NASCAR fans have reacted to the Bowman Gray Stadium's return to Cup Series racing. The quarter-mile oval, famous for tight racing, will register its first Cup battle since Bobby Allison won the track's final race in 1971.
Bowman Gray became NASCAR's first weekly racing and paved track after NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins had bought the place. The oval hosted 29 Cup Series races in its brief tenure from 1958-71, with Bob Welborn winning the debut event.
Earlier this year, NASCAR took over the management of the longest-running weekly track. On Saturday, Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice-president, announced that the quarter-mile oval will return to the Cup Series in 2025. The Winston-Salem-based asphalt will replace the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the pre-season Busch Light Clash, slated for February 2, 2025.
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Bob Pockrass shared the update on X (formerly Twitter), which gained tractio,n and fans reacted to the quarter-mile track's future inclusion.
"The Clash will once again be run on a quarter-mile track -- but in 2025 it'll be at Bowman Gray Stadium. Sunday, Feb. 2. On FOX," he wrote.
Few fans outlined the hard racing birthed by the narrow track, which is the reason behind the stadium's nickname 'Madhouse.'
"MADHOUSE ENERGY IS REAL," one fan wrote.
"Demo Derby incoming!" another fan commented.
"Bumper car 150," a fan tweeted.
"Horrible idea, gonna be using the bumper to pass," one fan opined.
One fan took a sarcastic dig at NASCAR for prohibiting wrecking, albeit including Bowman Gray Stadium, which is highly likely to produce a chaotic and wreck-filled race.
"NASCAR: driving like a moron and wrecking people is against the rules. Also NASCAR: we’re putting a race at Bowman Gray," they wrote.
"We’re going back to The Madhouse" - NASCAR executive VP thrilled with Bowman Gray Stadium's Cup Series return
Bowman Gray Stadium has held NASCAR's weekly events since the 1949 season. Despite being removed from the Cup Series calendar, the track is a regular in the weekly series.
Ben Kennedy voiced his excitement on the quarter-mile oval's return to the Cup Series after over 50 years. He said via NASCAR:
"We’re going back to The Madhouse in Bowman Gray Stadium. Bringing our Cup Series back there for the first time since the 1970s, it’s going to be another historic event.
"I’d say in a lot of ways, this is going to be an opportunity to celebrate our roots, our history and celebrate our NASCAR regional series."
Legendary NASCAR drivers like Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Junior Johnson, Lee Petty and others, have reigned supreme at the famed Stadium. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace are among the current Cup Series drivers who competed at the venue in the ARCA Menards Series East.
A one-hour documentary produced by NASCAR Studios and Fox Sports Films is underway, which will honor the famed venue's return. Titled 'The Madhouse: NASCAR’s Return to Bowman Gray Stadium,' the film will premier on FS1 at an as-yet unannounced date.
