NASCAR acquires lease for Bowman Gray Stadium, taking over race operations

With a long and storied history working together, NASCAR and Bowman Gray Stadium are only getting closer with the most recent news. NASCAR has acquired the lease to the facility, which is owned by the city of Winston-Salem.

The lease, which runs through the end of 2050, will put NASCAR in charge of racing operations at Bowman Gray. The track has become a proving ground for racers in North Carolina, both local short track heroes and Cup Series talents.

Austin Shuford has been named general manager with the race season beginning on April 20 this year. NASCAR purchased the lease from the Hawkins family who has been in charge of the facility for decades.

NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy, Ben Kennedy, spoke to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic about the new chapter in the track’s history. It is a new era for Bowman Gray.

“This is a really kind of special moment for us,” Kennedy said to Bianchi.

“I know it is especially meaningful for Jim seeing that he grew up around Bowman Gray Stadium,” Kennedy continued. “It’s a very special place to us personally, but it’s a special place in the sport as you think back to the ’40s and ’50s and NASCAR really beginning to grow through that first decade and a half or so. And Bowman Gray was a pretty big part of that.”

This isn’t just any other short track. The history of the facility, as a race track and collegiate football stadium, run deep. When you hear stories about the racing there, it almost always includes chaos. Both on and off the track.

NASCAR taking over things at the track should bring more attention to their weekly racing series and already stellar program at Bowman Gray.

NASCAR taking over Bowman Gray operations

So, what does this mean for Bowman Gray? If NASCAR is coming in and taking over race operations, what does that look like? And does it include a national series race in the future? Right now, those questions remain to be seen.

However, never say never when it comes to seeing a NASCAR race at Bowman Gray. In the last few years, the sport has shown they can race anywhere they want to. North Wilkesboro revived. Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum. Chicago Street Race.

Ben Kennedy doesn’t want to rule out anything.

“Potentially. I certainly wouldn’t rule anything out, and I’d be lying to say if we haven’t talked about it before,” Kennedy said, via NASCAR.com. “We’ve talked about hundreds of tracks. … So obviously nothing to report today. Our focus is really getting up and running on April 20 this year with weekly Modified racing.”

For now, the focus is on operating Bowman Gray as it normally would operate. Soon, who knows what we could see on the track at this historic venue.