The NASCAR Cup Series will hold its first Saturday night race of the year as the 2026 Cook Out 400 takes place from Richmond Raceway. Austin Dillon has been the victor each of the last two years as he looks to join Richard Petty, who won five in a row, as the only drivers with at least three straight checkered flags.
The green flag drops at 7 p.m. ET, with Ryan Blaney as the +400 favorite to win. The 2026 Cook Out 400 odds have Blaney ahead of Denny Hamlin (+500), Christopher Bell (+650), Chase Briscoe (+700), and Joey Logano (+750). Dillon is a longer shot at +1600.
According to Mike McClure's model, Blaney has two wins already this season, making him a strong contender for the Cook Out 400. McClure's model simulates every lap of NASCAR action 10,000 times and has nailed a whopping 30 winners since 2021.
McClure is also high on Tyler Reddick at +2500, who has five wins this season overall and a pair of top-10 finishes in the past three races. Reddick has finished in the top 10 at Richmond twice in his time with 23XI Racing.
However, McClure is fading Joey Logano, one of the favorites at +750. The model projects that Logano doesn't even finish in the top 5. Logano has a relatively strong overall track history at Richmond, but hasn't taken first place since 2017.
McClure's model is also backing another longshot at around +2000, but the name of the driver has not been disclosed. You can only see who they are at SportsLine.
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The 2026 Cook Out 400 will be a closely watched event, with many drivers looking to make a statement. Will Blaney take the top spot, or will one of the longshots make a surprise run? The green flag is about to drop, and only time will tell.
The NASCAR Cup Series will hold its first Saturday night race of the year as the 2026 Cook Out 400 takes place from Richmond Raceway.
Source: CBS