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Did The Clash at Bowman Gray Outshine Daytona? Dale Earnhardt Jr. Weighs In on Its Future

Arthur Ling by Arthur Ling
February 5, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Did The Clash at Bowman Gray Outshine Daytona? Dale Earnhardt Jr. Weighs In on Its Future

Feb 2, 2025; WInston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; An overall view of the stadium during the national anthem before the Clash at Bowman Gray at Bowman Gray Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Daytona 500 may be NASCAR’s biggest race, but this year, The Clash stole the show. The return to Bowman Gray Stadium—dubbed “The Madhouse”—after a 53-year absence was a massive success, drawing in packed grandstands and skyrocketing TV ratings.

Fox reported a staggering 3.08 million viewers, more than double the previous year’s 1.51 million when the race was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The action on track didn’t disappoint either, with Chase Elliott holding off Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin in a thrilling battle to the checkered flag.

But here’s the big question: Should NASCAR keep The Clash at Bowman Gray, or was this just a one-time magic moment? Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the biggest advocates for the event, has mixed feelings on how long NASCAR should stay at BGS.

Dale Jr.: “I Don’t Know If This Needs to Be The Clash for the Next Decade”

Long before NASCAR ever put ink to paper on the Bowman Gray return, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was campaigning for it. But now that it’s happened, how long should it stay?

On The Dale Jr. Download, Junior admitted that while he loved The Clash at Bowman Gray, he’s wary of NASCAR staying there too long.

“I hope they go back next year, but I don’t know if they need to do it three years in a row. I don’t know if this needs to be ‘The Clash’ for the next decade,” he said.

His hesitation comes from lessons learned from the LA Coliseum experiment.

“The Clash at the Coliseum I thought was really cool the first year. I didn’t love it the second year and started to hate it, didn’t hate it but didn’t like it the third year.”

The issue? The novelty wore off, and the racing just wasn’t great.

The Problem With Long-Term Commitments

According to Junior, NASCAR doesn’t always have the flexibility to move around every year, even when the fans and drivers want them to.

“NASCAR can’t do exactly what we want and go race at The Clash once,” he explained. “For NASCAR to be able to work with the city and all of that, the Coliseum, it’s got to be this 2-3 year contract. Same thing with the street course at Chicago.”

This means Bowman Gray could already be locked in for 2025 and beyond, even if it’s not officially announced yet.

“We may not know that there’s already ink on paper. For this to already go forward the next year. And even the third, who knows?”

So while fans and drivers loved The Clash at Bowman Gray, Junior hopes NASCAR doesn’t overstay its welcome the way it did in LA.

Why Bowman Gray Works (And Why The Coliseum Didn’t)

Despite his concerns, Junior still believes Bowman Gray is a far better fit for NASCAR than the Coliseum ever was.

1. The track has history.
Bowman Gray has been a legendary grassroots racing venue for decades—it’s been home to Modified racing since 1949 and has always drawn a passionate crowd. The Coliseum, by contrast, had no NASCAR identity before the Clash experiment.

2. The racing is better.
The Coliseum’s layout was awkward, which made for poor racing, as Junior pointed out.

“The track was forced, the radius of the corners was bad. It didn’t race good at all. As you saw at Bowman Gray, the radius of the corners matters. Just that little more of a wider radius allows the cars to race and go about the turn.”

He even took a shot at the Coliseum’s gimmicky track design:

“Somebody gives you money and tells you to build a short track in your hometown. That’s not the f—— layout you are gonna build, right?”

And Junior knows Bowman Gray better than most—he was part of the Next Gen car’s first test run there in 2021.

Will NASCAR Keep The Clash at Bowman Gray?

Many drivers have already voiced their support for returning to BGS next year, and with massive viewership numbers backing it up, NASCAR has every reason to keep it there for at least another season.

But how long is too long? Dale Jr. believes that sticking around too long could backfire, just like it did in LA.

For now, fans can bask in the success of The Clash at Bowman Gray. But as NASCAR looks ahead, it has a crucial decision to make—stick with a winning formula, or risk burning it out.

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