NASCAR to open 2025 season at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem with the Clash

NASCAR racing officially returns to Winston-Salem.

The season-opening “Clash” is moving to Bowman Gray Stadium, the quarter-mile historic race track that last hosted the NASCAR Cup Series in 1971. The Clash, being held at Bowman Gray for the first time, is an exhibition race that will kick off Cup Series racing on Feb. 2 in 2025 and be nationally televised on FOX.

Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing development and strategy, recently noted the importance of the sport’s racing roots in the Carolinas following NASCAR’s acquisition of the race track’s lessee in March. Kennedy, the great-grandson of Bill France Sr., announced the Cup Series’ return to Forsyth County before a weekly series race at Bowman Gray on Saturday night.

“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,” Kennedy said. “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.’ ”

Hour-long documentary on Bowman Gray to air on FS1

NASCAR and FOX Sports are producing a documentary about the race track that first hosted the sport in 1937.

Titled “The Madhouse: NASCAR’s Return to Bowman Gray Stadium,” the hour-long episode will air on Fox Sports 1 and dive into the history of the sport’s first weekly track. More details, including the documentary’s eventual release and premiere on FS1, will be announced at a later date.

“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 Allen Joines, the mayor of Winston-Salem. “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.”