On Sunday, February 2nd, NASCAR hosted “The Cookout Clash” for the first time in nearly four decades at the iconic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The race kicked off the NASCAR Cup season and was nothing short of entertaining. It was a full-frontal display of an on-track battle between 19-time champ Chase Elliot and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney. The pair remained side by side for much of the race, causing uproar and excitement among the sold-out crowd of some 17,000 spectators. Weaving in and out of the packed quarter-mile track, Elliot fended off Blaney by 1.333 seconds.
Though the win won’t mean much regarding points for the regular Cup Season, the exhibition race still meant a lot to the Hendrick driver. “This environment is special,” said Elliott, who led Sunday’s charge. “This is a place that has a deep history in NASCAR. I think they deserve this event, truthfully.“I hope we didn’t disappoint. It was fun for me at least, and we’ll hopefully come back here one day,” he added. “The Clash” typically predicts how the regular cup season will fare. Does this mean Chase Elliot will bring the same heat to Daytona in 10 days?
How Chase Elliot Pulled the Win
The driver of the No. 9 for Hendrick Motorsports, Chase Elliot, let no one soon forget who he was over the weekend. Elliot dominated the field of 23 at Bowman Gray Stadium, leading for 171 laps. For 96 of them, he was locked in a dead heat with 23XL co-owner Denny Hamlin, who squeaked past him twice for 28 laps. Even so, he maneuvered enough to lead the charge again at lap 126. With Hamlin no longer a threat, Elliot could maintain a steady lead until lap 147, when Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney worked his way in front. The two drivers then stole the show, fighting for the top spot.
However, it wouldn’t be long before an opportunity to reclaim the lead fell in Chase Elliot’s lap going into the race’s second half. When Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Mustang Dark Horse’s right rear suspension tightened, Elliot could lead the pack again. After he regained control, Blaney knew better than to try to push past his car to make a pass for the win. He spoke of those crucial last seconds of the race, mentioning the importance of Elliot’s win. The team’s Hendrick driver has always been a tough competitor, and Ryan Blaney’s thoughts are a prime example.
“I’m not going to bulldog into him and get chased out of here with pitchforks,” Blaney explained. “I just didn’t quite have enough right rear at the end to make a move on him,” he added.
How Other Drivers Fared in Comparison
Chase Elliot has become one of the most revered drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series and is tough to beat. Just ask 3-time Cup Series champ Joey Logano, who finished fourth behind Denny Hamlin, with Bubba Wallace in fifth. Other top names in NASCAR who made the top ten in final points standings included Chris Buescher, Shane van Gisbergen, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, and Tyler Reddick. Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 for 23XL Racing, was disappointed in his performance. He remarked candidly about fighting Elliot and eventually Ryan Blaney for the top and how he plans to capitalize on the experience.
“I just didn’t do very well on that restart there and kind of lost the bottom, and Chase took advantage of it,” Hamlin said. “Once you get the lead, it’s a lot easier to hang on to it,” he continued.“I thought that they were just a little better that second half than we were, along with the 12 as well,” he explained. He then capped off his remarks by stating, “We just have to get a little bit better, but overall, a good day for our Sport Clips Toyota.” Will Denny Hamlin and his team make the necessary improvements in time for the Daytona 500 and beat Chase Elliot? Stay tuned.
Final Thoughts
Though Chase Elliot led his pack at “The Cookout Clash” at the iconic Bowman Gray Stadium, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Leading up to Daytona, Elliot plans to work on his No. 9 Chevrolet and top his Clash qualification speed of 63.762 mph. His average lap time was clocked at an impressive 14.115, and he’s hoping to improve that as well, but he’s not the only one.
Since Denny Hamlin is also vying for improvement and hoping for a Daytona win, seeing how it pans out will be interesting. Will Elliot be able to fend off Hamlin once again next Sunday? Tune into NASCAR, Fox Sports, MRN Radio, NASCAR Radio, and SiriusXM on Feb. 16 at 2:30 EST to catch it live.
