The NASCAR Cup Series is back at the "The Madhouse" for the first time since 1971 as Bowman Gray Stadium plays host to the 2025 Cook Out Clash.
The Cup Series drivers got a taste of the insanity that is quarter-mile track racing at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022 to 2024, when the Clash was held out west.
Consistent Clash betting trends are hard to come by with the race trying out its third different venue and fourth configuration since 2020, but we're here to help you make free betting picks as the 2025 NASCAR season gets underway on Sunday, February 2.
Odds to win 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray
| Driver |  |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +750 |
| Denny Hamlin | +750 |
| Christopher Bell | +850 |
| Joey Logano | +850 |
| Chase Briscoe | +900 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1000 |
| Kyle Busch | +1100 |
| William Byron | +1300 |
| Ty Gibbs | +1300 |
| Chase Elliott | +1500 |
| Tyler Reddick | +2200 |
| Ross Chastain | +2500 |
| Brad Keselowski | +2500 |
| Alex Bowman | +2500 |
| Ryan Preece | +2800 |
| Chris Buescher | +2800 |
| Josh Berry | +3000 |
| Burt Myers | +3500 |
| Bubba Wallace | +4000 |
| Austin Dillon | +4500 |
Odds as of 2-1.
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray field
As was the case for the majority of the 2024 season, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin top the NASCAR betting board. However, the unpredictable nature of the event has the two favorites at +750, with only three other drivers at less than +1000.
NASCAR bettors will have a chance to glean more information about the drivers beginning on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. ET when practice and qualifying get underway. There will be four 25-lap heat races that evening, when the majority of the 23-car field will be filled.
Following a 75-lap "last-chance qualifier" at 6:00 p.m. ET Sunday night, the 200-lap Clash will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray expert picks and predictions
Odds listed below courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2-1.
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray pre-qualifying favorites
Kyle Larson (+750)
Don’t overlook the fastest driver last season. Kyle Larson finished fifth in all three of his Clash starts in L.A.
Joey Logano (+850)
Joey Logano won the inaugural quarter-mile Clash in 2022 but was a dismal 16th in 2023. Last year he rebounded to qualify second and finish fourth.
Kyle Busch (+1100)
Kyle Busch is trying to end a long winless drought with a victory in the 2025 opener. Busch finished runner-up in the 2022 and 2024 Clashes and third in 2023.
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray sleepers
Austin Dillon (+4500)
Austin Dillon finished third in 2022 and third a year later. While Dillon didn’t make the main event in 2024, don’t sleep on him this time around. This is his home track.
Justin Haley (+7000)
Why not here? Justin Haley won a 2022 heat race and started third, and if not for contact with Larson late, he was destined for a Top 5. He finished ninth in 2023 and qualified 10th last year before an engine expired on Lap 135 of the 151-lap event.
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray fades
Ryan Blaney (+1000)
Ryan Blaney marched to the Championship 4 last season and finished second in the final race at Phoenix. However, while Blaney charged from 23rd to finish third in last year’s Clash, he was outside the Top 15 in the other two instances.
William Byron (+1300)
William Byron finished sixth in 2022 and 10th in each the last two years in L.A. Pass.
Chase Elliott (+1500)
The most popular driver struggled on these types of tracks the last couple of years. Chase Elliott only placed 11th after starting 15th in 2022 and came home 21st after coming from 22nd in 2023. Last year, Elliott finished 22nd after starting 14th.
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray prop pick: Kyle Busch vs. Brad Keselowski
This seems like an easy proposition. Busch has three Top 4 finishes since the Clash moved to this unique race around a football field format, while Keselowski missed the main event in two of the three years with his best result being eighth. Barring a disaster, I think Busch crosses the finish line ahead of Keselowski Sunday night.
Pick: Kyle Busch (-120 at DraftKings)
Popular motor sports futures odds
Bowman Gray Stadium track analysis
Expect the unexpected. The format for this weekend’s Cook Out Clash remains similar to last year’s, but the venue has changed.
For the first time in decades, the NASCAR Cup Series will race at Bowman Gray Stadium. The track dimensions are the same as the one at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but what we don’t know is if the racing will look the same.
While weather conditions are far less superior in Winston-Salem, NC compared to Southern California, the actual track itself is around a football field, just as it was in LA. The car hasn’t changed, so racing around a .25-mile short track should feature similar results.
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray trends
- Starting position mattered in L.A., so why not here? Joey Logano won from fourth place in 2022, Martin Truex Jr. from the front row (second) in 2023, and Denny Hamlin from the pole last year.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray info
| Location: | Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC |
| Date: | Sunday, 2-2-2025 |
| Start time: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FOX |
Previous Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray winners
The NASCAR Cup Series has not raced at Bowman Gray since 1971. The Clash was at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022 to 2024, and at Daytona International Speedway from its inception in 1979 to 2021. With the exception of a road-course race in 2021, the Clash has predominately been held on the mammoth 2.5-mile oval of Daytona and not a quarter-mile bullring like the L.A. Coliseum and Bowman Gray.
| Year | Winner |
| 2024 | Denny Hamlin |
| 2023 | Martin Truex Jr. |
| 2022 | Joey Logano |
| 2021 | Kyle Busch |
| 2020 | Erik Jones |
| 2019 | Jimmy Johnson |
| 2018 | Brad Keselowski |
| 2017 | Joey Logano |
| 2016 | Denny Hamlin |
| 2015 | Matt Kenseth |
How to make Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray picks
NASCAR betting is a nuanced process that can take any number of factors into account, and spans several different types of bets. Fortunately, our How to Bet NASCAR guide walks you through the basics, including how to read odds, different markets that are available, and what to consider when making your bets.
