NASCAR Is Back: 'It's Loud. It's Raw. And It's A Damn Good Time!'
#NASCAR #Daytona 500 #Ryan Preece #William Byron #Bowman Gray #Stock Car Racing #Fox Sports
📌 Key Takeaways
- The 2026 NASCAR season officially began with the Clash at Bowman Gray exhibition race.
- Ryan Preece won the opening exhibition after taking the lead on Lap 156 and holding off William Byron.
- The 68th Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET at Daytona International Speedway.
- William Byron is aiming for a historic third consecutive victory at the Daytona 500.
📖 Full Retelling
🏷️ Themes
Motorsports, Sports Entertainment, Racing Culture
📚 Related People & Topics
NASCAR
American automobile racing company
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top-ranked motorsports organizations in the world and is one of the largest spectator sports league...
Bowman Gray Sr.
American tobacco businessman (1874–1935)
Bowman Gray Sr. (May 1, 1874 – July 7, 1935) was president and chairman of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a major benefactor of the medical school of Wake Forest College which now bears his name.
Ryan Preece
American racing driver (born 1990)
Ryan Jeffrey Preece (born October 25, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing.
Stock car racing
Form of automobile racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses. It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. Originating in the southern United States, its largest governing body is NASCAR, whose N...
🔗 Entity Intersection Graph
Connections for NASCAR:
- 🌐 NASCAR Cup Series (2 shared articles)
- 👤 Daytona International Speedway (2 shared articles)
- 👤 William Byron (2 shared articles)
- 👤 Jimmie Johnson (1 shared articles)
- 👤 Legacy Motor Club (1 shared articles)
- 👤 The Madhouse (1 shared articles)
- 👤 Bowman Gray Stadium (1 shared articles)
- 👤 Michael Jordan (1 shared articles)
- 🌐 France family (1 shared articles)
- 👤 Counting Down (1 shared articles)
- 🌐 Motorsport (1 shared articles)
- 👤 Guinness World Records (1 shared articles)
📄 Original Source Content
NASCAR is back, and it promises to be loud, raw and a damn good time. Scott Eastwood gets the 2026 season revved up in this season trailer, featuring cameos from former NFL star Marshawn Lynch and YouTuber/NASCAR driver Cleetus McFarland, along with Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Carson Hocevar, Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson (plus his wife Katelyn). Come watch NASCAR for "grit, fights for inches and contact that counts," as Eastwood put it. The season started with the Clash at Bowman Gray, an exhibition on Wednesday night. The race was highlighted by physical racing, weather obstacles, and constant lead changes. Ryan Preece took the lead on Lap 156 of the 200-lap race, and cushioned his lead on William Byron after a restart on Lap 182. This Sunday, tune in for the famous Daytona 500, NASCAR's first points-scoring race of the 2026 season. The green flag for the 68th edition of "The Great American Race" is at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App, with coverage starting at 12:30 p.m. FOX has broadcast the Florida-based race since 2007. The race, which is held at Daytona International Speedway, is a 200-lap race (500 miles). There are 41 cars competing. Byron, who was the runner-up in last week's Clash, has won the last two Daytona 500s. Tune into the Daytona 500 and follow along throughout the 2026 NASCAR season to feel "Sunday at full throttle", to hear "engines roar", and for "dust, denim-fenders, and a place to let loose."