The 2026 Cup Series season is off to a rocky start after the Winston-Salem area was hit with record snowfall over the weekend. As a result, the Cook Out Clash was postponed until Wednesday due to concerns about dangerous road conditions. While frustrating for fans eager to hear the engines roar again, it’s the right decision, and one that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would agree with.
THE Hyak Motorsports the driver spoke to Fox Sports of the race location and detailed the importance of having fans at the exhibition event. “It’s very important” he said. “Especially in this market and with what Bowman Gray is. This place has always been about hard racing and great racing fans.”
Advertisement
Ricky Jr. admitted he had other plans for Wednesday night, but it was more important to race in front of the fans. Competing in the event without the stands being full wouldn’t be as fun for the drivers.
With the Daytona 500 approaching, there isn’t much time left for preparations. The postponement of the Clash is not the ideal result.
That said, Stenhousestressed that racing at a time when fans can come watch the event is much more important. He added, “I know the teams have a lot of work to do to get ready for Daytona. They’re back in the shop Monday and Tuesday, digging as hard as they can. But I think, for our sport and for the Clash, I think it’s definitely more important to have fans here.”
Supporters are asked to come with protective clothing
The National Weather Service reported that Winston-Salem received between 8 and 10 inches of snow over the weekend. In light of this, a meeting involving officials from NASCAR, the state of North Carolina and officials from Winston-Salem was arranged. It was unanimously decided at this meeting that the race be postponed to Wednesday.
Advertisement
Justin Swilling, project manager for the Clash, said, “We explored all scenarios, but ultimately we wanted to give ourselves enough time, we wanted to give the community enough time to recover from the most recent storms that we had, and we felt that Wednesday was the safest time for everyone to come up to Bowman Gray Stadium.”
When the cars roll down the track and snort in the snow, the cold will be the last sensation on the mind. However, Swilling still warned fans to bring a few layers of protective clothing with them to face the natural elements.
The position Ricky Stenhouse Jr. maintains that NASCAR is making the right decision for fans, even if it jeopardizes teams’ preparation at Daytona appeared first on The rush to sport.
