This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray
Location: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Course: Bowman Gray Stadium
Format: 0.25-mile oval
Laps: 200
Race Preview
The 2025 season-opening exhibition race moves from the west coast to North Carolina for this year's Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray. The historic quarter-mile oval feels a bit more fitting to NASCAR than the Los Angeles Coliseum. The track is a permanent one, very similar in style to its predecessor in Los Angeles, though. In fact, the track hosted 29 NASCAR Cup Series races in its history with the last being won by Bobby Allison in 1971. Its location in the heart of NASCAR country makes it feel a bit more natural, too. As is usual, the format of the Clash exhibition event changes each year, but it remains the first opportunity for drivers to feel out the competition under race conditions. This year's 23-car main event will be 200 laps long with heat races setting the field for the main event with a last-chance qualifying race to round things out. This weekend's on-track activity, though not for points, will be valuable for fantasy players to assess what teams and drivers could get the new season off to a quick start when the season begins at Daytona in just two weeks.
Key Stats at Bowman Gray Stadium
- Number of races: 29
- Winners from pole: 14
- Winners from top-5 starters: 27
- Winners from top-10 starters: 28
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 51.527 mph
Previous 10 Clash Winners
2024 - Denny Hamlin
2023 - Martin Truex Jr.
2022 - Joey Logano
2021 - Kyle Busch
2020 - Erik Jones
2019 - Jimmie Johnson
2018 - Brad Keselowski
2017 - Joey Logano
2016 - Denny Hamlin
2015 - Matt Kenseth
Like the most recent iterations of the annual Clash, Bowman Gray Stadium features a flat quarter-mile oval that will be characterized by single-file racing, making starting position one of the most important factors of success. However, unlike the prior venue, Bowman Gray Stadium has hosted Cup races in the past and is a permanent racing facility. Some of NASCAR's all-time greats have etched their names in the record books as winners there, and this season's Clash field will be anxious to add theirs to that illustrious list. It will take a lot of things going right to make that happen, though. Through the track's 29-race history in NASCAR Cup, only six races saw three or more lead changes and the most number of lead changes in one of those events was four. That said, fantasy players can expect more of the processional racing they've seen the past few years at Los Angeles and maybe even more considering Bowman Gray's turns are tighter and there is no banking compared to the Coliseum. Drivers will be split into three groups for practice and qualifying, the results of which will set lineups for the four 25-lap heat races. The top five finishers from those races will advance to the Clash with everyone else getting one last shot through a 75-lap last-chance qualifying race. Finally, one additional driver will be included in the field of 23 who is the highest ranked driver from the 2024 season not already advanced. In the main event, laps under caution will not count, and there will be a scheduled break at lap 100.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Christopher Bell - $10,300
Denny Hamlin - $10,100
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ryan Blaney - $9,900
Joey Logano - $9,800
Chase Briscoe - $9,400
Ty Gibbs - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Kyle Busch - $8,800
Brad Keselowski - $8,600
Tyler Reddick - $8,400
Chris Buescher - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Ross Chastain - $7,800
Josh Berry - $7,500
Ryan Preece - $7,400
Noah Gragson - $7,000
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Joey Logano - $9,800
Chase Elliott - $9,200
Ross Chastain - $7,800
Noah Gragson - $7,000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $5,700
It wouldn't be a short-track race without Kyle Larson being one of the favorites. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is one of the best in all types of equipment on short tracks around the globe, and he is expected to be one to watch this week, too. Larson's 2025 is already off to a great start with a win in the Chili Bowl Nationals just a few weeks ago and victory Sunday would give him his first career victory in the Clash. If you don't want to go with Larson, an alternative to consider instead might be Denny Hamlin, though. He dominated at short tracks last season and is the defending Clash victor. Given Bowman Gray is a new track to the current NASCAR field, fantasy players also should keep Joey Logano high on their consideration list. Logano has a tendency to win NASCAR Cup Series track debuts and did so at the Coliseum's debut with this event in 2022. It would not be surprising if the defending series champion visited Victory Lane again this week. Next in the lineup comes 2020 series champion Chase Elliott. Elliott visited Victory Lane just once. He comes with risk considering his best finish when the Clash was at Los Angeles was 11th in 2022, though. However, he is very capable on short tracks and has experience on this particular one.
Further down the price list, Ross Chastain could offer some value. The Trackhouse Racing driver had a disappointing 2024 season but finished in the top 15 in the Clash and was in the top-10 the year before that. He is an aggressive driver that isn't afraid to force his way forward, which is exactly what it will take to get to the front of this race. Similar in that style of driving is Noah Gragson. The young driver is with a new team for 2025 but has past experience with many of the personnel he'll be working with. It shouldn't be a big learning curve for him to come up to speed and Front Row Motorsports has been consistently improving the past several seasons. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will also view this race as an opportunity to outperform. Stenhouse is also aggressive and finished 16th in last year's Clash after starting 20th. He should be able to move forward this year at Bowman Gray, too.
NASCAR Best Bets for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 6:00 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Joey Logano +850
Longshot Race Winner - Ryan Preece +2800
Top Chevrolet - Austin Dillon +1600
This week's visit to Bowman Gray Stadium will be the first for the NASCAR Cup Series since 1971. While many drivers have experience racing at the venue, only one driver has a history of winning races at tracks when they debut on the series calendar and that is Joey Logano. He did it at the Coliseum in this race in 2022. He also did it at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2022, and he did it at Bristol's dirt track in 2021, too. He is the defending series champion and a very good racer on short tracks, which makes him one of the better bets given this weekend's many unknowns. Those looking for a longshot option may want to consider Ryan Preece. Despite struggling in recent seasons with Stewart Haas Racing, Preece has consistently qualified for the main event and finished in and around the top 10 in the Clash. He is with RFK Racing for 2025, which could boost his already respectable Clash potential even further. He finished 11th in this race last season. Finally, taking Austin Dillon as the top Chevrolet finisher gives wagerers great odds considering his recent Clash results. Dillon finished third and second in the first two Clash races at Los Angeles and his teammate, Kyle Busch, has been right there with him. Considering Dillon's odds to finish ahead of the rest of the Chevrolet drivers pays four times more than Busch, Dillon could be a lucrative way to go.
