North Carolina’s Charlotte (AP)— Particularly in an exhibition race, a single victory does not guarantee anything. But just five years ago, if this had been NASCAR, Chase Elliott would have been the overwhelming favorite to win the Daytona 500 following his decisive victory in the preseason Clash. The Clash was used as the prelude to NASCAR’s Super Bowl at Daytona International Speedway from 1979 to 2021. The drivers utilized the event to decide who had the car to beat in the 500. Elliott’s own father achieved it in 1987 when “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” won the Clash and, seven days later, won the 500 from the pole position for his second victory in “The Great American Race.”
The Clash was so crucial a test for NASCAR’s biggest race of the season that the winner went on to win the 500 six times.
But the tournament has now been rescheduled twice in the last four seasons. NASCAR hosted it on a temporary track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for three years. The Cup Series race returned to its roots last weekend when it was held for the first time since 1971 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem. Nowadays, the only things worth winning a Clash are a trophy, pride, and perhaps a little more self-assurance before the season begins.
Even though the excitement and passion were palpable during the two days at a sold-out Bowman Gray, the exhibition was only a nostalgic event for those who missed NASCAR’s illustrious history.
Before beginning to expand into bigger cities and more modern venues, NASCAR held races at Bowman Gray from 1958 until 1971. One of the few drivers that bemoaned the fact that the race is no longer the warm-up to the 500 was Denny Hamlin, who was the last driver to win both the Clash and the 500 in 2016.
NASCAR’s tons of storylines
“I thought it provided tons of storylines for the 500,” said Hamlin. You used to think, “They have a wonderful handling car, they are going to be tough to beat, regardless of where they start,” when someone was genuinely dominant in the Clash. Since it’s such a track position race, I doubt you’ll notice the direct correlation at this point.
To win the exhibition for the first time, he led 172 of the 200 laps on the quarter-mile circuit after starting the race from the pole position in his heat race on Saturday night. Although he has started from the pole position twice in the Daytona 500, he is 0 for 9 there, with his best performance coming in 2021 as runner-up.
Since Elliott, the defending Cup champion at the time, wasn’t even a serious contender and other drivers’ crashes helped him finish in second place, he lost that year to underdog journeyman Michael McDowell. Therefore, no, Elliott’s victory in Clash does not portend what he will do when teams travel to Florida next week to start getting ready for the Daytona 500 on February 16.
Most popular driver in NASCAR for seven years running
Hamlin’s lone hope, in light of Chase Elliott’s victory, was that Sunday night’s race at Bowman Gray would “bring back some hype to the 500.” When Elliott won, the 17,000 spectators naturally applauded him because he has been the most popular driver in NASCAR for seven years running.
He remained hopeful that the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team will have some momentum when they got to Daytona International Speedway. “Look, I know it’s not a points race, but I don’t care,” Elliott said. “Dude, it’s really hard to win these things.
When you’re fighting against drivers and teams like that, it’s really satisfying to cross the finish line first in any kind of event. This garage has grown very competitive, whether it’s a points race, the preseason All-Star, or something else entirely. They’re really skilled at what they do.I think that’s incredibly enjoyable from our perspective.
We will concentrate on the good aspects of the weekend. Yes, we are aware that there are still 37 races left. The racing is far from over. I hope we can continue to build on this.
Elliott hasn’t made it to the championship four since 2022
It’s far from over in the race. I’m hoping we can keep improving this. Elliott hasn’t made it to the championship four since 2022 and has only won one points-paying game in the previous two seasons. Alan Gustafson, the crew chief, was encouraged by Elliott’s victory in the Clash and considered it as a step in the right direction for the remainder of the season. “I’m pretty sure that everyone in the room wanted to win. We did, in fact, and we’re glad about it. Neither bonus points nor points are awarded.
“We certainly understand that,” Gustafson said. “I think we all tried to come here and be successful, and we all tried to come here and win.” gives you assurance that your method is valid and that your team is functioning and working as intended.
Without a doubt, I believe that Chase will feel more validated and confident after winning the race thanks to his outstanding performance. Basically, everything was done correctly. All of those things are positive. How far will you go with that? Not until you arrive in Daytona, where you must unload and start over.