NASCAR Clash 2025 at Bowman Gray Stadium: Date, time, schedule, TV & streaming links and more

It only feels like 5 minutes ago since Joey Logano was holding the Bill France Cup aloft at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway following his stunning win in the 2024 season curtain-closing NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. In reality, it’s been just under 3 months since that momentous occasion, but even that’s too long for some who cannot wait to hear those NASCAR motors purring once again.

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The 2025 NASCAR schedule starts with the annual preseason Clash event (this year known as the Cook Out Clash) on Sunday, February 2. However, the need-for-speed seekers must shift their attention to the East Coast and North Carolina this year, as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is no longer staging the event.

The Southern California venue took over the Clash reins from Daytona for the past three years, but now it’s the turn of one of the old favorites, Bowman Gray Stadium, fondly known as 'The Madhouse,' to play host.

NASCAR may be returning to Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time in over five decades, but this will be the fourth year in a row that the season opener is taking place inside a stadium on a quarter-mile oval, as the LA Memorial Coliseum set-up was pretty similar to the BGS one.

The last time NASCAR raced at the Winston-Salem venue was in 1971. The drivers were racing for Championship points as the event (Myers Brothers 250) was part of the Winston Cup series. This time, there aren’t any points on offer, as it’s all-out, winner takes all, with the Cook Out Clash.

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Dwindling attendances at the Coliseum and poor television ratings suggested that bringing the Clash back to the East Coast after three years in Los Angeles was right. The switch from LA to BGS became easier once NASCAR assumed control of the track’s weekly racing program.

The fact that the 2025 Cook Out Clash has been sold out since November and has been getting plenty of exposure suggests that it was the perfect move at the ideal time. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate NASCAR’s roots, history, and regional series.

The first edition of the Clash (‘Busch Clash’) was run at the Daytona International Speedway in 1979. It was the brain-child of Monty Roberts, the brand manager of Busch Beer. The Clash was initially set up as a non-points invitational 50-mile sprint race, with a field consisting of the previous season's Winston Cup pole position winners.

Inviting the fastest drivers of the prior season headlined the event as the ‘fastest race’ of the season. The Clash was also seen as a way to expand Daytona’s ‘Speedweeks’ activities and drum up interest, leading up to the world-famous Daytona 500. The Clash remained at the famous Florida motorsports venue until 2021 before it jetted away for its 3-year stop-off in LA.

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The Cook Out Clash may not offer any NASCAR Cup Series points (or a considerable purse compared to other races). Still, the event is always an enthralling curtain-raiser to a new NASCAR season, which gets going for real with the "The Great American Race," the Daytona 500, on Sunday, February 16. The Clash is one of two non-points races on the Cup Series schedule, the other being the NASCAR All-Star Race in May.

Six winners of the Clash have gone on to win the Daytona 500 in the same NASCAR season, but in all those years, the Clash had also taken place at the Daytona International Speedway. The last of those drivers to double-up was Denny Hamlin in 2016, a 4-time Clash winner. He sits two wins behind Dale Earnhardt, who claimed the Clash crown on six occasions between 1980 and 1995.

Let GOAL bring you all the vital information you need to know ahead of the first NASCAR event of 2025, including a look at the Cook Out Clash weekend schedule and how you can watch and stream all the live action.

How to watch the NASCAR Clash 2025

FOX Sports ushers in its milestone 25th consecutive season of NASCAR coverage with The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Saturday's action from BGS will be screened live on FOX Sports 1, while Sunday's action, including the primary race, will be shown on FOX.

For radio listeners, the Motor Racing Network (MRN) will cover the action, which will also be simulcast on Sirius XMNASCAR Radio. MRN is the primary source for NASCAR racing. Their award-winning coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is delivered via satellite to nearly 650 radio stations nationwide.

SiriusXM NASCAR Radio offers unparalleled access to the drivers, crew chiefs, team owners,s and other racing insiders. From post-race interviews in Victory Lane and the garage, you'll get the latest news and information from your trusted source for NASCAR.

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How to stream the NASCAR Clash 2025

Fans can stream the NASCAR Cook Out Clash 2025 with a subscription to Fubo or by using the Fox Sports app. Fubo packages start from $79.99 a month and offer all-inclusive free 7-day trials before you pay. Fubo’s massive streaming plans carry up to 200+ channels, and you can get even more depending on your location. Fubo is the ultimate choice for avid sports fans as it provides access to many popular sports, including NBA, MLB, NHL & MLS. International soccer fans can enjoy the world’s best leagues, such as the Premier League and La Liga. Most Fubo plans allow you to stream on up to 10 devices simultaneously.

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What is the NASCAR Clash 2025 schedule?

Where will the NASCAR Clash 2025 take place?

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The NASCAR Clash 2025 will be run at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The historic track, built in 1937, hosted 29 NASCAR Cup Series races from 1958 to 1971, and its list of winners is a collection from the NASCAR Hall of Famers. The likes of Richard and Lee Petty, David Pearson, Junior Johnson, Bobby Allison, Glen Wood, and Rex White all bossed it at Bowman Gray Stadium in the past. The quarter-mile short track around Winston-Salem State’s football field holds a very special place in NASCAR history as the longest-running weekly racetrack.

Bowman Gray Stadium attracts huge crowds for its high-intensity Saturday night racing shows, so bringing the spring exhibition event home for appreciative fans at an iconic location looks very positive. While it will be a souped-up BGS since NASCAR last visited, ‘The Madhouse’ is still guaranteed to test the drivers’ tempers and equipment to the max.

What is the NASCAR Clash format?

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For all the six races (4 heats, ‘Last Chance Qualifier’ and the main event) that will take place during NASCAR Clash 2025 weekend (February 1 & 2), each must finish under green flag conditions, and only green flag laps count towards the total lap count. The green flag is only displayed when the track is clear, and it's safe to race. Ten drivers will be in each heat race on Saturday: 20 in the Last Chance Qualifier and 23 in the main event.

Heat Races - Saturday, February 1

Drivers who set the four fastest lap times during qualifying will be the pole sitters for each of the 25-lap heat races. Following the pole sitters, the next four fastest drivers will be put into each heat race, and so on, resulting in four heat races, each with ten drivers. The top five drivers from each heat qualify for the main event.

Last Chance Qualifier - Sunday, February 2

The bottom five drivers from each heat race will compete in the 75-lap ‘Last Chance Qualifier’. The top two drivers in the LCQ will progress to the main event alongside the highest 2024 Cup Series points finisher, who is still yet to qualify.

Main Event: NASCAR Clash - Sunday, February 2

The Clash will be a 200-lap feature, with a break at lap 100. There are no pit stops.