Bowman Gray's Clash postponed again

Severe snowstorms struck North Carolina this weekend, killing two people. Conditions in the Winston-Salem area, where the Clash, the season opener, will be played, were particularly challenging. NASCAR, non-championship, were determined to be too dangerous to allow the race to take place on Monday night in France, as planned in the first postponement, announced on Saturday.

Meanwhile, crews at Bowman Gray Stadium are continuing to clear as much snow and ice as possible from the track facilities. The track is nearly ready to host the opening race, but NASCAR felt that postponing the race to Wednesday was the wisest decision to allow everyone in the paddock to travel safely. The majority of the NASCAR Cup Series field is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, another region hit hard by the snowstorms.

The postponement to Wednesday does not affect the schedule for the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race of the season and the first to count towards the championship. Indeed, with the Super Bowl taking place this weekend, on-track activities in Daytona will not begin until next Wednesday, a week after The Clash, giving teams ample time to travel to Florida. The Sunshine State has also been affected by recent cold snaps, with sub-zero temperatures across the region.

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