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WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 01: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford race during qualifying heat #1 for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 01, 2025 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
The cold front hovering over North Carolina since this past weekend is remaing problematic for NASCAR.
The Clash is scheduled for this Saturday (1/31) and Sunday (2/1) at Bowman Gray Stadium. However, as previously reported, below freezing temperatures that invaded the state this past weekend is forecasted to continue through the upcoming race events.
With another storm dropping a wintery mix and snow looming, NASCAR is looking at possible schedule alterations to possibly hold the 200-lap event on Sunday.
Tech is Happening
Sources say the already scheduled tech inspection for the NASCAR Cup Series cars will be held on Thursday (1/29) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Winston Salem Fairgrounds Event Center. Haulers will be staged in the morning, unloaded at 10 a.m. and enter the building at 10:45 a.m. to prepare for inspection.
Once that is completed for the exhibition race, cars will be covered up and impounded. Forecasted weather calls for 28 degrees during the unloading process with no precipitation.
The only scheduled event to take place on Friday is the Hauler Parade starting at 2:30 p.m. to arrive at BGS for parking at 3 p.m.
Ben Kennedy Gives Update
Via his X account on Wednesday, Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Senior VP, Racing Development and Strategy, posted a photo of the 0.25-mile track. It showed the racing surface was cleared with snow still on the infield.
“Snow has been cleared from the track and garage areas at Bowman Gray,” Kennedy wrote. “Hoping for a warm(er) day or two in Winston-Salem to accelerate clean up. We’re continuing to monitor more weather this weekend and will communicate schedule changes, if any.”
An hour later, he updated his previous post.
“The track team has made progress on clearing the track,” he said. “We’re monitoring one more snowstorm arriving Friday evening / Saturday. Our goal is to host the Clash at Bowman Gray, but we’ll communicate schedule changes as we learn more.”
Snow way? Yes way
The snowstorm Kennedy is referring to is forecasted to start at 9 a.m. on Saturday and continue through until 5 a.m. on Sunday with 6 to 8 inches of accumulation. Also, the high temperature on Saturday shows 22 degrees and 26 degrees on Sunday.
Slated for Saturday are the four heats to determine who makes The Clash 200-lap feature and who has to race their way in via the Last Chance Qualifier on Sunday. The first on-track action for the NCS is a practice/qualifying session from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday to determine the four heat line-ups.
The first heat is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. when the temperature could be 15 degrees during a snowfall.
Heats Might be Heaved
The above conditions would leave NASCAR with no choice but to cancel the heats, plus the NASCAR Whelan Modified and Sportsman races schedule for earlier on Saturday.
If the sanctioning body would still move forward for The Clash on Sunday, word is they could set the field by the top 23 points finishers from the 2025 season. However, the forecasted temperature for race time is 18 degrees, with a feel like of six degrees, winds of 15 mph and gusts up to 22 mph.
That scenario would mean Carson Hocevar and the No. 77 Chevrolet of Spire Motorsports, who finished 23rd in points, would be the last one to make the race. In turn, Erik Jones and the No. 43 Toyota team of Legacy Motorsports would be out after finishing 24th in 2025.
The overall industry consensus is, Mother Nature needs to find a new place to hang out.
Tim Packman Tim Packman is a journalist for Heavy.com covering NASCAR. He grew up around the short tracks of Western New York watching his dad, stepdad and step brother race. His uncle was the head starter at many area tracks and member of the FOAR Score Hall of Fame.
Tim’s passion for racing took him to the announcer’s tower and writing program stories for multiple tracks in the area, namely Lancaster National Speedway. In 2000, he moved to Mooresville, NC to become an award-winning journalist for NASCAR.com. He took a job with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. as the team’s Communications Director and was part of two Daytona 500 wins and two NASCAR Championships.
The announcing experience led to becoming a Pit Reporter and News Director for MRN Radio. A return to the team side at Richard Childress Racing as the Director of Corporate Communications took place, which also included another Championship.
From 2015 to 2018, Tim returned to where his career began in 1994 – Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway – as the Track President. He earned Short Track Promoter of the Year awards in 2016 and 2017.
Upon returning to NC, he joined The Garage Shop as Communications Director and host of it’s Podcast and MAV-TV docuseries “Legacy of Speed” talking about Land Speed Racing at Bonneville, and other places.
Tim has hosted two other Podcasts, namely “Pub Table Racers,” and wrote three books. One was with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison titled, “Bobby Allison, a Racer’s Racer” and two Children’s books, “Funny Dan the Race Car Man” and “Petey the Pace Car.”
He also served in the US Navy. More about Tim Packman
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