Overview
- The weather-delayed Cook Out Clash finally ran Wednesday on wet-weather tires and produced a record 17 cautions, with RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece winning as FOX shifted coverage to FS2 to air The Masked Singer.
- NASCAR’s midrace move to let the field refuel under caution drew criticism, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. calling it unfair to teams that managed fuel yet defending the push to complete the exhibition.
- Kevin Harvick and Richard Petty blasted officiating and visibility in sleet, while Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney highlighted the event’s value and urged against judging Bowman Gray by an extreme weather night.
- Debate over the format intensified, as insider Jordan Bianchi urged a return to a short Busch Clash‑style sprint, Mamba Smith warned a Daytona return is unlikely on cost and risk grounds, and suggestions ranged from Daytona to New Smyrna.
- With the Daytona 500 next, NASCAR is tweaking qualifying so two Open entries lock in via single‑car runs, leaving remaining non‑chartered cars to race for two transfer spots in the Duels.