Tag: Bowman Gray Stadium

NASCAR sells out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium

NASCAR announced on Monday morning that The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is sold out. The exhibition event will be on Feb. 2. Cup Series teams will compete at the venue for the first time since 1971. Additionally, the Weekly Modified Division will …

NASCAR announced on Monday morning that The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is sold out.

The exhibition event will be on Feb. 2. Cup Series teams will compete at the venue for the first time since 1971.

Additionally, the Weekly Modified Division will participate in an exhibition event called the Madhouse Classic on the same weekend. The event will be added to the Saturday schedule and will include a practice session, single-car qualifying, and a 125-lap feature. Participation in the event will be by invitation only and based on the top 20 points from the 2024 Bowman Gray Stadium Modified points standings.

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The format for the weekly show will also include the Fan’s Challenge. The four fastest competitors from qualifying will be given a chance to forgo their starting position and go to the rear of the field. Those who accept the challenge will be eligible for a bonus paid out if they return to their top four starting positions or higher.

“The sell-out of The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium speaks volumes about the monumental nature of the event at this historic venue,” said NASCAR’s Justin Swilling, project lead for the NASCAR Clash. “We’re honored to bring such an incredible race weekend to Winston-Salem that will provide an opportunity to place the stars of Bowman Gray Stadium’s Modified Division in the national spotlight.”

A limited number of tickets remain for Saturday activity at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Bowman Gray Stadium preparing for facility improvements ahead of Clash

Bowman Gray Stadium has begun the necessary steps for facility improvements in preparation of NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2025. The work being done includes putting in a new Musco lighting system and SAFER barriers. The funds received by the city of …

Bowman Gray Stadium has begun the necessary steps for facility improvements in preparation of NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2025.

The work being done includes putting in a new Musco lighting system and SAFER barriers. The funds received by the city of Winston Salam in 2022 as part of the North Carolina Motorsports Relief Fund will pay for the lighting system. Musco has been used by NASCAR to light its racetracks for decades.

The system at Bowman Gray will feature LED lights. There will also be patented light controls (Total Light Control – TLC for LED technology) for special effects light shows, color changing, and light-to-music synchronization. A similar system can be seen at Martinsville Speedway.

The installation at Bowman Gray will begin in December.

The SAFER barriers preparation began to be installed last month. A first step was crews removing guardrails, the previous system in place at the racetrack. The installation of the SAFER barriers and catch fence is expected to be completed the first week of January.

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“Part of being good stewards of Bowman Gray Stadium includes preparing it to host compelling events that rightfully place it in the national spotlight,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president, chief venue and racing innovation officer. “We are grateful to Musco for providing the premium event lighting product to illuminate this historic venue. The preparations in advance of The Clash will position this national treasure as a showcase of national and grassroots racing for the next generation and beyond.”

The quarter-mile will host the NASCAR Clash in early February. A non-points event, it will be the first time NASCAR Cup Series racing has been held at Bowman Gray Stadium since 1971.

“The City of Winston-Salem is thrilled that NASCAR has chosen to kick off their 2025 season by holding the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium,” said City of Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. “We value the partnership with Musco, NASCAR, and WSSU to provide enhanced stadium lighting that will position the stadium and community to host future national events and improve the fan experience for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series at Bowman Gray Stadium and WSSU Football. This lighting system complements the $9 million that the City invested in improvements to Bowman Gray Stadium a few years ago. The City Council and I want to thank Musco for their investment in our historic stadium and their commitment to the Winston-Salem community.”

NASCAR’s Clash coming to Bowman Gray in 2025

NASCAR is bringing The Clash to Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025. The sanctioning body announced Saturday that the season-opening exhibition race will come to the North Carolina short track on Feb. 2, 2025. It will mark the first time the Cup Series has …

NASCAR is bringing The Clash to Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025. The sanctioning body announced Saturday that the season-opening exhibition race will come to the North Carolina short track on Feb. 2, 2025. It will mark the first time the Cup Series has competed at the Winston-Salem oval since 1971.

Ben Kennedy was on hand to announce the news Saturday during the track’s NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series event.

“Bowman Gray Stadium has a storied history in motorsports, so we look forward to bringing the Cup Series back to this revered racetrack for the first time since 1971,” said Kennedy, Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer, NASCAR. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, Bowman Gray Stadium holds a special place as the original home to grassroots racing. With a history of intense competition, we are proud to host The Clash at the ‘The Madhouse.’”

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The race will be broadcast on FOX. NASCAR Studios and FOX Sports Film are also producing a one-hour documentary called “The Madhouse: NASCAR’s Return to Bowman-Gray Stadium” that will air on FS1.

Bowman-Gray is a quarter-mile short track that serves as NASCAR’s longest-running weekly racetrack. The track was bult in 1937 and was the first paved racetrack NASCAR compete on in 1949. NASCAR took over long-term management of racing operations at the facility in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem, N.C., earlier this year.

“The city of Winston-Salem is very excited and grateful to NASCAR for selecting Bowman Gray Stadium as the site for The Clash in 2025,” said City of Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. “This further solidifies our city’s relationship with NASCAR and the many fans in the region as we welcome the NASCAR Cup Series back to Bowman Gray Stadium.”

Bowman-Gray Stadium played host to 29 NASCAR Cup Series races from 1958 to 1971. It most recently hosted what was then the K&N Pro Series East (now ARCA Menards Series East) from 2011 through 2015, including a 2013 race won by Kennedy.

NASCAR’s Clash was launched at Daytona International Speedway in 1979 and remained at the Florida superspeedway through 2020. The 2021 edition was held on the track’s road course, before the event shifted to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022 through 2024.

NASCAR acquires Winston-Salem’s historic Bowman Gray Stadium

NASCAR has acquired the lease to Bowman Gray Stadium and will manage its racing operations with the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, through the end of the year 2050. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, Bowman Gray Stadium holds a special …

NASCAR has acquired the lease to Bowman Gray Stadium and will manage its racing operations with the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, through the end of the year 2050.

“As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, Bowman Gray Stadium holds a special place in the history of our sport,” said Ben Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Racing Development and Strategy for NASCAR. “We are grateful to the Hawkins family’s multi-generational legacy of leadership at this historic track and we’re thrilled to oversee racing at one of the crown jewels in NASCAR Regional. We look forward to leading the racing operations of the facility in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem to preserve the history and legacy of the racetrack for the next generation of fans and racers.”

Bowman Gray Stadium is a quarter-mile short track that hosts modified, sportsman, street stock, and stadium stock events. The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series also competes at Bowman Gray Stadium. It was built in 1937.

“Bowman Gray Racing has been a part of the fabric of Winston Salem for many years. In fact, some attribute NASCAR’s beginning to the races held at Bowman Gray Stadium,” said Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. “It is for that and other reasons that the City of Winston Salem is delighted that NASCAR is acquiring Winston-Salem Speedway Inc. I am doubly happy that NASCAR has committed to the continuance of the weekly races at the stadium, that are so popular with our citizens and visitors.”

NASCAR’s history at Bowman Gray Stadium dates back to 1949 when Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins brought the sport to the facility. It was the first paved racetrack NASCAR competed on.

Bowman Gray Stadium has hosted 29 Cup Series races (from 1958 to 1971). NASCAR East Series races were run at the track from 2011 through 2015.

Austin Shuford was named the new general manager of racing operations for Bowman Gray Stadium. His previous experience includes working with Track Enterprises’ Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and promoting 25 events a year at more than 15 racetracks through the south and Midwest.

“As one of racing’s most beloved and enduring venues, it’s truly an honor to be named the new general manager of racing operations at Bowman Gray Stadium,” Shuford said. “I look forward to learning from the Garrison, Pinilis, and Hawkins families to preserve and extend the greatness of Bowman Gray Stadium. Thanks to NASCAR for this fantastic opportunity to join their organization and the chance to entertain race fans at weekly events throughout the year.”