By David G. Firestone
So the 2026 NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is behind us. It was, well, a thing. It wasn’t overwhelming, but not underwhelming either. It was fine for what it was. Like I’ve said, I think the Clash and All-Star Race should be held in different classic stock car venues every year.
Obviously, the major issue here was the weather. The snow storm gripping the country forced multiple changes. First, all Saturday events were canceled outright. Then the Clash got moved from Sunday to Monday. Then the Clash got moved to Wednesday, and then it was held. I think we can all agree that weather delays suck.
Again, The Clash was alright for what it was. I know I complain about this every year, but the lack of pit stops really hindered the race, at least in my opinion. All of the racing I watched pretty much lived up to what I thought it was going to be.
I will say that moving the race to FS2 to air The Masked Singer was a slap in the face of fans. I get that weather was an issue, but come on! Have a little respect for the fans!
Congratulations to Ryan Preece for winning the Clash, and now we look on to Daytona.
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