Despite a spirited performance in the Last Chance Qualifier Race, Austin Dillon narrowly missed advancing to the Main Event of the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. He finished third, just one spot shy of securing his place.
Austin Dillon narrowly missed advancing to the Main Event of Sunday night's NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium . Despite a valiant effort in the hard-fought Last Chance Qualifier Race, Dillon finished third, just one spot short of securing his place in the prestigious event.
The 34-year-old racer expressed his determination, stating that he gave it his all but ultimately lacked the car speed needed to make the leap from the first man on the outside looking in to the last man to secure his spot. Dillon believed they had been as aggressive as possible, putting themselves in a good position. He felt their only shot was to capitalize on restarts, but they weren't quite fast enough to be truly competitive. He managed his tires effectively, but needed a little more from his car to maintain their second-place position. Dillon recounted a mid-race restart where he was able to maintain momentum from the high lane, skillfully maneuvering his way past the third-place car before reaching Turns 3 and 4. Unfortunately, this strategy didn't work out on the next restart, as he found himself shoved out wide, resulting in a three-wide situation that dropped him back to seventh. Undeterred, Dillon mounted a comeback, clawing his way back to third. He expressed that they likely would have finished second or third if not for the setbacks and incidents during the race. Overall, Dillon enjoyed the experience, considering it a wild and entertaining race for the fans. While disappointed by the narrow miss, he acknowledged that their poor performance in qualifying and the Heat Races led to the uphill battle in the Last Chance Qualifier. Dillon emphasized the need for improvement in qualifying races to avoid such situations in the future. Meanwhile, NASCAR is exploring the possibility of relocating The Clash to a different venue in 2026, potentially even an international track. The organization is utilizing this year's season-opening exhibition to revisit a classic venue, Bowman Gray Stadium, which hasn't hosted a Cup Series race since 1971. However, Dillon expressed his desire for the track to remain on the schedule for another non-points event, suggesting the All-Star Race as a suitable option. He praised the track's revitalization and the enthusiastic fan base, highlighting the lively atmosphere during the event.
NASCAR Clash Bowman Gray Stadium Austin Dillon Last Chance Qualifier Kyle Larson Josh Berry Ryan Blaney
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