Race Week! NASCAR 2025 Kickoff — The Clash and the updated GFT AI Models
27 January 2025
By Bob Francis, Managing Editor
Go Full Throttle Racing News
WINSTON-SALEM, NC — It’s time, after a nice winter break, to get back to racing. Yes, we enjoyed the High Limit Racing Sprint Cars and Kyle Larson’s win in Australia. We also REALLY enjoyed the Tulsa Shootout, and the Chili Bowl Nationals- especially with the return of Christopher Bell to the dirt track after Joe Gibbs Racing suspended their policy of not allowing their NASCAR Cup drivers from racing in other series. The battle between Larson and Bell in Tulsa was EPIC!
GFT AI Upgrades for 2025
Subscribers to our AI Driver Ranking and AI Race Prediction models can look forward to even better performance in 2025. Better than the amazing NASCAR Fantasy top 10%? YES! As a reminder, our AI Bot player “Go Full Throttle AI 1” beat 92% of all players in TMDNASCAR league of NASCAR Fantasy Live, finishing the year in 470th place out of 4779 players.
GFT AI Race Prediction Process for 2025
How do fans access the GFT AI Race Prediction data? No change from 2024. Initial model output with NASCAR Fantasy Live recommended 5 drivers + 1 Garage lineup will be published in our weekly “Facts & Stats Friday” column available at https://gofullthrottle.net/
Then our GFT AI technology ingests Practice and Qualifying data to refresh the model predictions, with updates published at least 2 hours ahead of the race start (usually Sunday morning). This final update is published exclusively on our X account at Go Full Throttle
Will there be GFT AI Race Predictions for The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1–2?
Yes, but it will be for testing purposes only. Because our process is tied directly to NASCAR Fantasy Live, we run models for points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races. Exhibition races are for model tuning, fun, testing, and are not counted in our scoring system.
2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium Format
Below is the race format for the upcoming 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX). The format details are below…
- Heat Race Starting Lineup — The field will be spilt into (3) practice groups, with each group receiving (3) sessions. Each competitor’s fastest lap time from their final practice session will determine the starting lineup for the heat races. The fastest qualifier will be on the pole for Heat 1; second-fastest will be on the pole for Heat 2; third-fastest qualifier will be on the pole for Heat 3; fourth-fastest will be on the pole for Heat 4; etc.
- Heat Races — Four heat races of 25 laps each with only green flag laps counted — no overtime in play. The top five from each heat race advance through to The Clash.
- Last Chance Qualifier — Cars that do not transfer to The Clash will compete in the Last Chance Qualifier Race with their starting position determined by where they finished in their respective heat races. The LCQ race is 75 laps with only green flag laps counted — no overtime in play. The top two finishers in the LCQ will transfer to The Clash.
- The Cook Out Clash Feature — The main event will feature 23 drivers competing for 200 laps with only green lag laps counted — the race must end under green. A timed break will be observed at the halfway point of the race (Lap 100).
- Lineup: The first 22 starting spots for The Clash is set through finishing positions in the heat races and the LCQ. The 23rd and final starting spot is reserved for the driver who finished the highest in the 2024 season driver points standings who did not already transfer into The Clash.
