NASCAR returning to Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem for 1st time since 1971

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Bowman Gray Stadium will host a NASCAR race for the first time in more than a half-century, opening next season with an exhibition race on a site with a rich history in auto racing.

NASCAR announced Sunday that Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will be the home of The Clash on Feb. 2, bringing the sport back to the short track for the first time since 1971.

The Clash is moving from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after a three-year stay, following a run in Florida that dated to its inception in 1979 as the kickoff for the Daytona 500.

Bowman Gray Stadium’s racing operations have been managed by NASCAR since March, starting a lease with the city of Winston-Salem that lasts through 2050.

NASCAR founders bought the stadium in 1949, a dozen years after it was built, and had weekly races. It hosted Cup Series races from 1958 to 1971.

“As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, Bowman Gray Stadium holds a special place as the original home to grassroots racing,” said Ben Kennedy, an executive vice president for NASCAR. “With a history of intense competition, we are proud to host The Clash at the ‘The Madhouse.’”

NASCAR tried something new and built a temporary track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2022 for the first year in a three-year run.

When Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics, the opening ceremony will incorporate the century-old facility and the venue also will be the home of track and field as it was in 1932 and 1984.

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