NASCAR postpones its preseason race at Bowman Gray Stadium until Monday

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR has postponed its preseason exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium until Monday evening due to ice and snow blanketing the Winston-Salem area.

The Clash was supposed to be a two-day event starting on Saturday, with the main event taking place on Sunday evening. NASCAR late last week scaled it back to a Sunday-only event in anticipation of bad weather, and while snow blanketed the Carolinas on Saturday, NASCAR made the call to run the race on Monday.

Announcement

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our fans, even when the weather doesn’t cooperate,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president and head of venue and racing innovations. “We were prepared to battle the weather and appreciate working with Winston-Salem and NC officials to make the best decision. Our operations team is hard at work for Monday’s race.”

Roads around Winston-Salem had not yet been fully cleared from last weekend’s ice storm, and more snow arrived Saturday morning. The forecast calls for up to 12 inches.

NASCAR said fan parking will open at 9 a.m. Monday, with practice and qualifying scheduled for 11 a.m.

The race is scheduled for 6 p.m. and could take place in the coldest temperatures in NASCAR history.

Announcement

“I don’t know if I’ve ever raced when it’s this cold, but luckily we’re inside a stock car, which is basically like an oven, so that will help,” two-time champion Kyle Larson said Saturday. “We’ll feel good inside the car. I wouldn’t be surprised if you keep sweating a little in there.

“I feel bad for the NASCAR crews, mechanics, fans and officials, everyone who’s out there in the cold. But you know, we love this sport and we’ll be racing in a lot of conditions. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Larson said he never expected The Clash to air on Sunday and had planned to spend Saturday sledding with his three children.

___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing