2026 NASCAR Cook Out Clash Odds and Predictions

The 2026 NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium runs Sunday, February 1, 2026 (green flag around 8:00 p.m. ET) as a Cup Series exhibition on a 0.25-mile paved flat oval in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It’s not a points race, but it matters this is the first real pressure test of the new season: short-run pace, bumper discipline, and pit-to-pit execution before the calendar turns to “for real.”

Bowman Gray compresses everything. Tight quarters, limited clean passing, and constant contact risk mean the “best car” doesn’t always cash track position and restart control can flip the outcome in a handful of corners.

It’s also a format race: heats set the grid, the LCQ is its own knife fight, and the main event is 200 green-flag laps with no overtime and a timed break at Lap 100. The board has to be read through that lens survivability plus a repeatable path to the front.

Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium Race Profile

For over 40 years, the Clash race was held at Daytona International Speedway and part of the festivities to kick off the new Cup Series season. From 2022-2024, NASCAR held the Clash at LA Memorial Coliseum as it was a short track just like historic Bowman Gray Stadium.

The North Carolina venue has hosted various levels of racing since 1939. It used to be dirt racing before the track was paved with asphalt in 1947. NASCAR’s first race at Bowman Gray took place in 1949 and lasted until 1971. Moving the Clash race to this venue is a testament to the sport’s history.

The Bowman Gray Stadium track has a lap distance of 0.25 miles, features no banking, and has been dubbed the “Madhouse.”

Sunday’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray exhibition race breaks down as follows:

• Total Laps: 200 laps
• Lap Distance: 0.25 miles
• Total Miles: 50 miles

Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Format

Unlike the regular season points races, the Cook Out Clash has a very different format. 39 cars have entered the race, but only 23 will be eligible for the final event on Sunday night.

The 39 drivers will start off being divided into three practice groups of 13 each. Eventually, they will move on to four heat races with a 25-lap distance. Three heats will have 10 drivers each, while the fourth heat will feature nine drivers.

The top five drivers for each heat will advance to the main event – 200 lap Cook Out Clash race. The 19 drivers that didn’t advance to the main event race will compete in a Last Chance Qualifier race at a distance of 75 laps. The top two finishers will advance to the main event.

The 23^rd and final spot goes to the driver with the highest finish for the 2024 season but didn’t advance through the other opportunities.

For example, since Kyle Larson won the Cup Series last year, he would automatically be in the main event. However, if he qualifies through the heats or the LCQ, then Hamlin would get the final spot since he was second in points last year.

Previous Cook Out Clash Winners

The Clash winner list is a reminder that this event rewards adaptability different tracks, different race shapes, and plenty of years where “clean air late” mattered more than raw speed. Active drivers with multiple Clash wins still show up (notably Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano), but Bowman Gray’s tight quarters add a new layer of volatility.

• 2016: Denny Hamlin (Daytona International Speedway)
• 2017: Joey Logano (Daytona International Speedway)
• 2018: Brad Keselowski (Daytona International Speedway)
• 2019: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona International Speedway)
• 2020: Erik Jones (Daytona International Speedway)
• 2021: Kyle Busch (Daytona Road Course)
• 2022: Joey Logano (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum)
• 2023: Martin Truex Jr. (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum)
• 2024: Denny Hamlin (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum)
• 2025: Chase Elliott (Bowman Gray Stadium)

NASCAR Cook Out Clash Betting Odds

Check out the latest NASCAR Cup Series odds for Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray:

Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney sit on the front row at the top sportsbooks, as the odds-on favorites to win this non-points race on Sunday, February 1. They’re followed closely by Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and William Byron. This will be the usual cast of characters leading the pack at online sites all season long.

Continue reading our analysis below to see who we predict as this year’s 2026 Cook Out Clash winner. You can also compare our predictions with the best handicappers and maximize your bankroll for this weekend’s NASCAR race.

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NASCAR Cook Out Clash Favorites

The following drivers are considered by oddsmakers to be the odds-on favorites to win the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray:

Chase Elliott (+650)

• Standings: 4th (2025)
• Wins: 4
• Top 5: 12
• Top 10: 18

Elliott is the simplest Bowman Gray fit because we’ve already seen the win condition: control the race from the front and make everyone else burn their tires and patience behind you. Leading 171 of 200 laps in the 2025 Clash is as close as this track gets to a “solve.”

The real value of Elliott here is procedural Hendrick brings speed, but Elliott’s path is about minimizing exposure. Get through the heat clean, start near the front, and turn restarts into separation.

Ryan Blaney (+650)

• Standings: 3rd (2025)
• Wins: 5
• Top 5: 14
• Top 10: 20

Blaney’s 2025 run (charging from 23rd to finish second) is exactly why he’s co-favorite: he can pass when passing is expensive. On a flat quarter-mile, that points to throttle discipline and restart timing two things Penske tends to execute well.

His win condition is less about dominating and more about being the last driver who can still move forward after the inevitable mid-pack contact starts stacking the field. If the race turns attritional, Blaney’s price makes sense.

Denny Hamlin (+700)

• Standings: 2nd (2025)
• Wins: 6
• Top 5: 14
• Top 10: 18

Hamlin is the most “format-proof” driver in this group: multiple Clash wins historically, plus a third-place run in the 2025 Bowman Gray edition. In an exhibition, experience matters because the decision-making is different drivers take risks they won’t take in a points race, and veterans tend to manage that better.

The lane for Hamlin is a late-race chess match: survive the contact, keep track position through the Lap 100 break cycle, and be the guy who can still restart clean when everyone else is leaning on the bumper.

Kyle Larson (+800)

• Standings: 1st (2025)
• Wins: 3
• Top 5: 15
• Top 10: 22

Larson’s case is ceiling. If the race stays even remotely “raceable,” he has the pace and the short-track résumé to take control but Bowman Gray doesn’t always let talent breathe. The key difference versus intermediate tracks: you can be fast and still get trapped.

What must go right is straightforward: qualify/heat well enough to avoid the worst traffic, then use Hendrick speed to stay top five into the late restarts where this turns into a lane-choice contest.

Christopher Bell (+850)

• Standings: 5th (2025)
• Wins: 3
• Top 5: 13
• Top 10: 19

Bell’s profile fits the “flat short track” logic: controlled aggression, clean exits, and a JGR team that usually brings dependable execution. A top-10 in the 2025 Clash isn’t a headline, but it matters he didn’t get erased by the chaos.

If you’re buying Bell, you’re betting on incremental gains: move forward early, don’t spend your car in the wrong places, and be positioned for the final restart sequence where the winner is often the driver who never had to panic.

The Best NASCAR Cook Out Clash Betting Value

The following drivers are my picks for the best betting value in the Cook Out Clash based on their previous success at Bowman Gray Stadium:

Chase Briscoe (+1100)

• Standings: 3rd (2025)
• Wins: 3
• Top 5: 15
• Top 10: 19

Briscoe offers the cleanest mid-tier “how he wins” argument: qualify/heat into good track position, then use short-run speed and restart execution to stay out of the mess. The 2025 Bowman Gray run being “solid” is enough this isn’t about years of track history, it’s about repeatable rhythm on a flat quarter-mile.

At +1100, you’re paying for a driver who can realistically be one of the last five cars with a clean nose late. That’s a real lane at this venue.

Joey Logano (+1200)

• Standings: 6th (2025)
• Wins: 2
• Top 5: 10
• Top 10: 15

Logano is the exhibition specialist play. Two Clash wins historically and a fourth-place finish in the 2025 Bowman Gray Clash tell you he understands how these races devolve and how to stay positioned when they do.

The win condition is classic Logano: be opportunistic without being reckless, protect the preferred lane, and treat late restarts like a priority system track position first, lap time second.

The Top Cook Out Clash Longshot

Bubba Wallace (+3000)

• Standings: 13th (2025)
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 5
• Top 10: 10

Wallace’s value is that he already showed he can live near the front here, fifth in the 2025 Clash and 23XI’s upside is real when the race turns into execution and composure. At +3000, you’re buying a driver who can win if the favorites get chopped up in traffic. His lane is “be there late” racing: avoid the unnecessary contact early, take what the restarts give you, and let the race come to you while faster cars eliminate themselves.

NASCAR Cook Out Clash Predictions

Expect the closing segment to revolve around drivers who combine speed with restart discipline: Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Christopher Bell all profile as “relevant late” because their teams can keep them near the front and they tend to manage chaos better than most.

The format sharpens the importance of track position. Heats and the LCQ create uneven starting spots, but the main feature still plays the same: once you’re in dirty air and stacked traffic, you’re one nudge away from losing 10 spots. That’s why I’m leaning toward a driver with both a proven Bowman Gray win script and the team strength to repeat it.

Elliott has the cleanest blend of ceiling and survivability here because we’ve already seen him dominate this exact event at this exact venue. If he’s anywhere near the front after the early sorting, he can turn restarts into control again. He’s our NASCAR pick to win this year’s Clash.

Bet: Chase Elliott (+650)

NASCAR Cook Out Clash Prop Bets

Let’s take a look at some popular NASCAR Cook out Clash prop bets:

Ross Chastain over Tyler Reddick (H2H) (-110)

Chastain’s edge here is stylistic: on a flat short track, the ability to defend a lane and take spots on restarts matters more than pure long-run pace. Reddick’s profile in the notes is shakier on shorts, which raises his risk if he gets pinned mid-pack.

Pick: Ross Chastain over Tyler Reddick (-110)

Ryan Blaney Top 3 (+175)

Blaney’s 2025 Bowman Gray result (2nd after starting 23rd) is exactly why a Top 3 prop is attractive he doesn’t need a perfect grid spot to contend late. In a race with no overtime and only green laps counting, the finish is less “random extra restart” and more “who stayed composed.”

Pick: Ryan Blaney Top 3 (+175)

Kyle Larson to Win (+800)

This is the “ceiling” prop dressed as a best bet. If the race stays green enough to reward pace and restart execution, Larson’s upside is as high as anyone’s in the field, and the number isn’t priced like a lock.

Pick: Kyle Larson to Win (+800)

Winning Team of Race Winner

• Hendrick Motorsports
• Team Penske
• Joe Gibbs Racing
• 23XI Racing
• Trackhouse Racing

On this track, I want the team most likely to keep a car clean, fast, and near the front through heats and the 200-lap feature. Hendrick’s Bowman Gray baseline (Elliott’s 2025 domination) pushes them to the top of the menu.

Pick: Hendrick Motorsports (N/A)