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Chris Buescher’s opinion of Richmond Raceway has changed for the better over the years.

Buescher raced away from local favorite Denny Hamlin in a three-lap shootout for his first victory of 2023, winning the Cook Out 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday afternoon in Richmond, Va.

After the race’s first caution for incident with 10 laps to go, the 30-year-old RFK Racing driver started his No. 17 Ford Mustang beside Hamlin — from nearby Chesterfield, Va. — and managed to beat last week’s Pocono winner for the triumph in the 400-lap race.

A native of Prosper, Texas, Buescher earned a spot in the playoffs with his third career victory in 279 starts. His previous two were at Pocono Raceway in 2016 and at Bristol Motor Speedway last September.

Buescher became the 13th different winner in 2023. He and teammate Brad Keselowski, who finished sixth, combined to lead 190 laps.

“We’ve had this one circled since last fall,” said Buescher, who led 88 laps after a poor qualifying effort of 26th. “I was really hopeful this could be the one that would turn the page for us. Sure enough, right off the truck I thought it was.”

He didn’t always feel that confident about coming to the short track.

“I’d have told you to flood this place three years ago,” Buescher said with a grin.

Hamlin spun the tires on his No. 11 Toyota on the restart and overdrove Turn 1 with two laps left.

“I got just a godawful restart,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said. “I just didn’t do a good job on the restart, and then I didn’t do a good job in Turn 1. … The race should have been (Buescher’s) anyway.”

Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ryan Preece rounded out the top five. SHR gridded two other drivers inside the top 10 — Aric Almirola (eighth) and Kevin Harvick (10th).

The event featured just three cautions, with two for stage conclusions.

After notching his first pole position of 2023 and fifth of his NASCAR Cup Series career, Tyler Reddick started the season’s 22nd race — with only four remaining before the playoffs — by leading the way around the 3/4-mile layout in Virginia’s capital.

The driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota paced the field over the entire 70-lap Stage 1 segment, beating teammate Bubba Wallace for his career-high fourth stage win of the season.

Following a staggered cycle of pit stops, Keselowski grasped the top spot in his No. 6 Ford and held it until Stage 2’s 90 laps were complete. He beat Buescher for his third segment win this season.

The two Ford drivers emerged 1-2 after the caution period’s pit stops, setting up a 160-lap run to the checkers with Reddick, Wallace and Busch restarting in the top five.

–Field Level Media