Climate-permitting, NASCAR will maintain the Cookout Conflict at Bowman Grey Stadium on Sunday, February 1st. For individuals who could also be unfamiliar with this occasion’s goal on the schedule, ‘The Conflict’ is a pre-season exhibition race that has been part of the NASCAR calendar since 1979.
Initially developed as a 20-lap dash race at Daytona Worldwide Speedway and solely that includes pole winners from the earlier 12 months, the occasion has developed dramatically through the years — particularly just lately.
It has since moved off the excessive banks and gone in all places from the Daytona Highway Course to Los Angeles in a short lived monitor constructed inside the LA Memorial Coliseum, and now on the historic Bowman Grey quarter-mile in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
What’s the format?
Bowman Grey
Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
The occasion has since expanded and is now not an unique pole-winners solely shootout. You may anticipate to see all 36 chartered NASCAR Cup groups participate on this weekend’s actions, in addition to a few open groups, however that does not assure them a spot in the primary occasion.
Even with its abbreviated schedule and the elimination of warmth races resulting from anticipated snow storms on Saturday, these drivers and groups should work for it in the event that they wish to be within the large present. Every driver will get 4 minutes to place down a quick lap, and the 20 quickest drivers will lock themselves into the 200-lap characteristic race.
The remaining automobiles can be shuffled right into a last-chance qualifier, the place they are going to race each other with the highest two finishers advancing into the primary occasion. The twenty third and last spot on the grid is reserved for the very best factors finisher from the 2025 season who didn’t lock themselves in.
Who’s racing this weekend?
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Now, who is definitely heading to snowy Bowman Grey this weekend? The entry checklist options 38 automobiles. Together with the anticipated 36 chartered entries, the No. 66 ‘Storage 66’ Ford can be competing with Chad Finchum behind the wheel. Staff Amerivet can also be bringing its No. 50 Chevrolet with Bowman Grey legend Burt Myers driving the automobile for the second consecutive 12 months.
As for the opposite 36 entries, many of the drivers stay with the identical organizations as final 12 months, however there are some modifications and this would be the first alternative to see it on the monitor.
The most important change is Daniel Suarez now driving the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports whereas Connor Zilisch takes his place at Trackhouse Racing, all whereas adopting the No. 88 as teammate Shane van Gisbergen takes on a brand new (however acquainted) quantity with the No. 97. You will additionally discover Corey LaJoie driving the No. 6 for RFK Racing as group co-owner Brad Keselowski recovers from an low season leg harm.
Bowman Grey may even be an enormous alternative for the primary new driver/crew chief pairings to get to know one another in a race weekend setting earlier than the primary points-paying race at Daytona. Here is a take a look at the drivers and groups formally entered for the 2026 version of The Conflict on the iconic Madhouse…
2026 Cookout Conflict at Bowman Grey entry checklist
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