Ryan Blaney was a little kid the first time he raced at Bowman Gray Stadium and remembers it being the coolest thing he’d ever done in motorsports.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Bumping, beating and banging were the headliners Saturday night, along with Chase Elliott, in the return of the NASCAR Cup Series to Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time since 1971. Elliott won the first of four heat races on the quarter-mile track and will start Sunday night’s Cook Out Clash from the pole.

All other NASCAR Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. The official start of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season doesn't happen until the Daytona 500 in a couple of weeks, but we're blessed with some on-track action this weekend with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on