NASCAR Cup drivers help shovel snow at Bowman Gray after storm

Work continues to prepare Bowman Gray Stadium for Wednesday’s race (weather permitting). The preseason exhibition race known as the “Cook Out Clash” has already been postponed for several days due to historic snowfall across North Carolina.

The track itself has already been cleared of snow, but work continues in the stands and surrounding areas as temperatures finally rise above freezing – at least during the day.

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Among those helping with snow removal are two real NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Former Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet) and second-generation driver Todd Gilliland (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford) are among those who traveled to Winston-Salem to help with the cleanup.

Stenhouse had said a day ago that he wanted to help shovel snow from the stands surrounding the historic quarter-mile short track, and on Monday he kept his word and was there with a shovel in hand.

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It’s possible that NASCAR could have held the race before Wednesday, but that would have been at the expense of fan attendance. Justin Swilling, who is the NASCAR project manager for The Clash, recently said during a video conference that officials did not want to hold the event with empty grandstands.

“We’ve explored every scenario, but at the end of the day, we’re here for the fans and we want to make sure they’re a vital part,” Swilling said. “Whenever someone comes to Madhouse for an event, it’s the fans as much as the contestants who make it a spectacle.

“So we explored all the scenarios, but ultimately we wanted to give ourselves enough time and also give the community enough time to weather the most recent storms that we’ve had.”

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Last year, Gilliland made the final race after winning the fifth and final transfer spot in his qualifying race. After starting 20th, he finished 14th in the 200-lap main event.

Stenhouse’s Bowman Gray 2025 experience was a bit more difficult. He faced local favorite Burt Myers in their qualifying race, sending the Modified legend hurtling into the wall in last-chance qualifying. Stenhouse failed to make the main event, finishing seventh in the LCQ (advancing the top two), and was the villain of the night in many fans’ eyes. Since then, he and Myers have highlighted the slight rivalry ahead of the 2026 race, collaborate on a promotional video.

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Read also:

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NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray postponed once again after historic snowfall

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