Episode Details

Joey Logano wins at Richmond Raceway as the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series race for The Chase heats up! Chase Briscoe leads 171 laps, the NASCAR Chase bubble tightens with two regular-season races remaining, and Connor Zilisch is officially headed to Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48.

This week on Mash The Gas – NASCAR Podcast, we're breaking down everything from the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway and getting you ready for the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

🔥 JOEY LOGANO WINS RICHMOND

It's summertime—and once again, Joey Logano is getting hot when it matters most.

The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion held off a charging Chase Briscoe to score his second victory of the 2026 season. Briscoe led a race-high 171 laps, but Logano and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford were there when it counted.

We break down Logano's late-season surge, Briscoe's dominant night that came up just short, and strong performances across Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

💥 WHAT HAPPENED TO CARSON HOCEVAR?

We discuss Carson Hocevar's engine failure at Richmond and the aggressive fifth-to-third downshift that ended the No. 77 team's night.

🏆 2026 NASCAR CHASE BUBBLE — TWO RACES LEFT

The regular season is almost over.

With only New Hampshire and Daytona remaining before The Chase begins, we're breaking down the NASCAR standings and championship picture:

Who is IN?

Who is OUT?

Who's sitting on the CUT LINE?

And who desperately needs a big run—or a win—before the regular-season finale at Daytona?

The pressure is officially on.

🏁 DID RICHMOND DELIVER?

We also take a bigger look at Richmond Raceway itself. What did we think of Saturday night's Cook Out 400? How was the racing? Did the short-track package deliver? And what is the overall state of Richmond on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule?

🚨 CONNOR ZILISCH TO THE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS NO. 48

One of NASCAR Silly Season's biggest dominoes has fallen.

Connor Zilisch will take over the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet beginning in 2028, following Alex Bowman's final full-time NASCAR Cup Series season in 2027.

We react to the huge Hendrick Motorsports announcement, what it means for Zilisch's future, the legacy of the No. 48 and what Hendrick's driver lineup could look like moving forward.

🏎️ NEXT UP: NASCAR AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Dollar Tree 301, the penultimate race of the 2026 regular season—and Mash The Gas host Kevin Batstone will be on the ground in Loudon!

We're getting you ready with:

• New Hampshire race analysis
• Drivers to watch
• NASCAR fantasy advice
• Expert race picks
• Chase bubble implications
• Predictions for the Dollar Tree 301
• A look ahead to the Daytona regular-season finale

⚠️ PROGRAMMING NOTE

Following New Hampshire, Mash The Gas will take a short vacation break, so there will be no new episode for two weeks.

That means we're getting you completely prepared for the final two races of the regular season—New Hampshire and the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona—before returning to break down the field and get you ready for the 2026 NASCAR Chase for the Championship!

🎙️ Race recaps. NASCAR news. Expert picks. Fantasy NASCAR. Championship analysis. And plenty of opinions.

It's all right here on Mash The Gas – NASCAR Podcast.

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