Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, found the perfect way to start his 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season; win the first race of the year by leading 171 of 200 laps at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem this past Sunday.

Chase Elliott claimed NASCAR's first checkered flag of 2025 on Sunday night in Winston-Salem, winning the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium for his first victory in the Cup Series' preseason event.

Chase Elliott started Sunday's race out front, and that's where he stayed for much of the night. Elliott finished in first place, taking home his first ever Clash win. He led 171 of 200 laps, while last year's winner, Denny Hamlin, led for 28 laps.