"It's like going home." For Richard Petty, NASCAR's visit to Bowman Gray wasn't just about a season opener. The post NASCAR Legend Richard ‘The King’ Petty Reminisces His Iconic 100th Victory at Bowman Gray appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Chase Elliott claimed NASCAR's first checkered flag of 2025 on Sunday night in Winston-Salem, winning the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium for his first victory in the Cup Series' preseason event.

The future of the Clash, a surprisingly good run at Bowman Gray Stadium and more chatter from Sunday's exhibition race.

Formerly known as the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, this year's event moves to the legendary Bowman Gray Stadium, a track known for its tight quarters and intense short-track racing. With drivers battling for bragging rights and early-season momentum, expect plenty of action from green flag to checkered.

Who is going to win the Clash? SportsLine simulated the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray 10,000 times and revealed its NASCAR picks for Sunday's exhibition in Winston-Salem

The Clash got a jolt of energy at the North Carolina short track. Will it return in 2026, or will NASCAR look elsewhere?

By so many metrics, the NASCAR Cup Series’ season-opening event was a hit.

Ryan Blaney was a little kid the first time he raced at Bowman Gray Stadium and remembers it being the coolest thing he’d ever done in motorsports.

NASCAR returns to its roots Sunday with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, which last played host to a Cup Series event more than 50 years ago. After three years on a temporary short track at the Los Angeles Coliseum, NASCAR has moved The Clash to the 0.25-mile track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, known as “The Madhouse.”

Bowman Gray Stadium, the longest-running weekly track in racing history, is the site for the Cup Series’ preseason Clash on Sunday night. The legendary quarter-mile track near downtown Winston-Salem — among the smallest venues to host NASCAR races — is set for its first NASCAR race in 54 years.