Elliott, Buescher Dominate Heats; Chaos Ensues Behind
Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher have secured the front row for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, leading wire-to-wire in their respective heat races on Saturday night.
The four heat races set the first 20 spots in Sunday’s main event, with the remaining drivers battling for the final two positions in the Last Chance Qualifier. The 23rd and final spot will go to the highest driver from the 2024 championship standings who has not already locked into the Clash.
Elliott Cruises, Chaos Reigns in Heat 1
The first heat race delivered plenty of fireworks, with three cautions keeping the field on edge. But through it all, Chase Elliott stayed clear of the carnage, leading every lap and securing pole position for the Clash.
Austin Dillon triggered the first caution after catching the apron and spinning by himself off Turn 2 on Lap 3.
The second caution on Lap 6 resulted from hard-nosed short-track racing gone wrong. After some intense shoving in the pack, Kyle Busch sent Justin Haley airborne as Haley clipped the left-rear quarter panel of Noah Gragson. Gragson spun, bringing out the yellow.
Then, on the restart, chaos continued. Josh Berry spun in Turn 3, and almost simultaneously, Haley got payback on Busch, spinning him around. Under caution, Busch retaliated, pushing Haley’s car for multiple laps before NASCAR issued a final warning to back off.
Top 5 Advancing from Heat 1:
- Chase Elliott
- Brad Keselowski
- Noah Gragson
- Kyle Busch
- Ross Chastain
Elliott on Track Position: “It’s going to be tough to win from the third or fourth row. The first couple of rows certainly have a massive advantage. In a normal circumstance where people aren’t totally crashing each other, yeah, you want to be up front.”
Heat 2: Buescher Wins as RFK’s Short-Track Game Shines
In contrast to Heat 1, Heat 2 went caution-free, with Chris Buescher taking command early and never looking back. The RFK Racing driver led Chase Briscoe, Shane van Gisbergen, Bubba Wallace, and Daniel Suarez to the finish line.
This marks the first time Buescher has made the Clash since NASCAR introduced the heat race format three years ago.
Buescher on RFK’s Short-Track Progress: “We learned a lot about what not to do in the Coliseum. We weren’t good at all there. Preece has been a big help for us—last year, they excelled at this style of racing, and that’s been huge for RFK as a whole.”
Top 5 Advancing from Heat 2:
- Chris Buescher
- Chase Briscoe
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Bubba Wallace
- Daniel Suarez
Heat 3: Hamlin Puts JGR Up Front
Denny Hamlin delivered a textbook performance in Heat 3, leading every lap and easily securing his spot in the Clash.
Unlike Heat 1, this was another clean race, allowing Hamlin, Joey Logano, William Byron, Carson Hocevar, and Alex Bowman to advance without incident.
Top 5 Advancing from Heat 3:
- Denny Hamlin
- Joey Logano
- William Byron
- Carson Hocevar
- Alex Bowman
Heat 4: Reddick Fends Off Cautions for the Win
Heat 4 wasn’t as chaotic as Heat 1, but it still featured two notable cautions.
The first caution on Lap 6 saw AJ Allmendinger send Cole Custer into the wall off Turn 4. Allmendinger spun himself out in the aftermath.
Then, on Lap 7, Ryan Preece got into John Hunter Nemechek, seemingly in retaliation after Nemechek had used the bumper on him earlier. Nemechek spun hard into the outside wall, ending his chance to advance.
Through it all, Tyler Reddick held on for the win, leading Christopher Bell, Preece, Austin Cindric, and Todd Gilliland to the finish.
Top 5 Advancing from Heat 4:
- Tyler Reddick
- Christopher Bell
- Ryan Preece
- Austin Cindric
- Todd Gilliland
NEXT UP: Last Chance Qualifier at 6 P.M. ET
The remaining drivers will battle in the Last Chance Qualifying Race for the final two open spots in the Clash field. The 23rd and final spot will be awarded to the highest driver in the 2024 championship standings who has not yet qualified.
🔥 Who will survive the chaos and make the field for Sunday’s Clash? Stay tuned!