NASCAR stands as one of the few motorsport institutions today that aims to look back on its legacy and cling to its roots while also progressing and growing as a sport. Naturally, the sanctioning body of American Stock Car racing has now decided to return to one of its most iconic tracks — after more than five decades away from it.
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The City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina had become accustomed to the roaring engines of stock cars when the sport had embraced a 0.25-mile track as home. But after a long-drawn-out silence, 17,000 fans will be in attendance to kick off the 2025 Cup Series at the Cook-Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium once again.
Nicknamed ‘The Madhouse’ after the History Channel’s TV series, Bowman Gray is a stock car racing institution. But does NASCAR own the track now? Well, not quite but it still has a responsibility to uphold the track’s culture, history, and future.
Back in 2024, NASCAR acquired Winston-Salem Speedway Inc., the entity that was the lessee of the Bowman Gray Stadium. Whilst the track is technically owned by the city of Winston-Salem, the track premises were leased to the company. Now, NASCAR owns the lease to the track.
The prep work is fully underway… #NASCARClash pic.twitter.com/v8XL00lLga
— Bowman Gray Stadium (@BGSRacing) December 19, 2024
“We started having a few conversations and kind of over time, one thing led to another and here we are announcing that we’ll be the lease holder of Bowman Gray Stadium for the summer months,” explained Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s vice president of racing development and strategy.
Therefore, NASCAR now is entitled to manage the racing operations of the track and is expected to hold the lease until at least 2050. Going into the first race of the season this year, the track will host a NASCAR race for the first time since 1971.
Most notably, the quarter-mile track is the one where legend Richard Petty took his milestone 100th win in 1969. As the sport kicks off its 2025 season with the exhibition-style event at the venue, fans will be treated to the Next Gen car’s debut at the track.
Drivers will experience what has often been called a one-of-a-kind racing experience, given the passionate nature of the fans as well as the construction of the venue itself. The regular season will kick off after NASCAR‘s visit to Bowman Gray with the 67th running of the Daytona 500 in two week’s time.
