NASCAR insider sends a clear message about Chase Elliott’s Bowman Gray victory: “That’s a statement to start this season”

NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck heaped praise on Chase Elliott for his remarkable performance at the Bowman Gray Stadium. The Hendrick Motorsports driver had a strong pace throughout the 200-lap Clash, opening the season on a dominant note.

Elliott was the polesitter of The Clash, and with just eight laps underway, the 2020 Cup Series champion extended his lead by over a second. On Lap 55, the #9 Chevrolet caught the tail of the field, lapping the cars at the 0.25-mile Winston-Salem facility.

Denny Hamlin entered the battle for the lead on Lap 79 restart, but Elliott cleared the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to retain his supremacy. But after nearly 20 laps of hard work, Hamlin overtook Elliott to lead the race. Nonetheless, the Georgian retook the front spot on Lap 127, leading 171 laps to ace the race.

Thus, Gluck opined that Chase Elliott's display was a stern statement to the rivals. He outlined that despite Ryan Blaney's surge from last place and potentially more pace than Elliott; the HMS driver stood unbeatable.

"Chase had a really good car. Maybe Blaney was a little bit faster but Chase's team brought an elite car this weekend...I think for Chase Elliott to show up and be the class of the field for most of the time, yeah he got passed by Denny Hamlin, they made an adjustment in the halfway break and there you go, that was impressive. That's a statement to start this season," Gluck said (via Dirty Mo Media) (29:25 onwards).

Notably, Elliott triumphed by a handsome margin of 1.333 seconds over Team Penske's Ryan Blaney

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Chase Elliott makes his feelings known about Bowman Gray Stadium after opening 2025 season with a win

The Bowman Gray Stadium is deep-rooted in NASCAR's history. The iconic track was built in 1937 and is the longest-running oval for weekly races. On May 18, 1949, the facility hosted its first NASCAR-warranted race, where Flonty Flock reigned supreme.

However, after hosting 29 Cup Series races until 1971, the 0.25-mile oval closed its doors for NASCAR's Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series races. In 2021, NextGen cars were seen testing on the iconic oval, with legendary drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, and Clint Bowyer running laps in the Gen 7 car.

Therefore, amid the Cup Series' return to Bowman Gray after 54 years, Chase Elliott expressed his "special" feelings about racing at the venue, hoping to compete again "one day."

“This environment is special. This is a place that has a deep history in NASCAR. I think they deserve this event, truthfully. I hope we didn’t disappoint. It was fun for me at least, and we’ll hopefully come back here one day," Elliott said (via NASCAR).

Do you think NASCAR should return to the Bowman Gray for The Clash or any other NASCAR-warranted race?