NASCAR did what nobody thought was possible, converting an Olympic-sized stadium into the most exciting exhibition race ever. Intending to create some hype before the Cup Series started its 36-race rigorous schedule, the Clash was a delight that fans looked forward to. With the postseason underway, it can be said with much certainty that the NASCAR community cannot wait for February to come any quicker.

This time around, the Clash will be taking place at the Bowman Gray Stadium, and the fans are definitely excited and looking forward to the 2026 season. However, one NASCAR insider cannot move past the idea of how the clash changed the game for NASCAR.

Jeff Gluck sounds off on the LA Coliseum Clash

Speaking on the Teardown podcast, Jeff Gluck couldn’t help but reminisce about the LA Coliseum clash. He said, “But, I liked what NASCAR discovered with the LA Coliseum Clash, that you could really make this a marquee preseason event and really get people excited if you used it the right way. I remember that clash the first year. I mean, you had the whole city of LA talking about it… They did that, and then they took a break for the Super Bowl, right? And it was both on FOX and the Super Bowl was in LA that year, right? Yeah. And so, like you had this great synergy.”

The first ever clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Colosseum was in 2022, and it was the first time the exhibition race in the Cup Series broke from its longtime home at Daytona International Speedway. It was definitely a daunting and drastic change; however, it worked out for the organization. NASCAR created a quarter-mile asphalt track inside the stadium to hold the race, giving fans and media a spectacle unlike anything the series had traditionally offered.

That novelty generated major buzz, particularly in Los Angeles, and essentially validated the idea that the clash could become a marquee preseason event if executed properly. The inaugural event drew over 4.2 million TV viewers on FOX and attracted roughly 50,000 fans to the historic stadium, numbers that validated NASCAR’s gamble to build a temporary track inside a football stadium.

It also generated genuine buzz throughout Los Angeles, energized by the city hosting the Super Bowl the same week. However, the excitement didn’t sustain its peak. TV ratings dipped to 3.6 million in 2023, and while attendance was still strong, the novelty had already begun to fade as fans treated it less like a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle and more like any other exhibition race.

And even Gluck agrees with it. He added, “If you could use it for a Daytona 500 promotional tool, the Clash had run its course, I thought, at Daytona in terms of Superspeedway. Those last few, I mean, the attendance was terrible for the Sprint Unlimited and all those…So I don’t really love the idea of moving it back there. Obviously, I do agree with your getting rid of the ROVAL. That’s the lowest-hanging fruit on the schedule, in my opinion.”

However, broadcasting and promotional elements added to the event’s standout appeal. The 2022 event featured a previous concert by the artist Pitbull and significant media coverage around the Los Angeles market. Combined with the Golden State setting and a deviation from the typical Superspeedway format, the clash had the kind of cultural and market relevance that NASCAR had aimed to capture.

But over time, that enthusiasm faded. Last year, the momentum had nearly collapsed. Weather disruptions forced the event to move earlier, shifting the broadcast from FOX to FS1, a change that contributed to a dramatic drop to just 1.5 million viewers, a 58% decline from the previous year.

But as the Colosseum got dropped, NASCAR immediately took to the Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The venue is deeply historic in stock car racing. It hosted Cup Series races from 1958 to 1971, and it is considered one of the sport’s founding weekly tracks.

This shift gave NASCAR more flexibility to test new packages, tire compounds, and car handling on a challenging quarter-mile layout known for its ‘Madhouse’ reputation. And now, as February inches closer, the schedule for the Clash has already been announced.

FOX reveals the Cook Out Clash schedule

Last year, the NASCAR Premier Series finally returned to the Bowman Gray in February, marking its first appearance at the venue in almost 54 years. In front of a packed and energetic sellout crowd, Chase Elliott held off Ryan Blaney in a showdown between two former Cup champions, scoring an electric victory in the season-opening clash.

And now, in a similar fashion, the historic ‘Madhouse’ in Winston-Salem is set to mark its second straight year by hosting the Cookout Clash on February 1, 2026. FOX8 recently confirmed that the exhibition race will be aired by them, with last-chance qualifying at 6 pm and the clash itself starting at 8 pm.

The event once again serves as the prelude to NASCAR’s biggest month, setting the stage for the 2026 Daytona 500 on February 15, which will begin at 2:30 pm. In total, six NASCAR Cup Series events will air on FOX stations in 2026, including major stops at Daytona International Speedway, Circuit of the Americas, and Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR’s decision to stick with Bowman Gray for the clash reflects how well the revenue performed in 2025, offering a packed house, strong TV numbers, and a throwback atmosphere that resonated with longtime fans. 2026 return signals that the madhouse may be carving out a new identity as NASCAR’s unofficial preseason home.