NASCAR CUP SERIES: COOK OUT CLASH AT BOWMAN GRAY

February 4, 2026

Ryan Blaney

William Byron

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We're now joined by the second and third finishers, Ryan Blaney along with William Byron.

We'll start with questions.

Q. What was it like going through snow, sleet, rain, this weekend, with week? What was it like to kind of get through it? Seemed like a difficult spot for everybody.

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, I mean, it was just a marathon race. Seemed like it was never going to end. Looking at the board and seeing, like, 70 laps to go.

It was good. I felt like they did a good job with the rain conditions. I wish we had a practice session in the rain just to kind of understand the characteristics a little better.

And then seemed like guys just started kind of easing each other into the wall and stuff, and that wasn't great. But then it started to dry line at the end and it was fun.

Yeah, it was interesting.

RYAN BLANEY: Just a whacky race from the first hundred laps going dry, then sleeting wintry mix in the middle, then firing off, having no clue what to expect.

Then it finally, like William said, got a little bit of a dry line there. Got it back to a little bit of some normal racetrack conditions.

Yeah, pretty wild day. Long race. That's for sure.

Q. Ryan, 70 laps to go, you were in 17th, didn't look like you would have a chance, you find yourself in the top three. Did you think you had a chance of getting to the top five at that point?

RYAN BLANEY: No, I didn't. I wasn't good in the wet at all. I was kind of nervous. I thought my car was unbelievable in the dry. Got the fourth there at the break. My car kept some tire it in a little bit better than the other guys that were really good in the wet.

Yeah, coming from mid pack to the front to the back to the front again is a crazy night.

Q. William, you contested the spot. NASCAR gave it back. First time you won an argument? Usually don't see them overturn something like that.

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, for sure. Appreciate them looking at that. We talked under that caution about taking fuel. I guess they pitted everyone for fuel. Yeah, I mean, it was kind of a whacky deal. Glad it worked out. Glad they kind of looked at it.

Q. This is for either of you. (No microphone.)

WILLIAM BYRON: I mean, I just kept over-driving turn one (smiling). I don't know. You just get kind of bored or try stuff. I don't know. See him getting away.

RYAN BLANEY: Yeah, his car seemed phenomenal. I thought William and I were pretty even and pretty decent. Gosh, he took off and got 10-, 15-car length lead right away. He probably just cruised around there, saved his stuff for a caution.

But yeah, his car was really good. They did a good job of adjusting for whatever they needed to, him adjusting for the racetrack changing.

It was good for him. Happy for him. Put together a really good race.

Q. We always hear it's a lot harder than it looked. This looked incredibly difficult when it was wet. Explain the learning curve of figuring that out on the fly, how difficult from hand-eye coordination to the foot movements you had to do to make that work.

WILLIAM BYRON: I mean, I think it's a couple things. Like, I feel like everyone is really good at adapting. It takes a few laps to just kind of get your bearings, then there's a lot to do with the car balance, kind of working with that, too.

Yeah, it's a balancing act. I think it's just different every racetrack. It is fun because there's, like, different patches on the racetrack and things that really matter. That's cool.

Yeah, it's kind of the whole package. It takes driver and team. It's interesting.

RYAN BLANEY: Yeah, it's pretty neat working through it. Not knowing what to expect, not knowing exactly what lane is going to be dominant. Like, you know, I was personally thinking while we were running around there under caution before we went back green in the wets, like that second lane looked -- like the asphalt looked smoother.

I was like, well, maybe water is kind of sitting on top of it, but it's out of the rubber. I don't know which one will be better. The second lane kind of was the best lane just from the rubber on the bottom.

Yeah, as a driver, you're just guessing, right? You're guessing to your best thoughts or what you think is going to be good of how hard can I charge it, how fast can I roll?

Yeah, race car drivers, we always adapt. That stuff's pretty neat to do when we're thrown into that stuff. It's pretty cool.

Q. William, have you talked yet about getting your spot back in here?

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, we just talked a little bit about it.

Q. Sleet, cold, delays; do you want to come back here again for another Clash?

RYAN BLANEY: Uhm... I mean, I don't really have any opinion on it. Like, I think this race last year, the first half of this race, it puts on a good race. Like, you had a lot of comers and goers even in that first half.

The weather is the weather. It is what it is. You can't predict that stuff. I don't think you can judge a race or a track off of that weird weather circumstance.

I think this place honestly, judging off the first half, put on a good show. Just the way Calamity is it would be with anyplace. Appreciate the fans sticking around all night. I bet that was brutal in those aluminum grandstands. Cold asses up there.

I like coming here. It was just a whacky second half of the race.

WILLIAM BYRON: I agree. I think the track races pretty well. It's got good character. It's a little narrow.

Yeah, I think it's been really fun. L.A. was unique. It just felt like sort of hairpin corners. This just flows a lot better. It's got good character.

Q. Looking ahead how to Daytona, what are your mindsets actually going into the start of the season?

RYAN BLANEY: Well, it's just nice to get back in the car. Like, I haven't been in a race car since Phoenix. I didn't have any tests or anything this winter. It was just nice to get back in the swing of things.

You work with your guys through the week and in the winter, but nothing is better than working with them at the racetrack, kind of getting that camaraderie back, the communication side down, just getting back to what you're used to.

Yeah, looking forward to going down there, Daytona. Try to see if we can make William not win one (smiling). Yeah, I look forward to it.

WILLIAM BYRON: You're pretty good there.

RYAN BLANEY: You won the last two. Shut up (laughter).

I look forward to getting back with my guys, getting the year rolling, seeing how the week goes in Daytona.

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, no, it's fun. It's a long week down there. It kind of feels like a little spring break when you go down there. It's fun.

Yeah, just get ready. It's so long from now. Excited to kind of do all the procedural stuff, go pretty fast again.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time. Appreciate it.