The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is over one month away, but NASCAR has provided some important details about how the weekend will unfold.
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According to the provided weekend schedule, this year's Clash will feature four Heat races to set the main event's lineup. These Heat races will take place on Saturday, Feb. 1, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET. Each race will consist of 25 laps.
Before taking on the Heat races, the drivers will have opportunities to test out the quarter-mile short track. They will take part in practice and qualifying at 6:10 p.m. ET. The drivers will split into three groups. Each group will have three timed sessions.
Much like previous Clash races, the Heat races will only finalize the majority of the starting lineup. The remaining spots will go to the best drivers from the Last Chance Qualifying race, which takes place on Sunday, Feb. 2. This 75-lap race has a scheduled start time of 6 p.m. ET.
Feb. 2 at The Madhouse is gonna be electric 👀 pic.twitter.com/wCz6YdXCNa
— NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (@nascarclash) November 25, 2024
The inaugural Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium will take place on Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Fox will provide coverage as it kicks off the new TV deal.
NASCAR has not provided the full format for the preseason weekend. In years past, the top five drivers from each Heat race moved on to the main event. The top two drivers from the Last Chance Qualifying race filled out the starting lineup.
Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran told NASCAR that they have "almost everything buttoned up" in terms of the competition format. He said that they are just waiting for a final few items to get finalized.
The expectation, per Moran, is that NASCAR will release the full format within the first two weeks of January.
The Cup Series teams have completed three Clash weekends on a quarter-mile track, albeit across the country. The Gen 7 era began in 2022 with the teams traveling to LA Memorial Coliseum and the purpose-built quarter-mile track inside the historic venue. The series returned to Southern California in 2023 and '24.
Joey Logano won the inaugural Clash at the Coliseum in February 2022. He became the first driver to celebrate a win in the Gen 7 era and then he became the first driver to win the championship in November 2022.
Martin Truex Jr. won the exhibition race in 2023, marking his first win of the Gen 7 era. Denny Hamlin then won last season's Clash at the Coliseum.
Kyle Busch is the only driver to finish on the podium in all three trips to Southern California. He finished second behind Logano in 2022, third in 2023 behind Truex and Austin Dillon, and second behind Hamlin last season.
