{"id":435449,"date":"2026-01-27T01:40:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T01:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/435449\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T01:40:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T01:40:07","slug":"frigid-temps-possible-snow-forecast-for-nascar-cook-out-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/435449\/","title":{"rendered":"Frigid temps, possible snow forecast for NASCAR Cook Out Clash"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season revs up, all eyes are on Bowman Gray Stadium<\/a> in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the Cook Out Clash\u2014the high-stakes exhibition race marking the unofficial kickoff to the year.<\/p>\n

\u2013by Mark Cipolloni\u2013<\/p>\n

Scheduled for Sunday, February 1, at 8:00 p.m. ET, with practice and qualifying on Saturday, January 31, this return to the historic quarter-mile \u201cMadhouse\u201d promises raw, door-to-door racing. But Mother Nature might have other plans, with a brewing winter storm threatening to blanket the region in snow, ice, and bone-chilling temperatures, potentially derailing the weekend\u2019s festivities.<\/p>\n

\"ChaseChase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet and Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota lead the field during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images for NASCAR)<\/p>\n

The forecast for Winston-Salem paints a grim picture of Arctic-like conditions descending on the area just as teams and fans converge. Saturday, January 31\u2014the day of practice sessions starting around 6:10 p.m. ET for the NASCAR Cup Series, alongside events for the Whelen Modified Tour and Sportsman division\u2014could see morning snow showers giving way to partly cloudy skies, but with highs struggling to reach above freezing and lows plummeting to 17-20\u00b0F. Precipitation chances hover around 48%, with risks of sleet and freezing rain adding to the mix. By evening, during heat races, temperatures might dip to 18\u00b0F, making track conditions treacherous.<\/p>\n

Sunday, February 1, fares little better. Daytime highs may climb to a modest 28-34\u00b0F for last-chance qualifying, but as the sun sets and the main event approaches, expect lows dipping to 15-22\u00b0F under partly cloudy skies.<\/p>\n

The real wildcard is an overnight winter storm on Saturday into Sunday, potentially dumping heavy snowfall and ice accumulation across the region, which could render the racing surface unusable. Long-range models suggest sub-freezing temperatures persisting, with some forecasts warning of significant icing and wintry mix amounting to 2-3 cm of snow and ice.<\/p>\n

These conditions aren\u2019t just uncomfortable\u2014they could fundamentally alter the racing dynamics. Cold tracks mean reduced tire grip, as rubber struggles to warm up and achieve optimal adhesion, leading to slippery handling and increased spin-outs on Bowman Gray\u2019s tight turns.<\/p>\n

Braking becomes a nightmare, with friction in pads and rotors compromised, while engines may battle to maintain ideal operating temperatures, affecting power output and reliability. Suspension components stiffen in the freeze, making cars feel unresponsive, and drivers could face physical discomfort from the biting cold seeping into cockpits. Rudy Fugle, crew chief for William Byron\u2019s No. 24 team, highlighted these challenges: \u201cThe cold weather will definitely affect how the cars handle\u2026 It\u2019s going to be a test for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

NASCAR officials are already on high alert, with proactive measures in place. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR\u2019s EVP and chief venue and racing innovations officer, revealed that track crews treated the surface with salt brine ahead of the storm to combat ice buildup. However, if the storm intensifies, postponements or schedule adjustments aren\u2019t out of the question, as seen in past weather-plagued events. Fan and media buzz is growing, with Ryan Larkin tweeting, \u201cThe weather for the Clash next weekend is truly something. NASCAR might want to consider doing this thing in Daytona or LA or anywhere warm.\u201d Reddit discussions echo similar worries, speculating on snow and ice disrupting the NC area.<\/p>\n

For a venue like Bowman Gray\u2014known for its passionate, grassroots atmosphere and sold-out crowds\u2014this could be a double-edged sword. While the cold might deter some spectators, hardy fans could turn it into a legendary tale of endurance. Yet, with the series aiming to showcase its stars in a high-energy opener broadcast on FOX, any disruptions could dampen the momentum. As forecasts evolve in the coming days, teams will be glued to weather apps, hoping the storm fizzles out. After all, in racing, the only certainty is uncertainty\u2014and this Clash might just become a battle against the elements as much as the competition.<\/p>\n

Entry List<\/p>\n

#1 \u2013 Ross Chastain
\n#2 \u2013 Austin Cindric
\n#3 \u2013 Austin Dillon
\n#4 \u2013 Noah Gragson
\n#5 \u2013 Kyle Larson
\n#6 \u2013 Corey LaJoie[6]
\n#7 \u2013 Daniel Su\u00e1rez
\n#8 \u2013 Kyle Busch
\n#9 \u2013 Chase Elliott
\n10 \u2013 Ty Dillon
\n11 \u2013 Denny Hamlin
\n12 \u2013 Ryan Blaney
\n16 \u2013 A. J. Allmendinger
\n17 \u2013 Chris Buescher
\n19 \u2013 Chase Briscoe
\n20 \u2013 Christopher Bell
\n21 \u2013 Josh Berry
\n22 \u2013 Joey Logano
\n23 \u2013 Bubba Wallace
\n24 \u2013 William Byron
\n34 \u2013 Todd Gilliland
\n35 \u2013 Riley Herbst
\n38 \u2013 Zane Smith
\n41 \u2013 Cole Custer
\n42 \u2013 John Hunter Nemechek
\n43 \u2013 Erik Jones
\n45 \u2013 Tyler Reddick
\n47 \u2013 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
\n48 \u2013 Alex Bowman
\n50 \u2013 Burt Myers
\n51 \u2013 Cody Ware
\n54 \u2013 Ty Gibbs
\n60 \u2013 Ryan Preece
\n66 \u2013 Chad Finchum
\n71 \u2013 Michael McDowell
\n77 \u2013 Carson Hocevar
\n88 \u2013 Connor Zilisch (R)
\n97 \u2013 Shane van Gisbergen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season revs up, all eyes are on Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":435450,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-435449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=435449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/435450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=435449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=435449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=435449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}