NASCAR will open its 2026 season where it first laid its roots—Bowman Gray Stadium. Following a sold-out return to the legendary short track in 2025, the Cook Out Clash will once again launch the NASCAR Cup Series schedule at ‘The Madhouse’ on January 31 and February 1, NASCAR announced today.
FOX Sports will broadcast the event, which marks the second consecutive year the quarter-mile track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina plays host to NASCAR’s preseason exhibition. The 2025 race saw Chase Elliott capture a hard-fought victory in the first Cup Series appearance at Bowman Gray since 1971.
“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said Joey Dennewitz, NASCAR Regional Managing Director. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home of grassroots racing.”
The event is a homecoming for Cook Out, the fast-growing restaurant chain founded in the Winston-Salem area. The company will once again serve as the entitlement partner, continuing a strong NASCAR presence that includes title sponsorship of races at Martinsville, Richmond, and Darlington. Cook Out is also deeply invested at the grassroots level, including its support of the NASCAR Youth Series.
“We are proud to support the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in our backyard in Winston-Salem,” said Jeremy and Morris Reaves, CEO and Founder of Cook Out. “Last year was so amazing and we can’t wait to do it again!”
Built in 1937, Bowman Gray Stadium is NASCAR’s longest-running weekly racetrack and was the first paved track and weekly venue sanctioned by the organization. Its return to the Cup Series spotlight in 2025 marked a symbolic and strategic reconnection with the sport’s grassroots foundation.
Over its storied history, Bowman Gray has seen NASCAR legends like Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, and David Pearson compete on its flat bullring. Petty’s 100th career win came at the track in the 1969 Myers Brothers 250.
“Last year’s race was an immensely successful event for all parties involved,” said Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. “We will work hard to ensure that the 2026 Cook Out Clash is even more successful.”
This year’s race is expected to be another sell-out, reaffirming the track’s nickname as ‘The Madhouse’ and its reputation as one of NASCAR’s most electric venues.
Ithaca soccer standout picks Marist 
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.