NASCAR’s New Look Clash a Massive Success at the Madhouse
For the first time since 1971, the NASCAR Cup Series returned to Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC. The event parlayed a historic short track with modern day drivers, many of which have never raced at. The .25 mile flat oval first hosted NASCAR in 1949 and is one of the oldest continuously operating tracks in the sport.
The race featured NASCAR’s biggest stars like Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney and even included two prominent figures in the world of short track racing in Burt Myers and Tim Brown, who call the Madhouse their home track. Both Myers and Brown come from accomplished racing families and have had massive success at the track in the Modified Division at Bowman Gray Stadium. Their inclusion at NASCAR's top level was a beautiful combination of history and new ideas.
Per the broadcast, the sold out crowd of 17,000 consisted of 40% locals and fans from 44 different states. While attracting fans from all far and wide, many of those local to the venue had a rooting interest in those that have had success at Bowman Gray in the past (Brown, and Myers). Those same fans were extremely dissatisfied when Burt Myers, who ran as high as 8th, got wrecked in the carnage at the hands of Ricky Stenhouse.
Chase Elliott won the race from the pole and capped the event off with a great burnout, but it was entertaining throughout.
2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney, who started dead last, ended up finishing 2nd and was within striking distance of race leader Chase Elliott as the final laps of the race winded down.
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NASCAR fans, who are notoriously hard to please, somehow agreed that the event was a massive success, and almost everyone seemed happy with the on track product.
Bowman Gray, a former football field hosting Wake Forest, and a historic short track oval used for auto racing was a great audible by NASCAR, who previously ran the Clash at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022-2024. It's not the the Coliseum was bad, but it had grown stale. Credit to NASCAR for moving the event to a more authentic racing market, and the drivers seemed to agree.
It seems NASCAR has found a good formula for the Clash moving forward. Highlighting local legends like Myers and Brown and parlaying them with the top stars of the Cup Series seemed to be extremely well received. The revitalization of forgotten and under appreciated local tracks was a perfect way to pay homage to NASCAR's storied past while simultaneously ushering in a new era of fans and drivers.
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NASCAR is back with a bang. Don't miss the Daytona 500 on Sun, Feb 16, 12:30 PM EST and make sure you're subscribed to Rubbin' is Racing on all platforms for what's shaping up to be another great season.
We'll have a full recap of the Clash, and a preview of the Great American Race, as well as an in studio interview with Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace for our pilot episode coming next week.