Since 1979, the Clash has been a preseason show held at Daytona International Speedway through 2021. The 2021 edition then happened under the lights at Daytona’s road course configuration.
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Beginning in 2022, the Clash migrated west to the 0.25-mile Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for three seasons before relocating to Bowman Gray last year. But the former short-track racing driver, Josh Berry, now suggests NASCAR may continue experimenting with short tracks, rather than road courses or superspeedways, for this unofficial season-opening contest.
The 2022 shift to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was the first time in the event’s history that it ventured beyond Daytona’s confines. The attempt required constructing a temporary quarter-mile circuit inside the stadium and proved successful, drawing substantial numbers of first-time NASCAR enthusiasts.
The race then transferred to the historic Bowman Gray Stadium for the 2025 campaign and remains anchored there for the 2026 running. Bowman Gray’s return signaled a homecoming to grassroots short-track competition, standing in contrast to the experimental, temporary LA Coliseum venue.
“I think they’re off to a great start, obviously, with the investment they made into Bowman Grey and then SMI with North Wilkesboro as well. That’s a great starting point, right? And I think that there’s definitely room with this exhibition clash that we could go around to some different places, and make an investment in there and improve their facilities and bring a really big event there,” Berry observed of the change.
“I think that’s the biggest thing that they can continue to do is just support these tracks. It’d be really cool to kind of see this race evolve into traveling to a few different short tracks every couple of years,” he added.
Berry himself climbed to NASCAR‘s premier division after competing for several seasons in Late Models on short tracks, underscoring his support for short-track inclusion at least for the preseason exhibition contest.
Current status of the Clash at Bowman Gray amid extreme weather conditions
According to the latest reports, NASCAR has decided to adjust the schedule for this weekend’s exhibition, anticipating additional ice and snow blanketing the region. Although the Clash was a two-day affair, scheduled to start on Saturday with the main event held Sunday evening, the roads around the area have not yet fully cleared from last weekend’s ice storm.
In fact, more inclement weather is expected over the coming days, with as much as twelve inches of snow possible for Saturday, placing the area under a winter storm watch through 1 p.m. ET Sunday. That is why NASCAR has postponed all on-track activity on Saturday and will conduct the Clash as a one-day program. Officials hope to start with practice at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The sanctioning body has no serious concerns about the race, believing that even with frigid temperatures, its Goodyear tires will provide sufficient grip to run on Sunday at 6 p.m. Whether the event proceeds hinges entirely on how much snow accumulates on Saturday. Should The Clash prove impossible to run on Sunday, NASCAR seems ready to host the event on the next available clear day.
