Drivers Lend a Hand Amid Historic Snow
Preparations at Bowman Gray Stadium are ongoing as officials aim to host the ‘Cook Out Clash’ on Wednesday, weather permitting. The pre-season exhibition event has been delayed multiple times due to heavy snowfall across the region.
While the track itself has been cleared, crews continue working on grandstands and surrounding areas as daytime temperatures finally rise above freezing. Assisting with snow removal are two NASCAR Cup Series drivers: former Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet) and second-generation racer Todd Gilliland (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford).
Stenhouse pledged to help shovel snow from the grandstands and followed through on Monday, shovel in hand. Gilliland explained that after Stenhouse volunteered, he was effectively recruited to join in the effort. The venue can accommodate up to 17,000 fans, with grandstand seating wrapping around most of the track except for Turns 3 and 4, where the fieldhouse stands.
NASCAR could have run the race earlier, but doing so would have meant empty stands. Justin Swilling, NASCAR’s project manager for The Clash, said: “We explored all scenarios but at the end of the day, we're here for the fans and we want to make sure they are a critical piece. Anytime that anyone comes to the Madhouse for an event, it’s the fans as much as the competitor’s that make it a show.
So, we explored all scenarios, but at the end of the day, we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time and wanted to give the community plenty of time as well to get over the most recent storms we had.”
Past Experiences Shape Excitement for 2026
Last year, Gilliland made the feature race after claiming the fifth and final transfer spot in his heat race, finishing 14th in the 200-lap main event after starting 20th.
Stenhouse’s 2025 Bowman Gray outing was more dramatic. He collided with local favorite Burt Myers in the heat race, sending Myers into the wall and missing the main event after finishing seventh in the last-chance qualifier. Since then, Stenhouse and Myers have embraced the rivalry with a playful collaboration ahead of the 2026 race, including a promotional video to engage fans.
