NASCAR’s first race of the 2026 season, the Cook Out Clash is set to kick off the Cup season at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The preseason, non-points exhibition race will bring Cup cars to the quarter-mile “Madhouse” for practice, qualifying, heat races and a primetime final this weekend.
The exhibition race was moved to Bowman Gray in 2025 after three years at the LA Coliseum. The format for the race will stay the same as last year, which Chase Elliott won, with practice groups running each group in three short sessions.
Each driver’s fastest lap in their final practice sets heat race poles. The fastest goes to the first heat pole, the second-fastest to the second heat pole and so on for four heat races.
Four heat races of 25 laps each send five top finishers from each heat to the main race. The feature will have 23 drivers and run 200 laps with a break at halfway. Only green-flag laps count, and there is no overtime.
The main Cup Series feature is scheduled for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. But the weekend schedule starts with local races and the Madhouse Classic on Saturday at 1:15 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, drivers who do not transfer will race in a 75-lap last chance qualifier. The top two from that race earn spots in the Clash. And the final spot goes to the highest driver in last year’s Cup points.
However, a possible snow forecast for the NASCAR exhibition race could force a delay or postponement. A strong cold front settled over central North Carolina this week and could also bring a chance of snow or flurries during the weekend. The local forecast shows below freezing lows and a risk of light snow on Friday.
Snow at Bowman Gray Ahead of NASCAR Cup Series Exhibition Race With Possibility of Another Storm
Bowman Gray stadium saw snow on Monday. Officials also announced that the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck Series test at Rockingham Speedway were postponed from its scheduled dates this Tuesday and Wednesday. The tests have been rescheduled for Feb. 3 and 4.
However, according to former Cup driver Kenny Wallace, chances of NASCAR cancelling the 48th edition of the exhibition race are low as the snow storm on Monday passed quickly.
“The storm was overhyped. It went North,” Wallace said (6:45).
The cold front that brought freezing temperatures to North Carolina, has a forecast of possible snow on Friday and Saturday with temperature dropping to about 14°F on Sunday.
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