League: NASCAR Sport: Motorsports Country: United States Category: Scores & Results

Austin Dillon returns to Richmond as defending NASCAR Cup Series winner

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 12, 2026, 1:40 PM

Last updated Aug 12, 2026

Austin Dillon returns to Richmond as defending NASCAR Cup Series winner

Summary

Austin Dillon heads into this weekend’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway as the defending champion, having won the 2025 event by a significant margin. Dillon led a race-high 107 laps and claimed his victory by 2.471 seconds over Alex Bowman, securing his spot in the Chase. He dominated the later stages of the race, reflecting a strong performance for Richard Childress Racing. Several Chase contenders had issues during the race, reshaping the playoff. This year, Dillon seeks to become the first repeat winner at Richmond since 2019, facing new tire strategies that could impact race dynamics.

Source Links

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Status Watch

•Dillon won the 2025 Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway.
•He led the race for 107 laps and finished ahead of Bowman.
•The victory secured his place in the Chase for the Cup.
•Dillon aims for a repeat win at Richmond, last achieved in 2019.
•New tire compounds will increase strategy challenges this weekend.

Latest Updates

1:40 PMYahoo Sports — Who Won Last Year’s NASCAR Cup Race at Richmond?

What they're saying

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Austin Dillon returns to Richmond as the defending NASCAR Cup Series winner after dominating the 2025 Cook Out 400. Here's a look back at last year's race and the complete top-10 finishers.
— Yahoo Sports

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