Ross Chastain has already locked up a playoff spot for the NASCAR postseason but he is one of many drivers seeking late-season momentum in the Cookout 400 Saturday night.
It will be 400 hectic laps at Richmond Raceway under the lights. Chastain says that this track, three-quarters of a mile, reminds him a lot of one that he used to race on back home in Florida. Tire wear is going to be essential and the strategy behind maintaining it for the entire race.
“In South Florida we had a three-eighths of a mile track where this is three-quarters of a mile,” Chastain said. “At times, late in races, you would never get wide open in the late model in the fast truck division. You’d have to be babying the throttle. So at the end of that was only like a 50 lap race or 100 lap race. Well, this is 400 and as we run these stints out on these tires there will be times on Saturday night where I might not even be pushing the gas all the way to the floor and I could be in the lead doing that. So, trying to understand what this tire wants is going to be key and see if we can get it right on Saturday night.”
Chastain will have his work cut out for him tonight after qualifying 33rd. He has three career Top-10 finishes at the short track. Ryan Preece will lead the field when the green flag drops just after 7:30 p.m.