Chase Elliott claimed NASCAR's first checkered flag of 2025 on Sunday night in Winston-Salem, winning the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium for his first victory in the Cup Series' preseason event.

Chase Elliott won the unofficial opener to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Elliott started Sunday night’s Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on the pole and dominated the race. He drove away from Ryan Blaney over the last 20 laps as just 12 of the 23 cars that started the main event finished on the lead lap.

The winner led 172 of the 200 laps in his Chevrolet from Hendrick Motorsports to win the event in front of an adoring sold-out crowd of 17,000 fans.