Chase Elliott couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2025 NASCAR season. Under the lights at Bowman Gray Stadium, he put on a short-track masterclass, leading 171 of 200 laps and holding off Denny Hamlin and a hard-charging Ryan Blaney to capture the checkered flag in the Cook Out Clash. The win itself was impressive—an early statement from a driver hungry to reclaim his lost throne. But here’s the thing: That’s not the reason he wants to come back.
NASCAR’s decision to bring The Clash to Bowman Gray for the first time in over 50 years was met with skepticism from some and raucous excitement from many others. Would a tight, 0.25-mile bullring really deliver the kind of show fans expect from a season opener? Would it feel big enough? As it turns out, those concerns disappeared the moment engines fired. The place was packed, the atmosphere electric, and the racing as wild as ever. For Elliott, this wasn’t just a race—it was a reminder of what NASCAR should be.
Elliott and Dale Jr. weigh in on the Bowman Gray experience
After his win, Elliott sat down with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on The Dale Jr. Download, the conversation quickly turned to Bowman Gray’s future. NASCAR returning to the stage after being away for 54 years was no small feat. In addition to the lease, $10 million was put into making the stadium ready for the Clash, but what happens to it after the Clash is over? Does Bowman Gray fade back into history? Elliott had an interesting take on the matter.
“That’s a good question,” Elliott said when asked about what NASCAR should do with the track. “I thought it was a huge success. I mean, obviously, for me, it’s easy for me to say that, right? But I think even if I hadn’t won the event, I would still have the same opinion. Just the atmosphere, the feel—it was great. The pre-race environment was great. And yeah, maybe it only holds 15-20,000, but so what? It looked great, sounded great, and it felt special.”
Elliott has been pretty vocal in recent times about NASCAR’s need to preserve its historic tracks. Whether it’s North Wilkesboro, Rockingham, or now Bowman Gray, he’s made it clear that, to him, saving the sport’s roots is just as important as expanding into new markets. And if last Sunday night was anything to go by, he has a point. The Clash at Bowman Gray had 17,000 people in the crowd, coming from as far as Australia and New Zealand just to watch the first race of the season.
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 31: Chase Elliott, driver of the #17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, prepares to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway on August 31, 2024 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
On top of that, drivers were greeted by a rowdy crowd, all ready to watch the spectacle unfold. In fact, when 2023 Cup Series champion Blaney attempted to get past the 7-time Most Popular Driver, he had a lingering fear. He explained, “I’m not going to bulldog into him and get chased out of here with pitchforks. … I just didn’t quite have enough right rear at the end to make a move on him.” Joey Logano, who finished fourth, had an even more blunt take on the fan reception. “The fans being right there, it’s what Bowman Gray is, right? They’re heckling you, saying whatever they want. I don’t know if you guys got the boos I got.”
For Elliott, that’s exactly the kind of energy NASCAR needs more of. “As long as NASCAR’s willing to be okay with that number [of fans], which I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be, I thought it meant for a great environment. It was plenty loud enough, it was intimate, and it just looked good.”
Elliott’s thoughts on the Great American race
With The Clash in the books, Elliott now turns his focus to Daytona. It’s no secret that the Daytona 500 has been a frustrating hunt for him. Despite winning poles and contending in multiple races, the big prize has always slipped through his fingers. His best finish was a runner-up trophy in 2021 after Michael McDowell made a last-second move to steal the win.
“I’ve always tried to enjoy the 500,” Elliott said recently. “It’s such a special moment. I know it’s part of the season and that it counts, but it has always felt like its own event.” For Elliott, it’s been 10 years of failures, with the 2021 race being an agonizing reminder of just how close he came to winning the race. Winning at the Great American Race is clearly a priority from Elliott. That sentiment rings especially true this year. With NASCAR’s biggest race looming large in a few days, all eyes are on whether Elliott can finally break through.
Adding to the prestige and grandeur of the event is the potential presence of U.S. President Donald Trump. The 45th and 47th President is rumored to be attending, much like he did in 2020. Elliott, for his part, kept things neutral when asked about it.
“I wasn’t sitting next to him, but I saw that he was there at the game the other day,” Elliott said, referencing Trump’s recent Super Bowl appearance. “I think having a sitting President come and be a part of one of our biggest days of the year—certainly what I would call our biggest event of the year—I think is special. It certainly brings a lot of eyes and a different perspective to what we do down here for this race.” Whether Trump shows up or not, Elliott is focused on one thing: winning. “I don’t care who the President is at that point,” he said. “That sounds like we would have won the race at that point, so that sounds like a good thing.”
Elliott’s determination is clear. After a tough couple of years, a win at Daytona would be the ultimate redemption story. And if Bowman Gray proved anything, it’s that he’s back to his best.
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