Chase Elliott
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NASCAR: Elliott wins Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray from pole

Posted by AR1 staff

Hendrick Motorsports #9 driver Chase Elliott started from the pole, lost the lead for just 29 laps but led 171 of 200 laps to win the 2025 Cook Out Clash around the 1/4-mile Bowman Gray Stadium Madhouse.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Elliott was the 26th driver to win the NASCAR Clash, and it was his first-ever Clash win. Starting from pole, Elliott also had the fast lap of the race (14.161s) in front of the 17,000 sellout crowd that returned after a 54-year absence.

“This environment is special,” said Elliott. “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.”

A general view of racing during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Team Penske Ford driver Ryan Blaney started last in the 2025 NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, worked his way through all the traffic, managed his tire wear to perfection made it all the way up to 2nd at the finish, 1.333s behind Elliott

Denny Hamlin was third, 4.783s behind Elliott, after leading 28 laps.

Hamlin rued the final restart on Lap 121, after the seventh caution for Brad Keselowski’s spin off Wallace’s bumper.

“I just didn’t do very well on that restart there, and kind of lost the bottom, and Chase took advantage of it,” Hamlin said. “Once you get the lead, it’s a lot easier to hang on to it.

“I thought that they were just a little better that second half than we were, along with the 12 (Blaney) was as well. We just have to get a little bit better, but overall, a good day for our Sport Clips Toyota.”

Blaney’s Team Penske teammate Joey Logano passed Bubba Wallace for 4th lat in the going and finished 7.796s behind Elliott. Wallace rounded out the top-5.

Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick (led 1 lap), Shane van Gisbergen and Chris Buescher completed the top 10.

After a 10th-place starting position in the Last Chance Race, Kyle Larson powered his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet to the top of the leaderboard before the midway point of the event.

The 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native went on to lead a race-high 36 laps en route to victory – securing the team’s spot in the Cook Out Clash Main Event.

However, in the feature race he was never a factor, got involved in a multi-car wreck and finished 17th, a lap behind.

Winner Quotes

Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet and Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota lead the field during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR)

That race for you, you start on pole, how did you navigate it so well with all the lap traffic?

CHASE ELLIOTT: First off, just thanks, everybody, for coming out. Y’all made for a really fun environment for us. We don’t race in stadiums like this. So it’s just really cool. Appreciate y’all making that moment special for me and my team. This is awesome.

I know it’s not a points race, but it is nice to win, for sure. Just really proud of our team for just continuing to keep our heads down and push forward, for sure.

Had a tough race. Ryan kept me honest there at the end. Denny was really good at the second half of that break. I just felt like he was kind of riding, and I was afraid to lose control of the race and not be able to get it back.

Yeah, fortunately it worked out. Great way to start the season. Huge thanks to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, a lot of hard work over the off-season, NAPA Auto Parts, Chevrolet, some great partners. Excited to get to Daytona. It’s a great way to start the season.

You mentioned the fans, they’re so passionate. What do you have to say to them?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Well, y’all deserved it. I hope it was a good show for you. This environment is special. This is a place that has had deep history in NASCAR. I think they deserve this event truthfully. I hope we didn’t disappoint. It was fun for me at least. We’ll hopefully come back here one day.

Hendrick Motorsport driver Chase Elliott celebrates. Hendrick Motorsport supplied photo.

Notes: Elliott is the 26th different driver to win the Clash and the eighth different driver to win the event in the last eight years. He’s the first driver to win in a Chevrolet since Jimmie Johnson did so in 2019… This was the sixth time the Clash has been won from the pole position.

2025 Cook Out Clash Results

# DENOTES ROOKIE

Average Speed of Race Winner:  40.956 mph.

Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 13 Mins, 15 Secs.

Lead Changes: 4 among 3 drivers; C. Elliott 1-96; D. Hamlin 97-115; T. Reddick 116; D. Hamlin 117-125; C. Elliott 126-200