Bowman Gray Stadium

Track Info

Location	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Type	Flat Oval (Quarter-Mile)
Length	0.25 miles (0.402 km)
Banking	Flat (0 degrees)
Surface	Asphalt
Capacity	~17,000
Opened	1949 (racing)

Track Characteristics

Bowman Gray Stadium is the smallest, flattest, and oldest weekly racing venue in NASCAR history. At just a quarter mile around with zero banking, it is a completely flat bullring that sits inside a former football stadium. The track has hosted weekly Modified and Sportsman racing since 1949, earning the nickname "The Madhouse" for the intense, contact-heavy action that its tight confines produce.

Racing at Bowman Gray is pure, grassroots short-track mayhem. With no banking to help carry speed through the turns, drivers must rely entirely on braking and throttle control. The flat surface and narrow track width mean that passing is extremely difficult, and bumping the car ahead is not just common - it is practically required. The intimate stadium setting puts fans just feet from the action, creating an atmosphere that larger tracks simply cannot replicate.

For the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Bowman Gray will host The Clash - NASCAR's preseason exhibition race. Bringing Cup cars to a quarter-mile flat track is an unprecedented move that promises to deliver the kind of short-track spectacle that fans have been demanding. It represents NASCAR's commitment to its grassroots heritage and the short-track racing that built the sport.

Getting There

Nearest Airport	Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) in Greensboro - approximately 20 miles east. Charlotte Douglas (CLT) is about 80 miles southwest.
Nearest City	Winston-Salem, NC. The stadium is located on the campus of Wake Forest University in the heart of the city.

Series That Race Here

• NASCAR Cup Series - The Clash (2026 exhibition race)
• NASCAR Weekly Racing - Modifieds and Sportsman every Saturday night in summer

2026 NASCAR Event Info

Event	The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium
Type	Preseason Exhibition Race
Date	February 2, 2026
TV	FOX

Track Records

Note	Cup Series records will be established during The Clash in 2026. Weekly Modified records date back decades at this venue.

Notable Past Races

• 1958: Rex White, who would go on to win the 1960 Grand National championship, was a dominant force at Bowman Gray during the early years of NASCAR racing at the stadium.
• 1960s-70s: The Myers Brothers - Bobby and Billy - became legends at Bowman Gray, where the local Modified series produced some of the most intense rivalries in short-track history.
• Weekly Racing: Bowman Gray's Saturday night Modified racing has produced legendary feuds, dramatic finishes, and a passionate fan base that has kept the venue relevant for over 75 years.

Track Facts

• Bowman Gray Stadium is the shortest track to ever host a NASCAR Cup Series event, at just 0.25 miles around.
• The track is built inside a football stadium that was originally constructed in 1938. Wake Forest University played football here before moving to BB&T Field.
• Bowman Gray has hosted continuous weekly NASCAR-sanctioned racing since 1949, making it the longest-running weekly racing venue in the sport.
• The stadium's intimate setting means fans in the grandstands can see the entire track, hear the engines without earplugs being necessary, and feel the heat from the cars as they pass.
• Several NASCAR legends, including Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt, raced at Bowman Gray early in their careers.

More NASCAR