The Cook Out Clash race dominated fan debates as the 2026 season kicked off. NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams faced unprecedented chaos at the exhibition event, with snow, rain, and sleet battering Bowman Gray Stadium. This fallout set off multiple trajectories of thought about the Clash’s future. And much of the veteran section is divided, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. echoes the fan demand
“I always believed that it should stay at Daytona,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in a Dale Jr Download episode. “Look, man, the Clash was never meant to be, I mean, you know, things progress, things move, things get more important, things prosper, whatever. But the Clash was just a teaser. That’s all it was. And I’m fine if it’s this little icebreaker that sets the table for a Speedweeks at Daytona.”
Although the 2025 iteration was a hit, the Clash race slumped in 2026 at Bowman Gray. Heavy snowfall pushed the race from Sunday to Wednesday, and a sleetfall affected the event. Drivers bumped into each other, producing 17 cautions. With many running out of fuel, NASCAR took a highly controversial call to make cars pit just for fuel. These instances sparked debate, in which most fans demanded a return to Daytona, which Dale Jr. agrees with.
Imago
Bowman Gray Stadium (via NASCAR.com)
Daytona was the seat of the Clash race from 1979 to 2021. “If you go back and look at the pre-race for the Clash in the ’80s,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued, “They’re all kind of using the Clash to get a little information about how Daytona’s gonna be that year, how things are gonna work. There’s a casual sort of comfort in the driver’s demeanor – they’re gonna go out there, put on a show, it’s gonna be quick. We’re gonna move on. I liked that Clash.”
At the same time, however, Mark Martin took an opposite view. He joined the 2026 Clash winner, Ryan Preece, in vouching for a move to other short tracks. “I’d love to see it at New Simra Speedway. Uh, but you know, I don’t see that happening. I don’t see how you could possibly do it, but I wish it were there.” He continued, “Don’t forget it’s an exhibition, so if you do some you know some clown stuff or you know some goofy stuff or some gimmicks, okay, it’s for a lot of money.”
Clearly, the NASCAR garage is bifurcating its paths in this debate. But while Dale Jr. invoked the past for the Clash’s future, he did not do so for his own career.
A few regrets in a legendary team
When Dale Earnhardt Jr. left his family team, Dale Earnhardt Inc., in 2008, he started a new chapter of his career. He joined Hendrick Motorsports, which heralded some legendary drivers then. Dale Jr. competed alongside multiple-time champions like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Although the veteran competed in 340 races and won 9 of his 26 career wins in the team, Dale Jr. harbored a regret. He admitted that his ‘selfish’ demeanor did not let him be a good teammate.
“I think in the first half of my career, I was competitive with my teammates, and while I was okay with seeing them do well, I was somewhat envious, and it was me who was supposed to be the best car in the organization, in my mind,” Dale Jr. said. “My teammates were almost a complementary piece to the whole puzzle, and that probably wasn’t the best way to be a good teammate. I wasn’t really as supportive, or I didn’t lend them advice, or try to really help them as much as I probably could have.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has things to learn from his past. So does NASCAR, as both Dale Jr. and Mark Martin asserted – so let’s wait and see where the Clash future rolls.