. Only one lap later, Dillon decided to make a strategic pit stop.

Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Bass Pro/Winchester Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on August 16, 2025, in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

With about 40 laps left to go in the race, Dillon had a pull-away lead, but Blaney had the fresh tires, chasing him down as the laps ticked down.

At Lap 385, Bowman passed Blaney to take second place. The gap to Dillon was still more than 3 seconds.

By the time the checkered flag fell, it was Dillon's night -- winning by more than 2 seconds ahead of Bowman in second place and Blaney in third.