Nick BrombergSenior writerThu, February 5, 2026 at 2:38 AM UTC·3 min readImagine how boring it would be to drive 20 MPH for three hours. And yet you’d have covered more distance in that time than drivers covered under green flag conditions in that same timeframe during the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Clash was, simply, a brutal watch. An exhibition race that was supposed to end before its two-hour TV window was over stretched into a fourth hour as drivers couldn’t stop running into each other and spinning out. The race even went so long that Fox kicked the race off its airwaves after three hours in order for “The Masked Singer” to air an hour later than scheduled. As the reality show began on Fox, NASCAR got relegated to the little-watched Fox Sports 2, a channel that regularly airs repeats of Fox programming.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt was an ignominious start for NASCAR’s Cup Series ahead of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15. The Clash was originally scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 1, but the massive snowstorm in North Carolina kicked the race to Monday and eventually to Wednesday. Yet the four-day delay didn’t even save NASCAR from the elements.
As temperatures were just a few degrees above freezing, a rain and sleet shower halted the proceedings about halfway through the 200-lap race. Teams were allowed to put rain tires on as NASCAR dried off the track following a short delay.
Chaos ensued. It was impossible for a green-flag run of any magnitude to happen. And that’s where the Clash’s caution-flag rules come into play. The race would have mercifully ended an hour earlier if it was like any other race and caution flag laps counted towards the 200-lap total. But the Clash is unlike any other race. Caution laps don’t count towards the 200-lap total.
And it made for an interminable viewing experience.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWednesday night's race was the second Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium after a few years at a temporary short track at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Yes, NASCAR can't control the weather, but the events that took place at the 0.25-mile short track were a great case for why the Clash should either move back to Daytona or cease to exist.
The Clash, which began in 1979, moved from Daytona partially because it was a costly endeavor for teams to start the season. Crashes became the norm in latter years — as NASCAR's rules put cars closer and closer together at Daytona and Talladega — and so what happened at Bowman Gray wasn't too out of the norm even if the 17 caution flags were a Clash record.
But it was a race that was also the perfect example of the recent NASCAR experience. Races have far too often been a chore to watch. If you stuck out the Clash after it moved from Fox to FS2 and didn't go do laundry, organize your sock drawer or polish your silverware, you're a diehard NASCAR fan.
Yet you still probably didn't enjoy what took place. It doesn't help that Fox continue to mail in its NASCAR broadcasts and treat viewers like children. But even an engaging broadcast could have only done so much.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt least the Clash didn't count for anything towards the 2026 title. And we can all hope it's not a harbinger of things to come this season. As NASCAR has — again — revamped its championship format, it's hoping that disaffected fans will re-engage. If you are one of those disaffected NASCAR fans who watched on Wednesday night, you certainly didn't find a reason to tune in later this year.
Oh yeah. Ryan Preece won.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
