NASCAR insiders insist Bowman Gray Clash 'was a home run'

A race 54 years in the making can have a lot of expectations. The NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray lived up to all of them this weekend. This race weekend was fun as the Cup Series got to put on a classic short-track race for one of the most loyal fans in racing.

The racing was better compared to the LA Coliseum track. Bowman Gray got an upgrade in the process with SAFER barrier, catchfence, and new lights. Then the racing entertained.

Would you ever put a points race at the Madhouse? No. But as an exhibition track for the Clash and for the All-Star Race in the future – it could find its niche in the sport. Over the last weekend, it showed as much.

On The Teardown, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic talked about the race weekend. Both were in agreement – it was a success.

“This was a home run. NASCAR did a great job with this weekend,” Bianchi said. “Lot of questions coming into it; whether it could work, how it’d work, what the racing would be like, logistically, etc. Across the board from everyone I’ve talked to from what I witnessed, this was a home run weekend. It was an electric crowd, it was a fun crowd, it was spirited.

“The racing was good. At times, it did resemble the Bowman Gray, rock-em-sock-em stuff. But also, there was moments of really good, classic short track racing as well. I don’t know how objectively you can look at this weekend and say it wasn’t a success. Maybe the last 20 or 30 laps in the main event wasn’t the most stirring but it was still a really, really good race. This is a home run weekend.”

His cohost was completely in agreement. Bowman Gray put on a show. It was awesome. Even if his expectations weren’t high going in.

“I didn’t hear one negative thing from anybody. Fans, drivers, whatever,” Gluck said. “And honestly, my expectations were fairly, I wouldn’t say low, but sort of muted. I was like, eh, this will probably be cool, you know? But as we talked before it didn’t feel like this had a lot of hype going in. So, oddly even though it was coming back here, the anticipation level seemed a little weird.”

Then Gluck talked about what made the race special. It was the fans. Every fan brought the energy.

“I think what I underestimated was what the fans here do to this environment,” Gluck continued. “Like, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a NASCAR race where so much of the crowd, such a large percentage … was so into the race. This was like the hardcore fans race. I sat in the stands, this is how I know this, right? Everybody around me, cheering for every pass. You know, when the guys would get in lap traffic, when somebody would get on somebody’s bumper, when somebody would get spun out. Just big reactions. Absolutely loving it, intense.”

NASCAR went back in time this weekend. When they announced the Bowman Gray race, there were naysayers. Another quarter-mile track felt like a step backward for the Clash. Now NASCAR will have to likely put it on the schedule at least on a rotating basis.

The Madhouse ended up being what the NASCAR Clash needed. Seeing drivers beat and bang on one another ahead of the Daytona 500 is good. On top of that, it is an investment in the grassroots. Now Bowman Gray looks better than ever. That will pay dividends down the road.

However, there is belief that this race could go international. Right now, Brazil is the destination in question. After the show Bowman Gray delivered moving it will be difficult. The track, and the fans, have shown they deserve a race.

If not every year, perhaps every other year. NASCAR needs to get a handful of tracks on a rotating basis for the NASCAR Clash or the All-Star Race. Go to Brazil if you want. But don’t forget about those rowdy folks at the Madhouse.