Let me just say this up front, I’m fine with the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Clash being held at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Feb. 2, 2025.
We just beg of NASCAR not to portray the product that Bowman Gray sells as being representative of what short track racing is in this country. The business of short track racing in this country does not need NASCAR somehow using the Busch Clash to push the narrativate that racing at Bowman Gray is representative of what short track racing is across the country.
Click here to listen why we think that: Dear NASCAR: Don’t Let Busch Clash At Bowman Gray Unfairly Define Short Track Racing To The Country
This Unmuffled Quickcast is presented by our Patreon marketing partners from New England Racing Fuel, Swanson Buick/GMC, LifeCare Family Chiropractic, Mid-State Site Development, Monaco Ford, SAFCO Foam, Tick Mike’s Organic Tick & Mosquito Spray, Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series, Hoosier Tire East, Casagrande Builders, Falmouth Ready Mix, Wheelers Auto, Sign Pro, North End Auto Parts, Magna Steel Sales, United Stone & Site, Riverhead Raceway, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway.
Why would NASCAR not define what goes on at BG to the rest of the nation??
The BG product has a loyal following, packs the house, attracts lots of eyes. That is a promoter’s dream.
Indeed, BG is an enigma, and everyone wonders how and why it exists as it does, but it does. So might as well milk it for they can.
The Busch Clash/NASCAR Enduro…. I don;t even think the Modifieds use the same size tires the WMT uses because the track is too narrow.
The race is going to suck. Just as the modified race at Daytona on the flat backstretch sucked (predicted). Well, we did get some legendary interview clips of Stephanik afterwords but other then that it was underwhelming.
The same thing is going to happen here, it will simply be smash the guy out the way and it will be disappointing at the end of the day for everyone except the one that happened to be in second going into the last corner and dumped the guy for the win.
This is only an exhibition race so there will be little or no fireworks or fights since there is little at stake besides a trophy. People will be all excited but I’m calling it now the racing will be lame.
Dear Santa for Christmas, can you just bring the bush class back to Daytona where it belongs so we can enjoy it again like the GOOD ‘OLE days an well, you can put Coal in the stockings for ASSCAR suit an tie guys 😎
@Just Saying The Clash at Daytona was really terrible in recent years because the drivers and teams didn’t take it seriously as a race. It was mostly just a bonus test session for the 500 until the last couple laps when it turned into an embarrassing crashfest. If NASCAR is going to have an exhibition race it should be somewhere special, not just another race at a track NASCAR already visits twice (and also owns).
I watched LW Miller pass Burt Myers on the outside there some years back to win a Southern Modified race, on wide tires, if memory serves. It is usually a demo derby for the weekly shows, but has produced some good racing moments over the years. Not enough for me to go, even though I only live 30 minutes away, but it is possible to see good racing there, even if on occasion.
“People will be all excited but I’m calling it now the racing will be lame.”
I’m in complete agreement. It’ll get hyped like most SRX events, the racing will me lame. The best thing to happen in SRX was DC winning Stafford as the local hero. It was all downhill from there from a racing fan perspective.
First, let me say thank you Shawn for continue to cover the short track racing seen in such a professional manner. I really enjoy reading your posts and listening to the podcast.
With respect to the Bowman Gray sentiment, however, I must disagree. Not simply because I am a Winston-Salem native, but because I want to make sure you have seen for yourself what they do down there and are not just buying into the hype. Sure, the History Channel’s “Madhouse” (2009) and Discovery Channel’s “Race Night at Bowman Gray” (2010) showed plenty of what seemed to be WWF moments. However, these shows were created to entertain and no doubt some of the antics were done to “play-up” things a bit for the camera.
There is a reason 17,000 fans show up every week to watch the Tour Mods. First, history. The track has been around forever and first started pavement racing in 1947. Dirt racing preceded pavement racing from 1939 to 1947. All the legends have raced there. And I mean all of them. Additionally, the pageantry of the pit crews pushing the cars out on the grid is absolutely unique.
Second, if you have ever been there, which I suspect you have, you will know the fans are unbelievably close to the action. That is one track where sitting down low is not bad at all. You are right there with the action! Up close and personal.
Finally, Bowman Gray is the ultimate bull ring. The fact that there is no banking couple with there not being much width adds to the old school racing feel. Can the races sometimes be boring? Sure. Any race can. But if you have not watched a full weekly series at Bowman Gray, I challenge you to do so. I have all 23 rounds of the 2024 Bowman Gray Tour Modified weekly series on my YouTube site (YesterYear Racing). Go there and check it out. I suspect you will find that the physicality is way overblown due to the aforementioned entertainment series. If after watching some races you still feel that way, then so be it. We disagree.
One other note. NASCAR was not given ownership of Bowman Gray Stadium. The City of Winston-Salem still owns the Track, and always will. What did change is that they have turned operations over to NASCAR.