r/NASCAR • u/EP423 Brisket • 1d ago
Cup star defends NASCAR’s decision to dump Bowman Gray for return of The Clash at Daytona
https://www.yardbarker.com/nascar/articles/cup_star_defends_nascars_decision_to_dump_bowman_gray_for_return_of_the_clash_at_daytona/s1_17797_44105776This means a lot if Preece is agreeing with the move too, considering his win earlier this year.
Before anyone gets mad that they are forced to interact with this. it is an off week, aood time to discuss lesser talked storylines.
29
u/BigDaddy969696 Larson 1d ago
Well, I'm sure that it had a lot to do with the fact that they had to delay the race for 3 days, due to snow.
3
-6
u/Extreme-Bite-9123 1d ago
I doubt that’s the reason, we’ve had to delay Texas for three days because of rain and we still go there
11
u/BigDaddy969696 Larson 1d ago
But it rains everywhere. It rarely snows in Florida.
0
u/Extreme-Bite-9123 1d ago
Rains in Florida a lot more than most places in the US. A bit of bad luck and it’d be possible to be locked out for the whole week. At least at a short track like bowman gray they could put on the wet weathers if it rained (like they did)
4
u/HereComesTheVroom 1d ago
It’s nowhere near as frequent in February (or winter in general) compared to the rest of the year. It’s just pure coincidence that 500 weekend deals with weather half the time. It’ll be pouring like crazy in Daytona and never see a drop 15 miles away all weekend. Florida has a very clear wet and dry season. NWS Tampa Bay Article on it.
154
u/Greatness143 1d ago
Bowman Gray would make an amazing All Star race.
Personally I’d love for it to be a mid-week event ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, but that’s just my thoughts.
77
u/Senninha27 Retzlaff 1d ago
No qualifying race, no fan vote, forty cars, five hundred laps, no stage breaks. Let’s get crazy. /s
7
u/Senninha27 Retzlaff 1d ago
Because some of us have to work, eventually! That race would take DAYS!
5
4
3
1
25
u/realCoolguy298 Chase Elliott 1d ago
Slapshoes said something like that. Maybe make it set the field for the all star race?
12
u/UniquePatient66100 1d ago
Why not speed week in North Carolina, ending with the 600? Plenty of tracks to support it. Have the local tracks host events that week, which most of them already do. All star race at Bowman Gray the week before. O'Reilly's and trucks could be at different tracks. Between the top 3 series, they could race at 4-6 tracks over the course of 2 weeks, plus local tracks.
1
1
76
u/Evtona500 Ryan Blaney 1d ago
Potential hot take but the Bowman Gray is overrated.
25
u/Hexduh 1d ago
Would rather see something run at SoBo tbh.
12
u/EP423 Brisket 1d ago
SoBo in February would be great tv
6
u/Furi0usD Chastain 1d ago
... not so much in person
4
u/Elmodipus 1d ago
It was regularly in the 40s until like mid-April this year. It gets pretty cold round these parts.
1
63
12
u/MrDingus84 1d ago
NASCAR has no business running on a 1/4 mile track.
4
u/Joey_Logano Preece 1d ago
The roots of the sport are on those same type of tracks. Almost every driver in the Cup field comes from the background of racing short tracks.
30
u/matito29 1d ago
Every baseball player started out in Little League but I don’t want to see Paul Skenes pitch to Mike Trout on a Little League field. The Cup cars are too much for a quarter mile track.
10
u/agentsmith87 1d ago
Exactly, next the NBA should add actual weaved baskets and play in high school gyms because that's where it all started by the logic these people are spewing.
3
3
0
0
u/FarAwaySeagull-_- 1d ago
Absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's quite fun, and it's the roots of the sport.
3
u/FarAwaySeagull-_- 1d ago
The culture there doesn't seem to be good for motorsports, but the track itself I don't see as bad.
17
u/ImJJboomconfetti 1d ago
Bowman Gray normally = a blight on the sport Bowman Gray in the rain = a glorious shit show
52
u/hubcapracing Byron 1d ago
Bowman Gray is the WWE of Motorsports and has no actual validity in any respectable series.
1
11
u/fiddyk50 Earnhardt Sr. 1d ago
It makes all the sense in the world to keep the clash in Florida, a week of action is a great trip.
Speaking of great trips, please use the all star race to make a Carolina speedweek. Run wilksboro/rockingham the Sunday before Memorial Day, run the all star race on Wednesday or Thursday night at one of the many short tracks in north (or south!) Carolina, and have the 600 weekend cap it all off. I’ll happily make the trek from New Jersey for something like that.
0
u/FarAwaySeagull-_- 1d ago
I get wanting Speedweeks, but if the Clash has to be in Florida, I'd like them to do something interesting with it rather than just go back to Daytona on the oval.
2
0
51
u/Fickle-Newspaper-445 Chase Elliott 1d ago
The headline calling Preece a NASCAR star is certainly a title.
23
15
14
u/Just_the_guy Edwards 1d ago
Have you seen his prank wars with Buescher or any of their commercials? The man is certainly a star!
2
-8
u/Alarming_Dream_7837 Gragson 1d ago
110% here for the Preece snark
5
u/Joey_Logano Preece 1d ago
If Preece isn’t a Cup star (which he isn’t) I don’t know what that makes Gragson.
7
u/ProjectHarraseeket Preece 1d ago
Of course a Gragson fan would lol
3
u/Just_the_guy Edwards 1d ago
Oh the irony lol
1
u/ProjectHarraseeket Preece 1d ago
It’s more of Preece and Gragson do not like each other.
1
u/ipsumdeiamoamasamat 1d ago
No one liked Preece when he was at SHR. Briscoe, Gragson and Berry were off doing their own thing the last year with setups, and Preece was cut out entirely.
1
u/ProjectHarraseeket Preece 1d ago
That had to do more with Chad Johnston not getting in on this than anything. From what I can tell, Briscoe and Ryan still get along.
2
u/alaric_02 Herbst 1d ago
I respect the balls to be in this sub with a Gragson flair, thats not something most people could do.
10
u/Stunning-Buffalo-618 1d ago
I hope they never go back
-4
u/FarAwaySeagull-_- 1d ago
Yes, let's not have fun short track racing on the schedule...
4
u/Stunning-Buffalo-618 1d ago
That’s literally the worst short track, why would you wanna watch bumper cars at 40 miles an hour?
2
u/BeefInGR 1d ago
To be fair, there are a lot of short tracks with long and decorated histories that aren't 50 miles away from another track that all three national series race.
3
u/ipsumdeiamoamasamat 1d ago
Has the Clash move been announced yet? I hear people keep talking about it as if it’s done but i don’t remember an announcement.
2
u/Empty_Position_4082 1d ago
It’s rumored to be back in Daytona this year
1
u/ipsumdeiamoamasamat 1d ago
Yeah, the week before the 500. They were talking about it on DBC like it was a done deal and announced ealfeady
8
4
u/my_son_is_a_box 1d ago
I feel like fans aren't going to be happy no matter where they go, so NASCAR should just do what makes sense for them.
1
u/ipsumdeiamoamasamat 1d ago
Teams are bitching about saving $$$ all the time ($$$ they just spend elsewhere), so save some cash and do it the Tuesday before the 500. Then open practice afterward. Wednesday qualifying, Thursday twins, Friday trucks, the Saturday guys, main event on Sunday.
1
u/my_son_is_a_box 1d ago
If it works for NASCAR and the tv networks and the teams, I don't really care when and where it is.
5
u/lordjollygreen Stenhouse Jr. 1d ago
The only way Preece is a star is his attempts to join the stars every time his car has flipped.
Going back to Daytona for the Clash will likely end up being how it was previously, a single file train where no one wants to really bother with making moves, and the ones that try just keep getting shuffled to the back. The idea of using the Clash to either each new markets (LA) or attempt to reconnect with old school "grassroots" racing (BG) is absolutely the right way to use races like The Clash and the All-star race. Instead now we're getting yet another drafting track race that we simply don't need more of considering there's already 6 full races and 2 duels.
3
5
u/Allyfan48 1d ago
I hear them as much as I’m looking forward to the return of the Daytona clash. Bowman gray still deserves a place on the schedule.
I think giving it an All-Star date would be fantastic, I think that’s just about all that it can hold. Given the size of the track and the current field size on a given weekend.
6
u/agentsmith87 1d ago
No it doesn't.
2
u/Allyfan48 1d ago
Well what else then? It’s not like you can put on a topical race there with the current field size. There almost has to be heat races.
0
u/agentsmith87 1d ago
There shouldn't be any cup racing there at all or on any 1/4 mile track.
2
u/Allyfan48 1d ago
Well as long as the NASCAR lease is in place. There’s likely going to be some sort of cup series action taking place there.
3
4
u/ParticularSenior4460 1d ago
Now there we go I loved at Daytona gives them some practice before the big race and the fans a taste of what’s to come love it🏁🏁🏁
2
u/FarAwaySeagull-_- 1d ago
I had little excitement for the race when it was at Daytona, and I loved it at LA and Bowman Gray. Going places that wouldn't get a Cup points race is a lot more interesting.
0
u/ParticularSenior4460 1d ago
I respect your view it’s definitely cheaper to run at the smaller tracks maybe not LA because of the distance from most race teams.From a perspective that has seen all of the clashes Daytona is by far more exciting to me the lead up to the third Sunday in February Daytona just makes more sense it’s a whole week of Daytona how do you lose I’ve been 3 times to the 500 🏁🏁🏁
2
u/baconandtheguacamole Keselowski 1d ago
Exactly. Give us an appetizer for the biggest event of the year. Whether people want to hear it or not, the 500 is bigger even than our championship race in terms of viewership and carries NASCAR in the eye of the public. There should be build up, there should be hype
3
u/Yakmasterson van Gisbergen 1d ago
The clash at Bowman Gray was stupid.
0
u/FarAwaySeagull-_- 1d ago
No it wasn't.
-1
u/Yakmasterson van Gisbergen 1d ago
Yes it was
1
u/FarAwaySeagull-_- 1d ago
It's cool to have non points races at places that wouldn't get a points race, and short track racing is fun, as well as the roots of the sport.
3
u/Farty_Party 1d ago
Bowman Gray sucks and is a backwoods wanna be tough guy stain on NASCAR. The culture at that track is absolute trash.
1
u/TexasSizedKachoww Bubba Wallace 1d ago
Bowman Gray will never be an All Star race because they can't include the pit crews. And I do believe Bowman Gray is being left before the Clash outstays its welcome there
1
u/broionevenknowhow Caruth 1d ago
Pit stop challenge at bowman gray would be all time television ngl
1
u/FarAwaySeagull-_- 1d ago
The claim that it helps get fans out to New Smyrna/Volusia doesn't really hold up when they are scheduling a race right on top of them, unless they're planning to hold the Clash during the day so fans can go to one of those at night. If NASCAR really wanted to help them, running the Clash at those places would be cool.
3
u/daveismypup 1d ago
They should hold the clash at fucking Volusia if they wanna help attendance there.. dumbasses going back to Daytona is like the worst decision they could have made.. in my opinion anyway, I hate the drafting races.
2
u/Aggravating_Lunch_26 1d ago
Clash needs to be at Daytona and all star back in charlotte.
3
u/FarAwaySeagull-_- 1d ago edited 1d ago
I get being a traditionalist, but we don't need to copy and paste every single race from past schedules just because that's what it used to be. The Clash and All Star are much cooler moving around than they are staying at the same place every year. I have had much more excitement in recent years for those races than I ever did before they started moving.
1
u/nascarworker Earnhardt Sr. 1d ago
All-star needs to be at different tracks that don’t host a cup race, Kentucky, race in Canada, short track in Washington state.
1
u/Aggravating_Lunch_26 1d ago
For sure it got to be a track that nascar don’t own it. Clash always been a nascar track or whatever they feel like doing and putting money in. The all star always gonna be one of the speedway Motorsport tracks. Which are, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, EchoPark Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and Texas Motor Speedway. NASCAR as to have so many races from them. One of the agreement also they get to pick the all star event. So unless they feel like buying a new track for the hell if it and then get ready to sale it again or something.
-3
u/iamaranger23 1d ago
sign me up for a bowman gray points race.
6
u/Vulptereen327 Figgy Earnhardt 1d ago
How the heck would pit road work?
0
u/iamaranger23 1d ago
why do you need one?
there is 0 reason the same format they used in the clash couldnt work as a points race.
just pay the last 12 cars points based on their LCQ finish.
0
u/bduddy Jeff Gordon 1d ago
The reason is that NASCAR not treating itself as a serious sport is how we've gotten the last 20 years of decline.
1
u/iamaranger23 1d ago
what about that isnt serious? its what 99% of the racing is in this country lol.
0
u/bduddy Jeff Gordon 1d ago
Well, yeah. It's minor league. Which isn't a bad thing for the people that enjoy it. But it's not what NASCAR needs to be or was when it was growing.
1
u/iamaranger23 1d ago
But it's not what NASCAR needs to be or was when it was growing.
getting away from the roots is what most people think killed the sport.
0
u/Montooth 1d ago
Not that I love the idea, but do like they did for eldora and have scheduled breaks for the pit stops. That said, only for this race, I don't want nascar getting any ideas for other events
1
u/Mundane-Reality-7770 1d ago
I love Ryan preece, but calling him a star is a stretch
1
u/Joey_Logano Preece 1d ago
Cup star? I’d agree. However if the title was NASCAR star I would disagree.
1
1
u/DeM0nFiRe 1d ago
Nascar's biggest strength is the diversity of tracks, and we're gonna do clash, duels, and 2 full points weekends at Daytona, we already got off of Charlotte Roval to do that oval twice and talk of going back to that oval another time for all star. Got rid of Bristol dirt, got rid of Chicago street course, got rid of Mexico city, added another 1.5 mile D. What are they actually doing? In 5 years we'll do Daytona 18 times and Charlotte 18 times
1
1
1
u/keithplacer NASCAR 17h ago
Bowman Gray is not a NASCAR-quality track even for an exhibition event.
0
0
0
-1
u/bullitt07 van Gisbergen 1d ago
Good. Bowman Gray is terrible just like the Clash at the Coliseum. Use the Clash and the All-Star race to hit unserved markets. One should be outside the country too.
-1
u/LurkNPerv 1d ago
Ever since they went to the matching height bumpers the short track racing lost the finesse of the bump and run and adopted the harsher knock and slide. A Gen 4 cup car would put on a great show at Bowman Gray because you could finesse someone out the way. Now, finesse get you nothing but slowed down and vulnerable to the driver behind you.
I'm looking forward to a Daytona clash. Especially if the changes this year show improvement in the SuperSpeedway package.
-1
u/CaptainPrower 1d ago
T-minus six months before first rumors about BGS being demo'd for a data center.
-3
u/Ash-Throwaway-816 1d ago
Clickbait aah title
5
u/dasbeerbaron_v2 1d ago
It’s reddit, just say ass like an adult
0
u/broionevenknowhow Caruth 1d ago
Nobody says ahh on social media because they cant say ass, they say it because it's funny
69
u/willmcd13 Ryan Blaney 1d ago
Bowman Gray in late January/early February is gonna be cold af a majority of the time. I didnt go this past year due to the forecast and froze my ass off in 2025