The Madhouse

2026 Cook Out Clash • Bowman Gray Stadium
❄️ RESCHEDULED TO WEDNESDAY: Due to historic snow and 11°F lows, the Clash is now a one-day show on Wednesday, Feb 4.
⚠️ FORMAT CHANGE: Heat Races have been CANCELLED. Top 20 lock in via Qualifying speed.

Wednesday Schedule (Feb 4)

Broadcast coverage on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Time (ET) Event Details
11:30 AM Parking Lots Open Shuttles begin at 12:00 PM
1:30 PM Practice & Qualifying Top 20 Lock In. (Watch on FOX Sports App)
4:30 PM Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) 75 Laps. Top 2 Advance.
6:00 PM Cook Out Clash 200 Laps. Green Flag Only.

Technical Warfare: 750HP & Frozen Brakes

🥶 The Brake Rotor "Shock"

Crew chiefs fear that sub-freezing air (lows of 11°F) will cause rapid thermal shock to brake rotors, causing them to crack. Because this is an Impound Race, teams cannot swap cracked rotors without NASCAR approval, risking their starting spot [1, 2].

🧪 Why Nitrogen is Mandatory

Air pressure in the right-front tire can build by 23 PSI during a run [3]. Teams must use dry nitrogen because moisture in normal air expands unpredictably in the cold, which would ruin handling.

🏎️ 750 Horsepower Package

Cars are running 750HP (up from 670HP). On a frozen quarter-mile track, this power increase will result in extreme wheel spin and aggressive throttle management [4].

🌧️ Wet Weather Protocol

If melting snow leaves the track damp, NASCAR has wet-weather tires available. They will not race in active precipitation, but can run on a damp surface [5].

Key Entries (38 Cars for 23 Spots)

#50
Burt Myers (Team AmeriVet)
The "King of the Madhouse." Myers has 102 Modified Wins and 11 Track Championships at Bowman Gray [6]. He is the ultimate local wild card.
#6
Corey LaJoie (RFK Racing)
Substituting for Brad Keselowski, who is recovering from a broken femur. LaJoie takes the wheel of the top-tier Ford Mustang Dark Horse [7].
#5
Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
The only driver statistically "locked" into the field based on entry rules, though he must still run for seeding [8].
#66
Chad Finchum (Garage 66)
A late entry confirmed for the Garage 66 team, adding to the large field of 38 cars fighting for limited spots [7].

History of "The Madhouse"

Bowman Gray Stadium is NASCAR's first weekly track, with racing dating back to 1949 [9]. It gained national fame through the History Channel series "Madhouse," which documented the intense rivalries of the Modified division [10]. The unique layout features a quarter-mile asphalt oval surrounding a football field, creating tight, contact-heavy racing.