The “longest-running weekly paved track” in NASCAR History, Bowman Gray, has been in existence since the very inception of competitive stock-car racing. The track has earned the nickname “MadHouse” for its extensive history of hosting the most thrilling racing moments, witnessing Ralph Earnhardt and Junior Johnson secure victories on the quarter-mile flat-oval track. 

Another quarter-mile that has recently become the topic of debates and discussions is the 0.25-mile artificially paved asphalt that had been the venue for the last three editions of the “Clash” exhibition–the iconic LA Coliseum. Now, with the Bowman Gray Stadium’s lease under NASCAR’s control, even the drivers have opined on the potential solution for the absence of a venue for next year’s Clash… at the “MadHouse”?

Cup Stars “Divided” Over Clash Switch from LA Coliseum

In the buildup to Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grandprix at COTA, drivers were visibly motivated to turn up with the best performances in the first road track race of the NASCAR season. However, during pre-race interviews, one point of intrigue kept popping up time and again. Will the Clash be held at Bowman next year? Several drivers like Josh Berry, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Chase Elliott shared their thoughts on the matter. 

The announcement of the Bowman Gray lease has indeed shed light on NASCAR’s current connection with the North Carolina racetrack built by Mr. Alvin Hawkins and Mr. Bill France Sr himself. SHR’s Josh Berry revealed this perfectly. “I’ve only been there I think once. Years and years ago, watched the modified race there.” When asked about his thoughts on possibly staging a Cup Series race there in the future, the rookie #4 interestingly said, “I just think an Xfinity or a truck race would be really interesting. Somewhere where the cars actually get torn up, I mean with the nextgen cars, it’d be like uh you know,  local go-kart track with bumper cars or something.”

Then RFK owner/driver Brad Keselowski made his straightforward opinions clear to reports, via Frontstretch, “I don’t know how it’s any different than the Clash in LA. I mean it seems pretty identical, only it’s on the east side of the country.” He continued, “So you know from an operation standpoint I don’t see a reason to hold back, but you know, I think the bigger question is from a market perspective. Can we attract the partners and can we attract the fan base? that should probably be the question.”

Bowman Gray’s “speculated” experiment has certainly found its doubters as 6x Most Popular Driver Chase Elliott had his own uncertainties while recounting his ARCA East experiences and the similarities to the Clash at the Coliseum. The Hendrick #9 even went on to claim the tracks were “really small for these big cars,”. But it was RCR’s Kyle Busch who was the strongest critic when talking about a possible “All-Star” race at the Madhouse.

Busch said, “I wouldn’t put it past ‘em. I mean is what it is, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a good race out of that place. I have seen plenty of highlight reels, and you know, on TV, issues of guys running through the infield and crashing other guys’ cars and getting out and fighting, and what have you. We’re in the entertainment business and the more calamity and chaos we can have the better, so sign us up.”

A European Connection or North Carolina Blues?

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The need for high-stakes, high-reward action has been the basic selling point for NASCAR racing for some years now. With 36 races in the regular season, the Clash has acted as the Kickstarter for the festivities since 1979. The exhibition race used to take place at Daytona until logistical reasons forced a switch to the road course of the iconic superspeedways. In 2022, NASCAR and the home of the USC Trojans entered an agreement for three years of the “Clash at the Coliseum” experiment, which saw below-average results until this year’s edition.

Following the contract expiry, whispers have been loud regarding the next home for the Clash, with suggestions and speculations ranging from a ROVAL-type circuit around the Dodger’s Stadium to rotating the Clash over all venues available in the United States. Some even talk about a journey through all the other NASCAR-sanctioned foreign series venues, such as Mexico or Canada. However, the latest of these rumors has fallen on F1 star Max Verstappen’s stomping grounds in his native Netherlands – the 14-turn Circuit Zandvoort.

Where will the Clash go? Discussions continue as we speak, nevertheless, Winston-Salem State’s quarter-mile crown jewel seems to be in strong contention as the eventual destination in 2025.

Fans Lift Curtains on NASCAR’s Quiet Moves to Race on Max Verstappen’s Dutch Fortress