Joey Logano’s NASCAR Cup Series win at Richmond Raceway is official, but the Cook Out 400 ended with another layer of inspection. NASCAR completed its primary post-race inspection late Saturday night and found no issues with the cars. That confirmed Logano as the winner after a hard-fought race at the 0.75-mile track.
However, NASCAR still selected four cars for additional checks at its Research and Development Center. The No. 9 and No. 20 cars will undergo full teardowns, while the engines from the No. 2, No. 9, No. 20 and No. 97 cars will face dynamometer testing. Dustin Long reported the inspection results early Sunday, adding a final twist to an already dramatic Richmond Raceway race night.
NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Inspection Clears Richmond Raceway Winner
According to NASCAR reporter Dustin Long, “#NASCAR post-race inspection is done at Richmond. All clear. No issues. Joey Logano is the winner. Cars to the R&D Center: 9 & 20 will be torn down. The 2, 9, 20 and 97 will go through engine dyno.”
The result confirms Logano’s NASCAR results and gives the Team Penske driver his second win of the 2026 season. It was also his third career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Richmond Raceway and the 39th win of his Cup career.
Joey Logano Wins NASCAR Results After Late-Race Battle
Logano drove the No. 22 Ford to victory by 0.392 seconds over Chase Briscoe. He led 95 laps, won Stage 2 and moved into ninth place in the standings after sitting outside the top 16 just over a month earlier.
Logano made his decisive move with about 24 laps remaining when he passed Christopher Bell on fresher tires.
“Don’t let the boys get hot, we’re pretty strong right now,” Logano said after reaching victory lane, according to Holly Cain of the NASCAR Wire Service. He also said the team had shown speed in recent Richmond races but finally turned that pace into a win, calling the result “sweet redemption.”
Briscoe finished second after leading a race-high 171 laps. “It’s weird to be mad running second here,” Briscoe said, according to The Athletic. “Just to be that close and not get it done is still frustrating. Just wasn’t able to seal the deal there at the end.”
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Picture Takes Shape
Austin Cindric finished third for Team Penske, followed by Denny Hamlin in fourth and Chase Elliott in fifth. Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Josh Berry, William Byron and Alex Bowman completed the top 10.
Only 11 cars finished on the lead lap in front of a sellout Richmond Raceway crowd. Ryan Blaney, who won Stage 1 and led 88 laps from the pole, finished 13th. Shane van Gisbergen placed 14th and strengthened his position in the final playoff spot.
The NASCAR Cup Series now has two regular-season races left. New Hampshire is scheduled for August 23, followed by Daytona on August 29. Although the initial Richmond Raceway inspection revealed no issues, teams will continue to wait for the results from the R&D Center and engine dyno tests. For now, Logano remains the official winner.
NASCAR Cup Series: Richmond Raceway Post-Race Inspection Adds a Frustrating Final Twist