WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WBTV) – NASCAR is bringing its annual preseason exhibition race – “The Clash” – to a historic North Carolina racetrack.

The 2025 Clash will be held Feb. 2 at Bowman Gray Stadium, a quarter-mile track in Winston-Salem that has not hosted a Cup Series race since 1971.

Bowman Gray has a long history of racing, including at the sport’s highest level. From 1958-1971, the track inside Winston-Salem State’s football stadium hosted 29 Cup races, with a list of winners including Lee and Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, David Pearson and Bobby Allison.

Nicknamed “The Madhouse,” the venue has held several K&N East Series races, and continues to host races as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. In fact, Bowman Gray is the longest-running weekly racetrack, and is the first paved track NASCAR competed on.

“Bowman Gray Stadium has a storied history in motorsports, so we look forward to bringing the Cup Series back to this revered racetrack,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Executive VP and Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer, said. “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.’”

For the past three years, The Clash has been held inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on a temporary short track that was also a quarter-mile in length. Prior to that, it was ran at Daytona as part of Speedweeks.

The return of Bowman Gray is the latest rebirth on the NASCAR schedule, with North Wilkesboro Speedway having now hosted the past two All-Star Races, with another coming in 2025.

With Bowman Gray and North Wilkesboro back on the slate, North Carolina will now have four Cup Series dates, including Charlotte Motor Speedway’s spring and fall races.

A waiting list is open now for tickets, and can be joined here. A $25 deposit can be put down for exclusive first access when tickets go on sale.

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