A little midweek NASCAR action? Not mad about it.
The NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Clash, the preseason exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium, has been moved to Wednesday, February 4 amid a snowstorm that hit North Carolina this weekend.
The Clash will feature all 36 full-time teams, as well as two part-time teams, competing at NASCAR’s smallest track and the oldest on the circuit. Under the new, modified schedule, teams will be split into six groups to each run a four minute qualifying session to attempt to secure their spot in the main event. The top 20 cars from qualifying will transfer to the main race.
The action then moves into a Last Chance Qualifier, where the remaining teams will compete for the final two spots in the field, with the top two spots advancing to the main event. A final spot is reserved for the top finishing team of 2025 that didn’t already transfer into the race.
For the main event, the 23 teams will compete in a 200-lap shootout, with a break after 100 laps.
This year marks the second year that the clash will be held at Bowman Gray, after traditionally being held at Daytona as part of Speedweeks leading up to the Daytona 500.
In 2021, the race moved to the road course at Daytona International Speedway, and in 2022 NASCAR moved the race to a custom-built track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Moving back to Bowman Gray represented a significant return to their roots for NASCAR, which held annual races at the quarter mile track from 1958 through 1971.
But obviously the weather in North Carolina is slightly more unpredictable than Daytona or Los Angeles last year, and while NASCAR got lucky in 2025, this year the area experienced a significant snow storm that has left roads in the area a mess and the track covered in snow.
While they initially remained optimistic that they would get the race in on Sunday as scheduled, NASCAR announced yesterday that the event would move to Monday night and instead of heat races would feature the condensed qualifying schedule. But as conditions in the area are slow to improve and roads still creating a challenge for fans to get to the track safely, the race will now be held on Wednesday, with practice and qualifying set for 1:30pm ET, the Last Chance Qualifier at 4:30, and the main event kicking off at 6:00pm ET.
The race will be broadcast on FOX.
In announcing the change, NASCAR representative Justin Swilling said moving the race to Wednesday would allow the city of Winston-Salem to dedicate their resources to helping people affected by the storm:
“This event is for the fans, and the fans at The Madhouse are some of the most passionate fans in all of sports. Moving the Cook Out Clash to Wednesday, Feb. 4, gives us the best opportunity to hold this event with fans at Bowman Gray Stadium while allowing the City of Winston-Salem to dedicate all of their resources to respond to the needs created by this historic weather event.”
Chase Elliott started off the 2025 season with a win in the Clash, qualifying on the pole and dominating the race by leading for 171 of the 250 laps. He would go on to win 2 races during the regular season and finish a disappointing (by his standards) 8th in the final points.
