Well, the official start to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series is going to have to wait an extra day.
On Saturday, NASCAR confirmed that the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (originally scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 1) has been postponed until Monday, February 2, due to the lingering effects of a major snowstorm pushing through North Carolina.
The postponement, according to NASCAR, comes out of an abundance of caution for the race fans traveling to the event, the Winston-Salem community, and the North Carolina region.
On Monday, NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying will begin at 11:00 AM ET (FS2), where the fastest 20 drivers in the session will guarantee themselves a position in the 200-lap Cook Out Clash. Meanwhile, the final 18 drivers will be headed to the Last Chance Qualifier.
The 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) will allow the top-two finishers of the event to advance into the main event on Monday. An additional spot will be awarded to the driver highest in 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Points who hadn’t already secured their spot in the field.
By Thursday, NASCAR had already made alterations to the weekend schedule, completely removing any on-track activity scheduled to take place on Saturday, and officially cancelling the heat races.
Officials from NASCAR do remain in close contact with the City of Winston-Salem, as well as North Carolina officials, to determine the overall impacts of the weather and ensure that the conditions are favorable to host a safe event.
Parking lots are scheduled to open at 9:00 AM ET on Monday, with off-site shuttle services beginning at 9:30 AM. Gates will open at 10:00 AM.
On Friday, in advance of the Winter Storm barreling towards Winston-Salem, North Carolina, NASCAR had John Probst on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 saying they would be waiting and playing it by ear, seeing how much snow actually fell in the region.
Mike Forde and Justin Swilling went on the ‘Hauler Talk’ podcast later in the afternoon to discuss the sanctioning body’s plans to do their best to make sure NASCAR could attempt to run the Cook Out Clash on Monday, detailing plans to work through the storm and try to keep the important surfaces clear.
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The Cook Out Clash will take place Monday, February 2 at 6:00 PM ET on FOX.
