NASCAR Prepares For Historic Return To Bowman-Gray Stadium

Published: Sunday, February 2, 2025

by Thomas Mazurowski

It’s finally race week, and the NASCAR Cup Series is ready to kick off its 2025 season with a return to the "Madhouse" after more than 50 years away.

The 2025 Cook Out Clash takes place Sunday, Feb. 2, at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The race marks the beginning of one of the most unique seasons to date, with the return of classic venues and new frontiers alike across the 38-race schedule.

Bowman-Gray Stadium is one of the most infamous short tracks in the country. Nicknamed the "Madhouse" and built around a college football field, the tight quarter-mile oval is known for hosting some of the most physical racing in the world. Banged-up cars and bruised egos are a common fixture at the stadium.

NASCAR announced in August last year that it would move its season-opening exhibition race to the track, and finally, the long-awaited return is here.

The choice to host the Clash at Bowman Gray comes after three consecutive events held on a similar temporary track at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Denny Hamlin won the third and final race last year, driving the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry.

Thirty-nine drivers are attempting to qualify for the 2025 Clash. In addition to the 36 chartered entries for Cup Series regulars, multi-time track champions Tim Brown and Burt Myers will drive the No. 15 for Rick Ware Racing and the No. 50 for Team AmeriVet, respectively. Garett Smithley will enter in the No. 66 for MBM Motorsports’ Garage 66.

The weekend will feature four heat races on Saturday and two Last Chance Qualifiers on Sunday to set the starting order. Twenty-three drivers will compete in the 200-lap main event Sunday night.

Reigning series champion Joey Logano won the 2022 Clash in L.A. Coming off a strong finish to an otherwise underwhelming season, the No. 22 Penske Ford will no doubt be a contender with his previous success on the Coliseum’s quarter-mile.

Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell continued battling even in the off-season, most recently competing on the dirt at the Chili Bowl Nationals. The two are seasoned dirt-track racers who have translated their success to the Cup Series in recent years. Silent rivals heading into 2025, the No. 5 and No. 20 cars will be worth keeping an eye on in the Clash.

Chase Briscoe has big shoes to fill in the No. 19 entry for Joe Gibbs Racing. Coming off what most would regard as a down season despite one race win, he’s been tapped to replace veteran and former champion Martin Truex Jr. Briscoe is Vegas’ pick for this weekend, co-favorite with Larson at +800 odds, according to CBS Sports.

NASCAR’s top division hasn’t held a race at the venue since 1971. NASCAR legend Bobby Allison crossed the line first but was stripped of the win after other drivers protested his car’s legality. The victory was reinstated by NASCAR in October, officially giving Allison 85 wins, the fourth most of any driver in the series. Before Allison’s win, Bowman-Gray had hosted the Cup Series since 1958.

The much-anticipated return of Bowman-Gray to NASCAR on a national level is one of many comebacks in a recent effort to return to classic tracks. The beloved North Wilkesboro Speedway returned as the host of the annual All-Star Race in 2023 and will continue to do so this year. Rockingham Speedway will host a date for the second-tier Xfinity Series in April.

Heat races begin Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. Last Chance Qualifiers start at 6 p.m. Sunday, followed by the Clash at 8 p.m.

Thomas Mazurowski can be reached at thomas.mazurowski@student.shu.edu. 

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