NASCAR Announces 2025 Clash Format

NASCAR announced the format for the 2025 Clash at Bowman-Gray Stadium.

The event will take place over two days, with Saturday reserved for practice, qualifying, and heat races, while Sunday's events focus on Last-Chance Qualifiers (LCQs) and the main event.

Practice/Qualifying

The field will be split into three separate groups, who will receive three separate practice sessions. The top speeds from the final practice session from each group will form the lineups for the heat races.

Heat Races

There will be four heat races of 25 laps each, where only green-flag laps will be counted. The top five finishers from each heat will lock themselves into the Clash.

Any drivers who do not advance through the heat races will have one last shot during the LCQs on Sunday evening to make the main event.

LCQs

For any cars that did not advance through the heat races, two spots are up for grabs. Cars will line up based on where they finshed in each of their respective heat races.

The LCQ will be a 75-lap event, where once again only green flag laps will count. The top two finishers will advance to the main event.

One driver will advance to the Clash based on a points provisional -- the highest-points finish in the 2024 Cup Series season who did not already advance through either the heat races or the LCQ, bringing the field size up to 23.

The Clash (Main Event)

The Clash is a 200-lap race where only green flag laps are counted and the race must end under green. A halftime break will be in effect at Lap 100.

Other Notes

Due to Bowman-Gray's grassroots background, a couple of short-track legends will also try their hand at this event.

Bowman-Gray's all-time wins leader, Tim Brown, will be attempting to make his way into the main event for Rick Ware Racing in the No. 15. Brown has 12 track championships at the venue, and works for RWR as a suspension specialist. Additionally, Team AmeriVet will participate in the event with Burt Myers, who also has many track championships at the oval and multiple Whelen Modified titles as well. He will be joined by legendary crew chief Tony Eury Jr. atop the pit box.

The legendary quarter-mile oval has been coined the name of "Madhouse" for its close-quarter and often heated racing, was built in 1937. The upcoming Clash will mark the first time NASCAR's premier series will traverse the oval since 1971, where Bobby Allison bested Richard Petty in a 250-lap event.