Cook Out 400
The Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway was decidedly not your usual short-track race. It went caution-free, save for stage breaks, until lap 391 when the No. 99 of Daniel Saurez spun in Turn 4.
While Chris Buescher held onto the lead in a final restart to claim the checkered flag, it was seventh-place finisher, Martin Truex, Jr. who turned the heads of Pit Pass Network staff this week.
Rich MARvelous Move of the Race
Truex qualified P10, but after contact with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. on Lap 2, he got bumped back to P17.
Running a different pit strategy, he and crew chief James Small opted to make only one stop in the second stage. Truex came to his crew on Lap 148 from P22. From there, the majority of the field pitted again to break the stage in half, but Truex stayed on track to finish the stage P8.
On Lap 293, Truex claimed the lead until he opted to pit on Lap 312. He reclaimed the lead on Lap 347, and without pitting again finished the day P7.
Small’s gamble paid off big for the No. 19 team.
Honorable Mention
As mentioned, Busecher snagged the win and locked himself into the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. In the lone practice session, Buescher sat P3, but did not back that up with his qualifying effort. While he started the race P26, he had a very solid day from start to finish in the Cook Out 400.
Buescher took the lead on Lap 347 and did not look back. Additionally, he held off last week’s winner, Denny Hamlin, on the final restart to secure the win.
He was backed up by spot-on pit stops and exceptional pit strategy from atop the No. 17 pit box.
It was a true team effort at Richmond.
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