Bowman Gray Stadium
Winston-Salem, NC, USA
Track History
Before there were superspeedways, before the corporate naming rights and the million-dollar purses, there was a quarter-mile flat track tucked inside a football stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Bowman Gray Stadium has been hosting racing since 1949 — the same year NASCAR ran its very first Strictly Stock race — and it carries that history in every inch of its worn asphalt. The Modified Series has called this place home for decades, Saturday night short-track racing at its purest, where fenders touch and tempers flare under the lights. When NASCAR brought the Cup Series back to Bowman Gray for the 2026 Clash, it was not just a race — it was a homecoming, a deliberate nod to the roots of a sport that was born on tracks exactly like this one. The tight confines reward aggression and patience in equal measure. There is nowhere to hide on a quarter-mile, no room for error, no runoff to save you. What Bowman Gray lacks in grandeur it makes up for in authenticity, and that authenticity is exactly why it endures.
Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference
Top Drivers at Bowman Gray Stadium
Rex White leads all drivers at Bowman Gray Stadium with 6 wins across 12 starts.
All-time stats across Cup, O'Reilly & Trucks (min 3 starts)
| Driver | Races | Wins | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rex White | 12 | 6 | 1.8 |
| Richard Petty | 26 | 4 | 5.2 |
| Glen Wood | 13 | 4 | 6.5 |
| Junior Johnson | 13 | 4 | 7.8 |
| David Pearson | 9 | 3 | 5 |
Race Winners (1958-1971)
Bowman Gray Stadium has crowned 12 different Cup Series winners since 1958.
| Year | Race | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Myers Brothers 250 | Bobby Allison |
| 1970 | Myers Brothers 250 | Richard Petty |
| 1969 | Myers Brothers 250 | Richard Petty |
| 1968 | Myers Brothers 250 | David Pearson |
| 1967 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Bobby Allison |
| 1967 | Myers Brothers 250 | Richard Petty |
| 1966 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | David Pearson |
| 1966 | Myers Brothers 250 | David Pearson |
| 1965 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Junior Johnson |
| 1965 | Myers Brothers 250 | Junior Johnson |
| 1964 | Myers Brothers 200 | Junior Johnson |
| 1964 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Marvin Panch |
| 1963 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Jim Paschal |
| 1963 | International 200 | Junior Johnson |
| 1963 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Glen Wood |
| 1962 | International 200 | Richard Petty |
| 1962 | 27 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Rex White |
| 1962 | Myers Brothers 200 | Johnny Allen |
| 1961 | 38 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Rex White |
| 1961 | Myers Brothers 200 | Rex White |
| 1961 | Bowman-Gray 500 | Rex White |
| 1960 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Glen Wood |
| 1960 | International 200 | Glen Wood |
| 1960 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Glen Wood |
| 1959 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Rex White |
| 1959 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Rex White |
| 1959 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Jim Reed |
| 1958 | 50 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Lee Petty |
| 1958 | 38 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium | Bob Welborn |
Race Dynamics
Short tracks feature close-quarters racing with higher caution rates. Aggressive drivers and bump-and-run tactics thrive here. Strong restarts and late-race speed are essential. Track-specific history matters more here than at any other track type.
Top Rated Drivers at Bowman Gray Stadium
Top-rated drivers at Bowman Gray Stadium based on the NR-Rating Elo system, measuring historical performance at this specific track.
NR-Rating Elo rankings based on track-specific performance
| Rank | Driver | Elo Rating | Races |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 1656 | 413 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 1648 | 389 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 1623 | 732 |
| 4 | Christopher Bell | 1594 | 227 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 1577 | 626 |
| 6 | Chase Elliott | 1575 | 369 |
| 7 | William Byron | 1550 | 299 |
| 8 | Ty Gibbs | 1544 | 134 |
| 9 | Ross Chastain | 1539 | 270 |
| 10 | Brad Keselowski | 1536 | 604 |
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