It has been over 50 years since NASCAR has held a race at Bowman Gray Stadium; but come February, the season kicks off at the historic track with the Busch Light Clash on the quarter mile track.
The two day event begins February 1, but first the teams will start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A short track also means close quarters in the garage; as a result, NASCAR will handle all of the inspections at CMS before sealing the cars and transporting them over an hour away to Bowman Gray in Winston-Salem.
Cup Series director Brad Moran spoke on the move saying, “we take a massive footprint with our haulers, with all our technical equipment as well as the NASCAR series support haulers that are required, so certainly we had to look at it a little differently on what we’re going to do for inspections and how we’re going to do it. Our good friends from Charlotte Motor Speedway worked with us, so we appreciate (track executives) Marcus Smith and Steve Swift putting the facility up for our use. It’s all pre-wired and it’s ready to go, obviously. We go there twice a year, and what we’re going to do is something a little different than what we do on a normal event.”
Pre-race inspections will take place on January 30 at CMS; the cars will then be impounded and “secured with tamper proof seals” before being loaded up and driven to Bowman Gray on January 31. NASCAR officials will break the seals on February 1 when the teams will set up at the fieldhouse.
Post-race inspection will be an abbreviated affair using scales and shock equipment but no OSS – Optical Scanning System.
An OSS will be set up at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord for inspecting backup cars on Sunday if needed.
NASCAR officials will release the race format at the beginning of the new year but indications are it will include elements from the Clash events in Los Angeles at the Memorial Coliseum.
Saturday night will feature four preliminary races to determine the lineup for the main event on Sunday. Drivers who did not make the race via the preliminary races will have an opportunity to another chance with a LCQ – Last Chance Qualifier two hours before the main event.
The main event is a 200 lap race where only green flag laps will count.
The Clash will also include a 125 lap “Madhouse Classic” for the Modified Division.
Preparation for the return to Bowman Gray includes installing the safer barriers, installing new lighting, and creating a “pit road” behind the fieldhouse.
Speaking on the preparations Brad Moran said, “from a competition standpoint, we’re getting close. We’ve almost got everything buttoned up. We’re waiting on just a couple other items to check a few boxes, but we’re getting real close to having this whole plan put together and ready to go.”
On pit road, Moran said, “it is limited equipment, and the teams prefer it that way. There are no real pit stops unless you have a problem, right? I don’t think anyone would go down there and give up all their track position unless they have a problem, so the tire situation would be the same as L.A. So if they had a flat, they’re only allowed to change the one tire for one tire until the break, and that’s when the full tires and adjustments get done during that break. That’ll probably look similar to L.A.”