Imago
11-112 February, 2011, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the start
Imago
11-112 February, 2011, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the start
Five to nine inches of snow. That’s the stunning projection for January 31. Yep, just one day before the Cook Out Clash NASCAR race at Bowman Gray Stadium, snow is turning what was meant to be NASCAR’s electric season kickoff into a full-blown weather standoff. Fans, teams, and officials have all watched the forecast worsen by the hour, raising louder calls to move the event to Daytona instead of attempting to brave a winter storm. But NASCAR isn’t making that pivot so easily. And as the pressure builds, the sanctioning body has now explained exactly why the Clash can’t simply pack up and head south.
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Why Daytona is not an option for the Clash
When the snow forecast for Winston-Salem surged to 5–9 inches, fans immediately pushed one idea to the front: Just move the Clash to Daytona. But as NASCAR Executive Vice President John Probst detailed, that option falls apart fast once the real-world constraints hit.
Probst laid out the first obstacle clearly: “Right now the cars are configured for a short track with the new 750 horsepower engines.” That short-track/road-course package is built specifically for tracks under 1.5 miles, and Daytona’s iconic oval stretches a full 2.5 miles, making the current setup incompatible.
So what about switching to Daytona’s superspeedway engines? Probst explained why that’s nearly impossible on short notice:
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“So then you’re left with the oval. Once you go to the oval, now you’re on the super speedway engines… So you run into really a supply issue of engines to swap them out in like basically no time’s notice.”
Those superspeedway engines are already spoken for. NASCAR and its engine shops have over 100 units prepped and staged for the Daytona 500 and the Atlanta race the following week. Every engine is already dyno’d, sealed, and sectioned off for Speedweeks. Reassigning them for a last-minute Clash would jeopardize the sport’s biggest event of the year.
And the road course? Also a dead end. With the Daytona 500 set for February 15, 2026, and Speedweeks beginning February 11, Probst noted the facility is already deep in preparation. “The Daytona 500… they’re actually starting to move stuff in now. So that kind of rules out the road course once you figure you’re getting ready.”
Even the weather in Florida won’t cooperate. Probst pointed out forecasts calling for temperatures near 20 degrees near Daytona, eliminating any “sunny escape” option. His conclusion sums it up: “There certainly is no just shining oasis in the desert to say, ‘Well, let’s just go here. All would be well.’” With Daytona off the table, NASCAR’s only choice is to adapt. And it sets the stage for what comes next: a condensed, frigid, all-in Sunday at Bowman Gray Stadium.
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A single action-packed day for the Clash NASCAR race
NASCAR’s original Bowman Gray weekend schedule was packed, with Modified and Sportsman practice opening at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, followed by qualifying sessions before the Sportsman race at 1:15 p.m. ET and the Modified race at 2:45 p.m. Cup Series practice was scheduled for 6:10 p.m. on FS1, with heat races at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, February 1, was set to feature the Last Chance Qualifier at 6 p.m. ET and the Cook Out Clash main event at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
But with heavy snow and dangerous temperatures expected, NASCAR officially postponed all Saturday on-track activity at Bowman Gray Stadium. The decision impacts every Cup Series session (practice, qualifying, and the heat races), as well as the Cook Out Madhouse Classic for Modified and Sportsman divisions. NASCAR confirmed that a future date for the Madhouse Classic will be announced later.
Despite the disruptions, today’s off-track events remain unchanged. The Clash Preview at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Event Center is still underway, giving fans rare close access to cars and drivers, plus live entertainment. However, the outdoor Clash Fan Fest originally set across from Bowman Gray will not be held due to the severe weather.
As a result, Sunday will now hold the entire competitive program. Cup Series practice and qualifying are consolidated into a two-hour block from 2 to 4 p.m. ET on FS2. The Last Chance Qualifier stays at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, followed by NASCAR Race Day at 7:30 p.m. The Cook Out Clash will fire off at 8 p.m. ET, unchanged and still airing live on FOX, turning a weather-threatened weekend into a single, high-stakes, all-action Sunday showdown.