NASCAR’s 2026 unofficial season will start with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1, 2026, but the action will begin on January 31st with live practice sessions. Last year, the Clash took place on February 2, 2025, and given that it produced such great output with fans enjoying every bit of the close-packed track, NASCAR is moving ahead with the same format as last year.
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The field will be split into three practice groups, each receiving three sessions. And then will come the final session. A driver’s fastest lap from that last outing will lock in the starting position for all four 25-lap heat races, making precision count more than volume.
The practice group placement will follow 2025 owner points, placing the 2025 NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson in Group 3, while Chase Briscoe, William Byron, and Christopher Bell fall into their respective groups using the same points-based structure.
Those final practice sessions will also function as qualifying. Each group stages in the pit area, then divides into two smaller subsets of six or seven cars. The A and B groups will receive four minutes apiece to record a lap, among which the fastest overall driver will claim the pole for Heat 1.
The second-fastest will lead the Heat 2 race, the third-fastest will start Heat 3 from the front, and the order continues in sequence. Only green-flag laps count in the heats, and overtime remains off the table. The top five finishers from each heat will punch a direct ticket to the main event.
But the drivers who miss the cut will still have one last route forward: a 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier on Sunday evening will offer them one last chan. However, the rules will remain the same. Green-flag laps only, no overtime. The top two finishers will advance to the feature, bagging the P21 and P22 starting positions. The final, 23rd spot will go to the highest-finishing driver in the 2025 points standings who has not yet qualified.
The 200-lap Cook Out Clash feature will set its grid entirely on the basis of heat results. The Heat 1 winner will start on the pole, followed by the winners of Heats 2, 3, and 4. A timed break interrupts the action at Lap 100, and the race must conclude under green-flag conditions.
