| WINSTON-SALEM, NC – February 5, 2026 – RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece won Wednesday’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, claiming his first win at the NASCAR Cup Series level. This win also marks Ford’s 11th victory in the Clash. |
| “Congratulations to Jack, Brad, Derrick, Ryan, and everyone at RFK Racing on the Clash win at Bowman Gray,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Starting the year with a win gives us great momentum as we head into the 2026 season, and it’s a proud moment for everyone at Roush Yates Engines and Ford Racing.” |
| “I don’t even know what to say. It’s been a long road. And it’s the Clash but man, it’s just been years and years of grinding. Just super thankful for Brad Keselowski, all our partners, Jack Roush. Two years ago, I didn’t think I was going to have a job. I thought I was going back to Connecticut. Man, I’m just super, super, super emotional. We had a really good car, and I felt like we were fighting adversity all day. Trying to come from the back, we got a lot of good spots. When we were putting rain tires on, man, this is as much of a mental game as anything, and I felt pretty beat up. We had a couple of restarts go our way, and before you know it, you’re in the front two rows. Then the claws just come out. I’m speechless. I’ve got to thank Ford, Ford Racing and everybody there with all the support they give us. As far as emotions go, when you work as hard as I have, I hate talking about it because I hate getting emotional about it, but it’s not just the Clash – winning means everything to me. I’ve put a lot into it,” commented Preece. |
| Originally scheduled for Sunday, winter weather pushed the Clash to Wednesday, where it marked the unofficial start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. With heat races canceled due to weather, qualifying set the first 20 positions in the field, one provisional spot was awarded based on last season’s points standings, and the final two transfer positions were determined by the Last Chance Qualifier, rounding out the 23-car field. |
| RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece along with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano earned their spots through qualifying while Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric raced their way into the field by finishing first and second, respectively, in the Last Chance Qualifier. Just past the halfway mark at Lap 102, the race was briefly halted due to inclement weather. During the red flag, teams were allowed to switch to wet-weather tires. All cars were also allowed to take fuel on lap 166, however, while on pit road, teams were restricted from any other adjustments, including changing tires. With 35 laps remaining, Preece powered his No. 60 RFK Racing Ford to the front. Preece went on to lead a total 46 of the race’s 200 laps that featured a Clash-record 17 cautions. |
| Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney finished in P3 and RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher finished in P8. The NASCAR Cup Series travels to Daytona, Florida next week for the official start of the 2026 season at Daytona International Speedway. |
| RYAN PREECE WINS THE CLASH AT BOWMAN GRAY STADIUMWINSTON-SALEM, NC – February 5, 2026 – RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece won Wednesday’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, claiming his first win at the NASCAR Cup Series level. This win also marks Ford’s 11th victory in the Clash. |
| “Congratulations to Jack, Brad, Derrick, Ryan, and everyone at RFK Racing on the Clash win at Bowman Gray,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Starting the year with a win gives us great momentum as we head into the 2026 season, and it’s a proud moment for everyone at Roush Yates Engines and Ford Racing.” |
| “I don’t even know what to say. It’s been a long road. And it’s the Clash but man, it’s just been years and years of grinding. Just super thankful for Brad Keselowski, all our partners, Jack Roush. Two years ago, I didn’t think I was going to have a job. I thought I was going back to Connecticut. Man, I’m just super, super, super emotional. We had a really good car, and I felt like we were fighting adversity all day. Trying to come from the back, we got a lot of good spots. When we were putting rain tires on, man, this is as much of a mental game as anything, and I felt pretty beat up. We had a couple of restarts go our way, and before you know it, you’re in the front two rows. Then the claws just come out. I’m speechless. I’ve got to thank Ford, Ford Racing and everybody there with all the support they give us. As far as emotions go, when you work as hard as I have, I hate talking about it because I hate getting emotional about it, but it’s not just the Clash – winning means everything to me. I’ve put a lot into it,” commented Preece. |
| Originally scheduled for Sunday, winter weather pushed the Clash to Wednesday, where it marked the unofficial start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. With heat races canceled due to weather, qualifying set the first 20 positions in the field, one provisional spot was awarded based on last season’s points standings, and the final two transfer positions were determined by the Last Chance Qualifier, rounding out the 23-car field. |
| RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece along with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano earned their spots through qualifying while Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric raced their way into the field by finishing first and second, respectively, in the Last Chance Qualifier. Just past the halfway mark at Lap 102, the race was briefly halted due to inclement weather. During the red flag, teams were allowed to switch to wet-weather tires. All cars were also allowed to take fuel on lap 166, however, while on pit road, teams were restricted from any other adjustments, including changing tires. With 35 laps remaining, Preece powered his No. 60 RFK Racing Ford to the front. Preece went on to lead a total 46 of the race’s 200 laps that featured a Clash-record 17 cautions. |
| Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney finished in P3 and RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher finished in P8. The NASCAR Cup Series travels to Daytona, Florida next week for the official start of the 2026 season at Daytona International Speedway. |
| 42 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 485 WINS – 449 POLES |