“Another example of how we celebrate our past and future”: NASCAR tapping into nostalgia for next Clash destination

NASCAR has made another move to return to their racing "roots." The sport's Executive Vice President, Ben Kennedy, announced Saturday that Bowman Gray Stadium will return to the Cup Series in 2025, at the Busch Light Clash.

The Winston-Salem-based oval is renowned as 'Madhouse' for its tighter track and producing chaotic races. With the first race in 1949, Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins made the venue the first weekly and paved race track to host NASCAR-sanctioned races. However, since the maiden Cup race in 1958, Bowman Gray Stadium could host only 29 NCS races until 1971.

In the 2023 season, the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway re-emerged on the Cup Series schedule for the All-Star Race. After a hiatus of 27 years, the 0.625-mile oval returned for the million-dollar race, with Kyle Larson securing the paycheck.

Thus, as the high-octane motorsports took another step toward its "roots," Kennedy expressed "nostalgia" for celebrating the sport's "past and future" (via Sportsnaut).

"We also have the opportunity to celebrate our history and celebrate our roots, like taking our All-Star Race to North Wilkesboro. This is going to be another example of how we celebrate our past and future," Kennedy said.

“This race is going to feel like what the racing here has been for the past several decades, and that is going to be an important part of our team’s mission, that it feels like nostalgic Bowman Gray Stadium," the executive VP added.

Bobby Allison was the last racer to drive to the victory lane at Bowman Gray Stadium in 1971.

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NASCAR Executive VP reveals Bowman Gray Stadium was in talks for a Cup Series return "since the summer of 2019"

The VP said the stadium was under consideration for a Cup Series return since 2019, but the topic was kept "under the sun." However, things sped when NASCAR acquired the lease of the famed venue, earlier this year. It will replace the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the preseason race scheduled for February 2, 2025.

"We’ve talked about everywhere under the sun. We’ve had these conversations since like the summer of 2019. We had talked about Bowman Gray for a number of years and how great it would be to bring an event here. That started to pick up traction earlier this year once we picked up the lease at Bowman Gray and it just became a natural extension of that," Kennedy said via Sportsnaut.

The resurrection project of the Bowman Gray Stadium cost around $9 million to NASCAR and Winston Salem. To date, the events held on the track are hand-scored, but hosting a Cup Series race might require something like a transponder loop.

The cable loop is laid around the track which can help determine a driver's track position through Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), and, it also aids in ensuring the correct lineup during a caution, among many other benefits.

NASCAR Studios and Fox Sports Films are producing a documentary to commemorate the quarter-mile oval's return to the Cup Series. The one-hour movie, 'The Madhouse: NASCAR’s Return to Bowman Gray Stadium' will be available on FS1 at a to-be-announced date.