NASCAR is back.
After a few months away for the offseason, the top stock car races in the world are back on the track this weekend at a historic venue.
NASCAR is returning to Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time since 1971. The legendary short track, just a quarter-mile long, is nicknamed the "Madhouse" for all the chaos that its close quarters have produced.
Here's all the info for the race, including when it starts, how to watch it and who is competing:
What is the NASCAR race today?
The season unofficially begins each year with "The Clash," a preseason exhibition event. This year's event, for sponsorship purposes, has been dubbed the "Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium."
While there are no championship points on the line, drivers want to win whenever they're on track. A victory in the Clash is sometimes a springboard for a driver to have a standout season. The Clash winner has gone on to win the title eight times in Cup Series history, including most recently Joey Logano in 2022.
Where is the NASCAR race today?
For the first time ever, Bowman Gray Stadium will play host to the Clash. The track is located in Winston Salem, North Carolina, and seats 17,000 people.
What time is the NASCAR race on today?
The action on Sunday begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with the last chance race, where 19 drivers will be fighting for the last three spots in the main event.
The Cook Out Clash is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, with green flag expected at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Is NASCAR on TV today? Streaming info, channel
Yes.
All action Sunday -- including the last chance race and the main event -- will air live on FOX and stream on FoxSports.com.
NASCAR Clash heat race results
There were four heat races held on Saturday night to help set the field for Sunday's main event. Here are the results of those four races, with the top five in each automatically advancing to the Clash:
HEAT 1
- Chase Elliott
- Brad Keselowski
- Noah Gragson
- Kyle Busch
- Ross Chastain
- Ty Dillon
- Austin Dillon
- Josh Berry
- Justin Haley
- Ryan Blaney
HEAT 2
- Chris Buescher
- Chase Briscoe
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Bubba Wallace
- Daniel Suarez
- Zane Smith
- Erik Jones
- Kyle Larson
- Cody Ware
- Garrett Smithley
HEAT 3
- Denny Hamlin
- Joey Logano
- William Byron
- Carson Hocevar
- Alex Bowman
- Ty Gibbs
- Riley Herbst
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Burt Myers
- Tim Brown
HEAT 4
- Tyler Reddick
- Christopher Bell
- Ryan Preece
- Austin Cindric
- Todd Gilliland
- Michael McDowell
- AJ Allmendinger
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Cole Custer
NASCAR Clash starting lineup
With five drivers from each heat already locked into the Clash, we know the top 20 starters for the event. The final three spots will be filled from the last chance race -- with the top two finishers and the highest driver in the points standings from last year filling the field of 23.
Here's the starting lineup for the Clash:
- Chase Elliott
- Chris Buescher
- Denny Hamlin
- Tyler Reddick
- Brad Keselowski
- Chase Briscoe
- Joey Logano
- Christopher Bell
- Noah Gragson
- Shane van Gisbergen
- William Byron
- Ryan Preece
- Kyle Busch
- Bubba Wallace
- Carson Hocevar
- Austin Cindric
- Ross Chastain
- Daniel Suarez
- Alex Bowman
- Todd Gilliland
- Last chance race winner
- Last chance race second place
- Highest remaining driver from 2024 points standings
When does the NASCAR season start?
The NASCAR season officially begins with the Daytona 500 in two weeks, on Feb. 16, for the first points-paying event of 2025 in the sport's most iconic race.
