When NASCAR first announced that it was hauling its high-octane roadshow into the tight confines of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in 2022, the sport’s purists reacted as if someone had suggested installing a Starbucks inside the Sistine Chapel. The rest of the world watched with morbid curiosity, waiting for the inevitable disaster.

Even though Sunday's Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray wasn't a points-paying event, the race gave us our first real glimpse into how new driver and team pairings will work out in 2025, as a result, the race has impacted the weekly NASCAR Power Rankings.

Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion but also known as one of the circuit's more volatile drivers, joked that the field met with NASCAR officials earlier Saturday and "they already gave us the list of who's supposed to fight with who."

The Clash at Bowman Gray provided NASCAR stripped back to its rawest form and putting on a show in front of its most hardcore, passionate fans.