CUP: If you thought Wednesday’s Clash was exhausting, see how the battle for last place unfolded
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO: 23XI Racing, @23XIRacing
Bubba Wallace finished last in Wednesday’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium when his #23 Robinhood Toyota finished under power after 199 of 200 laps.
Wallace earned the biggest win of his career last summer when he prevailed in a hotly contested Brickyard 400, then went on to finish a career-best 11th in the overall point standings. He also set a new career mark in laps led, pacing the field for 378 laps, including 30 at Indy. This came during a season of turmoil for 23XI Racing, which joined Front Row Motorsports in its lawsuit against NASCAR for monopolistic practices. That season saw all six cars lose their Charters by the reversal of a court decision. Ultimately, those Charters became permanent after the settlement reached in December.
After record-setting snowfall postponed the race to Monday and then Wednesday, Wallace was among the 38 entrants for The Clash’s 23-car main event who took to the track for opening practice, split into three groups. The slowest speed was turned in by Chad Finchum, one of only two “open” entries on the list, whose #66 New York Sports Show Ford turned in a lap of 14.790 seconds (60.852mph), nearly six-tenths off the fastest lap set by Christopher Bell. This put Finchum in the first of six qualifying groups, where this time he ranked next-to-last ahead of the other open entry of local hero Burt Myers in the #50 Tibbbetts Lumber Chevrolet for Team AmeriVet. Myers’ lap was slower than Finchum’s in practice, coming in at 15.024 seconds (59.904mph), 0.887 second off the pole.
LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER
In practice, Wallace ranked 12th with a best lap of 14.312 seconds (62.884mph), then improved in qualifying to take 7th with a lap of 14.153 seconds (63.591mph). This locked him into the main event as one of the Top 20 qualifiers.
The last of these spots was decided by just one-thousandth of a second. Locked in was Daniel Suarez in the #7 Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Chevrolet at 14.242 seconds (63.193mph), while 21st-place ranked Josh Berry in the #21 Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford took the pole for the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) with a 14.243 (63.189mph). That LCQ would see Finchum and Myers round out the field, soon to be joined by 5th-place starter Alex Bowman, who had already secured the 23rd and final spot in the main based on Owner Points. Bowman was last across the stripe when the green flag dropped.
When the LCQ started, outside-polesitter Michael McDowell jumped the start on Berry, but his #71 Workforce Chevrolet wasn’t penalized until the first caution fell on Lap 6. That time by, a stack-up in Turns 3 and 4 sent Cody Ware’s #51 Evel Knievel Museum Chevrolet spinning into the infield grass and Riley Herbst’s #35 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Toyota into traffic, where Herbst was struck by John Hunter Nemechek’s #42 Dollar Tree Toyota. Cole Custer’s #41 HaasTooling.com Chevrolet also made contact, and Zane Smith’s #38 Long John Silver’s Ford pulled to the high lane, causing the last spot to briefly change from Bowman to Smith, then Custer. When the yellow fell, Custer and Ware both lost a lap, and NASCAR scoring briefly showed McDowell a lap down. Custer held last place.
When the race restarted, McDowell was again scored on the lead lap, so Custer and Ware battled for the Lucky Dog. Custer told his team he was watching his water pressure after the early-race contact, reporting it was at a “five.” By Lap 14, Custer dropped Ware to last, and was warned by his spotter that Herbst was trying to wreck Finchum a few spots ahead. Ware was told he was getting off the corner better than Ware, but by Lap 29, race leader Berry had caught and lapped both Myers and Finchum, who pulled to the high lane in Turn 1. Custer then got into Herbst before knocking him straight again, preventing a caution but dropping Herbst to 14th, where he was lapped on the 32nd circuit. Bowman, taking it easy during the LCQ, pulled high in Turn 1 to lose a lap in 13th, and Ware was two down by Lap 48.
Around Lap 50, Todd Gilliland’s #34 Dairi-O / Jerry Hunt Supercenter Ford lost power on the frontstretch, re-fired on the backstretch, then drove behind the wall without bringing out the caution. As he quickly fell to last place, the crew talked about making a repair but instead directed him behind the hauler, where the crew was still working under the hood after the race, the air cleaner removed. Bowman pulled off the track around Lap 58 and joined the tail end of the gridded main event cars in the infield, taking 17th in the LCQ. Herbst ended up three laps down with noticeable damage to the right-rear corner, taking 16th, with Ware and Myers completing the Bottom Five of the LCQ.
Up front, Berry cruised to a win and a transfer spot. The final spot, held for much of the race by A.J. Allmendinger’s #16 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet after Berry cleared him for the lead, was also decided by him. It was Allmendinger who ran in the back of Austin Cindric’s #2 Freightliner Ford on the final lap, muscling him past relief driver Corey LaJoie in Brad Keselowski’s #6 Solomon Plumbing Ford. This cost LaJoie, a past Bowman Gray winner in the K&N East Series, a spot in the main event.
THE CLASH (FIRST HALF)
Both Berry and Cindric would join Bowman at the tail end of the 200-lap main event, and Bowman crossed the line 23rd when the green flag dropped.
On Lap 5, Bowman dropped Berry to last, 5.202 seconds back of the lead. Berry then reeled in Connor Zilisch, whose #88 Trackhouse Chevrolet was stuck in the high lane, letting Berry by. On Lap 11, Zilisch worked his way past Cindric, who slotted into line after both Berry and Zilisch shoved their way past. Cindric was still in last place on Lap 16, when FOX’s cameras showed Suarez dropping back in the high lane. On Lap 18, Cindric closed on the now 22nd-place Suarez and got into his left-rear, ultimately allowing Cindric to drop Suarez to last on Lap 20. “All good here,” said Suarez’ spotter, “Stay focued.” Ten laps later, Suarez dropped Zilisch to last, and the rookie reported he had issues getting through the middle of the corner. On Lap 39, Suarez got into Zilisch’s teammate Shane Van Gisbergen in the #97 Trackhouse Chevrolet. This dropped Van Gisbergen into the path of Zilisch, and the two banged doors as Zilisch moved ahead into 22nd. On Lap 41, Van Gisbergen was just about to be caught by race leader Kyle Larson when the first caution fell for snowmelt leaking out from beneath the wall at Turn 4. Under the caution, Van Gisbergen reported his car was running fine, but “just can’t do anything.”
On the Lap 41 restart (as caution laps did not count), Van Gisbergen remained last, trapped by Zilisch and Suarez, who ran door-to-door in a battle for 21st. On Lap 45, all three moved ahead of Cindric, who plummeted to the back after he bounced off the outside wall. Cindric reported a possible control arm issue and said his steering wheel was an inch off center. But as the green flag stayed out, he was now hanging on to try and reach the halfway break at Lap 100 so he could receive repairs. The next time by, the second caution fell for the first incident involving Bubba Wallace. This time, he spun and was struck by Ryan Blaney’s #12 Menards / Great Lakes Flooring Ford, but both continued.
Cindric remained in last until Lap 65, when Austin Dillon dropped back in the #3 Bass Pro Shops / Winchester Chevrolet. Three laps later, Alex Bowman’s #48 Ally Chevrolet was knocked sideways in traffic, causing a stack-up in front of Dillon, who dropped Cindric back to last. The next time by, Cindric dropped Bowman to last, then routed Dillon out of the way in a bid for 21st. Dillon soon retook the last spot and was lapped on Lap 77. “Pure sideways, man,” he said. “Unbelievable.” But that same lap, the caution fell again as Van Gisbergen spun Cindric out of 20th, dropping the #2 back to last and also one lap down. Dillon got his lap back, leaving Cindric the only lapped driver for the ensuing restart.
By Lap 97, just before the halfway point, Cindric cleared the lead-lap car of Kyle Busch, whose #8 zone Chevrolet was sliding sideways off the corners. He was then warned of a developing battle between Suarez and Van Gisbergen, the spotter telling him “Those two have gotten into each other all night.” That same lap, Cindric caught Van Gisbergen and gave him a bump, sending the #97 up the track into Suarez. Van Gisbergen then caught and bumped Cindric as he moved back past him.
On Lap 101, the caution fell for the halfway break. Austin Dillon beat Cindric for the Lucky Dog as he’d fallen a lap down for a second time in 22nd. During the cool-down lap, Wallace swerved into Suarez after the two bounced off each other under green.
THE CLASH (SECOND HALF)
Under caution, Cindric joined the rest of the field pulling behind the wall at Turn 3 to make adjustments and repairs. Cindric’s crew first talked about a tire pressure change in the right-rear, then also decided to reset the right-front toe. With three of the break’s eight minutes left to go, Cindric was told to move the steering wheel back and forth. With two to go, the crew bolted down the hood and made repairs to the nose. No sooner had he returned to the track than sleet started to fall across the track, ultimately forcing the field back to the garage to bolt on wet-weather tires. Many teams covered their cars as the storm blew across the track. This delay went even longer as NASCAR waited out the storm, then sent out track dryers to clear any standing water.
With the already cold temperatures continuing to fall, the field of 23 was sent back out to battle the second half of the race on damp pavement. The result was no fewer than 17 total cautions for the night, dragging the average speed to just 21.39mph. Most of these cautions caused last place to change hands as one driver lost a lap just as another got his back. The first occurred seconds into the Lap 102 restart following the break. Contact from Zilisch into Hamlin sent Larson for a spin, parking the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet against the outside wall. Larson continued after he lost a lap, and Cindric got his back, dropping Larson to last place.
On Lap 119, LCQ winner Josh Berry snapped loose in Turns 3 and 4 and slapped the outside wall, adding to earlier right-front fender damage the team repaired during the break. Berry tried to make it to the garage under green, but had to pull to a stop on the backstretch. This put Berry a lap down as Larson got his back, dropping Berry to last. Berry made it to the garage, where the crew discovered a bent right-front toe link. They completed repairs by the one-to-go signal, sending Berry out under caution still just one lap down. Berry then got his lap back with 78 to go when Cindric spun for a second time and limped away with a flat left-front tire. Wallace, who also spun, joined Cindric in the garage during this caution for an unrelated issue under the hood, after which Wallace also returned on the lead lap. Cindric was again last as the only lapped driver.
Then with 76 to go, contact from Ross Chastain’s #1 Choice Privileges Chevrolet sent Cindric bouncing off the wall with the right-rear. This didn’t draw the caution, so Cindric limped around the track through Lap 135, when teammate Blaney spun and lost a lap. Blaney would have received the Lucky Dog, but didn’t as he was involved in the yellow, and Cindric dropped Blaney to last. Blaney got back by Cindric two laps later, and two laps after that Cindric was behind the wall for his own toe link issue in the right-rear. It appeared Cindric would lose several laps, but fortunately for him, Denny Hamlin drew the caution that time by after his #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Toyota was involved in a multi-car incident, putting Blaney back on the lead lap. Cindric was further fortunate when the following restart with 61 to go drew yet another yellow for Austin Dillon’s spin, giving Hamlin back the lap he lost in the previous yellow. Because of these two cautions, Cindric returned to the track just 2 laps down with 60 laps to go. Blaney remained one lap down in 22nd, then got his lap back when the next caution fell for Chase Elliott’s #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet with 57 to go just after Van Gisbergen took the lead. Cindric went behind the wall yet again under this caution for adjustments, then returned for the following restart. Yet again, barely one green-flag lap was complete when the caution fell for Hamlin’s spin with Elliott and the #22 Shell / Pennzoil Ford of Joey Logano, giving Cindric one of his two laps back.
Under the Hamlin / Logano caution with 56 to go, Berry pulled into the garage and shut off the engine. The crew completed repairs just after the restart, when the caution quickly fell again for an incident between Carson Hocevar’s #77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet and Ty Gibbs #54 Monster Energy Toyota. Berry returned to the track under this caution at least one lap down in last place. Four laps later, Larson ran out of fuel and stalled on the apron of Turn 3, drawing the caution again. Larson, too, lost a lap just as Berry got his back, putting Larson in last with 48 to go. After a splash of fuel, Larson returned to the track two laps down. With 36 to go, Larson’s teammate Elliott also ran out of fuel and stalled at Turn 3, drawing the caution. Elliott returned to the track a lap down, on the same lap as still last-place Larson, who got one of his two laps back. Still another caution fell on the following restart involving Van Gisbergen and Zilisch, putting Larson on the lead lap and dropping Elliott to last place.
With 20 to go, Wallace hooked Hocevar on the straightaway, sending Hocevar’s #77 spinning across the track for another yellow. This gave Elliott his lap back and cost Hocevar a lap of his own, dropping Hocevar to last place. The next restart immediately triggered a four-wide logjam off Turn 4 which pinched Larson in the middle, causing significant cosmetic damage to his car. Larson pulled behind the wall for quick repairs and managed to return to the track on the lead lap. Also on the lead lap was Hocevar, who got his lap back during the caution for the pileup. This meant all 23 starters were still on the lead lap with just 18 laps to go.
Wallace didn’t take last place until shortly after the restart with 18 to go, though he was still fighting Larson for position at the time. Cindric fell back to 22nd with 12 to go. But with nine to go, the gap between Cindric and Wallace opened to about a second, then two seconds with five to go. Reddick dropped to 22nd with four to go. Then with two to go, Wallace pulled low on the frontstretch as race leader Ryan Preece pulled past into the corner. Preece didn’t quite catch Reddick before he took the checkered flag, scoring his first win in a NASCAR Cup Series race – exhibition or otherwise. Cindric, Van Gisbergen, and Busch completed the Bottom Five.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*The #23 had never before finished last in any running of the Clash, whether at Daytona, the LA Coliseum, or at Bowman Gray.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
23) #23-Bubba Wallace / 199 laps / running
22) #45-Tyler Reddick / 200 laps / running
21) #2-Austin Cindric / 200 laps / running
20) #97-Shane Van Gisbergen / 200 laps / running / led 15 laps
19) #8-Kyle Busch / 200 laps / running
