Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson opened up the Cook Out Clash race weekend as the betting favorite to win the NASCAR Cup Series preseason exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Four 25-lap heat races around the four-turn, 0.25-mile (0.402-kilometer) Winston-Salem, North Carolina oval on Saturday night locked in five drivers each to the 200-lap main event. After a strong showing in practice, Larson did not qualify well, and he was unable to make up ground in his heat before placing eighth.
That result meant he was forced to compete in the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier, and he started in 10th place out of 19. The top two drivers in this race advanced to the main event, and of those who failed to qualify, the top finisher in the 2024 point standings advanced as well, thanks to a points provisional.
Larson sneaks into Clash
Larson was the second highest finisher in last year's standings among those who failed to qualify for the Clash via a heat race. Team Penske's Ryan Blaney was the highest. He too competed in the Last Chance Qualifier. But Blaney only ran a few laps and effectively conceded to locking in via the points provisional.
That meant that Larson needed a top two finish to qualify, and he secured it, winning the race from 10th on the grid. Wood Brothers Racing's Josh Berry finished in second place. They are set to start the main event in 21st and 22nd place, respectively, followed by Blaney in 23rd.
Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott is now the +300 favorite to win the race after taking pole for the first heat race and then winning that race, thus securing the pole position for the main event.
Full betting odds can be found here.
A full 23-car lineup for the main event can be found here.
Tune in to Fox at 8:15 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of the Cook Out Clash from Bowman Gray Stadium. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action!