The future of the Clash, a surprisingly good run at Bowman Gray Stadium and more chatter from Sunday's exhibition race.

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.

NASCAR could move the Clash from Bowman Gray Stadium to a new short track to continue its reinvestment in grassroots racing.

NASCAR Cup Series Clash took place at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday night, and Chase Elliott earned the win. This was the first exhibition race of the year and a warmup for the Daytona 500. Below are the full results.

Elliott started on the pole and led 171 of the race’s 200 laps Sunday night in the first Cup race at the historic Winston-Salem venue since 1971.

The Clash heads to another quarter-mile but on a new coast this weekend, making its debut at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after a three-year run at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

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.

Winner Chase Elliott said his first Clash victory was a moment he would never forget after three forgettable years of the Clash at L.A. Coliseum.

WINSTON-SALEM -- The 2025 NASCAR season unofficially gets underway on Sunday night, as some of the top drivers head to the legendary Bowman Gray Stadium for the Cook Out Clash. After three years racing at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, NASCAR elected to move its premier preseason event to a more traditional venue.