Immense hope is clinging to the 2025 Cook Out Clash race. Among reasons like digging up nostalgia for an old racetrack or seeing Denny Hamlin protect his trophy, one reason figures largely. That is NASCAR’s drive to offer a local, grassroots flavor. The Bowman Gray Stadium is back to NASCAR after 54 years. This long gap featured short-track heroes who dazzled in regional races. Two of them wanted to make their Cup debut. But Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came in their way.

Burt Myers and Tim Brown are these star racers. Both of them have combined for 23 championships and 198 wins in the featured Modified Division. What is more important, most of their glory came at Bowman Gray, which is their hometown. So cracking NASCAR’s code was a matter of prestige to them – but Myers fell prey to the villain of the 2024 All-Star race.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. throws a wrench in dreams

Well, the No. 47 Chevrolet driver drummed up a wild reputation in 2024. During the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. let loose a cannon of fists at Kyle Busch. The result was a massive $75,000 fine. You would think that his rowdy tendency ceased after that hefty penalty. Sadly, the Burt Myers tasted a bit of the chaos that usually reigns in NASCAR. The 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier was the last chance for both Myers and Tim Brown to leave marks on their NASCAR debut. However, while Kyle Larson soared to victory, both regional stars lagged behind.

As visible in the race results for the LCQ race, Tim Brown clinched a respectable 10th-place finish. He was driving the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford, which ultimately did not get to taste the Clash. Similarly, Burt Myers could salvage an 18th-place finish in his AmeriVet Racing No. 50 Chevrolet. However, his story of failure involved Ricky Stenhouse Jr., as journalist Jonathan Fjeld tweeted. “Was just about to say how well Burt Myers had progressed through the field, up to 9th and looking for more, but he has just crashed in turn 1. Contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in turn 4 got him loose and led to the wreck.” Stenhouse subsequently washed up in 7th place.

Not only did Ricky Stenhouse Jr. snuff out Burt Myers‘ dream, but he also muffled NASCAR’s grassroots endeavor. Now, Bowman Gray fans may get rowdier as their local heroes did not make it to the Cook Out Clash. Journalist Dustin Albino pointed out: “Neither Bowman Gray ringer will advance to The Clash. Both lived out a dream this weekend. Pretty cool.” Burt Myers and Tim Brown had created a fierce rivalry in their Bowman Gray outings. But for the Cook Out Clash, both were planning to offer each other solidarity against the massive pack of Cup Series drivers. However, neither could live up to their hopes.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s antics were just the latest bugger. On top of that, the new changes made to Bowman Gray also bothered the regional drivers.

Moving slowly towards the future

Ahead of NASCAR’s grand return to the Madhouse, a lot of preparations were executed. The 0.25-mile Bowman Gray track underwent a repaving of its surface. Then authorities lined the oval with new SAFER barriers to elevate safety protocols. Then Musco lights were also installed to illuminate the action. As good as these developments sound, they are not exactly music to the ears of Burt Myers and Tim Brown. As children, both used to play along the tree-lined pit area while their older relatives tuned, wrenched, and prepped race cars. Their childhood memories are closely entangled with their record-breaking statistics at Bowman Gray.

So naturally, neither driver encouraged NASCAR’s renovation efforts. Tim Brown said, “Cosmetically, it’s beautiful.” Burt Myers explained, “The old-school Burt Myers, I love the nostalgia of it, of the old track with the red and white guardrail, and I like the fact that it was the old Bowman Gray. So I was sad to see that go.” Yet Myers also projected a future outlook: “What they’re doing and what they’ve done only speaks of the future of Bowman Gray… Bowman Gray is probably going to still be there racing in another 100 years. They’re not going to do all this just to run one show… this is for the longevity of the short-track series that has been so successful there for so long.”

From Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s antics to NASCAR’s renovation – a lot of things came in the regional racers’ way this weekend. Yet both Myers and Brown are already Bowman Gray heroes, so this failure should not be a big stain for them.