Who is racing in the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray and what is the format?

Weather-permitting, NASCAR will hold the Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, February 1st. For those who may be unfamiliar with this event’s purpose on the schedule, ‘The Clash’ is a pre-season exhibition race that has been a part of the NASCAR calendar since 1979.

Originally developed as a 20-lap sprint race at Daytona International Speedway and only featuring pole winners from the previous year, the event has evolved dramatically over the years — especially recently.

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It has since moved off the high banks and gone everywhere from the Daytona Road Course to Los Angeles in a temporary track built within the LA Memorial Coliseum, and now at the historic Bowman Gray quarter-mile in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

What is the format?

Bowman Gray

The event has since expanded and is no longer an exclusive pole-winners only shootout. You can expect to see all 36 chartered NASCAR Cup teams take part in this weekend’s activities, as well as a couple of open teams, but that doesn’t guarantee them a place in the main event.

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Even with its abbreviated schedule and the elimination of heat races due to expected snow storms on Saturday, these drivers and teams will have to work for it if they want to be in the big show. Each driver will get four minutes to put down a fast lap, and the 20 fastest drivers will lock themselves into the 200-lap feature race.

The remaining cars will be shuffled into a last-chance qualifier, where they will race one another with the top two finishers advancing into the main event. The 23rd and final spot on the grid is reserved for the highest points finisher from the 2025 season who failed to lock themselves in.

Who is racing this weekend?

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Now, who is actually heading to snowy Bowman Gray this weekend? The entry list features 38 cars. Along with the expected 36 chartered entries, the No. 66 ‘Garage 66’ Ford will be competing with Chad Finchum behind the wheel. Team Amerivet is also bringing its No. 50 Chevrolet with Bowman Gray legend Burt Myers driving the car for the second consecutive year.

As for the other 36 entries, most of the drivers remain with the same organizations as last year, but there are some changes and this will be the first opportunity to see it on the track.

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The biggest change is Daniel Suarez now driving the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports while Connor Zilisch takes his place at Trackhouse Racing, all while adopting the No. 88 as teammate Shane van Gisbergen takes on a new (but familiar) number with the No. 97. You’ll also notice Corey LaJoie driving the No. 6 for RFK Racing as team co-owner Brad Keselowski recovers from an off-season leg injury.

Bowman Gray will also be a huge opportunity for the main new driver/crew chief pairings to get to know each other in a race weekend environment before the first points-paying race at Daytona. Here’s a look at the drivers and teams officially entered for the 2026 edition of The Clash at the iconic Madhouse…

2026 Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray entry list

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