NASCAR prepares the Clash's return to Daytona in 2027: exhibition race back on the legendary oval ahead of the Daytona 500
NASCAR's preseason exhibition race, the Clash, is expected to return to the Daytona International Speedway oval in 2027, reconnecting one of the most recognizable opening events in American motorsports with the venue where it built most of its tradition. According to a report by The Athletic, republished on July 24 by the specialized website Jayski, the race is planned for Saturday, February 13, 2027, eight days before the 69th edition of the Daytona 500. Daytona International Speedway has already officially confirmed the date of the main race, February 21, 2027, while the Clash's return had not yet been formally announced as of July 25, 2026.
According to the same report, NASCAR is finalizing negotiations with a new title sponsor for the event, and the commercial agreement is cited as one of the reasons why an official confirmation has not yet been issued. The identity of the potential new partner remains unknown, as do the race's full name, schedule, television slot, qualifying system and final competition format. NASCAR has also not yet presented the complete 2027 Cup Series schedule, so the information about the Clash should currently be viewed as a highly probable, but still unofficial, part of the calendar.
Return to the oval for the first time since the 2020 edition
The announcement of the return requires an important distinction between the venue itself and the track configuration. The Clash was last held on the large Daytona International Speedway oval in 2020, when Erik Jones won. A year later, the race remained at Daytona but was moved to the combined road-course configuration inside the complex, where Kyle Busch triumphed in 2021. If the 2027 plan is confirmed, it will be the first Clash on the famous oval after six consecutive editions held on different configurations or at other venues, and the first return of the entire event to Daytona since 2021.
Such a move would reconnect the Clash with the character of Daytona Speedweeks, the period during which the attention of NASCAR's audience traditionally turns to Florida and culminates in the Daytona 500. Unlike the points-paying race that opens the Cup Series championship season, the Clash is an exhibition competition and does not award points toward the overall standings. Its role is to open the competitive year, present the drivers and teams, and offer a shorter and tactically different event before the most important race on the schedule.
The planned February 13 date would place the Clash on the Saturday before Super Bowl LXI, which, according to the NFL's official schedule, is set for February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. This would give NASCAR a prominent position during an exceptionally crowded sports weekend in the American television market, followed by eight days of preparation for the Daytona 500. The exact television channel and start time of the Clash have not yet been announced, so it is currently impossible to assess how the race will be positioned directly against the other major sports broadcasts that weekend.
From nine cars to one of the symbols of the start of the season
The Clash was first held on February 11, 1979, at Daytona, and Buddy Baker won the inaugural edition. According to NASCAR's historical documentation, the race at the time was a 20-lap, or 50-mile, sprint featuring nine drivers who had earned eligibility by winning a pole position during the previous season. The concept has been changed several times over the decades: the qualifying rules were expanded, the number of participants and the race distance increased, and the name of the event was adapted to its title sponsors.
The changing format is precisely one of the reasons why the Clash serves NASCAR as a space to test new ideas without directly affecting championship points. Throughout its history, the race has changed the number of segments, the method of determining the starting order and the criteria for entering the field. Therefore, a return to the Daytona oval does not necessarily mean an automatic return to the rules used in 2020. Until NASCAR publishes the official regulations for 2027, questions remain open regarding the number of cars, the race distance, possible qualifying races and whether the entire Cup Series field or a specially designated group of drivers will be eligible to participate.
Historical results give the event greater significance than an ordinary preparation run. Dale Earnhardt remains the record holder with six victories, while numerous champions and Daytona 500 winners have appeared on the list of winners. NASCAR's data show that only six drivers have won both the Clash and the Daytona 500 in the same season, confirming that the result of the opening exhibition is not a reliable indicator of the outcome of the main race. Nevertheless, competing on the same oval can offer teams early insight into the cars' behavior in the draft, cooperation among manufacturer groups and decision-making during high-speed finishes.
The Los Angeles experiment changed the image of the Clash
After the road-course configuration at Daytona in 2021, NASCAR took the Clash to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2022. A temporary quarter-mile asphalt oval, approximately 400 meters long, was constructed inside the stadium, giving the Cup Series one of the most unusual venues in its modern history. Joey Logano won the first edition in Los Angeles, Martin Truex Jr. was the best in 2023, and Denny Hamlin won the third and final edition in 2024.
The Coliseum project had a broader goal than the race itself. Through it, NASCAR brought its premier series into the heart of a major urban market, at a stadium known for the Olympic Games, American football and large-scale cultural events. The short track created close duels, frequent contact and a format featuring qualifying races, but at the same time it was completely different from the large ovals on which an important part of the Cup Series' identity is based. Moving the event demonstrated that the Clash can function as a traveling exhibition and promotional tool, rather than only as a traditional addition to Daytona.
The return to Florida therefore does not negate the Los Angeles experiment, but marks a new phase in which NASCAR is once again prioritizing the historic connection with Daytona. Racing on the large oval brings significantly higher speeds, pack racing and aerodynamic interdependence between the cars, while the Coliseum emphasized braking, acceleration and fighting for position in minimal space. These are almost opposite competitive requirements, which is why the return will have immediate consequences for the way teams prepare for the first public appearance of the season.
Bowman Gray returned the event to its short-track roots
The Clash moved to Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2025. The historic quarter-mile oval, known for its close proximity to the spectators, strong local tradition and the nickname "Madhouse", offered a different kind of return to NASCAR's roots. Chase Elliott won the first edition at the venue after leading 171 of 200 laps, according to NASCAR's official report.
Bowman Gray retained the Clash in 2026, when the event was seriously disrupted by winter weather. The schedule was adjusted several times, and the main race was held after a multi-day postponement; Ryan Preece won. The event demonstrated how much the organization of an outdoor race in early February can depend on local weather conditions, but NASCAR has not officially cited the bad weather as the reason for the planned move in 2027. It would therefore be premature to conclude that the return to Daytona is a direct consequence of the problems in North Carolina.
The two years at Bowman Gray nevertheless confirmed that there is interest in holding the Clash on small, historic tracks and in a compact stadium environment. At the same time, leaving after only two editions would show that NASCAR continues to view the opening exhibition as a flexible event whose location can be adapted to sporting, commercial and television objectives. Bowman Gray's future in other parts of NASCAR's schedule is not included in the currently available information about the 2027 Clash.
Daytona brings speed, tradition and a direct connection with the main race
Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959 and was built as a replacement for the former races held on a combination of beach and public roads in Daytona Beach. Official track data state that the tri-oval is 2.5 miles, or approximately 4.02 kilometers, long and that the turns have 31 degrees of banking. Such geometry enables high speeds and racing in large groups of cars, with drafting and cooperation among drivers often being just as important as individual speed.
For Cup Series teams, the Clash's return to the same basic configuration used for the Daytona 500 could provide useful data, but also new dilemmas. Because it is an exhibition race, teams may be more willing to accept risks in the fight for victory, while at the same time wanting to preserve their cars and resources for the points-paying start of the season. The final value of the collected information will depend on the technical rules, the car specification, the permitted setups and whether the same aerodynamic package configuration will be used for both races.
The return could also simplify the way the story of the start of the season is presented to a global audience. Instead of a separate exhibition event at the other end of the country, NASCAR would have two major Cup Series races at the same recognizable complex in February. This would allow the organizers and the track to connect the Clash with activities ahead of the Daytona 500, although it has not yet been announced whether there will be an additional program for spectators between the two weekends or how ticket sales will be organized.
The track will receive new LED lighting by 2027
The return would also coincide with a major modernization of the lighting at Daytona International Speedway. According to an Associated Press report from May 2026, the complex is installing an LED system on the oval, road course, infield and pit road, with completion of the work planned by January 2027. According to the organizations involved, the project should improve visibility for teams and television broadcasts and reduce energy consumption by approximately 50 percent.
The new lighting is especially relevant to the Clash because the race has often been held in the evening, although the schedule for the 2027 edition has not yet been confirmed. If NASCAR again chooses to race under the lights, the event would be among the first major occasions to use the modernized system to its full extent. However, without an official announcement, it is not possible to claim whether the lighting will influence the race time or television production.
The new sponsor remains the final major unknown
The Clash's commercial identity has been strongly tied to title partners over the years. Busch and Busch Light were associated with the event during different periods for decades, while Cook Out was the title sponsor of the editions at Bowman Gray Stadium. According to the report republished by Jayski, NASCAR is negotiating with a new partner for 2027, but the company's name and the duration of a potential agreement have not been disclosed.
The sponsorship agreement is also important because of the way the race will be presented in the calendar, television broadcasts and promotional campaigns. Because the Clash does not award championship points, the event's commercial value relies heavily on visibility, history, an attractive format and its position at the beginning of the season. Daytona, as NASCAR's most globally recognizable venue, can increase that value, particularly if the race is positioned as the start of an extended period of activities culminating in the Daytona 500.
Until official confirmation, the most important facts remain framed as a plan: the Clash is expected to take place on February 13, 2027, on the large Daytona International Speedway oval, while the Daytona 500 is officially scheduled for February 21. NASCAR still has to announce the new title agreement, the format, the schedule and the broader 2027 Cup Series calendar. If the announced return is confirmed, the exhibition race will once again combine its experimental role with the venue where its history began in 1979.
Sources:
- Jayski – report on the planned return of the Clash to the Daytona oval, the race date and negotiations with a new title sponsor (link)
- Daytona International Speedway – official confirmation of the Daytona 500 race date for 2027 (link)
- NASCAR – official announcement about moving the Clash to the Daytona road-course configuration in 2021 (link)
- NASCAR – historical overview of the Clash, including the inaugural 1979 edition and winners through 2026 (link)
- NASCAR – official list of all Clash winners (link)
- Daytona International Speedway – official information about the history, length and banking of the oval (link)
- Associated Press – information about the installation of LED lighting at Daytona International Speedway before the 2027 season (link)
- NFL – official confirmation of the date and location of Super Bowl LXI in February 2027 (link)