The 2026 Cup Series season is off to a rocky start after the Winston-Salem region was hit with record snowfall over the weekend. As a result, the Cook Out Clash has been postponed to Wednesday due to concerns over dangerous road conditions. While frustrating for fans eager to hear engines roar again, it’s the right call, and one that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would agree with.
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The Hyak Motorsports driver spoke to Fox Sports from the race venue and detailed the importance of having fans at the exhibition event. “It’s very important,” he said. “Especially in this market and with what Bowman Gray is all about. This place has always been about hard racing and great race fans.”
Ricky Jr. admitted that he had other plans for Wednesday night, but it was more important to race with fans present. Going about the event without the stands filled wouldn’t be nearly as fun for the drivers.
With the Daytona 500 looming, not much time is available for preparations. The Clash being postponed isn’t the ideal outcome.
That said, Stenhouse underlined that racing at a time when fans can come see the event is far more important. He added, “I know the teams got a lot of work to do to get ready for Daytona. They’re back at the shop on Monday and Tuesday, digging as hard as they can at that stuff. But I think, for our sport and for the Clash, I think it’s definitely more important to have the fans here.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the importance of having fans at the Clash, even if that means the push to Wednesday. The track appears ready, but the facility needs more work (and teams likely needed at least one more day for crew members in remote locations to travel). @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/jOWF9AZbnN
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 2, 2026
Fans are warned to come with protective clothing
The National Weather Service reported that Winston-Salem received 8-10 inches of snowfall over the weekend. In light of this, a meeting involving NASCAR officials, the state of North Carolina, and officials from Winston-Salem was conducted. It was unanimously decided during this meeting that the race be pushed to Wednesday.
Justin Swilling, project lead for the Clash, said, “We explored all scenarios, but at the end of the day, we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time, wanted to give the community plenty of time to get over the most recent storms that we’ve had, and we felt that Wednesday was the safest time to have everybody ascend on Bowman Gray Stadium.”
When the cars roll out on the track and snort through the snow, coldness will be the last feeling on any mind. However, Swilling still warned fans to bring a few layers of protective clothes with them to tackle the natural elements.
