In a thrilling return to the historic Bowman Gray Stadium, Chase Elliott held off a late charge from Ryan Blaney to win the Cook Out Clash on Sunday night, delighting the sold-out crowd at the quarter-mile track.
Elliott, who started from the pole position, led 171 of the 200 laps in his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The seven-time Most Popular Driver Award winner navigated lapped traffic in the closing stages to secure his first victory in The Clash, which returned to Bowman Gray after a 54-year absence.
“This environment is special,” Elliott said. “This is a place that has a deep history in NASCAR. I think they deserve this event, truthfully. I hope we didn’t disappoint. It was fun for me at least, and we’ll hopefully come back here one day.”
Blaney, who started last among the 23 competitors, finished 1.333 seconds behind Elliott in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford. Denny Hamlin, who led twice for 28 laps, faded to third after Elliott retook the lead on Lap 126.
“I’m not going to bulldog into him and get chased out of here with pitchforks,” Blaney quipped about his decision not to make an overly aggressive move on Elliott in the final laps.
Joey Logano finished fourth, followed by Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick, Shane van Gisbergen, and Chris Buescher.
In the Last Chance Qualifier, Kyle Larson charged from 10th to win the 75-lap event and advance to the Clash, along with second-place finisher Josh Berry. Larson and Berry finished 17th and 13th, respectively, in the main event.
The Cup Series will officially kick off the 2025 regular season at Daytona International Speedway for the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16.
NASCAR’s return to its roots at Bowman Gray Stadium proved to be a success, with a fight-free preseason exhibition and a popular victory for Chase Elliott, who joined his father, Bill, as winners of The Clash. The event showcased the grassroots racing that has made the track notorious for flared tempers and fierce competition.
“As a kid we jumped the fence and come in and sell peanuts and popcorn, then I’d hang out with all the race drivers, and we had a heck of a time,” said Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress, who hails from just 15 minutes away from the track. “I said ‘Man, as much fun as they are having, I’ve got to be a race driver.’ We’d come over here for a fight and a race would break out.”
