Current and former NASCAR drivers are stoked for the sport’s return to Bowman Gray Stadium, an event that aims to have a long-term impact on the famed venue that currently hosts college football games and modifieds races.

Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., kicks off the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. The much-hyped NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray exhibition is at the sport’s shortest and oldest track. Bowman Gray is a quarter-mile bullring that’s been hosting races for 86 years. The race replaces the Clash at the Coliseum that was held in Los Angeles.

The NASCAR Cup Series arrives to Bowman Gray for the first time in more than 50 years. But this race means more than just an exhibition.