Coliseums have housed gladiators, wild animals, drama, and mock naval battles. But until the 20th century, they never held horsepower, until Bowman Gray Stadium was built. NASCAR’s Original Coliseum, nestled in their backyard, will play host to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Bowman Gray Stadium; NASCAR’s Original Coliseum
Built in the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1937, as a public works project to bring jobs to the region during the Great Depression. Bowman Gray Stadium was a football stadium with a quarter-mile dirt track around the field’s perimeter. Hosting the first game between Winston Salem University versus Duke in the fall of 1938, it would not be until 1939 before tires would hit the dirt track.
Bowman Gray hosted dirt midgets for 8 years on the dirt track, but looking for a change the promoter of the races reached out to the city. He arranged a deal with the city; they pave the dirt track and they would get a cut from the income of future races. Unfortunately, like many promoters in early stock car racing, he skipped town before any money could go to Winston-Salem.
Bill France Sr. Comes to Town:
Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins began the NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium. It was the first paved oval the series would race on, hosting weekly races during the summer months. The first NASCAR Grand National Series (Now the Cup Series) was held on May 18th, 1949. Fonty Flock won the race. NASCAR held 11 races at Bowman Gray in the first year.
The track winners list reads like the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Glen Wood, Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, and Bobby Allison.
Allison won the last race in 1971, the rules at the time allowed a driver to use a Grand American series (now Xfinity) car. Allison traded his larger Ford Galaxie with a 7.0L V8, for the smaller Mustang with a 5.0L V8. The smaller Mustang allowed Allison to roll through the corners at Bowman Gray better. He won the race, but Richard Petty filed a complaint with NASCAR, which overturned the win.
NASCAR made it right 53 years later and awarded Allison with the win.
The last NASCAR race at Bowman Gray (until the upcoming Clash) combined Grand National cars with Grand American cars, which were perceived to have an advantage.
It was the only race without an official winner until NASCAR recognized Bobby Allison as the victor last October. pic.twitter.com/3JKumtoh73
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) January 12, 2025
READ MORE: NASCAR All-Time Wins List- From 1st to 205th
Every Week at Bowman Gray:
“Part Racing, Part Religion, Part Wrestling”
That’s how Bowman Gray’s promoter Gray Garrison described the racing at the track. Nicknamed “The Madhouse”, tempers flare and emotions are worn on the sleeve. Racers come from four different classes, Modified, Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Stadium Stocks. From April to August, 17,000 fans pile into the stadium to watch some great short-track racing.
The K&N East Series raced at the track in 2012. The NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 featured your favorite current Cup Series stars. Kyle Larson won the pole, Corey Lajoie won the race, and Bubba Wallace finished second. Chase Elliott finished sixth, Ben Kennedy, current executive VP of NASCAR. Daniel Suarez had a huge wreck, hitting the jersey barriers and destroying the right side of his car.
Today, those drivers are the stars of the Cup Series and have millions of fans across the nation and even around the world. It all started on a small quarter-mile in Winston-Salem
Next-Gen breathes new life into Bowman Gray:
When NASCAR announced the Clash would be moved to the LA Coliseum, it needed to test the Next-Gen cars’ ability on a quarter-mile track. Dale Jr, Clint Bowyer, and Tony Stewart would be the first Cup drivers to drive in Bowman Gray since 1971. Now the track has become full circle and will play host to the Clash.
Burt Myers is the current track champion and winner of it 10 other years. He was recently tabbed by Team AmeriVet to drive in The Clash. But he has competition from 12-time track champion Tim Brown, who was picked by Rick Ware Racing. Brown also holds the track record, a 12.9-second lap. These two will be making their first Cup Series starts on the track they know the best.
Bowman Gray Stadium is the origins of stock car racing in this country, and the origins of NASCAR. To host the season-opening race in 2025 seems full circle and a great way to keep the sport ingrained in its roots.
Catch all the action from Bowman Gray Stadium and the Cook Out Clash on Flo Sports, Fox Sports, and Fox Sports 1. The action begins Saturday, February 1st.
READ NEXT: Track Legend Tabbed by Rick Ware Racing For Clash at Bowman-Gray
