Dale Earnhardt Jr. says current NASCAR Clash is 'unrecognizable'

"It was the perfect appetizer for Speedweeks. The perfect opportunity for a network to break the ice. Daytona was the place to BE during those days leading up to the 500. You'll never change my mind."

"Once it started to move away from that form, it became problematic and unrecognizable. But I'm glad it's got us back to Bowman Grey. That's pretty special."

As more and more drivers became eligible to race in the Clash throughout the 2000s, the exhibition event became less of a specialty and more of a preview for the rest of Speedweeks leading up to the Daytona 500. 

The final Clash that was run at Daytona occurred in 2020 in what ended up being a wreck-fest of a race that culminated with Erik Jones taking the win in a car that was, as Fox Sports lap-by-lap announcer Mike Joy put it, "ready for the dumpster." 

The Clash was run on the Daytona road course in 2021 before being moved to a temporary 0.25-mile circuit at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022-24.

2026 is the second year that the Clash will be run at the 0.25-mile Bowman Gray Stadium, which hosted Cup Series races from 1958-71. The track, affectionately dubbed "The Madhouse," is famous for the on and off-track brawls that often ensue during weekly racing at the track.