NASCAR's return to Bowman Gray a glimpse of the past amidst modernity

If NASCAR's season-opening Clash is an attempt to show fans something they wouldn't normally get to see, holding it at Bowman Gray Stadium is a home run venue.

The quarter-mile track hasn't hosted the NASCAR Cup Series since 1971, but it's return as the host of the exhibition race is a welcome sight for fans that love both short-track racing and old-school NASCAR.

Known as "The Madhouse", the facility has long had a reputation for bringing out broiling hot tempers among the drivers that traverse it on a weekly basis, and it being a quarter-mile long, there's hardly ever any room for you to separate yourself from the pack.

The inclusion of Bowman Gray on the 2025 schedule shines a light on a topic that divides fans like no other — should NASCAR fully embrace modernity, shying away from grassroots tracks in the Carolinas, or should it strive to present a new, modern-day image while also providing a product that mirrors its classic counterpart?

To its credit, NASCAR has successfully pulled off the latter of the two options. Bring back gems such as Bowman Gray and North Wilkesboro have reignited interest from fans who had previously stepped away, while modern ventures, such as street races and NASCAR's Next-Gen car have drawn the line between your grandfather's NASCAR and the NASCAR of today.

Whether or not a physical, crash fest of a race inside of a football stadium in February appeals to you doesn't change the fact that embracing history is imperative to NASCAR remaining relevant in the present day, while also taking steps to ensure future growth.

NASCAR easily outpaces other major sporting leagues in terms of the average age of fans. It's no secret that the NASCAR crowd is largely composed of those aged 55 and up, and it's those longtime, diehard fans who have taken on the responsibility of raising the next generation of race fans.

Bringing back legacy venues keeps those longtime fans around long enough for them to share their love of NASCAR with the younger generations, who may find themselves more attached to the Chicago Street Race or an international race in Mexico City than North Wilkesboro or Rockingham.

They say that if you watch NASCAR long enough, things will always come full circle. For a sport doing all it can to entice a new generation and maintain longtime fans, a return to Bowman Gray represents much more than a one-off exhibition race at a facility fondly known as "The Madhouse."