NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick has lept to the defense of racer Denny Hamlin following a tumultuous offseason. Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing alongside the legendary Michael Jordan, finished third during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium ahead of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series opening Daytona 500 race.

NASCAR experimented by moving The Clash to Bowman Gray this year and by all accounts it was a smashing success. The race itself was excellent and the reaction from everyone around the event was exceptionally positive.

The Clash got a jolt of energy at the North Carolina short track. Will it return in 2026, or will NASCAR look elsewhere?

Chase Elliott started Sunday's race out front, and that's where he stayed for much of the night. Elliott finished in first place, taking home his first ever Clash win. He led 171 of 200 laps, while last year's winner, Denny Hamlin, led for 28 laps.

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro, took home the win in the first Cup event at Bowman Gray in the modern era. This marks the fourth season the Clash has been held outside Daytona International Speedway, where it was traditionally raced on the famed high banks through the 2020 season.

Chase Elliott claimed NASCAR's first checkered flag of 2025 on Sunday night in Winston-Salem, winning the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium for his first victory in the Cup Series' preseason event.

"It'll be a s--- show." Denny Hamlin's sentiments from July last year were clear when it came to NASCAR's plans to haul the Clash race to Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025. The post Denny Hamlin Applauds NASCAR’s Bowman Gray Showcase Amidst His Costly Mistake appeared first on EssentiallySports.

"It's like going home," Richard Petty said ahead of the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray. The post NASCAR Legend Richard Petty Delivers His Verdict on Clash Being Held at Bowman Gray appeared first on EssentiallySports.