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Via NASCAR
Imago
Via NASCAR
NASCAR has finally concluded the long-awaited first race of the season, and it’s safe to say that after all the drama it went through, it failed to meet fans’ expectations. From weeklong delays, frustrating weather, underwhelming broadcasts, to ‘boring’ racing, the fans were far from happy with the event. And amid all of this is one major sentiment across all fans: change the venue. Something a renowned NASCAR insider highlighted on social media, pointing at Daytona.
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Clash at Bowman Gray delivered an underwhelming show
While the race was a non-point-paying one, its reception was highly polarized. But not for Associated Press journalist Jenna Fryer, who shared her opinion on X.
She wrote, “Possible unpopular opinion: move The Clash back to Daytona and go back to the full 500 schedule.”
Fryer’s concern comes after the race at Bowman Gray faced multiple issues. From having numerous delays to record cautions, enduring the full race was a painful affair for fans.
The Clash saw a staggering 17 cautions in a race that was only 200 laps, which extended the race time to over three and a half hours. The frustration peaked when FOX decided to shift the race to FS2.
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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Feb 4, 2026 WInston-Salem, North Carolina, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson 5 leads the field at the start during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. WInston-Salem Bowman Gray Stadium North Carolina USA.
This created enormous difficulties for fans as they could not watch the race finish. On the other hand, the Bowman Gray Stadium was a relatively smaller venue, and it created an on-site issue for stands and parking lots.
Considering all the facts, fans want NASCAR to shift the Clash to Daytona, a venue that has hosted the Clash for 43 years — from its inception in 1979 to 2021. However, NASCAR shifted the race to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2022 and then shifted it to Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025.
Given that Daytona International Speedway offers a superior racing environment, with more seats, improved broadcasting facilities, and thrilling racing, fans are not wrong to demand a change or perhaps a return to where it all began.
Fans miss Daytona
As the 2026 edition of the clash did not meet fans’ expectations, they want the venue to be changed. A fan wrote that he missed the Daytona Speedweeks, which started with the Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Truck, and ARCA qualifying, and then ended with the races and finally the Daytona 500.
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“So many race fans I know all miss the Daytona speedweeks. It helps set up the season. There never really was a quality explanation as to why they stopped it,” he wrote.
Another fan synced with Jenna Fryer and wrote that he also agrees with her, as he wanted the change. “Nope not unpopular. That is what everyone wants.”
“That works for me! Let’s bring back lug nuts and full season points. Get rid of stage racing as well,” another fan wrote, who wanted the removal of stage racing which was introduced in 2017. With this, they also wanted the return of lug nuts and full-season points.
Another fan commented that the race at Bowman Gray Stadium is stupid. He also synced with Jenna Fryer, as he wrote, “Not unpopular. These races are stupid.”
One fan mentioned how the Daytona races should start with the Rolex 24 and end with the 500. “Totally agree! Begin practices after the Rolex 24. Qualifying on the following Saturday, Clash on Sunday afternoon then duels and the 500. I used to plan time off work to watch it all. Only problem is they can’t make changes to the car anymore.”
Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports claimed the pole position of the Clash, whereas Ryan Preece of RFK Racing won the race. As of now, there has been no report of the race being shifted elsewhere, especially to Daytona. With all this fan revolt, it will be interesting to see what course NASCAR takes next year.
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