WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Winter weather forecasts in the South. Christopher Bell has seen both sides of them.
The potential for a cold, accumulating snow has already disrupted the weekend schedule for the preseason Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, but Bell has personal experience with how each side of the weather spectrum can turn in the offseason months.
“I think it’s just something that we all know is a possibility,” said Bell, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota. “I got married on February 2 in North Carolina, and I think it was like a 60-degree day. So you can have 60-degree days or you can have snowstorms. Last year, it worked out really well. It was a little cold last year, but obviously it was clean and we didn’t have any precipitation, so it worked out really well. Unfortunately, this year looks like we’re gonna battle the elements a little bit, but yeah, I know that whenever we get on track, it’s going to be a great show, and everyone’s going to be treated to a great race.”
Fans and drivers alike got a taste of what to expect Friday during The Clash Preview fan fest event at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds events center, where the cars that will run in the exhibition event were staged after Thursday’s pre-race inspection. The first fans lined up outside in chilly conditions an hour before the doors opened, awaiting a glimpse of NASCAR Cup Series drivers, who participated in Q&A sessions and signed autographs for the early bird diehards.
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A good share of the buzz, though, centered on the weather and how it will impact The Clash’s second running at the quarter-mile track. As of Friday afternoon, a reworked schedule of events still pointed toward a Sunday night main event at 8 p.m. ET, with Saturday’s planned at-track activity wiped away by a forecast of 3 to 6 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
For whenever race day comes, competition officials will still need to load up cars onto the waiting haulers, transport them from the fairgrounds to the nearby stadium, then unload and set up for on-track activity. Parking and seating areas will also need to be cleared for fan and industry access, so while officials remain optimistic for an as-scheduled running, it’s tempered by a dose of preparation and caution.
“It’s part of it,” said defending Clash winner Chase Elliott. “Obviously, you can’t control that stuff. It’s, I guess, a little bit of a struggle logistically for a lot of people, but hopefully everybody stays safe throughout the weekend, and we can just make a good decision collectively as the industry to decide whenever the right time is to run it.”
However the timing shakes, fans were eager to emerge from the cold and carve out time for some early participation before the stadium gates open for racing. The Thursday flurry of pre-race inspection on the events center’s floor was replaced by Friday’s fan-friendly activities, booths and racing simulators.
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Drivers took the opportunity to sign memorabilia and shake the rust off their Sharpies, all while fans got some face time with their favorites.
“You know, this is something new for us,” said Legacy Motor Club’s No. 43 driver Erik Jones. “We’ve never really done a kind of kickoff leading into race weekend, and I wasn’t sure what the turnout would be like at all. So definitely surprised, I would say, by all the people, and impressed and just happy to see it. I think it’s great that the community is excited, and I think this is something NASCAR’s maybe interested in trying in more spots.”
The preview might be something new for this generation of Cup Series drivers, but it’s also a matter of history coming back to a current light. The event took a bit of a page from the former Winston Cup Preview in the city’s coliseum area, where fans had similar interactions and often got their first sight of the current season’s cars back in the pre-Internet era.
Bowman Gray’s longtime regulars remember it fondly.
“I think this is headed in the right direction, for sure,” said Burt Myers, an 11-time Modified track champion who will attempt to make the Cup Series field of 23 drivers this weekend for Team AmeriVet. “I think that for a long time that the fans have felt distance between themselves and the Cup drivers. This is an opportunity for people to get autographs and hear them speak and see the cars and understand that it is still a the best sport in the world for fans to be able to be a part of. So it’s definitely cool, because I remember the old days growing up around Winston-Salem and growing up at Bowman Gray, it does remind you of the old preview days, so I’m glad to see it’s coming back.”
