Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium: Weekend schedule released, times, how to watch

Do you smell it, folks? That’s race fuel and burning rubber and only the feeling that race week can bring. The Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is almost here. We are about to embark on another year of NASCAR Cup Series racing.

Bowman Gray Stadium has not hosted the Cup Series since Bobby Allison’s controversial win over Richard Petty in 1971. That victory was only officially recorded as one in the books last year, just prior to Allison’s passing.

This is history and nostalgia and grassroots raucousness that only the Madhouse can provide. It is not the glitz and glamor of Hollywood and the LA Coliseum. What it is, is an ode to the heritage of the sport.

NASCAR has released the official schedule for the weekend. There is a lot of action for fans to catch on TV and online.

Saturday, February 1 (All times EST)
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM – Stadium Modifieds Practice
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM – Stadium Modifieds Qualifying
1:45 PM – Madhouse Classic – 125 laps (or 90 minutes) Watch: NASCAR Channel on Tubi or FloRacing.
6:10 PM – 8:00 PM – Practice/Qualifying (Three groups, timed sessions)
8:30 PM – 9:15 PM – Heat Races (Four heats, 25 laps each. Lineups set by P/Q times.)

Sunday, February 2
6:00 PM – Last Chance Qualifier – 75 laps – Top two advance to feature.
8:00 PM – Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium – 200 laps – Only green flag laps count.

This is the first action of the NASCAR season. What makes it even better is highlighting the NASCAR Weekly Series guys and Bowman Gray modified drivers. These are racers who do it for the love of the game and get little recognition outside of their local track.

NASCAR will put that modified race on the new NASCAR Channel. FloRacing will also have coverage. It wouldn’t be shocking to see that be a joint effort. While this weekend is the beginning of the Cup Series season, let’s not forget about the grassroots teams.

Clash at Bowman Gray will feature modified drivers

The feature race on Sunday will be a fun one. Only 23 cars will make the field. 20 will qualify through the heat races. Then two drivers will advance in the Last Chance Qualifier. A final, 23rd spot will be given to the highest points earner from 2024 that failed to make the 22-car field.

Among those racing for spots in the Clash at Bowman Gray are two modified legends. The two winningest modified racers ever at the Madhouse. Tim Brown will compete for Rick Ware Racing. Meanwhile, Burt Myers is suiting up for AmeriVet. Between them, hundreds of wins and a couple dozen championships as well.

Should one or both of those drivers make the field, I think they will do well. This is a race track that they know how their way around. I’m almost confident they could do a qualifying lap with their eyes closed. However, these Cup Series cars are very different from their modifieds.

The Clash at Bowman Gray is going to be a ton of fun. When the Cup Series season starts it really doesn’t stop until right before Thanksgiving. So, buckle up and get ready, we’re about to kick off 38 weeks of racing.