Austin Dillon shook things up in the Cup Series playoffs by using the chrome horn on both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in overtime to win the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway and secure his spot in the postseason.
NASCAR introduced a new variation of its pit strategy for this weekend’s race at the Action Track. In addition to six sets of the regular Goodyear main tires, each team had two sets of option tires with more grip but higher wear than the main tires.
The racing teams’ decisions on when to use these option tires played a major role in determining the final order.
Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell soar after early option tire calls
Before Sunday’s race, Daniel Suarez was not widely considered a contender for victory at Richmond; he started from 21st place.
That changed during the pit stops on lap 75 after the first stage. Suarez’s crew chief Travis Mack called for four option tires on his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. Suarez immediately took advantage, restarting in 16th place and maneuvering his way to the lead in just 13 laps under the green flag.
Despite the field being reshuffled by different tyre strategies, Suarez was able to maintain his position on track and win the second stage, securing an important playoff point.
Despite losing out in extra time on the option tyres, Suarez ultimately finished in tenth place, a much better result than he would have achieved without taking the risk and being one of the first two drivers on the option tyres.
“I think the biggest benefit of the red (option) tires was on the restart,” Suarez said after the race. “Under the green flag, but on the restart it was huge.”
“We knew that in the last stage everyone would be on the option tires and when everyone has the option tires it’s not that much of an advantage. We really wanted to think outside the box and I think that worked out well for us.”
The other driver who received option tires on lap 75 was Michael McDowell. The decision for the No. 34 team was made by crew chief Travis Peterson.
McDowell, who had to restart from the back as a free overtaking car, fought his way through the field to reach sixth place in the second stage. Although McDowell ultimately dropped to 15th place, the early decision to use the option tire gave him a significant net gain from his 28th starting position.
There’s no doubt that the option tires made a bigger difference on the older surface at Richmond than they did in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. NASCAR and Goodyear deserve a lot of credit for offering teams softer tires to add more variety to the strategy and racing at Richmond.
Rusty pit crews make serious mistakes
Richmond was the Cup Series’ first race after a two-week Olympic break. The break from competition was evident in the performance of some pit crews on Sunday evening.
Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing crew were forced to make a 19-second stop on lap 170 due to left rear shifting issues. That put Truex out of contention for the win, and an engine failure ultimately pushed him to last place.
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 team added to their long list of problems in 2024 with a slow pit stop on lap 128. Busch fell back on the lead lap and had to settle for 12th place while his teammate Dillon won the race.
In terms of playoff implications, the biggest pit stop mistake may be attributed to Chris Buescher and the No. 17 RFK Racing crew. When Buescher pitted under green on lap 121, he had to drive back to his pit box to tighten a loose lug nut. As a result, Buescher lost a lap and dropped to 18th in the final results.
That result and Dillon’s win mean Buescher is three points off the playoff line after arriving at Richmond with a 17-point lead. Buescher will need to perform strongly in the final three races of the regular season if he wants to challenge for the title of Cup Series champion.
Outlook for next week
Cup Series drivers will move from short track racing to the two-mile Michigan International Speedway to compete in the FireKeepers Casino 400 next Sunday, August 18.
With a much larger track, newer surface and no option tires, pit strategy will look much different when NASCAR races at The Mitten next weekend. Fuel consumption has been a deciding factor in many races at Michigan in the past, most notably Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s win there in 2008.
Sign up for the Frontstretch newsletter
A daily email update (Monday to Friday) with racing news, commentary, features and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or given to third parties.
