Drivers to watch, drivers with questions to answer in Cook Out 400 at Richmond

Richmond Raceway, a track that many NASCAR drivers know well. This Sunday the Cook Out 400 should be quite a show. Coming back to the track for a second time this season, there are a lot of questions. Will Hendrick have the same speed? Can Chase Elliott outperform Josh Berry’s P2 finish from that first Richmond race? And what about Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin?

Earlier this season, Kyle Larson was great at Richmond and came up with the win. Berry filling in for Elliott, was second that day, showing Hendrick had plenty of speed for the short track. Things change, though.

Weather changes, the track changes a bit, and teams have done more work. So, it isn’t going to be the same situation this time around in the Cook Out 400. Let’s get into the drivers to watch this Sunday as we prepare for 400 miles of action.

Drivers to watch at Richmond

Kyle Larson
We’ve already brought him up, but Larson is a driver to watch. He has shown that he might be the best short-track racer this season. He has won at Richmond, Martinsville, and North Wilkesboro for the All-Star Race. Larson is one to watch every week, but especially this week. Will he have that extra fire in him after the Hamlin ordeal at Pocono?

Martin Truex Jr.
The only reason why you can’t say Larson is the best on short tracks is this guy. Truex Jr. has been the top of the field in the last eight weeks or so. That’s why he’s favored to win this weekend at 9-2 odds. P3 at Pocono and looking for more. Truex is going to try and ride off into the sunset with a championship this year.

Denny Hamlin
This is Denny’s home track. He has performed well here so many times, picked up wins, and should be a factor on Sunday. With this being a track he and Larson run well at, expect chances for drama and retaliation. If we’re lucky, this one will come down to the 5 and 11 once again.

Kyle Busch
Usually, we just stick to the rule of three here. However, Busch has been too good and too consistent at this track to not include him here. More times than not, Busch is in the top-10 at Richmond. That can only lead to wins over time.

Drivers with questions to answer in Cook Out 400

Chase Elliott
Everyone expects Elliott to win his way into the playoffs. His chance at making it on points has practically vanished after several disappointing finishes. Richmond is a track Elliott has never won at in Cup, but he has a number of top-5 finishes. He needs to get it done in the next five weeks or it will be a playoffs without Elliott.

Ross Chastain
Can Chastain prove that he still has a winning performance in him? He ran well at Richmond earlier this season. For the Cook Out 400, it would be nice to see him return to competitive form. Since winning at Nashville, Chastain has finishes of P22, P35, P23, and P13. Time to bounce back ahead of the playoffs.

Ty Gibbs
I want to see if Ty Gibbs has it in him to pull off another top-5 finish. He earned his first one ever last week at Pocono. Let’s see the rookie follow it up, and maybe even scare the rest of the drivers on the bubble by picking up points. I’ve got him going head-to-head with Daniel Suárez in our weekly Bubble Battle. Let’s see how he performs coming off a career-best.