NASCAR Cook Out Clash takeaways: Ryan Preece joins exclusive list with exhibition win

With 46 laps led, Preece was no stranger to the front and gave team co-owner Brad Keselowski something to cheer about from afar as he recovers from a broken leg. This may have been an exhibition race, but don't be surprised if Preece wins at least one race during the regular season.

Kyle Larson has forgettable night from the pole

The season does not officially start until the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15 (2:30 p.m. ET, Fox), but it is never too early to establish some momentum. That did not happen for the defending champion on Wednesday night, who came away with an eventful 16th-place finish.

Despite leading 67 laps from the pole, Larson quickly faded before the mid-race break with an ill-handling car and never recovered. After Mother Nature reared her ugly head once more with some rain, sleet and snow, Larson was one of several drivers caught up in this multi-car crash on the Lap 102 restart.

If that was not enough, a combination of not getting enough fuel in his Chevrolet before the race and the rash of caution laps forced Larson to stall on the backstretch out of fuel with 48 laps remaining. It is safe to say the two-time champion will be more than ready for Daytona as his title defense begins.

Mother Nature still gets last laugh

In a race that was postponed multiple times due to snow and ice in an effort to ensure as many fans were in attendance as possible, the skies opened once again during the second half of NASCAR's annual exhibition race.

After a relatively straightforward first 100 laps, the relentless weather forced teams to put on wet-weather tires, which led to a rash of cautions and even forced NASCAR to bring cars to the garage for fuel only with 36 laps to go to ensure everyone could get to the finish.

There was certainly no shortage of drama, but between the never-ending weather and the inability to get into a rhythm in the last 100 laps, it was a challenging night and week, for that matter, for everyone involved. Here's to an improved forecast as teams get set to head to Daytona.