On paper, Bowman Gray Stadium is another track at a football stadium. However, it presents an entirely different challenge than LA Memorial Coliseum, the facility that hosted the Clash the last three seasons.
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Bowman Gray Stadium's design simply does not provide the same opportunities to make passes or dive bomb other drivers.
"Yeah, you could basically say it's like Daytona and Talladega, or superspeedways," Ryan Preece told media members on Tuesday. "It's the same thing, but it's really not. They're different. LA, just the trajectory of how you can exit that corner and how you could cut into the paint, added grip, get under somebody, and try not to necessarily knock into them.
"Bowman Gray is not gonna have that luxury. They've got those drainage things, whatever they are down there, just less room to really get under somebody, so you're gonna have to have a car that's — one thing for me is I always look for maneuverability in my race car, not necessarily just trying to wrap the line. There's so much to it. Those are just some of the little details when it comes to that style of racing."
Green flag for the 2024 Clash at the Coliseum! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/K8kki6fxfP
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The LA Memorial Coliseum's primary function is hosting football games, but the field was nowhere to be seen during NASCAR's trips out west. The crews covered the field surface before building its quarter-mile short track next to the grandstands.
The center of the field served as a pit/staging area for cars. Those not competing in heat races or qualifying sat in the center while others completed laps. A SAFER barrier separated this staging area from the track, and there was extra space next to the barrier that drivers could use to attempt passes.
The main challenge during these races in Los Angeles was dealing with the dirty air from other cars in the field.
Bowman Gray Stadium is significantly different. The track is directly next to the grass that makes up the football field, so drivers have to stay on the racing surface. There is no extra space to maneuver.
William Byron also pointed out during a media call that the straightaways are slightly curved. This could result in drivers hitting the outside walls next to the grandstands on their own or after contact from another competitor.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. took some laps around Bowman Gray Stadium in the Next Gen in 2021.
Now, the track is ready to host its first NASCAR Cup Series race in 54 years. pic.twitter.com/exeEWPVeE1
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) January 28, 2025
Having less room to make passes makes it easier for the leaders in each race to block. There will be less real estate to defend. The drivers further back in the field will then have to decide whether to use the bumper to gain positions.
The design also sets up potential issues if drivers dive too low. It is possible that at least one car could end up stuck in the grass, especially if the race turns physical as many drivers expect.
"I think we're still all learning, and we're going to learn when we get on the racetrack even more," Alex Bowman told media members on Tuesday. "Like, it's just different. It doesn't have an inside wall, obviously, like LA did.
"So yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it all shapes up, see how the inside stuff kind of affects the Cup cars versus the Modifieds and stuff that race on it a little more regularly."
Bowman and other Cup drivers have done prep work in the weeks leading up to the Cook Out Clash so they can better handle the challenge presented by the short track's design. Yet they will not have a true grasp on the situation until they take part in practice, qualifying, and heat races on Saturday evening.
