NASCAR Brings 2026 Clash Back to Bowman Gray Stadium

NASCAR said Wednesday it will return its preseason exhibition, the Cook Out Clash, to Bowman Gray Stadium on 1 February 2026. The short-track race will again open the Cup Series calendar, preceding the Daytona 500 by two weeks. The sanctioning body and officials in Winston-Salem are also nearing a new agreement that would stage at least one event at the municipally owned venue every year for the next five seasons, according to the parties involved. Bowman Gray’s 10,000-seat quarter-mile oval—nicknamed “The Madhouse”—hosted its first Cup-sanctioned race since 1971 when it held the 2025 Clash, a sold-out event won by Chase Elliott. NASCAR describes the 1937-built stadium as its first weekly racetrack and says the 2026 return underscores a commitment to grassroots venues. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home of grassroots racing,” Joey Dennewitz, managing director of NASCAR Regional, said in the announcement.