NASCAR will hold the Cook Out Clash at the first available opportunity and will renew track preparations early Saturday morning in hopes of racing Sunday at Bowman Gray Stadium. Senior Director of Marketing Services Justin Swilling,

For the second straight year, the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium will kick off the NASCAR Schedule with the event set for Sunday night. Chase Elliott rolled to victory in the exhibition race in 2025, giving Hendrick Motorsports its eighth all-time win in the event and its first since Jimmie Johnson won at Daytona International Speedway in 2019.

Cindric has one win at the track, in 2021 as part of NASCAR’s more junior Xfinity Series. He led the final 51 laps. Since his move into Cup Series cars, Cindric has been less successful at the track since moving up to the Cup Series, placing no higher than 12 th in the four races he’s driven there since 2022.

As winter weather continues to disrupt plans for the 2026 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, NASCAR officials are working around the clock to prepare the facility while balancing safety, logistics and competitive integrity.

Charlotte’s playoff shake-up has officially lit the fuse on yet another NASCAR debate. For the first time since 2018, the sport is preparing to move a postseason race away from the Charlotte Roval and back onto the track’s traditional 1.