Following several delays caused by a winter storm, the NASCAR Clash is now scheduled for Wednesday night at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Kyle Larson earned the NASCAR Clash Wednesday Pole by recording the fastest lap time during this afternoon’s qualifying session.
The season-opening exhibition was originally planned for Sunday, then postponed to Monday, before finally moving to Wednesday. Justin Swilling, NASCAR’s project manager for the Clash, confirmed on Tuesday that parking areas were cleared and the track was prepared to welcome fans safely.
Lineup Set for the Race After Qualifying
Aside from Larson leading the field from the pole position, the full starting lineup has been finalized through qualifying. The event is expected to offer an exciting launch to the NASCAR season. Below is the detailed arrangement for the front rows:
Row 1: Kyle Larson | William Byron
Row 2: Ty Gibbs | Chase Briscoe
Row 3: Christopher Bell | Denny Hamlin
Row 4: Bubba Wallace | Chris Buescher
Row 5: Ross Chastain | Tyler Reddick
Row 6: Chase Elliott | Carson Hocevar
Row 7: Kyle Busch | Joey Logano
Row 8: Austin Dillon | Ryan Blaney
Row 9: Shane van Gisbergen | Ryan Preece
Row 10: Connor Zilisch | Daniel Suarez
Row 11: Last Chance Qualifier | Last Chance Qualifier Runner-Up
Row 12: Provisional Points Driver
Weather Conditions Remain a Concern for the Race
The Clash faces a challenging environment as cold temperatures will prevail in Winston-Salem on Wednesday evening, with The Weather Channel reporting a 70% chance of snow. These conditions emphasize the difficulty in scheduling but underscore the determination to hold the event safely.
Confidence in NASCAR’s Preparedness and Sustainability of the Event
Justin Swilling expressed confidence in the NASCAR team’s ability to handle the challenges brought on by the severe weather disruptions:
If we’ve overcome the last two weekends, our team is ready to take anything on,
he said.
With qualifying complete, the schedule moves next to the last chance qualifier at 4:30 p.m., followed by the main Clash event at 6 p.m. The decision to hold the race on Wednesday instead of Tuesday was made out of “an abundance of caution,” as noted by Swilling and reported by Matt Weaver of Motorsport.
Swilling elaborated on the reasoning behind the schedule choice:
“We wanted to be prudent, responsible to the city, right? I mean, Winston-Salem very rarely gets a winter storm of the magnitude, much less two back-to-back like we’ve seen in the past two weekends. I think we wanted to make sure we just gave the community time to, hopefully, get some ice and snow thawed, be able to get out of their neighborhoods and residential streets and be able to come safely over here.”
Significance of the Event and Looking Ahead
This NASCAR Clash serves as a significant kickoff to the racing season, drawing attention from fans and participants eager to see competition resume despite the weather challenges. The careful scheduling and readiness of Bowman Gray Stadium demonstrate NASCAR’s commitment to safety and fan engagement. Observers can expect an intense and strategic race as the drivers compete after overcoming a difficult lead-up to the event.
I asked Justin Swilling, the Project Manager for the Cookout Clash, about if the race could have run today.
He said the decision on Sunday to go to Wednesday was out of an abundance of caution. pic.twitter.com/gaJHKGyVcg
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) February 3, 2026
