NASCAR has history at stadium venues as it readies for LA Coliseum exhibition opener

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on September 14, 2021 when the news of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosting the Busch Light Clash was first announced.

When NASCAR was organized in late 1947, there was not an abundance of purpose-built race tracks available. Many of the early tracks were at local fairgrounds that hosted numerous other events.

As the sport grew with the superspeedway at Darlington, the search continued for venues that offered permanent seating and more spectator comfort. And now, as NASCAR gets ready to launch its 2022 season with the exhibition Clash on Feb. 6 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, these past stadium events are worth revisiting.

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NASCAR found a home at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, North Carolina, in 1950, a tradition that continues to this day, hosting weekly events. The 0.25-mile track at the football stadium hosted 29 Cup Series races from 1958 to 1971. The Cup race at Bowman Gray on Aug. 6, 1971 is the last time the Cup series competed on a 0.25-mile track.

NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers dominated at Bowman Gray. Rex White was a six-time winner; Junior Johnson, Glen Wood, and Richard Petty had four wins each. David Pearson had three.