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NASCAR overhauls schedule for Clash at Bowman Gray ahead of winter storm

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jan 29, 2026 4:19 PM ET

In advance of impending inclement weather at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this weekend, NASCAR has overhauled the race weekend schedule for the Cook Out Clash.

Saturday's practice sessions and heat races have been moved to Sunday afternoon, with the last-chance qualifier and 200-lap main event remain on schedule.

NASCAR made the move in advance of a snowstorm that is likely to hit Winston-Salem on Friday and Saturday. Sunday's forecast, however, looks clear.

Should the race be postponed from Sunday due to inclement weather, the forecast for Monday, Feb. 2 looks clear as well.

Update: NASCAR is moving ahead with trying to run the Clash on Sunday night, but now it will be a one-day show. Saturday has been scrapped due to the expected snow and they'll run practice/quals/LCQ on Sunday. Hope they can get it cleared in time.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) January 29, 2026

New-look weekend schedule

Practice and the four heat races will begin at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, with coverage on FS2. The last-chance qualifier and Clash remain at 6 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. ET, respectively, with coverage on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Technical inspection for the Clash took place in Winston-Salem on Thursday. Another winter storm system is predicted to dump four to eight inches of snow on the Winston-Salem area on Friday and Saturday.

Chase Elliott is the defending winner of the Cook Out Clash, which moved to Bowman Gray in 2025 after being held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022-24.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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