23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports could soon lose their NASCAR Cup Series charters after being denied a rehearing on the matter.

The one-page order was issued on Wednesday. It is unclear what comes next, although the injunction is expected to expire seven days after a decision. If so, the three teams from each organization would be competing as Open teams as soon as Dover Motor Speedway (July 20).

Open teams are not guaranteed entry into a NASCAR Cup Series race. The purse money is also significantly less than that of a charter team.

“We are disappointed by the Fourth Circuit of Appeals decision to deny our request for a full rehearing,” said Jeffrey Kessler, the lead counsel for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. “This decision has no bearing on the strength of our antitrust case, which we look forward to presenting at trial. We are committed to racing this season as we continue to fight for more competitive and fair terms for all teams to ensure the future of the sport, and remain fully confident in our case.”

On June 20, the two teams requested a rehearing before the entire Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. This came after a three-judge panel overturned the preliminary injunction granted on June 5, which had been in effect before the season started. The preliminary injunction allowed the teams to race with charter status this season while continuing to pursue litigation.

A trial date for the antitrust case is set for Dec. 1.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Sonoma this weekend for the Toyota Save Mart 350.

And when it comes to the odds, bettors can dive into that action and place wagers on which driver they think has what it takes to win outright.

Last week at Chicago, Shane van Gisbergen closed as the favorite at +125, and he also ended up getting into victory lane. The win was his second of the year. His first at Mexico was also on a road course.

For this week’s race, SVG is the clear favorite again at +130, with Kyle Larson second on the board at +550.

Who takes the checkered flag this weekend as the Cup Series heads west to Sonoma? Here are the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 9.

Toyota Save Mart 350 2025

Shane van Gisbergen: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total)
Kyle Larson: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Ty Gibbs: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Michael McDowell: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
William Byron: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Chris Buescher: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total) 
Chase Elliott: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Tyler Reddick: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Christopher Bell: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
AJ Allmendinger: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Ross Chastain: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Kyle Busch: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Ryan Blaney: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Chase Briscoe: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Alex Bowman: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Joey Logano: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Daniel Suarez: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Carson Hocevar: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
Denny Hamlin: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Austin Cindric: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Ryan Preece: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Brad Keselowski: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Bubba Wallace: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)
John Hunter Nemechek: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)
Todd Gilliland: +17000 (bet $10 to win $1,710 total)
Zane Smith: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)
Noah Gragson: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)
Justin Haley: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
Erik Jones: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
Cole Custer: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
Austin Dillon: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)
Ty Dillon: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)
Riley Herbst: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)
Josh Berry: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)
Katherine Legge: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)
Cody Ware: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)

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WINSTON SALEM, N.C. (July 9, 2025) – Today, NASCAR announced the Cook Out Clash will return to Bowman Gray Stadium as the opening exhibition event for the 2026 season.

Following the sold-out success of this year’s Cook Out Clash, the first NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race of the 2026 season will return to the historic venue on Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1. The Cook Out Clash at ‘The Madhouse’ will be broadcast by FOX Sports.

“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said Joey Dennewitz, Managing Director, NASCAR Regional. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home to grassroots racing. Thanks to the City of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem State University for their continued partnership at ‘The Madhouse’.”

“The City of Winston Salem is deeply honored to have been chosen to host the 2026 Cook Out Clash,” said City of Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. “The 2025 race was an immensely successful event for all parties involved. We will work hard to ensure that the 2026 Cook Out Clash is even more successful.”

Cook Out, one of the fastest growing family-owned restaurant chains in the nation, will return as the entitlement partner for the 2026 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Based in the Winston-Salem area since 1989, Cook Out is known for its Cook Out burgers as part of the “best combos in town.” The restaurant chain has 350 locations across 11 states.

“We are proud to support the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in our backyard in Winston-Salem,” said Jeremy and Morris Reaves, CEO and Founder of Cook Out. “We look forward to bringing our NASCAR racing family together in our community once again with the Cook Out Clash. Last year was so amazing and we can’t wait to do it again!”

Cook Out has a strong presence in NASCAR as it is the entitlement partner for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway, and the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway where it also serves as the Official Quick Service Restaurant. It is also a proud sponsor of the NASCAR Youth Series and is an active sponsor at the grassroots level.

“Cook Out is an amazing partner that continues to have a positive impact across NASCAR,” said Justin Swilling, Project Lead for the Cook Out Clash. “Their support continues to take our events to the next level, and we look forward to working together to make this year’s Cook Out Clash another memorable sold-out event.”

Built in 1937, Bowman Gray Stadium, a quarter-mile short track, holds a special place in NASCAR history as the longest-running weekly racetrack. In 1949, Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins, two founding fathers of NASCAR, brought motorsports to the facility as the first weekly racetrack and first paved racetrack that NASCAR competed on.

In 2024, NASCAR took over the long-term management of racing operations at Bowman Gray Stadium in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The racetrack hosted 29 NASCAR Grand National, now NASCAR Cup Series, races from 1958 to 1971. Bowman Gray Stadium has hosted many NASCAR legends including Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Glen Wood, David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, and others. Petty won his 100th NASCAR Grand National race in the 1969 Myers Brothers 250 at the racetrack.

More recently, Bowman Gray Stadium hosted several East Series races from 2011 to 2015. Ben Kennedy, great grandson of Bill France Sr., won an East Series race there in 2013. Other winners include two-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes and Cup Series drivers Ryan Preece and Corey LaJoie.

This year’s Cook Out Clash was the first Cup Series race at the historic track since 1971. Chase Elliott, 2020 Cup Series champion, won this year’s Cook Out Clash. With a history of intense competition, NASCAR is proud to bring the Cup Series back for the Cook Out Clash at ‘The Madhouse.’

For more information and to get on the list to purchase tickets for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, visit NASCARClash.com. To learn more about the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season with weekly modified, sportsman, street stock and stadium stock competition, visit bowmangrayracing.com.

The Clash will again be hosted at Bowman Gray Stadium

Bowman Gray Stadium is a 1/4-mile paved oval in Winston Salem, North Carolina. It was the first track to host weekly NASCAR racing back in 1949 and it’s now the longest-running weekly racetrack.

The track hosted the NASCAR Grand National, now known as the NASCAR Cup Series from 1958 to 1971. But, since 1971, the Cup Series didn’t return until this year. In 2025, the Clash was moved to the North Carolina track.

Bowman Gray Results: February 2, 2025 (NASCAR Cup Series)

For 2026, Bowman Gray Stadium is back on the schedule. The NASCAR Cup Series returns to The Madhouse for 2026.

The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1. The event will be broadcast by FOX.

In 2024, NASCAR entered a long-term agreement of management of racing operations with the city of Winston Salem at the track.

Joey Dennewitz comments

“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said Joey Dennewitz, Managing Director, NASCAR Regional.

“As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home to grassroots racing. Thanks to the City of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem State University for their continued partnership at ‘The Madhouse’.”

Bowman Gray Stadium will now be managed by NASCAR

Winston Salem Mayor

“The City of Winston Salem is deeply honored to have been chosen to host the 2026 Cook Out Clash,” said City of Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. 

“The 2025 race was an immensely successful event for all parties involved. We will work hard to ensure that the 2026 Cook Out Clash is even more successful.”

Jeremy and Morris Reaves

“We are proud to support the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in our backyard in Winston-Salem,” said Jeremy and Morris Reaves, CEO and Founder of Cook Out.

“We look forward to bringing our NASCAR racing family together in our community once again with the Cook Out Clash. Last year was so amazing and we can’t wait to do it again!”

Justin Swilling

“Cook Out is an amazing partner that continues to have a positive impact across NASCAR,” said Justin Swilling, Project Lead for the Cook Out Clash.

“Their support continues to take our events to the next level, and we look forward to working together to make this year’s Cook Out Clash another memorable sold-out event.”

NASCAR’s return to Bowman Gray Stadium is sold out

Links

Bowman Gray Stadium | NASCAR Clash | NASCAR

Read the full story on Backfire News

If you’ve noticed more shopping centers where burnout boxes used to be, you’re not hallucinating. Across the U.S., drag strips, dirt ovals, and road courses are quietly vanishing—not because fans stopped showing up, but because developers showed up with fatter wallets. American motorsports is being squeezed out by a monster far more ruthless than any top-fueler: real estate.

The Profit Behind the Pavement

Let’s cut the nostalgia for a second and talk hard numbers. Many tracks sit on massive plots of flat, conveniently zoned land near suburban growth corridors. To a developer, that’s not a venue—it’s a blank check. In cities where housing is in “crisis,” any large plot of land not being used to cram in condos or strip malls is a missed opportunity.

Take Atlanta Dragway. NHRA sold the 318-acre facility in 2021 after more than 60 years of operation. The buyer? A development firm reportedly planning an industrial complex. “It’s just business,” said NHRA brass, likely while swimming through a pool of cash like Scrooge McDuck.

Noise Complaints: The Convenient Excuse

Every time a racetrack closes, you’ll hear the same refrain: “residential complaints.” And sure, there’s some truth there. Nobody likes sleeping next to a nitro-methane symphony. But let’s be honest—those complaints don’t usually surface until after the developer builds a neighborhood right next to the track.

In some cases, this is strategic. Develop the land, build the homes, let the homeowners complain, and pressure the local government to revoke permits or restrict operations. Then the track gets strangled by noise ordinances, and guess who’s waiting with a “fair market value” offer?

Local Governments: Partners in Crime

You’d think local officials might protect venues that bring tourism, revenue, and culture to a community. Think again. Politicians love ribbon cuttings. It’s a lot more glamorous to announce a new distribution center or suburban tech campus than to stand next to a tire wall and talk about heritage.

Motorsports rarely gets tax breaks or incentives. Developers do. So when it comes time to “revitalize” an area, the track is the first thing on the chopping block.

Who Wins? Not You

The big winners? Developers, obviously. National chains. Corporate landlords. Maybe the town gets some new property tax revenue, maybe not. The racers? They get nothing but a longer drive to the next legal track—if there even is one.

And the fans? We’re just supposed to get over it. Trade the scent of burnt rubber for faux artisan coffee and yet another Planet Fitness.

The Bigger Consequence: Nowhere Left to Race

This isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s about infrastructure. Take away legal venues, and people will find alternatives. Uncontrolled ones. Street takeovers are skyrocketing, and media outlets love to lump every car enthusiast into the same crowd. But they’re not the same—and part of the reason chaos is winning is because structure is losing.

Can It Be Stopped?

Kind of. Maybe. But it requires effort. Tracks need to own their land, rally their communities, and make themselves politically valuable. Fans need to show up, not just comment angrily when a closure is announced. And local governments? They need to stop chasing every shiny development deal like it’s the last golden ticket.

Until then, the real race isn’t on the quarter mile. It’s between bulldozers and burnout boxes—and we’re losing.

A lot of moving parts remain to be nailed down before the 2026 NASCAR schedule is released, but we know where the engines will first crank to life.

Bowman Gray Stadium — in Winston-Salem, N.C. — will again serve as host of the season-opening Clash over the weekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Cook Out, a North Carolina-based chain of fast-food restaurants, will return as title sponsor.

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“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said Joey Dennewitz, NASCAR’s managing director of its regional efforts. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home to grassroots racing.”

VOTE: Where should NASCAR host next street race after Chicago?

After a 43-year run at Daytona International Speedway (1979-2021), the Clash has been a short-track race the past four years — from 2022-24 at the Los Angeles Coliseum before moving to the quarter-mile Bowman Gray track this year.

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It has become part of NASCAR’s recent embrace of historic North Carolina venues — the All-Star Race moved to North Wilkesboro two years ago, and earlier this year, the Xfinity and Truck Series returned to Rockingham.

The 2026 Clash will be followed by an off-weekend for NASCAR (the weekend of the Super Bowl) before the regular season starts with the Feb. 15 Daytona 500.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR Clash returning to Bowman Gray to start 2026 Cup Series season