William Byron delivered his best career finish in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, crossing the line in second place driving his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The event took place Wednesday night under the iconic lights of The Madhouse in North Carolina. Chevrolet led the manufacturer standings with five top-10 finishes, contributed by four distinct Chevrolet teams: Spire Motorsports’ Daniel Suarez finished fourth, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon came in seventh, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain placed ninth, and Byron’s teammate Alex Bowman secured tenth.
Daniel Suarez Impresses in First Race with Spire Motorsports
Making his debut with Spire Motorsports, Daniel Suarez showcased his skill by earning a career-best fourth-place finish in the Clash. Suarez, a 34-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico, secured entry into the main event through qualifying and made significant headway in the second half of the race. His No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet rapidly advanced through the top-10, positioning him as a strong competitor in the closing laps.
Chevrolet Dominates Starting Grid and Early Race Dynamics
Eleven drivers representing four Chevrolet teams qualified to compete in the 48th running of the Clash. Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson earned the pole position in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the event, which experienced two delays. Beginning the race in the lower lane, Larson quickly led the field with teammate William Byron close behind. The first 40 laps on the North Carolina quarter-mile track passed quietly until debris on the track prompted the first caution flag.
Lead Battles and Lap Developments Shape Mid-Race Action
Shortly after restarting, a caution triggered by an incident in Turn Four briefly paused progress. Larson initially defended his lead against Chase Briscoe but soon faced a challenge from Byron. On lap 71, Byron overtook Larson for his first lead laps of the night. Although Byron was pushed to the higher lane thereafter, he engaged in an intense side-by-side contest with Carson Hocevar for third place and maintained position until the halfway break of the race.
Weather Interruptions and Strategy Adjustments Intensify Competition
The race’s second half was disrupted by a wintry mix of precipitation, forcing a period under red flag conditions and changing the event’s complexion into a wet-weather contest. Despite frequent cautions, Chevrolet maintained a strong presence, placing six drivers in the top-10 with 50 laps remaining. Fuel management emerged as a key concern, and Larson, who had fallen back in the field after losing the lead, was the first prominent driver to lose position following pit stops. Another red flag with 36 laps to go allowed teams to make fuel-only stops, setting up a final sprint to the finish.
Chevrolet’s Top Performers in the Cook Out Clash
The unofficial top-10 Chevrolet results for the Cook Out Clash were as follows:
2nd – William Byron
4th – Daniel Suarez
7th – Austin Dillon
9th – Ross Chastain
10th – Alex Bowman
Anticipation Builds for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Season Opener
The NASCAR Cup Series season will officially begin at Daytona International Speedway with the 68th DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 15, at 2:30 P.M. ET. Fans can watch the race live on FOX or listen via MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Drivers Reflect on an Eventful and Challenging Race Experience
Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing described the day’s conditions as extremely cold and intense, highlighting the challenges his new crew chief Brandon McSwain and team overcame to finish ninth.
“It sure was a cold day and really cold night here at Bowman Gray Stadium. It felt great to be in the Choice Privileges Chevrolet today and it was my first race with my new crew chief, Brandon McSwain. I experienced pretty much everything out there tonight – passing cars, being bumped, spinning, a wet track for the last half. It was eventful, that’s for sure. Brandon and the guys kept working on the car all night and finally towards the end we worked our way forward to ninth. It was wild out there tonight with everything we experienced, but I’m looking forward to getting to Daytona next week for the first points race of the season. I hope it’s a lot warmer there, that’s for sure.” – Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Dillon, who finished seventh for Richard Childress Racing, praised the team’s adaptation to changing conditions, especially the advantage gained from rain tires late in the race.
“What a fight all night from this No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet team. The rain tires saved our night. We struggled on the slicks. So when the rain and sleet came. It put us back in the ballgame and we found speed there at the end of the run. I got shipped a couple times and probably should have been in the wall, but was able to save it in turns three and four. Proud of the effort from everyone at Richard Childress Racing and it’s a good start to our season.” – Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez expressed pride in how well his No. 7 Chevrolet performed in both dry and wet conditions, despite the rough nature of the race.
“Very proud of this No. 7 Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Chevrolet team. I think that the car was very, very capable of running in the top-five. In both the dry and wet conditions, I felt like we were pretty strong. There was a lot of contact throughout the race and at one point, it started to feel like it wasn’t driving as well anymore. But overall, happy to come home with a top-five. I think this was a good start for everyone on his No. 7 team.” – Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing reflected on the team’s challenges but remained optimistic heading toward Daytona.
“The entire No. 8 zone Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet team fought hard today. We lacked grip at the start of the race, but after making changes at the halfway point we were battling our way to the front. We unfortunately got caught up in on-track contact a few times tonight and are leaving Bowman Gray Stadium with a 19th-place finish, but I’m ready to turn my focus to the Daytona 500 and getting back to victory lane.” – Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
William Byron described the race as a “marathon” and noted NASCAR’s efforts to manage rain conditions, acknowledging the challenge of adapting without prior wet practice sessions.
“It was just a marathon race. I feel like NASCAR did a good job with the rain conditions. I wish we would have had a practice session in the rain, just to kind of understand the characteristics a little better. It just seemed like guys were kind of using each other up. But then it started to dry up there at the end and it was fun. Overall, it was a solid finish and good start to the season for the No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet team.” – William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Connor Zilisch, racing in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, described the race as chaotic, marked by weather-driven changes and multiple cautions that impacted his strong early position.
“It was a very chaotic race. At the end of that first run, we drove up to 12th. We had good speed in the dry conditions, but immediately when we fired off in the wet, our No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet was really fast. Once the cautions started coming out every other lap, it started to become a bit of a mess. The restarts just became really chaotic and that kind of cost us track position. We were running inside the top-seven, top-eight; just got clipped in a wreck and that kind of killed our night. We had glimmers of hope, just disappointed to come home where we did considering the day and the speed that we had.” – Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Shane van Gisbergen, driving the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, enjoyed the challenge posed by the wet conditions despite the differences from his Supercars experience.
“It was a good bit of fun. There were moments of brilliance and moments that weren’t. It was cool to get to the front. We were just trying to search for the grip. The wet weather conditions were very different than what I’ve raced in Supercars, just with the way the corners are and the way the rubber lays down. But then it started to come back up again and dry up. It was pretty wild. But all-in-all, happy with our run and it’s a good way to start the season for this No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team.” – Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Looking Forward to the Season Opener at Daytona
Following the demanding and unpredictable Cook Out Clash, all eyes now turn toward the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. With William Byron’s strong performance and Chevrolet’s dominant presence at Bowman Gray, momentum is building for the upcoming 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season kickoff. Teams will use the lessons learned from this intense and variable conditions race to prepare for the challenges of the DAYTONA 500.
