NASCAR AI Predictions for Cook Out Clash: Claude's AI Simulation & Picks for Bowman Gray
What happens when you ask an AI chatbot to predict a NASCAR race? That's what we've done ahead of the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium today at 6 p.m. ET (FOX).
Our NASCAR AI predictions feature a fresh face this year with Claude - the trending AI chatbot by Anthropic known for its complex reasoning skills - taking the place of our beloved ChatGPT for the 2026 NASCAR season starting with today's season opener.
๐ค NASCAR AI predictions for Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray
NASCAR AI predictions generated via Claude for entertainment purposes.
NASCAR pick to win: Chase Elliott
The simulation projects Chase Elliott to win the 2026 Cook Out Clash, becoming the first driver since Kevin Harvick in 2009-10 to claim consecutive Clash victories. Elliott's 2025 Bowman Gray performance was historically dominantโ171 laps led out of 200, a perfect driver rating, and a 1.3 average running position. That data gives the No. 9 team an unmatched notebook for this track. Elliott qualifies well, controls clean air, and manages lapped traffic better than anyone in the field. He wins from the front.
Best NASCAR prop: Denny Hamlin top 5
Denny Hamlin is the safest top-5 play on the board. He finished third in last year's Clash after leading 28 laps and briefly controlling the race. He's a multi-time Clash winner with one of the best exhibition race records among active drivers. The simulation has him finishing second, pushing Elliott in the closing laps after a late restart. Hamlin rarely misses at short tracks, and Bowman Gray suits his patient, calculating style.
Best NASCAR long shot: Bubba Wallace top 5
Bubba Wallace is the simulation's value pick. He drove from 14th to 5th in the 2025 Clash with zero incident involvement, demonstrating the kind of discipline that gets rewarded at Bowman Gray. The quarter-mile punishes aggression; Wallace avoided every wreck last year while steadily moving forward. The market still treats him as a mid-pack piece, but the simulation sees top-5 upside if he stays clean again. He finishes 10th in our projections, but the ceiling is higher if chaos thins the field.
💵 More NASCAR predictions at Bowman Gray
I broke down the latest Cook Out Clash odds and predictions - including my prediction to win, best value bet, and favorite long shot - for today's preseason opener at Bowman Gray.
๐ Cook Out Clash AI predictions: Finishing order for every driver
Claude's projected finishing order for all 23 drivers in the Cook Out Clash main event.
| Pos | # | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske |
| 4 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 5 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 6 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske |
| 7 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing |
| 8 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing |
| 9 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 10 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing |
| 11 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 12 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing |
| 13 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing |
| 14 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske |
| 15 | 88 | Connor Zilisch | Trackhouse Racing |
| 16 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 17 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 18 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 19 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 20 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing |
| 21 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing |
| 22 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club |
| 23 | 6 | Corey LaJoie | RFK Racing |
โ NASCAR AI picks & best odds
See more sports picks for all of our NASCAR analysis based on the latest betting odds.
| Predictions | Best odds | AI confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Elliott to win | +700 via Caesars | 24% |
| Denny Hamlin top 5 | +125 via bet365 | 68% |
| Bubba Wallace top 5 | +500 via bet365 | 22% |
๐ Past NASCAR Clash winners
| Year | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 2024 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 2023 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 2022 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford |
| 2021 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 2020 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 2019 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 2018 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford |
| 2017 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford |
| 2016 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
๐บ How to watch 2026 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 4
- Start time: 6 p.m. ET
- Track: Bowman Gray Stadium (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
- TV: FOX
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