The Cook Out Clash 2026 will run as scheduled on February 1st at Bowman Gray Stadium despite forecasts of extreme temperatures and possible light snow for Winston-Salem. NASCAR has not issued any cancellation or date change announcements, and sources close to the series dismiss the possibility of the winter weather altering the season-opening schedule.
Kenny Wallace, former driver and current NASCAR analyst, stated this week that reports of a possible cancellation are overblown and that the race will proceed as planned. Wallace's statement responds to media speculation generated by weather warnings for the North Carolina region, where temperatures between 9 and 4 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit) are expected during the event weekend.
Current weather models project temperatures of 8 to 9 degrees below zero for the Sunday night race, with a 30 percent chance of light snow and possible accumulation of 1 to 3 inches in the area. Winston-Salem is currently experiencing sleet and freezing rain, and local authorities have issued winter storm warnings for the coming days.
The stadium maintenance teams have been working to clear accumulated snow from the asphalt surface of the quarter-mile oval. NASCAR has experience racing in cold temperatures as long as the track is clear of snow or ice, although the conditions projected for this weekend would be among the most extreme recorded for a Cup Series event in recent years.
Photo By Getty Images - Nascar
Full Weekend Schedule
The event will begin on Saturday, January 31st with the local divisions of Bowman Gray Stadium. The Stadium Modifieds will have practice at 10:15 a.m., qualifying at 11:15 a.m., and their 125-lap race at 1:15 p.m. The Stadium Sportsman will follow the same format with their 100-lap race scheduled for 2:45 p.m.
The Cup Series will begin activities at 6:10 p.m. when drivers go out divided into three groups for practice and qualifying. The times recorded in these sessions will set the starting positions for the four 25-lap qualifying races, which will start at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 1st will determine the last two available spots with the 75-lap last-chance race at 6:00 p.m. The Cook Out Clash will take the green flag at 8:00 p.m. for 200 laps under green flag conditions only, including a mandatory break at lap 100 for adjustments and refueling.
The format of the 2026 Clash maintains the structure from the previous year: five drivers from each qualifying race advance directly to the main event (20 positions), two more come from the last-chance race, and the 23rd spot is reserved for the highest-placed driver in the 2025 points standings who has not qualified by time.
Upcoming Races
Drivers Standings 2026
| POS | PILOTO | PTS | ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 186 | |
| 2 | Bubba Wallace | 116 | |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 114 | |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 100 | arrow_up4 |
| 5 | Shane van Gisbergen | 90 | arrow_up11 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 90 | |
| 7 | Daniel Suarez | 87 | |
| 8 | AJ Allmendinger | 86 | arrow_up10 |
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