Ryan Preece showcased resilience and determination as he captured his first Cup Series exhibition win in a dramatic, weather-affected edition of The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The race, marked by sleet, a soaked racing surface, and a record number of caution periods, saw Preece and his RFK Racing Ford outlast both the elements and a determined field of Cup drivers on a frigid Wednesday night, delivering a long-awaited victory and injecting fresh momentum ahead of next week’s Daytona 500. The event, originally slated for Sunday, was twice delayed as North Carolina was blanketed by snow, creating one of the coldest settings in NASCAR history.
A Race Delayed and Defined by Extreme Conditions
The 200-lap exhibition opened under nearly freezing skies and proceeded with tension mounting over persistent sleet and uncertain track conditions. NASCAR implemented a mid-race break once sleet intensified, instructing teams to fit wet-weather Goodyear tires in a rare move for the series. As drivers navigated the treacherous racing line, many reported significant visibility struggles due to reflections from the stadium lights combined with falling precipitation, forcing crews, officials, and drivers alike to adapt as situations changed by the minute.
The action briefly halted again while the sleet passed before the restart on a damp circuit. Tension peaked as Denny Hamlin spun into pole-sitter Kyle Larson at the resumption, inadvertently collecting Kyle Busch and triggering more chaos. Additional spins and collisions turned The Clash into a test of endurance, and with an unusual number of caution periods, the race ran long enough that several cars risked running out of fuel as the TV broadcast on Fox ended, with the final 35 laps shifting to cable coverage. NASCAR permitted a synchronized fuel stop as the coverage transitioned, keeping as much of the field on track as possible.
Preece’s Long Climb to Victory Lane
For Ryan Preece, the win at Bowman Gray represented a breakthrough at the highest level after years spent working through the sport’s lower tiers. The Connecticut native, with deep roots in modified racing across the Northeast, was visibly emotional in victory, having first appeared on the national NASCAR scene in 2013 but only reaching his seventh full-time Cup season this year.
“Two years ago I didn’t think I had a job — I thought I was going back to Connecticut,”
Preece said, reflecting the enormity of his achievement. Having run only two Cup events in the 2022 season and then spending two years with Stewart-Haas Racing, Preece found himself without a seat when that team shuttered after 2024, placing his future in doubt. The opportunity to drive for RFK Racing, co-owned by active competitor Brad Keselowski, materialized ahead of 2025, with Preece stepping up as the squad’s leading performer.
In his 223 Cup starts since 2015, Preece has registered 30 top-10 finishes, but a breakout win had eluded him. Now, by joining NASCAR luminaries Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin as drivers to win The Clash before ever claiming a points-paying race, Preece sets his sights on new heights.
“It’s been a (expletive) long road, and it’s The Clash, but man, it’s just been years and years of grinding,”
Preece said, grateful for Keselowski’s support.
Preece further underscored the challenges he faced competing at NASCAR’s top level:
“This is as much as a mental game as it as anything and I felt pretty beat up,”
he admitted.
“We had a couple of restarts go our way and then before you know it you’re in the first two rows and then the claws come out.”
Race Results and Standout Performances
As the sleet subsided and the laps wound down, Preece managed to fend off charge after charge from seasoned rivals. William Byron secured the runner-up position, closely followed by Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez, the latter making his debut with Spire Motorsports. Hamlin, despite personal and physical challenges, rounded out the top five after a tumultuous week and offseason.
Bowman Gray’s short track hosted The Clash for the second year consecutive, following more than forty years of running the prestigious event at Daytona International Speedway before a three-year stint at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This iteration, marked by brutal cold and shifting conditions, will be remembered as a relentless trial for teams and drivers alike. Reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson started on pole alongside Hendrick Motorsports teammate Byron, the back-to-back Daytona 500 winner, adding further profile to a loaded front row.
Hamlin’s Tough Return After Offseason Tragedy
Denny Hamlin faced his own set of challenges upon returning to the car for the first time since narrowly missing the 2024 Cup title. Hamlin’s offseason had been marked by personal loss and injury, having lost his father in a December house fire that also seriously injured his mother. Hamlin revealed he had aggravated a surgically repaired torn labrum during cleanup at his mother’s house, explaining his current physical limitations.
“I don’t think that it ever healed properly,”
Hamlin shared.
“Took a little fall at my mom’s house, going through all the rubble and stuff, and just didn’t feel right. Got it rescanned and re-tore it again.”
Hamlin, committed to competing through the pain, affirmed he would not address the injury surgically until the conclusion of the upcoming season, focusing instead on the challenges immediately ahead.
Fierce Competition in the Final Qualifying Heats
The path to The Clash grid was no less intense. Josh Berry and Austin Cindric seized the final available spots via the last chance qualifying heat. Berry dominated his run for Wood Brothers Racing, an affiliate of Team Penske, to secure his place. Meanwhile, Cindric’s battle for the last transfer spot saw him duel Corey Lajoie for more than 15 laps, with each driver pushing the limits in pursuit of the main event.
Lajoie, serving as an injury replacement for Keselowski, returned to action despite Keselowski’s recovery from a broken leg sustained in December. The closing laps witnessed a bold move as AJ Allmendinger attempted to jostle Cindric and Lajoie for position, though this effort elevated Cindric firmly into the final spot at the historic venue.
Notably absent from the main event were Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Todd Gilliland, both of whom lent a helping hand by shoveling snow from the grandstands earlier in the week to ensure the race could proceed.
Looking Ahead to the Daytona 500
With The Clash now in the record books and Ryan Preece celebrating a career-altering win, the spotlight shifts quickly to Daytona International Speedway and the season-opening Daytona 500, scheduled for February 15. Qualifying for the crucial pole position is set for next Wednesday, with the remaining grid slots to be determined in two Thursday night duels. Teams, drivers, and fans alike now turn their attention to the high-speed spectacle that defines the start of the NASCAR season, with Preece hoping his breakthrough victory at Bowman Gray signals the arrival of a new contender at the sport’s highest level.
