Ryan preece secures Emotional Victory at Wild Cook Out Clash
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The Cook Out clash at Bowman Grey Stadium delivered a chaotic and unforgettable race, culminating in a hard-fought victory for Ryan Preece, who openly displayed his emotion – even dropping a celebratory expletive – in Victory Lane. The exhibition race, already delayed due to inclement weather, was defined by a record-breaking 17 cautions and a dramatic shift to wet-weather tires as sleet began to fall around lap 100.
Preece, driving the No. 60 Ford, edged out William Byron and Ryan Blaney to claim the win. daniel Suarez finished fourth, followed by Denny Hamlin in fifth, Chase Briscoe in sixth, Alex Bowman in seventh, Christopher Bell in eighth, ross Chastain in ninth, and Bubba Wallace in tenth.
“Oh my god,” Preece exclaimed after the race, visibly moved. “This is… this is incredible. I want to thank Roger Penske,Coca Cola,all our partners… Two years ago,I didn’t think I was going to have a job. I thought I was going back home to Connecticut. I’m just super, super emotional.”
Preece’s victory places him in exclusive company, joining Jeff Gordon and denny Hamlin as the only drivers to win the Clash before securing their first official NASCAR Cup Series race win.
A Caution-Filled Start to the Season
The race began with Larson and Byron working collaboratively to control the front of the field, with Larson initially establishing a dominant pace. Though, the early rhythm was quickly disrupted. The first caution flag waved on lap 41 due to “weepers” – snow melt seeping onto the track under the SAFER Barrier.
The race continued to be plagued by incidents. A significant chain-reaction crash on a restart involved Logano, chastain, Blaney, and Wallace, sending wallace spinning. Briscoe briefly challenged the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Byron and Larson, ultimately falling back to third. Byron took the lead on Lap 71, with Briscoe following closely behind. by the halfway point, Larson had dropped to tenth.
Tempers Flare and Weather Changes the Game
Further cautions followed, including one for Cindric after contact from Shane van Gisbergen (SVG). SVG expressed frustration over aggressive driving,specifically calling out former teammate Daniel Suarez,stating,”I guess he’s excited he’s not my teammate. He can hit me now.” The tension continued, with Suarez and Wallace engaging in a heated exchange under caution, with suarez reportedly threatening physical confrontation: “I’m going to kick his f* ass. and tell the #97 I’m coming for him.”
As the race approached the halfway mark, the lead changed hands again, with the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) drivers of Briscoe and Gibbs taking control. Though, the biggest challenge came not from competitors, but from the weather. Sleet began to fall, forcing NASCAR to halt the race and equip all cars with wet-weather tires.
Chaos on the Restart and a Final Push
The restart following the tire change was immediately chaotic, with Hamlin, Larson, and Preece all spinning. Briscoe regained the lead, and drivers began searching for grip by running high on the track, close to the wall. A caution was called when Josh Berry, who had won the Last Chance qualifier earlier in the night, hit the wall.
Further incidents involving Cindric and Hamlin brought out additional cautions. A restart saw Van Gisbergen take the lead, only to be passed by Preece before more cars, including Logano and Hamlin, spun. SVG briefly regained the lead, but Larson soon ran out of fuel. As the track began to dry, Preece seized the opportunity to take command.
Another Hendrick driver, Chase Elliott, also ran out of fuel, leading to another restart and a multi-car crash triggered by Briscoe spinning SVG. With 35 laps remaining, NASCAR brought all cars to pit road for a fuel stop, denying requests from Hocevar and Reddick to switch to slick tires.
The final stages of the race saw Wallace intentionally spin Hocevar, and Larson crashing after contact with Gibbs and Busch.Byron mounted a desperate challenge to Preece in the closing laps, but the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford held on to secure Roush’s first win in the pre-season Clash since 1999.
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