Cup Series Preview

Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray

Bowman Gray Stadium
Laps 200 Distance 51 mi Type short Coverage FS2 · 6:00 PM ET
0.25
MI
asphalt
Surface
Race Complete
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
6:00 PM ET
The Hook

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The Story

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The Data

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TV & Start Time

What channel is the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray on?

The Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray airs on FS2 on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM ET, broadcast from Bowman Gray Stadium. The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule splits between FOX, FS1, TNT, NBC, USA, and Amazon Prime Video.

What time does the NASCAR Cup race start this race weekend?

The Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray ran on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 with a 6:00 PM ET green flag on FS2.

NR-Rating Track Rankings

NR-Rating Track Rankings
# Driver Elo Rating Last Finish
1 Kyle Larson
1672
P0
2 Denny Hamlin
1650
P0
3 Ryan Blaney
1633
P0
4 Joey Logano
1616
P0
5 Christopher Bell
1615
P0
6 Ty Gibbs
1577
P0
7 Chase Elliott
1560
P0
8 William Byron
1550
P0
9 Ryan Preece
1541
P0
10 Brad Keselowski
1541
P0
NR-Rating: Elo-based rating from the NR-Rating prediction model. Higher = stronger at this track type.

NR-Rating Predictions

Last updated: Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 07:16 AM ET

# Driver Exp. Finish Win %
1 Christopher Bell Best in Field 6.8 18.6%
2 Chase Elliott 6.8 17.5%
3 Kyle Larson 8.3 16.2%
4 Denny Hamlin 8.6 15.7%
5 Chase Briscoe 8.6 12.8%
6 Chris Buescher 9.9 11.2%
7 Tyler Reddick 10.3 9.3%
8 Joey Logano 10.3 8.1%
9 Ryan Blaney 10.8 6.8%
10 William Byron 12.0 5.4%
11 Ryan Preece 12.6 4.9%
12 Brad Keselowski 12.6 4.2%
13 Ross Chastain 12.6 3.5%
14 Bubba Wallace 13.8 3.1%
15 Alex Bowman 14.0 3.1%
16 Michael McDowell 15.6 1.8%
17 Ty Gibbs 15.6 1.8%
18 Erik Jones 15.6 1.0%
19 Casey Mears 17.0 0.9%
20 Daniel Suarez 17.1 0.8%
21 Shane van Gisbergen 17.1 0.6%
22 John Hunter Nemechek 18.0 0.6%
23 Austin Cindric 17.7 0.5%
24 Todd Gilliland 17.7 0.5%
25 A.J. Allmendinger 18.0 0.4%
26 Josh Berry 19.0 0.4%
27 Austin Dillon 18.3 0.3%
28 Carson Hocevar 18.3 0.3%
29 Jimmie Johnson 21.0 0.3%
30 Zane Smith 20.4 0.2%
31 Cole Custer 20.2 0.2%
32 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 22.0 0.1%
33 Ty Dillon 23.1 0.1%
34 Noah Gragson 22.1 0.1%
35 Connor Zilisch 24.9 0.1%
36 B.J. McLeod 26.7 0.0%
37 Katherine Legge 27.3 0.0%
38 Riley Herbst 27.1 0.0%
39 Cody Ware 29.8 0.0%

Win probabilities reflect full-field Monte Carlo simulations. A 10% pWin means roughly 1-in-10 chance of winning, higher than most bettors realize for a 36-car field where the average driver has ~2.8% odds. Top 5 and Top 10 percentages similarly reflect simulated outcomes, not historical averages. Learn how the model works.

Predictions powered by NR-Rating model (MAE: 8.5 positions)

Prediction Scorecard

Enjoy Illinois 300: Model picked Denny Hamlin at P1 → Actual P9

(0/5 top-5 hits)

35% top-5 hit rate across 8 races

Track Type Tendencies

short

Bowman Gray Stadium is a short track where driver skill and aggression take center stage. Passing requires contact, tempers run hot, and strategy around restarts and pit timing can make or break a race.

Short tracks historically produce the most lead changes and the closest finishes.

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