NASCAR taking over Bowman Gray Stadium lease beginning with the 2024 season

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“We all realized, at some point in time, we’ve got to pass it on to someone else,” Garrison says. “And we felt like what a better partner coming in than you can do with NASCAR. Our big thing is, we really care about the drivers, the competitors, the fans, and they’re like family to us. So we wanted to make sure if we did do something, we wanted to make sure somebody would come in have the same love for the sport and the same vision that we did, and we feel like NASCAR would be the best choice to come in and take this over.


“A lot of these things are not about money. It’s about relationships. I think NASCAR, they’re definitely not getting involved at Bowman Gray for the money. It’s the relationship that’s the full circle of things. … It’s pretty unique, we think, how it ties back in 70-some years later, how it comes back around, and we feel like it’s going to be in good hands.”

 
I hope NASCAR finally does something about how the events here are managed before an innocent person like a paramedic or track worker winds up being killed.
 
StandOnIt said:
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Well I will need to go see a first time race at Bowman Gray this year and get me some 2025 posting cred:

Old time Bowman Gray fan misses the good ole days before Nascar ruin't the place.

Perhaps just up dying is the only comfort that remains for me in this life......
 
Greg said:
Well I will need to go see a first time race at Bowman Gray this year and get me some 2025 posting cred:

Old time Bowman Gray fan misses the good ole days before Nascar ruin't the place.

Perhaps just up dying is the only comfort that remains for me in this life......
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You spelled roont incorrrctly.
 
I mean... how could this NOT be for having a Cup non-points even there? NW becomes a points race, BG becomes All-Star race once they tear down the ARMCO and put up SAFER.
 
aunty dive said:
You spelled roont incorrrctly.
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They tore up my nerves and caused me to read it wrong too. I thought they would give me a year before they roont the hallowed grounds starting in 2025. But Nascar took that year away from us too, out of spite. Just to spit in the face of the loyal common man that built the madhouse.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
I mean... how could this NOT be for having a Cup non-points even there? NW becomes a points race, BG becomes All-Star race once they tear down the ARMCO and put up SAFER.
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Cars don't get fast enough to need SAFER barriers but it's probably pocket change for NASCAR to do it.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Cars don't get fast enough to need SAFER barriers but it's probably pocket change for NASCAR to do it.
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They put them in at the Coliseum, so I figure they will do it anywhere no matter how small the track might be. Which would be a wise decision IMO. If they have to widen the track surface a couple feet, so be it
 
Greg said:
I thought the deal at the Coliseum was all about the location and it's market. Bowman Gray doesn't give them any of those things.
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If a points-paying race in Los Angeles happens, whether it's a street race, Long Beach, or Dodger Stadium, The Clash is no longer necessary there.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
I mean... how could this NOT be for having a Cup non-points even there? NW becomes a points race, BG becomes All-Star race once they tear down the ARMCO and put up SAFER.
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I’m sure they’ll at least consider it, but from the Athletic’s reporting it seemed as though the family who’s always operated it (and had co-promoted races there with Bill France Sr. as far back as the 40’s) went to NASCAR a few years ago and had them in mind as the natural successor should they look to get into something outside of racing. I think with the track’s heritage it was the right fit even if just to maintain the usual weekly program.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I’m sure they’ll at least consider it, but from the Athletic’s reporting it seemed as though the family who’s always operated it (and had co-promoted races there with Bill France Sr. as far back as the 40’s) went to NASCAR a few years ago and had them in mind as the natural successor should they look to get into something outside of racing. I think with the track’s heritage it was the right fit even if just to maintain the usual weekly program.
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People have no idea how stressful running a short track is. A lot of people getting out of it the past couple years because of how entitled everyone feels after COVID.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
I'm amazed at the number of people who think Winston-Salem is in the middle of the boondocks or something.
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I think W/S is a great city with and would prefer to be there over the Southern California. It is just a matter of saturation or exposure.

BTW this move by Nascar doesn't bother me. I just hope they stick with the current program which includes keeping cup cars off the quarter mile. I love short track racing but it needs to be least a half mile for that many cars at that size.
 
Greg said:
I think W/S is a great city with and would prefer to be there over the Southern California. It is just a matter of saturation or exposure.

BTW this move by Nascar doesn't bother me. I just hope they stick with the current program which includes keeping cup cars off the quarter mile. I love short track racing but it needs to be least a half mile for that many cars at that size.
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I couldn't agree more, cup cars should never run on any track less than half a mile. My local track is a 1/4 mile and I love going there but would not want to see cup cars there.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
I mean... how could this NOT be for having a Cup non-points even there? NW becomes a points race, BG becomes All-Star race once they tear down the ARMCO and put up SAFER.
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Could need a lot of work before Bowman Gray Stadium can handle a Cup race.

Bowman Gray is very narrow. SAFER barriers take up a lot of space when you consider the foam between them and the original wall behind it all.
Currently the grandstands are right up against the back of the wall, with not much fencing.
Pits are completely outside the track, and fans seated in the grandstands cannot see them. I doubt that the city or WSSU will allow the football field inside the track to be affected by widening the track or adding pits. There is very little room. If your high school had a running track around its football field, that's pretty much like Bowman Gray. The track doesn't even have room for a Winner's Circle - they drive a specially constructed stage truck (flatbed) onto the main straightaway to host victory celebrations.
Fan capacity at Bowman Gray is only 17,000. Parking near the track is already strained.
 
I hope that NASCAR taking over managing Bowman Gray Stadium ("The Madhouse") works out. The Harrisons did a pretty good job - before they took over the grandstands were empty. But I'm not keen on the WWE atmosphere they fostered.

The track itself is too small, flat and narrow to handle good racing for the Cup cars. If you didn't like the actual racing at the LA Coliseum, you won't be any happier at Bowman Gray. Expansion would be tough - it is pretty hemmed in, and the City of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem State University is unlikely to allow inward expansion over the football field.

Be prepared for high ticket prices. The stands currently only hold 17,000. That's less than half of what Martinsville holds.

But what I'm more concerned about is if NASCAR decides to change the local car class rules to conform to its own small track rules. That caused the demise of Caraway Speedway. The modified guys might tolerate it, but the lower classes could bust. I'm hoping that they've learned some lessons by now.
 
No more fun at the Bull Ring. Its the only place that has a ladies night and you cant find a lady in the place.
 
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