On Wednesday, February 4, Ryan Preece delivered a stunning performance to secure victory in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Navigating slick track conditions and multiple on-track incidents, Preece claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series win after starting 18th in this 200-lap exhibition event, marking a significant milestone in his racing career.
Race Progression and Weather Challenges Affect Strategies
Preece, 35, from Berlin, Connecticut, demonstrated resilience throughout the race by leading twice for a total of 46 laps. He steadily advanced from mid-pack into the top 10 by the race’s midpoint despite difficult conditions. The second half intensified as the track became slick due to sleet, prompting teams to switch to wet-weather tires. Preece overcame a spin early in this segment but maintained focus, eventually taking the lead with 57 laps to go. After briefly losing the top spot to Shane van Gisbergen, Preece reclaimed it with 44 laps remaining and successfully held off challengers despite four restart cautions caused by ongoing chaos.
Qualifying and Preliminary Sessions Set the Stage
Before the Clash, drivers participated in two eight-minute practice sessions followed by a split-group qualifying session, where each competitor had four minutes to post a time. The fastest 20 qualified directly for the Clash, led by pole-sitter Kyle Larson. Notable qualifiers included William Byron, Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Preece among others. Those outside the top 20 competed in a 75-lap Last Chance Qualifying (LCQ) race, with the first two finishers earning spots in the Clash.
Last Chance Qualifying and Final Starting Grid Completion
Josh Berry and Austin Cindric secured their Clash berths by finishing first and second in the LCQ. Alex Bowman claimed the event’s 23rd and last starting position, awarded to the highest-ranked driver in the 2025 Cup Series points who had yet to qualify. Drivers such as Corey LaJoie, AJ Allmendinger, and Noah Gragson failed to advance.
Early Race Battle and Lead Changes
Kyle Larson, starting on the outside, quickly seized the lead at the green flag, racing ahead of teammate William Byron. Through the opening laps, Larson controlled the pace while drivers like Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, and Denny Hamlin fought for strong positions. Early strategy and track position battles intensified as Larson extended a cushion over Byron, with multiple lead changes beginning to unfold by the 50th lap.
Mid-Race Incidents and Cautions Shape the Competition
The event’s first caution appeared on Lap 40 due to debris on the track, followed soon by a multi-car tussle involving Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, and Ross Chastain that spun Chase Elliott out. Throughout the mid-stage of the race, leaders alternated among Larson, Briscoe, Byron, and Gibbs, with the latter taking control near the halfway mark. A scheduled competition caution at Lap 100 paused the race and placed Gibbs in the lead heading into an intermission.
Second Half Delayed by Inclement Weather and Wet Tire Strategy
Unfavorable sleet delayed the race repeatedly before NASCAR declared the event a wet-weather contest, allowing teams to fit wet-weather tires. Upon resumption with 99 laps to go, the slippery track caused numerous incidents, including spins by Hocevar, Hamlin, Larson, and Preece himself. Multiple cautions and restarts punctuated the closing portion of the race, testing drivers’ patience and skill on the quarter-mile short track’s slick surface.
Key Restarts and Preece’s Rise to the Front
After intense battles for position amid repeated cautions, Hocevar briefly grabbed the lead with 79 laps remaining before van Gisbergen took command. Preece’s first time leading came at Lap 58 following a crash involving Hamlin, Logano, and Elliott. Van Gisbergen reclaimed the top spot soon after but was spun out following hard racing with Chase Briscoe and others. Preece seized the lead again with 44 laps remaining and began pulling away from the field in the final stages.
Final Cautions and Preece Secures the Win
The closing laps were marked by further cautions, including one triggered by Wallace spinning Hocevar and another caused by a collision involving Kyle Busch, Larson, and Gibbs. Despite these interruptions, Preece retained control after each restart, maintaining a lead of over a second with 10 laps left. When the white flag signaled the final lap, no competitor could challenge Preece’s advantage, allowing him to complete the quarter-mile circuit one last time and take the checkered flag by a commanding margin.
Significance of Preece’s Victory for NASCAR and Ford
Ryan Preece’s win makes him the 27th driver to ever win the Clash and one of only three drivers, alongside Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin, to capture the race without a prior Cup Series points-paying victory. Notably, Preece is the first to triumph at Bowman Gray Stadium in both the Whelen Southern Modified Tour and in the Cup Series divisions. This victory also marks the inaugural Clash victory for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing and the 11th for the Ford manufacturer.
Preece Reflects on the Emotional Journey to Victory
Following his triumph, Preece expressed a deeply emotional reaction to the hard-fought win. Having previously driven for Hyak Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing, and briefly doubting his future in racing just two years ago, Preece rejoiced at overcoming career uncertainty as he prepares to join Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry in 2025.
“I don’t even know what to say,”
Preece said.
“To be honest with you, it’s been a [expletive] long road. It’s the Clash, but man, it’s just been years and years of grinding. Two years ago, I didn’t think I was gonna have a job. I thought I was going back to Connecticut. I’m just super emotional.”
“We had a really good car,”
he added.
“I felt like we were fighting adversity all day, trying to come from the back. We got a lot of good spots. When we were putting on rain tires, man, this is as much of a mental game as it is anything. I felt pretty beat up. We had a couple of restarts go our way and then before you know it, you’re on the front two rows, and then the claws just come out.”
Top Finishers and Race Statistics
William Byron, after leading 14 laps, finished strong in second place. Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top four, while seasoned driver Denny Hamlin also secured a top-five finish despite challenges. Chase Briscoe, who led 35 laps, completed the top 10 along with Austin Dillon, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, and Alex Bowman.
Kyle Larson, despite leading the most laps at 67, struggled to maintain his pace late and finished in 16th place behind Ty Gibbs and Carson Hocevar. Rookie Connor Zilisch impressed in his first Clash, finishing 18th, while Shane van Gisbergen dropped to 20th despite leading 15 laps. Bubba Wallace was the last finisher in 23rd place after being one lap down.
The event featured 11 lead changes among seven different leaders and set a record with 17 caution periods. Nearly all starters, 22 out of 23, finished on the lead lap, underscoring the intense competition and resilience of the field.
Complete Race Results
1. Ryan Preece – 46 laps led
2. William Byron – 14 laps led
3. Ryan Blaney
4. Daniel Suarez
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Chase Briscoe – 35 laps led
7. Austin Dillon
8. Chris Buescher
9. Ross Chastain
10. Alex Bowman
11. Joey Logano
12. Josh Berry
13. Christopher Bell
14. Ty Gibbs – 5 laps led
15. Carson Hocevar – 18 laps led
16. Kyle Larson – 67 laps led
17. Chase Elliott
18. Connor Zilisch
19. Kyle Busch
20. Shane van Gisbergen – 15 laps led
21. Austin Cindric
22. Tyler Reddick
23. Bubba Wallace (one lap down)
Upcoming NASCAR Events and Schedule
Following the high-energy Clash, NASCAR Cup Series teams will prepare for the 68th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15. Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, at 8:15 p.m. ET, with the America 250 Florida Duels set to take place on Thursday, February 12, starting at 7 p.m. ET. Broadcast coverage will be available on FOX, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM, and HBO MAX.
