Imago
Bowman Gray Winston-Salem (via @BenKennedy33)
Imago
Bowman Gray Winston-Salem (via @BenKennedy33)
The uncertainty surrounding Sunday’s Clash at Bowman Gray grew by the hour as forecasts warned of five to nine inches of snow, a winter storm warning, and wind chills expected to plunge to -5 degrees. Fans and teams hoped the system might shift, but that optimism evaporated when Bob Pockrass earlier delivered the update everyone dreaded: snow was once again falling over the stadium, right on schedule. With conditions rapidly worsening and no break in sight, the question lingering all morning finally had an answer offered by the Athletic journalist, Jeff Gluck, and it meant Sunday’s race was no longer an option.
NASCAR race forced to Monday after winter postponement
Jeff Gluck delivered the official word NASCAR fans had been anxiously waiting for and dreading. With conditions continuing to deteriorate around Winston-Salem, NASCAR has announced that it will now attempt to run the Clash on Monday at 6 p.m. The call ends hours of speculation and marks a historic break in what had been an unusually lucky stretch of weather-free race weekends over the years.
In fact, this is the first postponement of a NASCAR national series event in two years, dating back to the 2024 Daytona 500, which was bumped from February 18 to Monday, February 19 due to persistent rain. Since then, NASCAR has navigated the rest of 2024 and the entire 2025 without a single weather-driven delay. That was until this weekend’s rare winter storm brought that streak to an abrupt halt.
Justin Swilling, NASCAR’s Senior Director of Marketing Services and the operational point man for the Clash, had previewed the sanctioning body’s mindset earlier this week on the Hauler Talk podcast. He made it clear that despite the unique challenges of snow and ice, NASCAR’s approach would mirror that of a typical rain delay: wait it out, monitor conditions, and run the race the moment the track is safe.
NASCAR’s good weather streak is officially over: The Clash becomes the first national series race to be postponed for weather since 2024 after an incredibly lucky 2025. And this one is a snow-out.
NASCAR will now attempt to run the Clash on Monday (6 p.m.).
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) January 31, 2026
“Come hell or high snow, we’re going to be racing,” Swilling vowed. “We’re going to race as soon as that place is ready to roll.”
Those words proved prophetic as forecasts worsened. Severe winter weather with a mix of snow, ice, and sub-zero wind chills had already forced NASCAR to compress the entire Clash weekend into a single-day Sunday schedule, canceling all Saturday activity in anticipation of the storm’s arrival.
But now, with heavy snow falling and no realistic window to prepare the track, even that condensed plan has unraveled. Ultimately, it has left Monday as NASCAR’s only path forward.
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Christopher Bell unfazed as schedule shifts
While fans and officials wrestled with the uncertainty of the Clash weekend, some drivers remained remarkably calm about the shifting schedule. Christopher Bell, speaking before the storm fully tightened its grip on Winston-Salem, emphasized that the timing of the race, whether Sunday or several days later, wouldn’t disrupt the grid’s preparation for the 2026 season.
“Whether it’s Sunday, if we don’t get a bunch of snow, or if we do get a bunch of snow and it’s Monday, Tuesday or even goes out further, I think we’ll be just fine in order to be able to get to Daytona,” he said, speaking to journalist Bob Pockrass.
Bell’s optimism comes after a solid performance in last year’s event. In the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver brought the No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota home in 12th place. He rolled off from 8th, completing 199 of the 200 laps in the main event after securing his starting spot with an impressive 2nd-place finish in Heat Race 4. While not a win, the outing reflected consistency at one of NASCAR’s most chaotic short tracks.
Regardless of when the 2026 Clash ultimately runs, the sport’s attention will quickly pivot to one of the biggest weeks of the year: Daytona Speedweeks. The schedule is packed and fast-approaching. The Daytona 500 pole qualifying on Feb. 11, the Duels on Feb. 12, and the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15, officially opening the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
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