Madhouse Mayhem is in full swing! The NASCAR Cup Series’ Cook Out Clash was flagged off a short while ago at Bowman Gray, and chaos is already on the cards! The 0.25-mile short track spells for close-quarters racing, something that Hendrick Motorsports star William Byron fell prey to. Usually known for his clean racing style, Byron was nonetheless gearing up for ‘bumping and banging’ at the Clash. But the Madhouse shows no mercy – through Todd Gilliland.
Regrets about William Byron’s mishap
Well, the Hendrick Motorsports team looked like a formidable force. All four drivers have competed at Bowman Gray earlier. William Byron ran a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race in 2015, in his lone start at the Madhouse. He clinched a decent 15th-place finish, besides grabbing a $300 check for the Lap Leader award. Yet that cherishable memory washed away by the mid-point of the 2025 Clash race. Byron’s teammate Chase Elliott was the polesitter of the evening and happened to cross paths with Todd Gilliland at one point.
The No. 34 Front Row Motorsports driver was running in front of Chase Elliott, one lap down. Given the jam-packed racing that the Madhouse enforces, Elliott had no option but to push his No. 9 into the No. 34. As a result, Gilliland shoved a little sideways, where William Byron was running. The slight contact sent Byron’s No. 20 spinning into the outer wall. Byron’s wounds can be soothed a little bit, as Todd Gilliland was immediately apologetic for what the Madhouse pushed him to do. The Racing Underdogs updated his radio conversation: “did I just run him up into the wall?”…”Yes, I told you to leave him more room”…”Sorry”
.@ToddGilliland_ “did I just run him up into the wall?”
“Yes, I told you to leave him more room”
“Sorry”
— The Racing Underdogs (@RacingUnderdogs) February 3, 2025
This was a harsh result for William Byron considering that two of his teammates were soaring above the clouds. Chase Elliott started on the pole while Kyle Larson won the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier before the race. Journalist Matt Weaver updated on X, quoting Byron: “William Byron around; contact with Todd Gilliland in front of Elliott “My steering was super stiff to that point.”
Evidently, not a good evening for William Byron. As the race progresses, let us see how his teammates perform.
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