Chase Elliott, the sport’s most popular driver each of the past seven years, and his close friend Ryan Blaney, ran 1-2 with less than 50 laps laps before Elliott pulled away to win the Cook Out Clash in the first NASCAR Cup race at Bowman Gray Stadium since 1971.

The NASCAR Cup Series season informally begins with Sunday's Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem. The non-points paying race is the annual opening exhibition in the Cup season, with this year's race taking place at the quarter-mile Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time.