The wait is over—the 2025 NASCAR season is here, and this year, The Clash is making history by returning to one of the sport’s most infamous battlegrounds: Bowman Gray Stadium. Dubbed “The Madhouse”, this legendary quarter-mile bullring in Winston-Salem, NC, hasn’t hosted a Cup Series race since 1971—but that’s about to change in the most chaotic way possible.
For those unfamiliar, Bowman Gray isn’t just a racetrack—it’s part demolition derby, part wrestling ring, and, as track promoter Gray Garrison put it, part religion. This short track has a reputation for delivering beating, banging, and all-out mayhem, and NASCAR’s biggest stars are about to find out firsthand whether it still lives up to the hype.
Revamped But Still Raw: What’s New at Bowman Gray?
NASCAR has put serious work into modernizing Bowman Gray with SAFER barriers, new lighting, and other safety updates—but make no mistake, this is still old-school, elbows-out short-track racing. Some Cup drivers have experience at BGS from their K&N Pro East (now ARCA) days, including Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Bubba Wallace. But this is a whole different ballgame, and no one really knows what to expect when the green flag drops.
Saturday: Heat Races Set the Stage for Madness
The Bowman Gray chaos officially begins on Saturday, February 1st, with the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Modifieds, kicking off practice at 11:45 A.M. and culminating in a 125-lap feature race at 1:45 P.M. Fans can catch it live on Tubi and FloRacing.
Then comes Cup Series practice and qualifying, running from 6:10 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on FS1. But it’s not your standard session—this one’s a gauntlet.
- 39 Cup entries are divided into three groups, each getting two 8-minute practice runs.
- Each group is then split into two smaller groups, who get 4 more minutes of track time—which doubles as their qualifying session.
- Heat races start at 8:30 P.M., with four 25-lap sprints that will determine who makes The Clash.
- The top 5 from each heat will automatically advance to Sunday night’s main event.
By 9:30 P.M., we’ll have 20 drivers locked in. The fastest driver from qualifying will start on pole for the big show, with the other heat race winners filling out the front rows.
Sunday: Last Chance and The Clash
With 20 spots filled, 17 drivers remain—but only two more will get their ticket to The Clash through a brutal 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier at 6:00 P.M. (Broadcast live on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The final entry? That goes to the highest-finishing driver from the 2024 Cup season who hasn’t already qualified—locking in a 23-car field for the main event.
And then… it’s go time.
The green flag for The Clash drops at 8:00 P.M., with all the action airing live on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Will Bowman Gray Crown a Veteran or a Rising Star?
With no room to breathe on this quarter-mile bullring, survival is just as important as speed. Will the short-track veterans like Kyle Busch and Joey Logano use their experience to muscle their way to victory? Or will young stars like Chase Elliott and Tyler Reddick prove they have the aggression to dominate on NASCAR’s most chaotic track?
One thing is for sure: Bowman Gray doesn’t play favorites, and it doesn’t forgive mistakes.
Want to See the Madness in Person?
If you want to experience The Madhouse firsthand, tickets are still available for Saturday’s events at www.nascarclash.com. But Sunday’s race is already sold out, so if you’re still hoping to get in, join the waitlist—you never know who might cancel.
And if you can’t make it to Winston-Salem, don’t worry—the weather looks clear and the action will be live on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM.
Get ready, NASCAR fans—Bowman Gray is back, and The Clash is about to remind everyone why it’s called The Madhouse.