The NASCAR Cup Series is back in action, and after four 25-lap heat races at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday night (Feb. 1), the top 20 starters for Sunday’s (Feb. 2) Cook Out Clash are set.
Chase Elliott won the provisional pole during the group qualifying sessions prior to the heats with a time of 14.115 seconds. He went on to win the first heat, leading every lap in the process.
Chase Elliott wins Heat Race No. 1 at Bowman Gray Stadium! #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/cLoIROBWP4
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 2, 2025
Elliott clinched the pole for the main event, and the No. 9 will lead the field to green in the first Cup Series event at the quarter-mile short track since 1971.
“The race went about as smooth as it could go for us,” Elliott told FOX Sports 1. “It looked like it was kind of chaotic a little further back, so [I’m] glad we were in front of all that mess.
“I know it’s not a points race or anything, but [it’s] nice to have a good Saturday. It’s encouraging for all of us. … I’m looking forward to tomorrow. We’d love to stay out front and try to control this thing. It’s going to be crazy, I’m sure.”
Brad Keselowski, Noah Gragson, Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain also advanced at the end of the first heat, which was plagued by three early cautions.
One of the cautions was sparked from hot tempers between Busch and Justin Haley. Gragson received the negative end of the Chevrolet beef.
BOWMAN GRAY BEEF. 🥩
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) February 2, 2025
Kyle Busch and Justin Haley aren’t happy.
📺 : NASCAR pic.twitter.com/hTx0Az7ek6
Chris Buescher followed suit and dominated a much tamer 25-lap heat to earn an outside front row spot for the main event. Chase Briscoe, Shane van Gisbergen, Bubba Wallace and Daniel Saurez joined Buscher in advancing into the Sunday night feature.
Denny Hamlin joined the other winners by leading the third heat wire-to-wire as well. The reigning Clash winner will roll off third in the main. Behind him in the transfer positions were Joey Logano, William Byron, Carson Hocevar and Alex Bowman.
Finally, Tyler Reddick led all laps in the last heat of the night to secure a fourth-place starting spot in the Clash. Christopher Bell, Ryan Preece, Austin Cindric and Todd Gilliland wrapped up the remaining transfer spots by rounding out the top five for the final heat, which saw the only caution flag periods other than the first heat.
Calamity struck in the final event of the night when Preece nailed the back bumper of John Hunter Nemechek early in the event. The latter received damage and was not able to recover. Nemechek and 18 other drivers will have one more opportunity to make the Clash.
John Hunter Nemechek vs. Ryan Preece. 🫣
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) February 2, 2025
📺 : NASCAR pic.twitter.com/TNNqWsvgOC
The remaining 19 cars will enter the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier to fight for the last two transfer spots up for grabs. Ryan Blaney, the highest points finisher of 2024 that didn’t clinch a spot on Saturday, is guaranteed entry in the main event no matter where he finishes.
Cook Out Clash Heat Race Results
The Last Chance Qualifier is set for Sunday night (Feb. 2) at 6 p.m. ET, and it will be followed by the Cook Out Clash main event at 8 p.m. ET. Both races will be broadcast live on FOX.
Dalton Hopkins began writing for Frontstretch in April 2021. Currently, he is the lead writer for the weekly Thinkin' Out Loud column, co-host of the Frontstretch Happy Hour podcast, and one of our lead reporters. Beforehand, he wrote for IMSA shortly after graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2019. Simultaneously, he also serves as a Captain in the US Army.
Follow Dalton on Twitter @PitLaneCPT