Rumor Mill: NASCAR’s Clash Moving to Daytona?

What’s Happening?

A new rumor suggests that NASCAR officials are discussing moving the preseason Clash back to Daytona International Speedway in 2026.

After years of complaints from fans, NASCAR is finally setting out to tackle the lackluster racing put on by the NASCAR Cup Series at superspeedways.

This racing, caused by a number of factors, has boiled down to fuel saving by teams on track, as any time spent in the pits during cautions, green flag stops, or stage breaks could impact their spot on track.

Earlier this week, NASCAR NASCAR EVP Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst joined the Hauler Talk podcast, sharing that NASCAR is changing stage layouts for the upcoming race at Talladega Superspeedway to treat this issue.

However, as far as long-term results go, Probst said that NASCAR will host its first Preseason Thunder test at Daytona International Speedway next year, with cars testing out different “different power levels and spoilers.”

For the most part, fans love the idea of the return of Preseason Thunder, saying that it adds a little tradition and more on-track action to the weeks leading up to the season.

But this might not be the only return to form for NASCAR next spring, as pit crew member, mechanic, and media member Bozi Tatarevic said during a recent appearance on the Dirty Mo Media YouTube Channel, the Clash could return to the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

“From what I’m hearing, that Preseason Thunder test isn’t the only time that they’ll be a Daytona, because there is discussion now that the Clash might go back to Daytona.” — Bozi Tatarevic

While this is not the first murmurs of such a move from NASCAR, the thought of the event returning to its long-time home is one that NASCAR fans have both dreaded and begged for since it left after the 2021 event.

The Debate

From 1979 to 2021, under multiple names and on different track layouts, NASCAR’s preseason Clash exhibition race was held at Daytona International Speedway.

After years of waning fan interest and a revitalization of the schedule, NASCAR moved the event to the Los Angeles Memorial Colosseum in 2022, where it remained until 2024 before moving to Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2025.

While Bowman Gray has received positive reviews for its version of the event, the quarter-mile oval has not produced the most exciting finishes for fans, and saw this year’s event marred by bad weather.

During this multi-day weather delay, many fans pointed out that the weather in Daytona Beach was just fine.

Comments like these are not unfamiliar, as many traditionalist fans want to see the event move back to Daytona, while others fear that the Next Gen car’s racing product at Daytona is not worthy of hosting the event for the time being.

Nonetheless, after the Daytona 500, fans continued to pitch this idea with some drivers, throwing their hat into the ring about the possibility.

How Likely is This?

As of press time, NASCAR has not announced any plans to move the clash from Bowman Gray. In fact, last year, the sport was reportadly close to a multi-year extension to host at least one NASCAR National Series race at the track for the next five years.

While this contract may or may not be in play, the National Series stipulation would give the sport a little bit of leeway, should they want to move the race back to Daytona.

While no plans are set in stone, NASCAR could take an approach pitched by many fans: using the race as it means to test an aggressive package that could reshape the NASCAR Next Gen car’s superspeedway racing product, ahead of the 2027 season.

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