NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray
The Place: Bowman Gray Stadium
The Date: Sunday, February 2
The Time: 8 p.m. ET
The Purse: $3,002,500
TV: FOX, 6 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 50 miles (200 laps), Stage Break: Lap 100
NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series
Next Race: Cook Out Madhouse Classic
The Place: Bowman Gray Stadium
The Date: Saturday, February 1
The Time: 1:45 p.m. ET
TV: NASCAR Channel on Tubi or FloRacing, 1:45 p.m. ET
Distance: 31.25 miles (125 laps), 90 Minute Time Limit
How To Watch NASCAR This Weekend:
- Saturday, February 1 – Cook Out Madhouse Classic (Tubi and FloRacing at 1:45 p.m. ET)
- Saturday, February 1 – Clash Qualifying (FS1, MRN & SiriusXM from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. ET)
- Saturday, February 1 – Clash Heat Races (FS1, MRN & SiriusXM from 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. ET)
- Sunday, February 2 – Clash Last Chance Qualifier (FOX, MRN & SiriusXM at 6 p.m. ET)
- Sunday, February 2 – Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray (FOX, MRN & SiriusXM at 8 p.m. ET)
NASCAR Cup Series
Clash Storylines and Insights:
- 2025 is the 47th running of the Clash, just the fourth held outside of Daytona since its inception in 1979.
- Bowman Gray Stadium is the fourth different venue to host the annual non-points NASCAR Cup Series exhibition event; joining Daytona International Speedway (1979 – 2020), the Daytona International Speedway Road Course (2021) and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (2022-2024).
- A total of 25 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the annual Clash event from 1979-2024.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in Clash wins with six victories (1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995) – all on Daytona International Speedway’s oval.
- Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in Clash wins with four victories – three at Daytona International Speedway’s oval (2006, 2014, 2016) and one at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (2024).
- Five drivers won the Clash in their first attempt: Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006).
- The Clash was won by a different driver each of the last seven years.
- Five times the Clash winner has gone on to win the DAYTONA 500 pole: Buddy Baker (1979), Bill Elliott (1987), Ken Schrader (1989, 1990) and Dale Jarrett (2000).
- Six times the Clash winner has gone on to win the DAYTONA 500: Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000), Jeff Gordon (1997) and Denny Hamlin (2016).
- Two drivers have swept the Clash, the DAYTONA 500 pole, and the DAYTONA 500 from 1979-2024: Dale Jarrett (2000) and Bill Elliott (1987).
- Five drivers have won the Clash (1979-2024) and the NASCAR Cup Series championship in the same season: Dale Earnhardt (1980, 1986, 1991, 1993); Darrell Waltrip (1981); Jeff Gordon (1997); Tony Stewart (2002); Joey Logano (2022).
- Three defending NASCAR Cup Series champions have won the season-opening Clash event the following season: Dale Jarrett (2000-2001), Dale Earnhardt (1987-1988, 1990-1991, 1994-1995), and Terry Labonte (1984-1985).
- A total of 15 different organizations have won the Clash, led by Joe Gibbs Racing with 12 Clash wins, all 12 came in the last 24 years.
- Joe Gibbs Racing (eight) and Team Penske (four) combined to win the Clash in 12 of the last 14 years (Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing won the other two).
- Among active organizations, RFK Racing is currently riding the longest winless streak since its last Clash win in 1999 (25 years).
- Only twice has a team swept the top-two finishing positions in the Clash: Hendrick Motorsports in 1990 and Team Penske in 2018.
- Joe Gibbs Racing led 258 of the 451 laps raced in the Clash in the Main since it was moved to a 0.25 mile track in 2022
- Hendrick Motorsports has yet to lead a lap in the Main since it was moved to a 0.25 mile track in 2022.
- Seven different manufactures have won the Clash, led by Chevrolet with 22 victories; followed by Ford (10), Toyota (eight), Buick (two), Oldsmobile (two), Dodge (one) and Pontiac (one).
- All eight of Toyota’s Clash wins came in the last 13 years.
- Chevrolet won the Clash only twice in the last 14 years after winning six straight between 2005 and 2010.
- William Byron has never run a lap outside the top 10 in the Main in the three Clash races at the Coliseum.
- Chris Buescher is the only driver who failed to make the Main in all three years the Clash was held at the Coliseum.
- Kyle Busch’s worst finish in the Clash in the last four years is third, he won the Daytona RC Clash in 2021 and finished second, third, second in the three times the Clash was held at the Coliseum.
- Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson were the only drivers to finish in the top-five in all three Clashes run at the Coliseum, William Byron was the only other driver to finish top-10 in all three.
- Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in career Clash event appearances with 19.
- Jeff Gordon has appeared in the most consecutive Clash races, competing in 22 consecutive events from 1994-2015. Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with 19 consecutive appearances (2006-2024).
- Five Clash events (10.9%) have been won from the pole or first starting position – Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill Elliott (1987), Ken Schrader (1989), Denny Hamlin (2016 and 2024).
- The deepest in the field a Clash race winner has started is 27th – by Kevin Harvick in 2009.
- Denny Hamlin leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led in the Clash with 259 laps led of his 1,415 laps completed (18.3%) in his 19 starts. A total of 67 drivers have led a lap in the Clash races.
- The most laps led in the Clash by the race winner was 47 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. on February 9, 2008.
- The most laps led in the Clash by a driver that did not win was 84 – Ty Gibbs on February 6, 2022.
- The fewest laps led in the Clash by the race winner was one lap led (the final lap) and it has occurred nine times: 2021, 2020, 2009, 2004, 2000, 1998, 1984, 1983, 1980.
2025 Clash Format Rundown:
- Three practice groups with each group having three sessions.
- Final practice determines the starting order for the four Heat races (fastest on pole for Heat 1, 2nd on pole for Heat 2, 3rd on pole for Heat 3, 4th on pole for Heat 4 etc.)
- Heat races are 25 laps each.
- The top-five finishers from Heat races fill the first 20 of 23 spots for the Main event with the winner of Heat 1 on the pole, winner of Heat 2 in 2nd, Heat 3 in 3rd, Heat 4 in 4th.
- The remaining cars compete in a 75 lap last chance race, the top 2 finishers advance to the main event.
- The 23rd spot goes to the highest driver from 2024 driver points standings that is not already in the main event.
- 200 lap Main event with 23 cars.
- Only green flag laps count during the Heats, LCQ and Main (no overtime in the Heats and LCQ but the Main must finish under green)
- Halfway break at Lap 100 in Main event.
Tim Brown Bio:
- 53 years old from Cana, VA
- Nicknamed “The Rocket”
- All-time wins leader at Bowman Gray Stadium with 101 wins
- 12 Bowman Gray Modified championships
- Will be first NASCAR Cup Series start, one Truck Series start in, finished 27th at Martinsville in 2009
- Has worked for Cup team owners like Cale Yarborough, Michael Waltrip, Jack Roush and Rick Ware
- Works at Rick Ware Racing as a suspension and drivetrain specialist
Burt Myers Bio:
- 49 years old from Walnut Cove, NC
- Two-time Southern Modified Tour Champion
- 11 Bowman Gray Stadium Modified Track Champions
- 97 Modified wins at Bowman Gray Stadium
- Son of Gary Myers who has 38 wins at Bowman Gray Stadium
- Great-uncle Bobby Myers, 16 wins and one Championship at Bowman Gray Stadium, 15 Cup starts in the 1950s, lost his life in a crash at Darlington driving for Petty Enterprises.
- Grandfather Billy Myers had over 20 wins at Bowman Gray Stadium and three track Championships before losing his life in a crash there in 1958. Billy had two Cup wins in 84 starts, neither came at Bowman Gray.
- Was featured on the television documentary series ‘Madhouse’ and ‘Race Night at Bowman Gray’
- One NASCAR national series start, finished 19th in a Truck Series race at Martinsville in 2009.
Bowman Gray Stadium Experience in K&N East or Modifieds: among drivers expected to compete
Car # Driver Note
5 Kyle Larson 1 K&N East start (2015 – finished 5th, led 35 laps)
7 Justin Haley 1 K&N East start (2015 – finished 3rd)
9 Chase Elliott 2 K&N East starts (best finish: 6th – 2012)
15 Tim Brown 12x BGS Modified Track Champion, 101 feature wins.
23 Bubba Wallace 2 K&N East starts (best finish: 2nd – 2012)
24 William Byron 1 K&N East start (2015 – finished 15th)
41 Cole Custer 1 K&N East start (2013 – finished 10th)
48 Alex Bowman 1 K&N East start (2011 – finished 12th)
50 Burt Myers 11x BGS Modified Track Champion, 97 modified wins
51 Cody Ware 1 Whelen Southern Modified start (2013 – finished 13th)
60 Ryan Preece 3 Whelen Southern Modified starts (2013 winner, led all 199 laps)
99 Daniel Suarez 3 K&N East starts (best finish: 2nd – 2014, led 1 lap)
Significant Events at Bowman Gray Stadium:
- March 31, 1937-Ground breaking
- May 1, 1938- First event held (Mozart Club sponsored music event)
- October 22, 1938-Wake Forest lost a football game to Duke in the first sporting event held at the stadium (Duke won 7-0 in an undefeated season but lost in the Rose Bowl to USC)
- September 1, 1939- First Auto Races held at Bowman Gray (Midget Races sponsored by Winston-Salem Jaycees)
- May 18, 1949 – First NASCAR sanctioned event
- August 18, 1952- Joe Louis and Joe McFadden fought a four round exhibition fight in Joe Louis’ last ever fight, the fight was scheduled for August 15th but was postponed to Monday night due to rain
- 1956-1967 Home Field for Wake Forest University Football
- 1955-1960-Green Bay Packers played preseason games at Bowman Gray (the first game was held on 9/11/1955 with Washington beating the Packers 33-31)
- 1958-1971 NASCAR Cup Series (29 races)
- 8/22/1969- Richard Petty won his 100th of 200 Cup races
- 1970-1971 Motorcycle races on temporary dirt track
- 2015 hosted its 1,000th NASCAR-sanctioned race
- March 21, 2024 – NASCAR acquired the lease to the track and will manage the facility through 2050
Historical Bowman Gray Stadium Information:
- Constructed in 1937 as a public works project during the Great Depression the venue began as a college football field and evolved into a multipurpose venue.
- The inaugural football game at Bowman Gray Stadium took place between Wake Forest and Duke in 1938.
- The quarter mile track around the football field was a dirt track used for trotter horse racing and car races until 1947 when the track was paved by Bill France Sr. and Avin Hawkins.
- The quarter mile race track held its first NASCAR sanctioned event in 1949 and became NASCAR’s first weekly track.
- The track has since hosted a multitude of racing series including NACAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, NASCAR Convertibles, Dash Series, NASCAR East Series, NASCAR Late Model Sportsman and a multitude of modified divisions.
- The tight confines and rough racing on the quarter mile gained the track the nickname “Madhouse.”
- In 1953 an additional 7,000 seats were added to bring the capacity of the venue to 17,000.
- Serves as the home football field for local high schools R.J. Reynolds High and Parkland High.
- In November of 2018, a $9 million renovation of the stadium was announced. Improvements included a new lighting system, safety barriers and catch fencing along with improvements to other facilities
NASCAR Cup Series & Bowman Gray Stadium, Etc.
- 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst (Las Vegas, Nevada) and Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen (Auckland, New Zealand) will make up the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year class.
- 2024 Bowman Gray Weekly Series Champions: Burt Myers, Zack Ore, Christian Joyce, and AJ Saunders, will serve as Grand Marshals for the Cook Out Clash on Sunday, Feb. 2. They will be joined by 8-year-old Roo Reaves, the 2023 NASCAR Youth Series presented by Cook Out National Champion.
- On January 2, 2025, NASCAR announced that Cook Out, one of the fastest growing family-owned restaurant chains in the nation, will be the entitlement partner for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 2. Cook Out has been based in the Winston-Salem area since 1989.
- On November 25, 2024, NASCAR announced The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is sold out.
- On August 17, 2024, NASCAR announced the Clash will come to the historic Bowman Gray Stadium for the first-time.
- Mike Joy will celebrate his 25th season with the FOX network alongside analysts Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick in the broadcast booth in 2025. Bowyer will celebrate his fifth year while Harvick embraces his second full-time season.
- Larry McReynolds returns for his 25th season as an analyst for the FOX network. Jamie Little and Regan Smith will also serve as the pit road reporters this season.
