NASCAR has found itself wrapped up in its own storm. Fans are not having it, and even the biting cold engulfing North Carolina doesn’t match up to their harsh comments. As a winter storm moved into Winston-Salem this weekend, Bowman Gray Stadium was pre-treated with brine ahead of the scheduled NASCAR Cookout Clash, a precaution intended to help with snow removal and maintain track conditions. However, as NASCAR’s vice president, Ben Kennedy, addressed the situation online, fans couldn’t help themselves and began calling for a major change.
Kennedy took to X to explain how NASCAR was trying to improve the situation.
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“The team prepped the facility late last week. We’re continuing to monitor the situation. Stay safe, everyone.
,” he wrote.
However, this update seemed to fuel fan fury more than anything. It isn’t personal; it’s just the scheduling of the non-points event on a cold February day.
Despite the efforts, the region’s icy, snowy weather has frustrated many who are already dealing with delays in supporting series like the NASCAR Truck Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, whose test sessions have been pushed to February 3–4 from January 27–28.
Even with the unpredictable winter weather, NASCAR has kept the Clash at its historic quarter-mile short track because of its unique legacy and the success of last year’s event. NASCAR noted that fans from 44 states, 5 countries, and 3 continents bought tickets for the 17,000-seat arena.
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But the Clash never belonged to the North Carolina track to begin with. The NASCAR Clash began in 1979 at Daytona International Speedway as a season-opening non-points exhibition race before the Daytona 500 for more than four decades.
However, all of that changed starting in 2022, when NASCAR moved the Clash to alternative venues such as the Daytona road course and the temporary short track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before relocating it again in 2025 to historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem.
And now in 2026, the Clash returns to the North Carolina track.
Bowman Gray Stadium holds deep roots in stock car racing as one of the sport’s oldest weekly tracks, and its return to the national stage in 2025 draws a sellout crowd despite weather concerns.
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However, the temperatures at the track and around the area are no joke. The potent storm has left temperatures at or below freezing across the Winston-Salem area.
Forecast models show daytime highs struggling to break the low 30s°F, with overnight lows dipping into the teens°F. A winter storm warning is in effect for the region through Monday due to the threat of snow, sleet, and icing.
This bone-chilling cold has compounded fan frustrations, as many spectators contend with icy roads, freezing rain, and the prospect of facing subfreezing conditions just to watch their favorite drivers compete.
NASCAR fans want the Clash to move to Daytona
As icy temperatures grip Bowman Gray Stadium, frustration among NASCAR fans has boiled over online, with many openly questioning why the Clash was ever moved away from its traditional Florida roots.
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One fan bluntly called for a return to familiar ground, writing, “Take it back to Daytona where it belongs,” while another echoed that sentiment with a more measured suggestion: “Move Clash to Daytona for one year.”
The recurring theme was clear: cold weather and winter storms have pushed fans to the breaking point. And why wouldn’t one want to move the Clash to Daytona?
By contrast, the bitter cold in Winston-Salem this time of year is typically mild, making it far more comfortable for fans and competitors alike.
Climatological averages show late January and early February highs around mid-60s°F and lows near mid-50s°F, a pleasant climate compared with freezing conditions farther north.
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Other fans widened the scope of the criticism, arguing that NASCAR has plenty of warmer options if it wants to avoid February weather headaches altogether.
One comment asked pointedly, “Are there any race tracks in Florida NASCAR could use in order to avoid the winter weather?”
For some, the situation at Bowman Gray felt like confirmation that the move was a mistake from the start.
“This is a sign that it should never have been here in the first place. NASCAR is done,” one frustrated fan wrote, summing up the growing backlash.
Ever since NASCAR moved the Clash to Winston-Salem last year, for the first time since NASCAR raced there in 1971, fans are seeing that decision differently.
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The anger intensified as Speedweeks approached, with fans accusing NASCAR of unnecessarily complicating what has long been a smooth buildup to the Daytona 500.
“Hey, you know where it’s not freezing? Fucking Daytona. Thanks for ruining Speedweeks, dumbass,” one post read, capturing both the emotion and the sense that tradition had already been disrupted for novelty’s sake.
Still, not all reactions were purely venting; some fans offered alternative ideas rather than outright rejection.
One suggestion hinted at simplifying the event entirely, writing, “How about just running a 20-lap sprint race before Daytona 500 qualifying on a Sunday at 11 Eastern
?”
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Taken together, the reactions paint a vivid picture of a fan base divided between appreciating Bowman Gray’s historic charm and feeling increasingly fed up with freezing temperatures, endless delays, and what they see as an avoidable scheduling gamble.
The post NASCAR VP’s Calm Bowman Gray Clash Update Triggers Fan Revolt appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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