Bowman Gray Stadium’s February 2025 audition as host of the NASCAR Clash has received a passing grade.
That became profoundly evident on Wednesday when NASCAR announced that the preseason exhibition race — formally dubbed the Cook Out Clash — will return to the Winston-Salem, North Carolina facility in 2026.
This year’s event at the quarter-mile short track was a sellout, which undoubtedly played a role in persuading NASCAR’s top decision-makers that the venue deserves — at the very least — a sequel.
“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said Joey Dennewitz, Managing Director, NASCAR Regional. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home to grassroots racing.”
When Is The 2026 NASCAR Clash At Bowman Gray Stadium?
The second installment of the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium will take place on Sunday, February 1. On-track activities will get underway the previous day, on Saturday, January 31.
The fabled venue, dubbed “The Madhouse” for its familiar close-quarters racing that often breeds unrest among competitors, has been in existence since 1937. Associated for several decades with Late Model Stock and Modified events, Bowman Gray carries the distinction of being NASCAR’s longest-running weekly racetrack and first paved racetrack.
Giants of the sport who’ve graced the historic oval include Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Glen Wood, David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Richie Evans and Jerry Cook. The facility played host to 29 races for what is now the NASCAR Cup Series from 1958 to 1971.
More recently, Bowman Gray Stadium was the site of several NASCAR East Series races from 2011 to 2015. It wasn’t until February 2025, however, that the track welcomed NASCAR’s top division for the first time in over five decades. Fittingly, Chase Elliott — NASCAR’s perennial most popular driver and a driver whose surname is legendary in the sport — captured the 200-lap, non-points-paying event.
In 2024, NASCAR assumed long-term management of racing operations at Bowman Gray in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem.
“The City of Winston-Salem is deeply honored to have been chosen to host the 2026 Cook Out Clash,” Winston-Salem mayor Allen Joines said. “The 2025 race was an immensely successful event for all parties involved. We will work hard to ensure that the 2026 Cook Out Clash is even more successful.”
Chase Elliott talks with Jamie Little after winning the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. pic.twitter.com/wMOZDo4t0r
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 3, 2025
The Next NASCAR Clash At Bowman Gray Stadium Will Carry Familiar Branding
A family-owned restaurant chain based just up the road from Winston-Salem in nearby Greensboro, North Carolina, Cook Out is glad to be back on board for a second year as entitlement partner of the NASCAR Clash.
Cook Out, in business since 1989, boasts 350 locations across 11 states.
“We are proud to support the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in our backyard in Winston-Salem,” CEO Jeremy Reaves and his father, Morris, the restaurant chain’s founder, said in a joint statement. “We look forward to bringing our NASCAR racing family together in our community once again with the Cook Out Clash. Last year was so amazing, and we can’t wait to do it again.”
This year, Cook Out is also the entitlement partner for NASCAR Cup Series races at three other tracks in the Southeast — Martinsville Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Richmond Raceway. The brand also sponsors NASCAR’s grassroots level of racing.
“Cook Out is an amazing partner that continues to have a positive impact across NASCAR,” said Justin Swilling, Project Lead for the Cook Out Clash. “Their support continues to take our events to the next level, and we look forward to working together to make this year’s Cook Out Clash another memorable sold-out event.”
