Elliott led 172 of the race’s 200 laps as he dominated the event.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. β The Madhouse lived up to its name as NASCAR made a triumphant return to Bowman Gray Stadium with Chase Elliott winning the Cook Out Clash.
Elliott led 172 of the race’s 200 laps after starting on the pole. He pushed Denny Hamlin out of the lead with 70 laps to go and held on the rest of the way.
“This was awesome,” Elliott said to the media after the win. “I know it’s not a points race but really nice to win… Great way to start the season.”
Elliott thanked the fans for packing the stands and said it was great to put on a show at Bowman Gray.
“This environment is special,” Elliott said. “This is a place that has deep history in NASCAR. They deserve this event.”
Ryan Blaney, Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Bubba Wallace rounded out the top five. Only 11 of the 23 drivers finished on the lead lap.
In typical short track fashion, the inside line proved the place to be — much like at Martinsville.Β
The main event was much calmer than the heat races and last-chance qualifying event that preceded Sunday night’s showdown.
Chase Elliott led the first 97 laps before Denny Hamlin took the lead. Kyle Busch and William Byron spins brought out the only two cautions of the race’s first half.Β
Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe were on the unfortunate end of two spins early in the race’s second half. Carson Hocevar suffered the same fate a few laps later and smacked the safer barrier wall.
Elliott later muscled his way past Hamlin to retake the lead. He held on the rest of the way with Blaney too far back to make a meaningful challenge.
The field was set through four heat races, with the top five finishers in each event making it into the Clash.
Larson and Josh Berry advanced to the main event through a wild last-chance qualifier race. Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Erik Jones, Zane Smith, and Ty Gibbs spent time in the front but each of them was wrecked and lost out on their chance to race in the Clash.
Blaney was the 23rd and final starter on the grid by virtue of being the highest points finisher from 2024 who did not qualify through any of the previous methods.
This was the first NASCAR Cup Series race at the Winston-Salem track since 1971. The quarter-mile track has hosted races since 1937. The venue hosts weekly sanctioned events and crowns a track champion each year. NASCAR took over ownership of the track in March 2024 and later announced the return to Bowman Gray. NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty, David Pearson, and Bobby Allison are among the drivers who won at the track during its Cup Series run from 1958 to 1971.
Sunday’s race is the unofficial start to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series seaon. The first points-paying event of the year is the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16. Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is on Wedesday, Feb. 12 with the Daytona Duels on Thursdday, Feb. 13 to officially set the starting grid for the Great American Race.
