It's time to kick off a new NASCAR season with the annual Cook Out Clash on Feb. 2 (8 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) ? but in a new location. After running the Cup Series? preseason exhibition at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for three years, the race shifts to a new venue in historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Here's how it works: The field of 39 entrants are split into three practice groups Saturday, with each group receiving three sessions. The final practice session also serves as qualifying, with each driver's fastest lap determining the heat race lineups in order of speed. Each heat race is 25 laps (only counting green flag laps and no overtime), with the top five in each locking into Sunday's main event.