NASCAR race at Richmond live updates: Harvick holds off Bell, Buescher for victory

Live updates for this event have concluded. For a full recap and results, click here.

Let’s run it back, shall we?

The Federated Auto Parts 400 marks the second race at Richmond Raceway this NASCAR Cup Series regular season. You can catch the 400-lap, 300-mile race a little after 3 p.m. (barring inclement weather) on USA Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Stages end on Lap 70, Lap 230 and Lap 400.

The third-to-last regular-season race centers its spotlight on a cluster of drivers who have had consistent but winless seasons to date — including Ryan Blaney (second in points), Martin Truex Jr. (fourth in points) and others. Can any of these guys separate themselves on Richmond’s 0.75-mile track?

Live updates will be posted in the section below and will be published frequently during the race. Refresh this page for the latest news. Full results will be posted after the race.

Unofficial results from Richmond

Live updates at Richmond Raceway

Stage 3

Lap 400: Once on the outside looking in for the playoffs, Kevin Harvick has strung together back-to-back wins to all but assure himself a spot in NASCAR’s postseason. He snagged the lead for the first time on Lap 335, and held onto that position through the final round of green-flag pit stops to secure the victory. He held off Chris Buescher over the final 30 laps for his second win in as many weeks.

Lap 397: Bell gets past Buescher, but can’t make up enough time on Harvick!

Lap 395: Kevin Harvick holds onto the lead and Bell has cut his deficit down to just 2 seconds... He may run out of time, here, though.

Lap 390: Christopher Bell looks intent on making this interesting, but does he have enough time. He’s crept into 3rd, and is now wiithin 2.5 seconds of the lead of Harvick.

Lap 380: Chris Buescher is staying within a second of Kevin Harvick, but the veteran driver, looking for his 60th win, is staying the course at the front. Of note, there are only 12 cars on the lead lap at the moment, with Austin Cindric the last car designated there.

Lap 370: With 30 to go, Kevin Harvick, who’s been great on the long runs, maintains his advantage over Chris Buescher. Buescher is almost certainly in a win-or-else-scenario to get into the playoffs, so he’ll be pushing.

Lap 353: Now that everyone has cycled through the pit stops, last week’s winner, Kevin Harvick is in front by about a second over Chris Buescher. Logano and Elliott running 3-4, with Almirola in fifth. Hamline was among the last drivers to pit this cycle. Are there enough laps for that to matter??

Lap 341: Chris Buescher enters pit road a bit earlier than expected. Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick pits a lap later. These three will duel it out for the win at Richmond.

Lap 335: Kevin Harvick snatches the lead! After four hard runs at Joey Logano, the veteran driving the No. 4 car clears Logano, who’s been dominating the race up until now. Harvick’s looking for a second-straight win.

Lap 314: Chris Buescher’s car catches on fire. Some flames are shown seeping into the car. This comes only a few weeks after the No. 17 car billowed in smoke in Indianapolis.

Lap 290: Kyle Larson has now dropped out of the top-10 after some contact from Denny Hamlin. He was running in the top-three for much of today prior to that.

Lap 261: There have five cautions in today’s race: Laps 5-7 (Tyler Reddick spin-out); Laps 72-78 (Stage 1 conclusion); Laps 232-239 (Stage 2 conclusion); Laps 241-245 (Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr. and others caught in an incident on Turn 4); and Lap 252-256 (Christopher Bell spin-out).

Lap 241: Kyle Larson beats Logano off pit road. On the Stage 3 restart, Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch are among some of the cars involved in a wreck that prompts a caution.

Stage 2

Lap 250: Another caution! Christopher Bell skids on the apron and spins out. No collisions occur because of the spin-out, but it’s a big blow to the No. 20 car, which began as one of the fastest in the field today.

Lap 230: Joey Logano clinches the Stage 2 win. It’s him, then Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Aric Almirola, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe and Kyle Busch. (That’s six Fords in the top-10.)

Lap 221: Martin Truex Jr. is able to get back by Joey Logano, putting him back on the lead lap. Truex sits 14th.

Lap 203: Martin Truex Jr. is racing leader Joey Logano hard to avoid not being on the lead lap entering Stage 3. Truex (13th position) isn’t having the day he was hoping for. There’s only been nine lead changes today. Long stretches of green-flag racing.

Lap 185: Ty Gibbs’ day is done after pitting. The No. 45 team lifted the hood before pushing the car back into the garage.

Lap 155: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. misses pit road, and while trying to swerve back into the racetrack, he clips Martin Truex Jr. The No. 19 car got a bit scratched up on the left side, but everything seems to be intact. He’s running 13th now.

Lap 150: Aric Almirola, who’s 14th in points, is looking great thus far. He joined the top-five mid-Stage 2. Could he find a way to get a win and shake up an already crazy regular season of NASCAR?

Lap 145: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. catapulted to the fourth position after not pitting when virtually every other car did in Laps 123-125.

Lap 134: Joey Logano finds a way to reclaim the lead after pitting. It’s been largely uneventful after the Stage 2 restart.

Lap 125: Many green flag pit stops. Among the notables: Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe.

Lap 110: Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Ty Gibbs have been racing each other hard today. Both outside the top-10. The battle is a testament to how hard it’s been to pass drivers on the short track. Also of note: 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan is in Richmond.

Lap 88: Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. have been battling each other all race. Less than a second separates them now. They’re racing at the 5 and 6 positions now.

Lap 81: A slew of drivers enter pit road to begin the race. Joey Logano finds a way to pass Ross Chastain early in stage, a huge leap. Kyle Larson passes him later, too.

Stage 1

Lap 70: No pit stops of any drivers. Ross Chastain takes the Stage 1 win for his fifth stage win of the season. The rest of the top-10 in order: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Cole Custer, Martin Truex Jr.

Lap 34: Kyle Larson, in third, has lost the pole advantage he started the race with. Ross Chastain has built a pretty good lead, 2.4 seconds faster than second-place driver Denny Hamlin.

Lap 4: An early caution (laps 5-7) comes out as Tyler Reddick in the No. 8 car loses traction and briefly spins out. That’s an early illustration of how slick this track is.

Green flag, 3:19 p.m.: Let’s race!

3:05 p.m.: Some final betting odds before today’s race: Kyle Larson (+450), Martin Truex Jr. (+520), Denny Hamlin (+675), Ross Chastain (+700), Kyle Busch (+1,100), William Byron (+1,200), Christopher Bell (+1,200), Ryan Blaney (+1,300), Chase Elliott (+1,400), Kevin Harvick (+1,600).

2:49 p.m.: Several drivers in pre-race interviews have referenced the slick roads and how they eat up tires. Some are being proactive and getting creative. Kevin Harvick, for instance, told NBC that he’s greasing the soles of his shoes so his uses of the throttle and brakes are as smooth as they can be.

2:30 p.m.: Forecasts in Richmond predict no rain or lightning this afternoon. The temperature is expected to peak in the low-80s and dip into the 70s. That’s something worth watching, as hotter temperatures mean slicker roads.

Who took the Richmond pole?

Kyle Larson will start on the pole. The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver leads Ross Chastain (No. 2 position) and Denny Hamlin (No. 3). See below for the full starting lineup.

Other positions of note: Ty Gibbs will run in the 14th position in the 45 car, a product of Kurt Busch being ruled out for a fourth-straight race due to a concussion. Bubba Wallace, who re-signed with 23XI Racing earlier this week, will start 11th. And other playoff contenders Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. begin in the top-10 of the race field.

Harrison Burton and BJ McLeod have been sent to the rear for adjustments.

How to watch NASCAR race at Richmond

• Race: Federated Auto Parts 400

• Distance: 300 miles, 400 laps

• Where: Richmond Raceway

• When: 3 p.m.

• TV: USA Network

• Radio: Sirius XM NASCAR Radio

• Purse: $7,144,995

Starting lineup: Federated Auto Parts 400