Joey Logano holds off Chase Briscoe to win NASCAR race at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Joey Logano continued his surge toward the NASCAR Chase, winning Saturday night at Richmond Raceway with a late-race charge on fresh tires.

The three-time Cup Series champion scored his second victory in the past four races while surging from 17th to ninth in the points standings.

With 24 laps remaining, the Team Penske driver snatched the lead from Christopher Bell, who had pitted 20 laps earlier and was trying to stretch his tires to the finish on Richmond’s abrasive surface.

Logano raced to his 39th career victory and third at Richmond. He won by 0.392 seconds over Chase Briscoe, who led a race-high 171 of 400 laps but was unable to catch Logano after losing the lead just before his final pit stop.

Briscoe had a best finish of 11th in nine previous starts at Richmond, one of only three active tracks where he had yet to score a top 10. After qualifying second, he passed pole-sitter Ryan Blaney on the first lap to lead the first lap of his career on the 0.75-mile oval.

Austin Cindric finished third, followed by Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott.

In an emotional ceremony Friday morning, Richmond Raceway dedicated the grandstand seats where Denny Hamlin’s parents sat for years watching NASCAR races long before their son became a 64-time winner in the Cup Series. Hamlin’s father, Dennis, died in a house fire last December.

The track’s tribute was among the highlights of a homecoming weekend for Hamlin, who grew up about 20 minutes from the track.

“It’s really the time I get to see my brother and sister that still live up here,” said Hamlin, who lives in the Charlotte, N.C., area. “I’ve got lots of high school friends that have their own campsite here. It will be amazing if they don’t get arrested.”

In an appearance on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast this week, Ty Gibbs lobbied for removing the digital rearview camera that NASCAR implemented four years ago. Gibbs joked that some Cup drivers would be out of the series without the high-tech device that makes blocking easier by anticipating an opponent’s move. He’s gotten no feedback from NASCAR but hopes a change could be made in the offseason.

“I didn’t hear anything on it, but I thought I’d recommend it,” GIbbs said. “I just think everybody probably agrees to it, too. I mean, a lot of people do, so I thought I’d say it. I think it could happen. They took windshield wipers off, and we run in the rain still, so I think it could happen.”

Richmond Raceway announced its grandstands were full for the second consecutive year, marking the 11th sellout in 24 Cup Series races this season. Many of those tracks have reduced seating capacities in the past 15 years, and Richmond is among the most notable. The track’s capacity is roughly half of its 112,000-seat peak in the mid-2000s.

The NASCAR Cup Series will make its annual stop at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with a 301-lap race Aug. 23 at the 1.058-mile oval. Ryan Blaney is the defending race winner at the track.

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Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe (19) enters turn four during Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)

Team Penske driver Joey Logano (22) dives into turn one during Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (11) pit crew goes over the wall during Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)

Team Penske driver Joey Logano (22) enters turn four during Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)

Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney (12) and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe (19) battle in turn one during Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sonny Gray worked seven innings for his career-best 15th win of the season, Wilyer Abreu hit a home run, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 on Saturday night.

Gray (15-3) struck out seven and allowed six hits while walking one. He had won 14 games in three other seasons, most recently in 2025 with St. Louis.

He is just the third Red Sox starter since 2019 to win 15 or more games, joining Garrett Crochet (18 in 2025) and Eduardo Rodriguez (19 in 2019).

Abreu hit his 22nd homer in the second inning to put the Sox ahead 1-0, sending a fastball from Jared Jones (2-5) 420 feet over the right-field wall.

Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida left the game in the third with left hamstring tightness, coming up limping as he came into second with a double. He was replaced by Anthony Seigler.

Andruw Monasterio drove in two more with his ninth-inning RBI double, and Jahmai Jones drove in Monasterio. Despite the win, the Red Sox went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven.

Erik Miller worked a hitless eighth and Aroldis Chapman struck out two in the ninth to close out the victory.

The Pirates were led by Esmerlyn Valdez and Jake Mangum with two hits each. Jones struck out seven in five innings.

LHP Patrick Sandoval (1-1, 3.30 ERA) starts for the Red Sox and RHP Paul Skenes (9-1, 3.88) goes for the Pirates to conclude the series on Sunday.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jared Jones during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jared Jones delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jared Jones during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)