Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC is the site for the unofficial kickoff race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season — the Cook Out Clash.
Chase Elliott won the first Cup Series event over this course since 1971 last year in a dominating effort from the pole, but sustained success has been tough to come by in the Clash lately.
My free betting picks tell you which drivers to back (and which to avoid) when the drivers fire up their engines for the first time in 2026 this Sunday, February 1.
Odds to win 2026 Cook Out Clash
| Driver |  |
|---|---|
| Chase Elliott | +600 |
| Ryan Blaney | +600 |
| Denny Hamlin | +650 |
| Kyle Larson | +800 |
| Christopher Bell | +900 |
| William Byron | +900 |
| Chase Briscoe | +1000 |
| Joey Logano | +1000 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1800 |
| Ross Chastain | +2000 |
| Kyle Busch | +2200 |
| Chris Buescher | +2500 |
| Ty Gibbs | +2800 |
| Bubba Wallace | +2800 |
| Alex Bowman | +3000 |
| Josh Berry | +3000 |
| Ryan Preece | +3500 |
| Connor Zilisch | +4500 |
| Austin Cindric | +4500 |
| Carson Hocevar | +5000 |
Odds as of 1-31.
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Cook Out Clash expert picks and predictions
Odds listed below courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook as of 1-31.
Cook Out Clash pre-qualifying favorites
Chase Elliott (+600)
Implied odds: 14.3%
With only one race to go off of at Bowman Gray, it's easy to see why bettors are flocking to Chase Elliott.
The No. 9 Chevrolet driver led 171 of 200 laps from the pole to take his first-ever Clash last year.
However, he was notably the eighth unique winner of the last eight Clashes. There hasn't been a back-to-back winner of this event since Kevin Harvick in 2009-10.
Ryan Blaney (+600)
Implied odds: 14.3%
Ryan Blaney paces the Cup Series with an 8.8 average finish at short tracks over the last two seasons. Two of his three victories came at the relatively flat Martinsville.
Blaney, who finished second in this race last year, also has a recent win at New Hampshire along with five Top 5s across his last six trips to Phoenix. Those tracks are a one-mile trip, but their low banking serves as a good comparison to Bowman Gray, which has zero degrees of banking.
Cook Out Clash sleeper
Kyle Larson (+800)
Implied odds: 11.1%
Kyle Larson is tied with Denny Hamlin for the most short track wins over the last two seasons, with four, while leading the most laps in that 18-race sample (1,442).
Looking at the ovals with the least amount of banking in NASCAR — Martinsville, New Hampshire, and Phoenix — Larson has 12 Top 5s across the last 15 combined races.
You don't often get this kind of value on Larson.
Cook Out Clash fade
Ross Chastain (+2000)
Implied odds: 4.8%
Ross Chastain had a horrible stretch after winning the Coca-Cola 600 last year, recording only one Top 5 over a 23-race span.
He'll be working with new crew chief Brandon McSwain for the first time, and some wrinkles may need to be ironed out there.
With only three Top 5s over his last 18 short-track races, Chastain is an easy toss this Sunday.
Bowman Gray Stadium track analysis
Bowman Gray Stadium is the one and only 1/4-mile track on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. It has not held a points-paying race since 1971, but it did hold the Clash exhibition race last year.
Bowman Gray boasts zero banking, making it unique among all NASCAR ovals. Martinsville, a half-miler, might be the most direct comparison, though the relatively flat one-mile New Hampshire and Phoenix ovals have an argument.
Bowman Gray Stadium trend to know
The absence of a trend is the trend to note for the Clash, which has seen eight different winners over the last eight years — four Toyotas, two Chevrolets, and two Fords.
How to watch the Cook Out Clash
| Location: | Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC |
| Date: | Sunday, February 1, 2026 |
| Start time: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FOX |
Cook Out Clash weather
Principle concerns for Cook Out Clash weather are Saturday's snowfall, with anywhere from 4-8 inches expected, making for a tall order to get the track ready for race day.
Nighttime lows for Winston-Salem, NC will be in the teens on Sunday, making for unusually frigid conditions for a NASCAR race. It was similarly cold for last year's Cook Out Clash, where teams saw lower-than-usual tire falloff.
Goodyear is bringing new, softer left-side tires to this race in the hopes of inducing more falloff and race-altering pit stops.
Previous Cook Out Clash winners
| Year | Winner | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet |
| 2024 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota |
| 2023 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota |
| 2022 | Joey Logano | Ford |
| 2021 | Kyle Busch | Toyota |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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