While known primarily for auto racing, the first event at Bowman Gray was actually a college football game on Oct. 22, 1938, pitting the Duke Blue Devils against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Duke snuck past Wake Forest that day by the score of 7-0. Today, the Rams of Winston-Salem State University play their home football games at the stadium.

Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., kicks off the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. The much-hyped NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray exhibition is at the sport’s shortest and oldest track. Bowman Gray is a quarter-mile bullring that’s been hosting races for 86 years. The race replaces the Clash at the Coliseum that was held in Los Angeles.