Ryan Preece was overcome with emotion, shedding tears and letting out a celebratory expletive after clinching victory in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Despite multiple delays due to snow, the chaotic race lived up to the “Madhouse” nickname, featuring a record 17 caution flags. Midway through the race, sleet began to fall, forcing all drivers to switch to wet-weather tires.
Driving the No. 60 car, Preece emerged victorious after a fierce fight against William Byron and Ryan Blaney. The rest of the top ten included Daniel Suarez in fourth, Denny Hamlin fifth, Chase Brisco sixth, Austin Dillon seventh, Chris Buescher eighth, Ross Chastain ninth, and Alex Bowman tenth. In Victory Lane, Preece, visibly emotional, credited Brad Keselowski, Kroger, Coca-Cola, and other partners for supporting him on a long journey to his breakthrough win—something he hadn’t expected just two years ago when he feared returning home to Connecticut. With this win, Preece became only the third driver, alongside Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin, to take a victory in a crash-filled event before earning a regular-season NASCAR race victory.
At the race’s start, Kyle Larson and William Byron worked together to control the pace, with Larson dominating early on. The first caution came on lap 41 because of melting snow leaking onto the track from beneath the SAFER barrier. Chase Briscoe joined the race in progress, shaking up the field by overtaking Byron and sparking a multi-car pileup involving Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, and Tyler Reddick.
Briscoe initially led the restart but eventually dropped to third. Byron took the lead on lap 71 from Larson, but the JGR teammates Briscoe and Ty Gibbs soon overtook him, with Gibbs leading at the halfway point. Several incidents involving drivers like Austin Cindric and Shane van Gisbergen, who expressed frustration over on-track battles and rivalries, added tension to the event. Suarez and Wallace exchanged aggressive radio messages indicating their fierce competition.
As the race reached halftime, sleet began to fall, prompting NASCAR to pause and equip all cars with rain tires—a rare occurrence in Cup racing. When the race resumed, the slippery conditions led to multiple spins and crashes involving top drivers such as Denny Hamlin, Larson, and Preece. Although the restarts saw momentary order, repeated incidents, including spins and collisions involving Josh Berry, Cindric, and others, kept the chaos alive.
With 35 laps to go, NASCAR called all cars to pit road for fuel checks, disallowing any teams from switching back to dry tires despite attempts. The final laps were marked by aggressive driving, with Blaney and Byron chasing Preece hard. In the closing stages, a collision by Wallace seemed deliberate as he spun Josevar, leading to a dramatic finish. Despite pressure from Byron, Preece secured the win, delivering RFK Racing’s first preseason Clash win since 1999, a milestone moment for the team.
Fan Take: This thrilling and unpredictable race highlights the raw excitement and drama that NASCAR fans live for, combining weather challenges, fierce rivalry, and breakthrough moments for drivers like Ryan Preece. It signals a new era of competitive unpredictability that could draw more viewers and deepen fan engagement throughout the season.
