The Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway was completely sold out on Saturday, as fans flocked to witness the high-speed action that the three-quarter-mile oval delivers. The race turned out to be a huge hit as William Byron clinched the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship, while Austin Dillon secured his sixth career victory.
Richmond Raceway President Lori Collier Waran broke the news of the sellout ahead of the Cup race. She said:
“Our fans have long told us that Saturday night NASCAR Cup Series racing and Richmond Raceway are a perfect combination, so this announcement is a testament to them. We are grateful for their enthusiasm and support, which is going to make tonight’s Cook Out 400 a celebration we’ll long remember.”
Dillon led the race for 107 laps, a first for the No. 3 in the Cup Series since Dale Earnhardt led 107 laps in his legendary victory in the 1998 Daytona 500. The win marks Dillon’s sixth victory in the Cup Series, which came a year after his previous win at Richmond.
Dillon successfully secured a spot in the playoffs, offering Richard Childress Racing a shot at the Cup Series championship. Addressing his first win of the season, he said:
“Man, that feels good, got to thank the good Lord above. I really wanted that one. Last year hurt really bad, just going through the whole process of it. But this one feels so sweet. Man, I love Richmond.
“God has timing. His timing is the best timing. … It’s just so special. Every one of these means so much to me. My grandfather [NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress], for all that he’s put up in believing in me, because there’s been a lot of ups and downs, could have been easy for him to change the drivers in this 3-car. Today it feels really darn good.”
Byron, who finished the Cup race in 12th place, won his first regular-season championship at Richmond Raceway. He started the 2025 Cup Series season on a high note by winning the Daytona 500 for the second time. He needed to finish 62 points ahead of the runner-up to win the championship. Speaking about the big achievement, Byron said:
“It’s really the best 12th-place finish I’ve ever had. We came in here and really just did a solid job. We qualified solid. We always want more, but this is definitely our toughest race track. We just kind of came in here, had a solid plan and executed it.
“This team has worked extremely hard. All the guys have worked hard through the summer months. Feel like this has been the best summer we’ve ever had speed-wise. Had a lot of tough things happen throughout probably really early July. We had a lot of speed, but some crashes in practice and qualifying. Just some car issues and things that happened. Just really, really cool.”
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