Winners and losers from an action-packed NASCAR Cup race at Richmond

There were 24 lead changes at Richmond Raceway in a 400-lap event that featured nonstop action. The tire falloff made for a fascinating race with multiple strategies throughout the field. And in the end, the NASCAR Cup Series had its 14th different winner of the 2025 season as Austin Dillon locked himself into the playoffs.

Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from Richmond:

WINNER: Austin Dillon erases the stain of 2024 Richmond controversy

Entering Richmond this weekend, everyone was talking about the infamous finish from one year ago, where Dillon intentionally wrecked two drivers to win, and was later kicked out of the playoffs for it. The only way to overcome that was to come back here and win it again, but few thought that it was possible. And yet, the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet led over 100 laps and captured the checkered flag (cleanly), securing himself a spot in the playoffs. It was the best race of Dillon’s career, managing tires well and executing perfectly. And, he did it while recovering from a broken rib!

LOSER: RFK Racing faces a dire playoff situation

Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

There were high hopes for RFK at Richmond. Brad Keselowski nearly won the last short track race on the schedule, and Ryan Preece started from pole position. Chris Buescher also held the 16th and final playoff spot. Unfortunately, after 400 laps of racing, all three RFK drivers are now in a must-win situation entering the regular season finale at Daytona. Buescher finished 30th, Preece 35th, and while Keselowski earned a top ten, that doesn’t help their situation. At best, they can hope one of their three cars win at Daytona, or all of them will be eliminated.

WINNER: Goodyear for bringing a tire with significant falloff

Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Samuel Corum / Getty Images

After a frustrating race at Iowa, Goodyear stepped up to the plate and brought a tire with significant falloff to Richmond. The result? The most exciting short track race of the year, masking the many shortcomings of the Next Gen car and giving the fans action from start to finish. The race became a chess match as teams decided on how to use their eight sets of sticker tires, leading to constant passing and a plethora of strategies. 

LOSER: 23XI’s incredible run falls apart

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Toyota

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

At one point, 23XI Racing was running 1-2 at Richmond. Tyler Reddick won Stage 1 and Bubba Wallace won Stage 2, combining to lead 164 of 400 laps. But like RFK, whatever could go wrong did go wrong. Reddick got spun out in the middle of the race, while Wallace lost a wheel in a late-race pit stop. In the end, Wallace finished a disappointing 28th and Reddick was 34th. Reddick is still in a fairly solid position to make the playoffs on points, but he did not clinch a spot like he had hoped to do.

WINNER: SVG continues to improve on ovals

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Samuel Corum / Getty Images

While there is a slice of the NASCAR world that doesn’t want to appreciate the greatness of SVG on road courses, or the incredible task he’s undertaking at 36 years old to learn ovals, he continues to show incredible improvement. At Richmond, he beat teammate Ross Chastain and earned a 14th-place finish, matching his best oval result of the year. And with the playoffs just around the corner, that kind of pace plus his bonus points would be enough to carry him through the Round of 16.

LOSER: Kyle Busch and a night to forget

Richmond

After topping the speed charts in practice, there were high hopes for Busch at Richmond. But while his teammate won the race, he was lucky to finish inside the top 20. The car was out of control at the start of the race, and he got caught speeding on pit road. Later on, he was at the epicenter of a major wreck in Turn 3, and accidentally hooked Chase Elliott into the wall after the fact as he was trying to drive through the smoke. 

WINNER: William Byron clinches the regular season title

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

With Elliott’s Richmond DNF, which Byron had a front row seat for, the No. 24 was able to clinch the regular season title with one race to spare. He now has 15 bonus points in his pocket, which will go a long way in his efforts to win the NASCAR Cup title for the very first time. However, the regular season champion has yet to go on to win the big prize in three previous years of the Next Gen era, but maybe Byron will break the streak.

LOSER: Alex Bowman faces an uncomfortable week at Daytona

Watch: Alex Bowman ‘didn’t get any breaks’ with runner-up finish

Bowman was frustrated with lapped traffic in the closing laps at Richmond, where he finished second to Dillon. It was a great result, but once you look at the playoff picture, you’ll understand why he was so stressed. Dillon’s victory puts him on the bubble for Daytona, so any new winner from below the cut-line will knock him out of the championship hunt. And being Daytona, that is a very likely outcome.