When NASCAR first announced that it was hauling its high-octane roadshow into the tight confines of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in 2022, the sport’s purists reacted as if someone had suggested installing a Starbucks inside the Sistine Chapel. The rest of the world watched with morbid curiosity, waiting for the inevitable disaster.

WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 02: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet celebrates in victory lane after winning the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, featuring a historic short-track format and intense heat races, promises an action-packed weekend.

Ryan Blaney was a little kid the first time he raced at Bowman Gray Stadium and remembers it being the coolest thing he’d ever done in motorsports.

NASCAR returns to its roots Sunday with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, which last played host to a Cup Series event more than 50 years ago. After three years on a temporary short track at the Los Angeles Coliseum,

Kenneth Inzar of the Peanut House sells snacks during the Madhouse Classic at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. Andy Avery takes a selfie with his wife, Samantha Hyer, and children Laynie, 10, and Masten, 7 during the Madhouse Classic at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025.