Winston-Salem city staffers are preparing for the Cook Out Clash early next month, the first NASCAR Cup series event held at Bowman Gray Stadium in more than five decades.
For the last three years, the event has been held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Joseph Dennewitz, the managing director of NASCAR regional, told city council Winston-Salem was selected as the new host city over several other options across the country.
“The opportunity to shine a national spotlight on short track racing and the magic of Bowman Gray Stadium was simply too good to pass up," he said.
Bowman Gray last hosted a Cup series event all the way back in 1971. The Cook Out Clash is already sold out – 15,000 fans from 44 states and five countries are set to descend on the city February 2.
Assistant City Manager Ben Rowe says staff has been working with NASCAR over the past few months to figure out the logistics. That includes making sure there’s enough parking, handling concessions, and shoring up the track itself.
“Fueling, the tires, other engineering support that NASCAR typically provides at their other racing venues, all that they've had to figure out how to locate around Bowman Gray Stadium, which is the smallest footprint that they've raced at,” he says.
Rowe says they expect the event will have a major economic impact on the city, with out-of-state visitors staying overnight and checking out local businesses.
Those who couldn’t snag tickets can still watch the event — it will be broadcast in prime time on Fox.