NASCAR will return to Bowman Gray Stadium for the preseason exhibition Clash in 2026.
The municipally-owned stadium, the home field for Winston-Salem State University, has a quarter-mile track that circles the football field.
A general view of racing during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2, 2025
It was built in 1937 and had Cup races from 1958-71 and has continued to play host to weekly racing throughout the summers. NASCAR took over operations of the track, signing a contract with the City of Winston-Salem in 2024.
NASCAR brought Cup back to the facility in February for the 2025 Clash and returns again Feb. 1 for the event that traditionally begins the season and will kick off the FOX Sports portion of the Cup schedule.
Local restaurant chain Cook Out will sponsor the event, which sold out last year and was won by Chase Elliott.
“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said NASCAR Regional managing director Joey Dennewitz. “As NASCAR’s first weekly race track, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home to grassroots racing.”
NASCAR has not announced its 2026 schedule yet, but the news release indicated the Clash would open the season. The 2026 Daytona 500 will open the regular season and is scheduled for Feb. 15, two weeks following the Clash.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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