Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray

Ryan Preece delivered one of the most improbable victories in Clash history, charging from 18th on the grid to conquer the chaos at Bowman Gray Stadium. Postponed three times by a winter storm that blanketed Winston-Salem in snow and sleet, the 200-lap exhibition finally went green on Wednesday, February 4 — the first midweek Cup Series race since 2020. Pole-sitter Kyle Larson dominated early, ripping off 67 laps at the front on the quarter-mile bullring, but when a wintry mix coated the flat asphalt at the halfway break, NASCAR switched the field to Goodyear wet-weather tires and Larson's advantage evaporated. He would ultimately finish a disappointing 16th.

Preece seized the lead on lap 156 after powering past Shane van Gisbergen on a restart and never looked back. A Clash-record 17 caution flags — 13 of them in the second half as rain tires fought for grip on the glazed surface — slowed the pace, but the 35-year-old Connecticut native handled every restart with poise. After the final yellow on lap 182, Preece pulled away to a 1.752-second margin over William Byron, with Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suarez, and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top five. The victory marked Preece's first major triumph in the Cup Series and set the tone for a wild 2026 season ahead, with RFK Racing celebrating a dominant 1-8 finish alongside teammate Chris Buescher.