‘The fans proved that there’s nothing like Saturday night racing in Richmond, and all of us, from our track staff to our community members, have our foot on the gas, ready to go for next August’
NASCAR podcast: Previewing the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race at Daytona
The guys break down race week at Daytona International Speedway. How does the NASCAR playoff picture look? Who needs to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400?
- Richmond Raceway to host NASCAR Cup Series race in 2026 following this year’s action-packed sellout.
- The announcement follows a successful 2025 race weekend at Richmond, where Austin Dillon won the Cook Out 400, and William Byron clinched the Cup Series regular season championship.
NASCAR officials announced the 2026 schedule, and Richmond Raceway will once again host a doubleheader NASCAR race weekend next year. Under the lights in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be featured as well as a Saturday night NASCAR Cup Series race.
The 2026 NASCAR race weekend at Richmond Raceway will take place Aug. 14-15. NASCAR fans may watch the Truck Series Race the first night and the Cup Series Race the next.
“We truly couldn’t think of a better way to cap off such an incredible weekend here at Richmond Raceway than by announcing our return for next season,” Lori Waran, president of Richmond Raceway, said. “The fans proved that there’s nothing like Saturday night racing in Richmond and all of us, from our track staff to our community members, have our foot on the gas, ready to go for next August.”
On Aug. 16 at Richmond Raceway, Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon once again secured the Cook Out 400 victory on Saturday night, racing his way into the Cup Series Playoffs. In 2024, Dillon won the Cook Out 400 in overtime. Corey Heim won the Eero 250 Craftsman Truck Series at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 15.
With a 12th-place finish in the Cook Out 400, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron also secured a victory of his own in Richmond, clinching the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular season championship in front of a sold-out crowd. He was the driver who accumulated the most points during the first 26 races of the season.
For more information about the 2026 NASCAR race weekend at Richmond Raceway, visit richmondraceway.com, and to view the entire 2026 NASCAR schedule, visit nascar.com.
Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on X and @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.
Your support is vital to local journalism. Please subscribe.
Read the full article here
