Blaney Claims Pole for Richmond Cup Series Event

Ryan Blaney has secured the pole position for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, setting the stage for Saturday’s competition. Blaney recorded a qualifying lap of 22.225 seconds, edging out Chase Briscoe by half a tenth of a second to claim the top starting spot.

The 400-lap event, covering 300 miles on the 0.75-mile oval in Virginia, is scheduled for a green flag at approximately 6:10 p.m. CT on Saturday, 15 August 2026. The race structure includes three stages, concluding at 70, 160, and 170 laps respectively.

While Blaney dominated qualifying, other notable drivers faced challenges. Tyler Reddick is set to start 32nd after spinning during practice and recording a difficult qualifying lap. Kyle Larson will begin from the 30th position, also requiring significant track position recovery.

The full starting lineup features Josh Berry in third, Ty Gibbs in fourth, and William Byron in fifth. The grid also includes Ryan Preece, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Connor Zilisch, John Hunter Nemechek, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, AJ Allmendinger, and Austin Dillon.

Further down the order, the field comprises Riley Herbst, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Carson Hocevar, Austin Cindric, Zane Smith, Alex Bowman, Michael McDowell, Todd Gilliland, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Cole Custer, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Hill, Ty Dillon, Noah Gragson, Josh Bilicki, and Cody Ware.

The race will be broadcast nationally on USA Network. Streaming options include the HBO MAX app for full broadcast feeds and in-car cameras, while NASCAR.com and SiriusXM on Channel 90 will provide audio coverage. Radio listeners can tune into MRN on 102.5-FM in Nashville.