Bowman Gray Stadium Street Stock race ends in wild brawl, drivers separated by police

Staley hopped out of his No. 7 car and attempted to get to Alverson. An on-track official grabbed Staley, however, slamming him to the ground and preventing him from getting to Alverson. But Alverson would not be denied.

He charged towards Staley, who was on the ground, and the two went at it as officials tried to break it up. Nearly a dozen police officers rushed over to the scene to eventually cool things down.

By then, Staley and Alverson had gotten their shots in. The Bowman Gray crowd loved it. Staley finished P13, Alverson P14.

Tempers flare at Bowman Gray

This isn’t the first fight to take place at Bowman Gray, and it certainly won’t be the last. The quarter mile oval built in 1937 brings about the competitiveness in drivers and often leads to tempers flaring.

While this year’s NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray didn’t induce any fights, it brought upon plenty of in-race conflict. During the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier, an incident with Ty Gibbs and Justin Haley sparked discussion. The damage Gibbs’ car sustained in a Lap 64 incident kept him from having a shot at advancing to the 200-lap feature later in the night.

As Gibbs made his way to the pit area behind the racetrack, he made a quick stop next to Haley’s No. 7 Chevrolet. Gibbs ran into the right side of Haley’s car and the front end of his No. 54 Toyota went airborne before he exited the track. NASCAR did not discipline Gibbs.

We’ll see if NASCAR returns to Bowman Gray for the 2026 Clash. If it does, expect more madness.