NASCAR News: Frigid temps, snow Postpones Cook Out Clash (4th Update)

The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium has been postponed to Monday, February 2, due to the impacts of winter weather in Winston-Salem, N.C. Please see a breakdown of updates to scheduled activities below:

MONDAY, FEB. 2

11 AM ET      NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Practice and Qualifying, Live on FS2

Qualifying will consist of a four-minute session with the 20 fastest drivers advancing to the main event

4:30 PM ET  Last Chance Qualifier, Live on FOX

The remaining 18 drivers will battle for two transfer spots. There will also be a provisional reserved for the driver who finished highest in 2025 driver points that did not otherwise advance.

6:00 PM ET   The Clash Main Event, Live on FOX, Sirius XM and MRN

Updates will continued to be shared by NASCAR throughout the weekend at https://www.nascarclash.com/weather

In a recent announcement, NASCAR has confirmed that the heat races have been eliminated for the Clash.

Instead, the top 20 fastest cars from Sunday’s practice session will automatically qualify for the Clash. The remaining drivers will compete in a Last Chance Qualifier race to fight for the final spots in the main event.

Track officials at Bowman Gray have been working around the clock to prep the facility, but more winter weather is forecast for Saturday. Freezing temperatures and an increasing chance of snow made it unavoidable to cancel Saturday’s activities.

Thankfully, Sunday’s forecast looks clear. Temperatures will be brutally cold, with a high of just 27°F during practice, dropping to 17°F by the time the race ends around 10 PM. No precipitation is expected, but fans might lose fingers or toes due to frostbite. What idiot scheduled this race so far north for February 1st?

Winds will range from 17 mph early in the day down to 6 mph by race end.

The schedule shake-up affects more than just NASCAR’s top series. The sportsman and modified divisions’ Cook Out Madhouse Classic, originally planned for this weekend, have been postponed to a future date.

Regardless of the winter weather that is forecasted to hit Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this weekend, NASCAR is adamant about running the exhibition Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

On Tuesday evening, Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass reported that Cup Series teams have been told that the “plan is race Sunday and if postponed, then Monday, then Tuesday, etc. Issue will likely be more about people safely attending. NASCAR says it can race in cold.”

Pockrass also reported that, despite talk of NASCAR potentially moving the Clash to Daytona, NASCAR will still run the race at Bowman Gray, doing so in the middle of next week if necessary, when hardly anyone can attend because of work and school. The frigid temperatures are forecast for all next week as well.

A pair of Winston-Salem side events scheduled to coincide with the 2026 Cook Out Clash have been canceled. Winston-Salem announced Wednesday that it was canceling FanFare on Fourth, which was planned for Friday, and Cars & Coffee, which was planned for Sunday morning.

“Canceling FanFare was a tough call,” said Stephanie Pace Brown, president and CEO of Visit Winston-Salem. “We’re grateful to the local partners who came together to help bring this event to life, and we appreciate the community’s understanding. We remain excited about the many weather-friendly events still happening Thursday through Sunday.”

On Monday, January 26, Track Enterprises announced the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck Series test schedule for Tuesday and Wednesday at Rockingham Speedway has been postponed. A cold front with below freezing temperatures has settled over North Carolina with a forecasted high temperature of 42 for both days.

That same reason has led to the possibility of The Clash, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend at Bowman Gray Stadium, may suffer the same fate postponement. The Clash is run at night when temperatures will be in the 20s.

Who was the idiot who scheduled the annual Clash so far north in the dead of winter? It used to be run at Daytona Speedway in Florida.

However, former driver Kenny Wallace said, “I talked to my brother Mike [Wallace] and my mom last night. They live down in Concord, North Carolina. They said it was not a big deal. The storm was overhyped. It went North. They did get a little bit of something. But Mike said, last night at ten o’clock, it was 31 degrees. There was nothing.

“Will NASCAR cancel the Cook Out Clash?” he asked and answered, “I don’t think they can. I will take a page from Ken Schrader. Hell, it was thirty degrees last year!” NASCAR will take several steps to ensure that the track is warm and that the race can go on without any breaks. But as far as postponing it, Wallace doesn’t think it is a possibility.

As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season revs up, all eyes are on Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the weather, for the Cook Out Clash—the high-stakes exhibition race marking the unofficial kickoff to the year.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Scheduled for Sunday, February 1, at 8:00 p.m. ET, with practice and qualifying on Saturday, January 31, this return to the historic quarter-mile “Madhouse” promises raw, door-to-door racing. But Mother Nature might have other plans, with a brewing winter storm threatening to blanket the region in snow, ice, and bone-chilling temperatures, potentially derailing the weekend’s festivities.

The forecast for Winston-Salem paints a grim picture of Arctic-like conditions descending on the area just as teams and fans converge. Saturday, January 31—the day of practice sessions starting around 6:10 p.m. ET for the NASCAR Cup Series, alongside events for the Whelen Modified Tour and Sportsman division—could see morning snow showers giving way to partly cloudy skies, but with highs struggling to reach above freezing and lows plummeting to 17-20°F. Precipitation chances hover around 48%, with risks of sleet and freezing rain adding to the mix. By evening, during heat races, temperatures might dip to 18°F, making track conditions treacherous.

Sunday, February 1, fares little better. Daytime highs may climb to a modest 28-34°F for last-chance qualifying, but as the sun sets and the main event approaches, expect lows dipping to 15-22°F under partly cloudy skies.

The real wildcard is an overnight winter storm on Saturday into Sunday, potentially dumping heavy snowfall and ice accumulation across the region, which could render the racing surface unusable. Long-range models suggest sub-freezing temperatures persisting, with some forecasts warning of significant icing and wintry mix amounting to 2-3 cm of snow and ice.

These conditions aren’t just uncomfortable—they could fundamentally alter the racing dynamics. Cold tracks mean reduced tire grip, as rubber struggles to warm up and achieve optimal adhesion, leading to slippery handling and increased spin-outs on Bowman Gray’s tight turns.

Braking becomes a nightmare, with friction in pads and rotors compromised, while engines may battle to maintain ideal operating temperatures, affecting power output and reliability. Suspension components stiffen in the freeze, making cars feel unresponsive, and drivers could face physical discomfort from the biting cold seeping into cockpits. Rudy Fugle, crew chief for William Byron’s No. 24 team, highlighted these challenges: “The cold weather will definitely affect how the cars handle… It’s going to be a test for everyone.”

NASCAR officials are already on high alert, with proactive measures in place. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s EVP and chief venue and racing innovations officer, revealed that track crews treated the surface with salt brine ahead of the storm to combat ice buildup. However, if the storm intensifies, postponements or schedule adjustments aren’t out of the question, as seen in past weather-plagued events. Fan and media buzz is growing, with Ryan Larkin tweeting, “The weather for the Clash next weekend is truly something. NASCAR might want to consider doing this thing in Daytona or LA or anywhere warm.” Reddit discussions echo similar worries, speculating on snow and ice disrupting the NC area.

For a venue like Bowman Gray—known for its passionate, grassroots atmosphere and sold-out crowds—this could be a double-edged sword. While the cold might deter some spectators, hardy fans could turn it into a legendary tale of endurance. Yet, with the series aiming to showcase its stars in a high-energy opener broadcast on FOX, any disruptions could dampen the momentum. As forecasts evolve in the coming days, teams will be glued to weather apps, hoping the storm fizzles out. After all, in racing, the only certainty is uncertainty—and this Clash might just become a battle against the elements as much as the competition.

Entry List

1. #1 – Ross Chastain
2. #2 – Austin Cindric
3. #3 – Austin Dillon
4. #4 – Noah Gragson
5. #5 – Kyle Larson
6. #6 – Corey LaJoie[6]
7. #7 – Daniel Suárez
8. #8 – Kyle Busch
9. #9 – Chase Elliott
10. 10 – Ty Dillon
11. 11 – Denny Hamlin
12. 12 – Ryan Blaney
13. 16 – A. J. Allmendinger
14. 17 – Chris Buescher
15. 19 – Chase Briscoe
16. 20 – Christopher Bell
17. 21 – Josh Berry
18. 22 – Joey Logano
19. 23 – Bubba Wallace
20. 24 – William Byron
21. 34 – Todd Gilliland
22. 35 – Riley Herbst
23. 38 – Zane Smith
24. 41 – Cole Custer
25. 42 – John Hunter Nemechek
26. 43 – Erik Jones
27. 45 – Tyler Reddick
28. 47 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
29. 48 – Alex Bowman
30. 50 – Burt Myers
31. 51 – Cody Ware
32. 54 – Ty Gibbs
33. 60 – Ryan Preece
34. 66 – Chad Finchum
35. 71 – Michael McDowell
36. 77 – Carson Hocevar
37. 88 – Connor Zilisch (R)
38. 97 – Shane van Gisbergen