Snow Forces NASCAR To Revamp Cook Out Clash Weekend

NASCAR fans and teams alike are bracing for one of the chilliest starts to a season in recent memory, as the 2026 Cup Series kicks off with the much-anticipated Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. But this isn’t just any season opener—Mother Nature has decided to make her presence felt, forcing NASCAR to rewrite the weekend’s script and setting the stage for a race that could go down in the record books for its frosty conditions.

Originally, the schedule for Saturday, January 31, was packed with action. Three groups of drivers were set to each take two practice sessions and a qualifying run, all aimed at setting the starting lineups for four 25-lap heat races. The top five finishers in each heat would advance directly to Sunday’s 200-lap main event, while the remaining 18 would battle it out in a 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier. Fans were primed to catch all Saturday’s excitement live on Fox Sports 1, with Sunday’s grand finale slated for Fox.

But then, the weather took a turn. Snow blanketed the quarter-mile oval at Bowman Gray, affectionately known as “the Madhouse,” and NASCAR was left with no choice but to cancel or push back much of Saturday’s Cup Series agenda. Some events were scrapped entirely, while others were tentatively rescheduled for Sunday, weather permitting. The shift marks the first major weather-related disruption in NASCAR’s national series since a remarkably smooth 2025 season, when not a single race was postponed due to weather.

The revised plan means Sunday will now host practice and qualifying sessions—but not the originally scheduled heat races. Instead, the 20 fastest drivers from qualifying will secure their spots in the main event, while the other 18 will compete in the Last Chance Qualifier. Only the top two from that race will move on to the feature, with one additional slot reserved for Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, who is already locked in thanks to his 2025 point standings. That brings the main event field to a competitive 23 cars, each hoping to shake off the cold and start the season strong.

For fans eager to watch, the broadcast schedule has also been reshuffled. With Saturday’s events canceled, Fox Sports 1 is off the weekend lineup, and Sunday’s practice and qualifying will air live on Fox Sports 2 starting at 2:00 p.m. ET. The Last Chance Qualifier follows at 6:00 p.m. ET on Fox, and the Cook Out Clash main event is set for 8:00 p.m. ET, also on Fox. Streaming options abound, with DirecTV, Fox One, and HBO Max (featuring a special driver-cam angle) all offering coverage. For those on the go or without cable, platforms like Hulu + Live TV, Peacock, and Prime Video will provide access to various races throughout the 2026 season.

But the story isn’t just about scheduling headaches and broadcast changes. The weather is making headlines in its own right. Forecasts predict that temperatures in Winston-Salem could struggle to reach even 30 degrees Fahrenheit by race time on Sunday, with lows dipping to a bone-chilling 12 degrees. Factor in the wind chill, and it could feel like single digits—a rarity for NASCAR, even in winter. Should the weather prove too fierce, there’s a chance the race could be postponed to Monday, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already unpredictable weekend.

This isn’t the first time NASCAR has raced in the cold, but it’s set to be one for the books. The coldest modern-era Cup Series race on record took place back on February 25, 1990, at Richmond International Raceway, where the mercury hovered between 31 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit. That day, teams faced technical difficulties with broadcast equipment, taped up radiators, and even had to improvise to keep tires warm—Alan Kulwicki’s team famously tried to use a heater before NASCAR officials intervened. Mark Martin ultimately won that frigid Richmond race, with Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace rounding out the top three.

Other memorable cold-weather events include the 2006 Bristol ‘Snow-Bowl Derby,’ where snowball fights broke out in the pit lane and Kurt Busch celebrated his win with snow angels. In Atlanta in 2008, a blizzard brought whiteout conditions and forced qualifying to be canceled, while the 2018 Texas race started at a brisk 37 degrees. Martinsville has seen its share of snow and sleet, too, with races postponed and crews working overtime to clear the track in both 2018 and 2022. Even the 2023 Fontana race was impacted by a mix of snow and rain, leading to the cancellation of qualifying and a delayed start for the main event.

As for this year’s Cook Out Clash, the field is stacked, the stakes are high, and the new playoff format—The Chase—adds an extra wrinkle to the season. Replacing the multi-round system used since 2014, The Chase will see the top 16 drivers in points after the first 26 races make the playoff field, regardless of how many wins they’ve notched. This change, a return to a previous format, is designed to reward consistency and keep the fight for postseason spots fierce right through the summer.

Mike Joy will be back behind the microphone for his 26th season as Fox’s lead announcer, joined by Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick, who bring a combined wealth of experience and insight to the broadcast booth. For fans, this weekend’s race marks the first of 14 Cup Series events on Fox’s 2026 broadcast schedule, and the first of six to be shown on the main Fox channel rather than Fox Sports 1—another nod to the significance of the season opener.

Looking ahead, the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar is jam-packed with marquee events, from the Daytona 500 on February 15 to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 8. New streaming options and an expanded broadcast footprint mean fans won’t miss a lap, no matter where they are or how they choose to watch.

But for now, all eyes are on Winston-Salem and the Cook Out Clash. Will the weather hold, or will snow and single-digit wind chills force another shuffle? One thing’s for sure: when the green flag finally waves, it’ll be a race to remember, with drivers, crews, and fans all bundled up and ready for whatever the 2026 NASCAR season throws their way.