Chase Briscoe openly took the blame for spinning Shane van Gisbergen during the unpredictable and weather-impacted Chase Briscoe NASCAR Clash held at Bowman Gray Stadium, a pivotal moment that upended both drivers’ chances. The controversial incident occurred late in a race that saw chaos unfold across the entire field, with drivers and teams expressing intense frustration over race management and officiating.
Briscoe’s Costly Spin Shakes Up NASCAR Clash
The 2026 Cook Out Clash stood out as one of the most turbulent NASCAR events in recent history. Snow forced several postponements, with more weather woes as rain and sleet hit mid-race, leading NASCAR to switch competitors from slick to wet-weather tires and to mandate a fuel stop. Over 200 laps and 3.5 marathon hours, the race produced a staggering 17 caution periods—13 of them in the latter half—ensnaring nearly every driver among the 23-car lineup in accidents and misfortune.
At the heart of the drama were Shane van Gisbergen driving the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet and Chase Briscoe piloting the No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing. Both stayed in contention throughout the chaotic affair. Van Gisbergen, frequently dueling for the lead with Ryan Preece, held his own on multiple restarts, while Briscoe consistently occupied a spot inside the top five. Ryan Preece finally seized command at the Lap 156 restart amid the persistent tussle at the front.
However, on Lap 165, Briscoe collided with van Gisbergen while battling for second place, spinning out the Trackhouse Racing driver. After the dust settled, Briscoe accepted full responsibility for the miscue.
“I had a ton of fun when I was leading and even running second behind (Carson) Hocevar. I just kept kind of running behind him and trying to set him up cleanly. And then it was like, as soon as I got out of the top two, just guys are piled driving into you. And I absolutely wrecked SVG. I went in and got my left front where it was wet, cleaned him out. So I can’t really sit there and talk about other guys when I did the exact same thing,” he told Bob Pockrass (0:30 onwards).
Van Gisbergen, on the radio, expressed his disappointment and never managed to regain lost ground, ultimately finishing 17th. Briscoe himself suffered in the aftermath, losing vital track position, but still managed to cross the line in sixth place.
“Yeah, it was fun. If you had more room, it’s just hard. The lane was so narrow. And as soon as you got out of that lane, it was honestly like hidden black ice. And we just go straight. So it was tough for sure,” he added.
As the field scrambled and conditions worsened, Ryan Preece survived the relentless night and claimed victory, leaving chaos in his wake and testing the limits of drivers and teams alike.
Troubled Officiating Clouds Race and Fuels Team Frustration
The exhibition nature of the Cook Out Clash did little to ease tempers in the Cup Series paddock, where teams and drivers harshly criticized NASCAR’s handling of the event. Between inconsistent rules, last-minute changes, and unclear directives, several veteran crew chiefs and team members insisted the sanctioning body needed better communication heading into the core Cup season.
James Small, crew chief for Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 car, publicly voiced his dissatisfaction with decisions made by race officials.
“It’s like, why do we even have the rules. Even after the LCQ, I think they gave another car a set of tires that they said they were never going to give. So, it was just constantly chopping and changing and it was frustrating.”
Briscoe reinforced these points, referencing the confusion surrounding permitted adjustments during caution periods, such as air pressure changes by fellow competitors that he believed were not allowed.
“I didn’t know all the circumstances that were going on, but I know James was not thrilled with the situation… a lot of guys were doing adjustments. You weren’t supposed to be doing adjustments. Like the 22 (Joey Logano) was changing air pressure and stuff right in front of us. And so, yeah, it’s kind of frustrating a little bit.”
Further complicating an already fraught night, Carson Hocevar and the Spire Motorsports No. 77 team became the subject of attention when they swapped their wet-weather tires for slicks during a refueling-only green light. Officially, teams are required to keep wet tires until race control declares the track dry, yet confusion over the protocol persisted after the incident.
The emotional fallout from Bowman Gray’s troubled exhibition casts a shadow as teams look ahead to the Daytona 500, set to launch the regular Cup season on February 14. Both officials and competitors are now under pressure to find clarity and restore trust after a night defined by wrecks, weather, and exasperating race management.
Chase Briscoe on the fuel situation where NASCAR allowed everyone to pit for fuel and the inability for the race to get into any flow once they raced in the wet. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/tXmTz81bmG
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 5, 2026
