Larson Wins Clash LCQ at the Madhouse

"Class Photo" for the 2025 Cook Out Clash

(WINSTON SALEM, NC – FEB 2, 2025 – RIS) Kyle Larson moved from tenth to the lead at Bowman Gray Stadium thrilling the sold-out crowd to earn one of two last-chance qualifier spots in the Cook Out Clash at the historic old quarter mile oval around a college football field. Josh Berry earned the second race-in spot and Ryan Blaney took his Ford to the pits early, earning the 2024 point standings provisional starting spot.

The field in the Last Chance Qualifier for this year’s Cook Out Clash rolled onto the track at Bowman Gray Stadium with Ty Dillon on the pole position, flanked by Zane Smith. The top two finishers will earn starting slots in the Clash, with Chase Elliott starting on the pole for that race on the quarter-mile oval surrounding Winston Salem State University’s football field. Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney are relegated to the LCQ race after running less than their expected speeds in the final round of trials and the heat races Saturday, Larson starting tenth and Blaney 17th in the prelim.

Dillon finally got Smith cleared for the lead and Riley Herbst slowed suddenly on the front straight but continued after falling to the back of the field. Larson moved to fifth just before Ty Gibbs used his bumper to move Dillon and take the lead. Ty Dillon and Erik Jones made contact, spinning Dillon for the first caution of the race. Laps run under the yellow flag are not counted for the race distance.

Larson chose the outside row for the restart, allowing him to start on the front row next to Gibbs at the green flag with Zane Smith on the inside of the second row, flanked by Justin Haley. Larson used the outside lane and traffic on the inside line to get around Smith for second place.

Smith repaid a bump from Austin Dillon but spun himself out for the second caution of the race. This created another restart ‘choose’ opportunity with Larson moving inside behind Gibbs with Austin Dillon on the outside of the front row. During this caution, Ryan Blaney pulled off the track to take the point standing provisional as the 23rd starter in the Clash.

Gibbs started losing positions after a touch from Larson, falling back to fourth with Haley in position to challenge for the position while Larson, Dillon and Jones pulled away, with Larson about a second ahead of Dillon at the halfway point and Jones about 3/4ths of a second behind Dillon.

Garrett Smithley spun in the third turn on lap 44 to stop the count at 43 laps with another caution. Apparently Cody Ware made contact that might have caused the spin. 

Erik Jones picked the outside to start next to Larson, with Austin Dillon and Justin Haley on the second row at the green flag. Gibbs spun off of Josh Berry’s bumper on lap 56, setting up a new restart with just under 20 laps left. 

Larson and Jones picked the inside line with Austin Dillon moving to the outside of Larson with AJ Allmendinger tailing Dillon. Dillon moved down to take second, but Haley and McDowell spun after a traffic jam shoved Berry into Haley’s rear bumper and McDowell spun in avoidance.

A mirror image of the previous restart saw Jones tap Dillon and Dillon fell back to seventh before he could get back to the inside lane. 

Bowman Gray Modified star Burt Myers spun across the grass and into the outside wall in Turn One, smashing the front end of the No. 50 car, spilling coolant and oil on the track with a red flag halting the action for the cleanup.

Larson took the inside lane while Jones picked the outside, Josh Berry followed Larson and Allmendinger trailed Jones at the restart leading to 13 laps left in the race. Ty Gibbs moved down on Alex Haley and got the car upset, never lifting off the throttle and then pulling off the track with a mangled left front corner after he almost launched the No. 54 off of apparently retaliating for the contact from Haley.

Jones and Larson chose the inside lane, flanked by Josh Berry and Allmendinger for the restart with ten laps left. The restart immediately led to a three-wide tangle with Jones and Berry first and second, Jones spinning across Berry’s nose with Larson squeezing by after the leaders checked up while the rest of the field bumped and ground, shoving them into the tangle.

Berry led the restart, Cole Custer outside on the front row with Larson and Allmendinger on the second row with Austin Dillon and John Hunter Nemechek the third row. Berry pulled ahead by a half second with Larson easing into second place as Allmendinger hit the wall and pulled to the pits. Larson got around Berry with Austin Dillon just ahead of Nemechek as the white flag waved. Ty Gibbs spun in the third turn leading to a checkered flag/yellow flag finish with Larson and Berry advancing to the Clash.


Clash Last Chance Qualifying Race, February 2, 2025

Fin, St, Driver, Car, Laps, Tms Led, Laps Led, Status
1) 10, Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, 75, 2, 36, Running
2) 13, Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, 75, 1, 6, Running
3) 5, Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet, 75, , , Running
4) 12, John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota, 75, , , Running
5) 4, Michael McDowell, No. 71 Workforce Chevrolet, 75, , , Running
6) 2, Zane Smith, No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford, 75, 1, 4, Running
7) 11, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 SUNNYD Chevrolet, 75, , , Running
8) 9, Justin Haley, No. 7 The Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet, 75, , , Running
9) 1, Ty Dillon, No. 10 Sea Best Chevrolet, 75, 2, 7, Running
10) 19, Tim Brown*, No. 15 Dairi-O/Jerry Hunt/Hayes Ford, 75, , , Running
11) 14, Cody Ware, No. 51 Mighty Fire Breaker/Red Cross Ford, 75, , , Running
12) 16, Cole Custer, No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford, 75, , , Running
13) 18, Garrett Smithley*(i), No. 66 Veterans Ranch Ford, 75, , , Running
14) 3, Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota, 73, 1, 18, Running
15) 8, AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet, 68, , , 
16) 6, Erik Jones, No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota, 65, 1, 4, 
17) 7, Riley Herbst #, No. 35 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Toyota, 65, , , Running
18) 15, Burt Myers*, No. 50 Citrusafe Cleaners Chevrolet, 61, , , 
19) 17, Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford, 23, , ,
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series, (#) Rookie

Race Length: 75 Laps, 18.75 Miles

Comments: Kyle Larson has won the Cook Out Clash Last Chance Qualifier Race at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Prior to the start, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field under penalty: Nos. 12, 16, 41, 42 (Unapproved Adjustment).
Cautions: 9 for 0 laps;
Lap: 16 (No. 10, 43 Incident Backstretch [None]);
23 (No. 3, 38, 43 Incident Turn 3 [None]);
43 (No. 66 Spin Turn 3 [35]);
56 (No. 54, 21 Incident Turn 2 [66]);
57 (No. 21, 7, 71, 42 Incident Turn 4 [35]);
61 (No. 50, 47 Incident Turn 1 [Red Flag: 00:07:20] [35]);
64 (No. 7, 54 Incident Turn 1 [35]);
65 (No. 21, 5, 43, 16, 41, 3 Incident Turn 4 [35]);
75 (No. 54 Stopped On Track [None]).

Lead Changes: 7 among 6 drivers;
T. Dillon 1;
Z. Smith 2-5;
T. Dillon 6-11;
T. Gibbs 12-29;
K. Larson 30-61;
E. Jones 62-65;
J. Berry 66-71;
K. Larson 72-75.

Starting Line Up: Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray
Pos, Driver, Car
1)
 Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
2)
 Chris Buescher, No. 17 Kroger/Tree Top Ford
3)
 Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota
4) Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota
5)
 Brad Keselowski, No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford
6) Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota
7)
 Joey Logano, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford
8)
 Christopher Bell, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota
9)
 Noah Gragson, No. 4 TrueTimber Ford
10
) Shane Van Gisbergen #, No. 88 Trackhouse Chevrolet
11
) William Byron, No. 24 Liberty Univeristy Chevrolet
12) Ryan Preece, No. 60 Fastenal Ford
13
) Kyle Busch, No. 8 zone Chevrolet
14
) Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Leidos Toyota
15
) Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet
16
) Austin Cindric, No. 2 Freightliner Ford
17
) Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Chevrolet
18
) Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet
19
) Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Chevrolet
20
) Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Long John Silver's Ford
21
) Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet
22
) Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford
23
) Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford
(#)
 Rookie

Did Not Qualify: No. 3,No. 42,No. 71,No. 38,No. 47,No. 7,No. 10,No. 15,No. 51,No. 41,No. 66,No. 54,No. 16,No. 43,No. 35,No. 50

John Davison

Long-time RIS staffer, beginning in the mid-80s. Charlotte, NC area local contact.

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Volume 2025, Issue 2, Posted 7:55 PM, 02.02.2025