Bowman Gray Stadium

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Bowman Gray Stadium
NASCAR's longest-running weekly race track
Location 1250 S Martin Luther King Jr, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27107
Capacity 20,000
Owner City of Winston-Salem
Operator Dale Pinilis
Broke ground 1936
Opened 1949
Major events NASCAR Grand National (1958-1971)
Whelen Southern Modified Tour NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
1/4 mile flat oval
Surface asphalt
Length 0.25 mi (0.40 km)
Banking flat
Lap record 12.966 seconds (Tim Brown, Brown Motorsports, 2008, Farm Bureau Insurance Modified Division)
Bowman Gray Stadium
Madhouse
Location 1250 S Martin Luther King Jr, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27107
Coordinates 36°4′58″N 80°13′20″W / 36.08278°N 80.22222°W / 36.08278; -80.22222Coordinates: 36°4′58″N 80°13′20″W / 36.08278°N 80.22222°W / 36.08278; -80.22222
Broke ground 1936
Opened 1937
Owner City of Winston-Salem
Operator Dale Pinilis
Surface Grass
Capacity 20,000
Tenants
Winston-Salem State Rams (NCAA) (1956-present)
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (NCAA) (1956-1967)

Bowman Gray Stadium is a NASCAR sanctioned 14-mile (0.40 km) asphalt flat oval short track and football stadium located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most legendary venues, and is referred to as "NASCAR's longest-running weekly race track". Bowman Gray Stadium is part of the Winston-Salem Sports and Entertainment Complex and is home of the Winston-Salem State University Rams football team.[1] It was also the home of the Wake Forest University football team until Groves Stadium (later BB&T Field) opened in 1968.

The first NASCAR-sanctioned event took place on May 18, 1949 and was won by Fonty Flock.[2] The first Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) event took place in 1958 and it was won by Bob Welborn.[3] Other winners include Glen Wood, Rex White, David Pearson, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Junior Johnson and Marvin Panch.[3] The NASCAR Grand National Series (now the Sprint Cup) first raced at the track in 1958 and hosted a total of 29 Grand National races through 1971.

Bowman Gray's weekly racing tradition continues as part of the Whelen All-American Series. Weekly races include the Modified, Sportsman, Street Stock and Stadium Stock divisions. Bowman Gray is also a part of the Whelen Southern Modified Tour & NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and hosts other special events including Classic Modified Coupes or (ECFFRA), Monster Trucks, Demolition Derbies, Chain Races, Skid Races and Legends Car Races. The History Channel show MadHouse was taped at the track.

The track features four Divisions: the Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stock and Stadium Stock. The Modifieds are the featured division at Bowman Gray, the division started in 1949 and the All-Time Wins List features some of the best NASCAR Drivers including Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Ralph Earnhardt and Ned Jarrett.

Spectators can listen to the officials during the race on frequencies 461.200 MHz, 463.625 MHz, and 466.600 MHz on a scanner or "race radio." Many, if not all of the drivers also communicate via 2-way radio during the race. Most of them use a frequency between 450-470 MHz, but there are exceptions.

See also

References

  1. Zona, Chris; Trevin Goodwin (2007). 2007 Rams Football. Winston-Salem State Athletics. p. 30. 
  2. "A LOOK BACK: Bowman Gray". hometracks.nascar.com. Retrieved 2011-05-05. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Bowman Gray Stadium NASCAR results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 2009-09-01. 

External links

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