The Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway , was a heartbreaker for Ryan Blaney. The Team Penske star battled door to door with Austin Dillon for the lead, taking it from Carson Hocevar on Lap 304 and holding his own in a side by side duel for several laps. But Richmond’s unforgiving surface and a critical tire strategy call turned his victory bid into a third place finish.

Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet stayed out one lap longer during the final green flag pit cycle, giving him fresher tires to cycle back to the lead. Blaney, despite a strong early run, couldn’t keep up, and Alex Bowman slipped past for second with 16 laps to go, leaving Blaney frustrated but reflective.

Richmond’s sold out crowd witnessed a short track classic, with tire management and pit strategy stealing the show. Blaney’s No. 12 Ford led three times for 39 laps, showing championship form, but the track’s abrasive surface chewed through his Goodyears faster than expected.

Hocevar’s three stop gamble backfired, landing him 15th, while polesitter Ryan Preece faded to 35th after early promise. For Blaney, it was a case of being oh so close, his sixth top 10 in seven Richmond races, yet undone by the smallest margins. His post race comments laid bare the sting of a win that slipped away.

Richmond chewed Blaney’s tires and chances

Speaking to Fox after the race, Blaney didn’t hide his disappointment,  “I thought I had a chance. I was really, really good at the first run of the third stage, at the end jumped him the second run. I think he pitted a lap later than us and he got by me at the very end.” Dillon’s extra lap on track before pitting gave him fresher tires, a game changer on Richmond’s abrasive surface where lap times drop by nearly two seconds over a 60 lap run. That single lap let Dillon pull away, leaving Blaney’s short run speed useless as his tires faded.

He went on, “I really thought pretty far away, but I was like kind of cruise around, try to save tire, let tires kind of do their thing, and fell off the hardest I ever fell off all night and unfortunately lost second.” Blaney’s conservative approach, easing off to preserve grip, backfired spectacularly. Richmond’s notorious tire wear punished his strategy, and Bowman’s steadier pace let him steal second. It’s a track where Blaney’s been close before, leading 128 laps in 2021 but fading late, and this time felt like déjà vu.

Blaney wrapped up, “So yeah, definitely thought we had a shot before the end to just track changes.” His frustration is understandable, Richmond has been his playground, with consistent top finishes. But between Dillon’s perfect pit call and the track’s tire eating nature, Blaney was left grasping at a win that felt so close. Fans on X echoed his pain, one noting, “Blaney had it until those tires gave up.”

Penske Trinity shines in top five

Team Penske turned heads at Richmond with a triple threat performance that lit up the Cook Out 400. Ryan Blaney led the charge, finishing third after leading 39 laps and battling Dillon to the wire. “Overall, great showing, all of Team Penske,” Blaney told USA Network. “Me, Joey and Austin running top five… by far the most fun I’ve ever had at this place.” It was a banner night for the team, with all three drivers flexing muscle on the short track.

Joey Logano, the 2023 champ, fought through tire woes, flat tires in practice, qualifying, and even during the race, to grab fourth. “Probably the most frustrating top five you could imagine,” Logano said. “I felt like our car was good enough to win. At the end, the car was really rippin’, but just too little too late. Needed maybe 500 laps instead of 400.” His late surge showed why he’s a playoff threat, even on a tough night.

Austin Cindric, the 2022 Daytona 500 winner, rounded out the top five, a boost for the fourth year driver heading into the playoffs. “Fantastic night for everybody at Team Penske,” Cindric said. “Three cars in the top five, next best thing is (a) win.” The Penske trio’s dominance, Blaney, Logano, and Cindric all in the top five, sent a message. With Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, Josh Berry, Brad Keselowski, and Denny Hamlin filling out the top 10, the race was a star studded affair, but Penske stole the show.

This momentum couldn’t come at a better time. Penske’s drivers led 125 laps combined at the season opening Daytona 500, and with the playoffs looming, they’re primed to carry this speed into the high stakes races ahead. Richmond’s tire eating chaos didn’t stop their charge, it only made their top five sweep sweeter.