Cook Out 400
Richmond Raceway — July 30, 2023
Chris Buescher
Winner
400
Laps
36
Entries
8
Leaders
Chris Buescher won the 2023 Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on July 30, 2023, leading 88 of 400 laps. Denny Hamlin finished second; Kyle Busch rounded out the podium. The race featured 8 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Track
Season
2023
Winner
Leaders
8 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | +19 | Chris Buescher |
| 2 | 2 | — | Denny Hamlin |
| 3 | 15 | +12 | Kyle Busch |
| 4 | 28 | +24 | Joey Logano |
| 5 | 17 | +12 | Ryan Preece |
| 6 | 6 | — | Brad Keselowski |
| 7 | 5 | -2 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 8 | 26 | +18 | Aric Almirola |
| 9 | 18 | +9 | Austin Dillon |
| 10 | 21 | +11 | Kevin Harvick |
| 11 | 14 | +3 | Chase Briscoe |
| 12 | 9 | -3 | Bubba Wallace |
| 13 | 7 | -6 | Chase Elliott |
| 14 | 11 | -3 | Ryan Blaney |
| 15 | 8 | -7 | Ty Gibbs |
| 16 | 12 | -4 | Tyler Reddick |
| 17 | 25 | +8 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 18 | 13 | -5 | Alex Bowman |
| 19 | 36 | +17 | Kyle Larson |
| 20 | 1 | -19 | Christopher Bell |
| 21 | — | — | Joey Logano |
| 22 | 4 | -18 | Michael McDowell |
| 23 | — | — | Ryan Preece |
| 24 | — | — | Zane Smith |
| 25 | — | — | Tyler Reddick |
| 26 | — | — | Corey LaJoie |
| 27 | — | — | Austin Cindric |
| 28 | — | — | Ryan Blaney |
| 29 | — | — | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 30 | — | — | Erik Jones |
| 31 | — | — | Kyle Larson |
| 32 | — | — | J.J. Yeley |
| 33 | — | — | Ty Gibbs |
| 34 | — | — | Kyle Busch |
| 35 | — | — | Todd Gilliland |
| 36 | — | — | Austin Dillon |
Stage Results
| Driver | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Bell | 1 | 1 | — | 20 |
| Kyle Larson | 8 | 3 | — | 11 |
| Ty Gibbs | 10 | 2 | — | 10 |
| Bubba Wallace | 3 | 18 | — | 8 |
| Denny Hamlin | 19 | 4 | — | 7 |
| Tyler Reddick | 5 | 20 | — | 6 |
| Michael McDowell | 15 | 6 | — | 5 |
| Chris Buescher | 14 | 7 | — | 4 |
| Brad Keselowski | 7 | 19 | — | 4 |
| Ryan Preece | 17 | 9 | — | 2 |
| Martin Truex, Jr. | 9 | 21 | — | 2 |
| Chase Elliott | 12 | 10 | — | 1 |
| Joey Logano | — | — | — | — |
| Ryan Preece | — | — | — | — |
| Zane Smith | — | — | — | — |
| Tyler Reddick | — | — | — | — |
| Corey LaJoie | — | — | — | — |
| Austin Cindric | — | — | — | — |
| Ryan Blaney | — | — | — | — |
| A.J. Allmendinger | — | — | — | — |
| Erik Jones | — | — | — | — |
| Kyle Larson | — | — | — | — |
| J.J. Yeley | — | — | — | — |
| Ty Gibbs | — | — | — | — |
| Kyle Busch | — | — | — | — |
| Todd Gilliland | — | — | — | — |
| Austin Dillon | — | — | — | — |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 26 matched drivers, the model averaged 7.0 positions off — better than the season average of 8.5. Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Buescher | 10.3 | 1 | +9.3 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 6.8 | 2 | +4.8 |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | 15.6 | 3 | +12.6 |
| 4 | Joey Logano | 12.1 | 4 | +8.1 |
| 5 | Ryan Preece | 10.8 | 5 | +5.8 |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 12.0 | 6 | +6.0 |
| 7 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 13.8 | 7 | +6.8 |
| 9 | Austin Dillon | 17.0 | 9 | +8.0 |
| 11 | Chase Briscoe | 12.6 | 11 | +1.6 |
| 12 | Bubba Wallace | 14.0 | 12 | +2.0 |
| 13 | Chase Elliott | 8.3 | 13 | -4.7 |
| 14 | Ryan Blaney | 6.8 | 14 | -7.2 |
| 15 | Ty Gibbs | 12.6 | 15 | -2.4 |
| 16 | Tyler Reddick | 9.9 | 16 | -6.1 |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 20.1 | 17 | +3.1 |
| 18 | Alex Bowman | 14.0 | 18 | -4.0 |
| 19 | Kyle Larson | 8.6 | 19 | -10.4 |
| 20 | Christopher Bell | 8.6 | 20 | -11.4 |
| 22 | Michael McDowell | 15.0 | 22 | -7.0 |
| 24 | Zane Smith | 20.2 | 24 | -3.8 |
(showing top 20 finishers)
Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.
Historical Context
- Chris Buescher: has 10 career starts at Richmond Raceway with a 17.5 avg finish (1 win) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Denny Hamlin: was the model’s top pick based on 27 career starts at Richmond Raceway with a 9.8 avg finish (3 wins), finishing P2 on the day.
- Kyle Busch: was the biggest surprise, finishing P3 vs predicted P16. Track history: 34 starts, 10.2 avg finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2023 Cook Out 400?
Chris Buescher won the 2023 Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway driving for RFK Racing.
Where was the 2023 Cook Out 400 held?
The 2023 Cook Out 400 was held at Richmond Raceway on July 30, 2023.