Bowman Gray Stadium begins its 76th season of NASCAR racing on Friday and Saturday April 18-19 in Winston-Salem, NC. The track has been racing NASCAR Modifieds since Bill France and Alvin Hawkins promoted it as NASCAR’s first weekly racing track in 1949. The 1110th edition of “Still the Most Exciting of Them All” promises to be an entertaining one, as usual, with the longest and most prestigious race opening up the season for their featured division, the NASCAR Brad’s Golf Cars Modifieds. 

The Stadium will look different to most in attendance, as the February running of the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray brought major improvements to the Camel City’s famed arena of speed. Gone are the antiquated Armco walls, now replaced with modern safer barriers. The other major upgrade is a brand new lighting system that will have the 86-year old facility shining bright for the season opening Hayes Jewelers 200 for the NASCAR Mods.  

Burt Myers comes into 2025 off the heels of his 11th track championship. He captured six wins last season, bringing his total at the Stadium to 98 victories (97 in a Modified, one in the Sportsman division). While Burt has been inconsistent on the SMART Modified Tour thus far in 2025, the Walnut Cove, North Carolina driver hopes that some good ol’ Bowman Gray home cooking turns around the mojo of his Citrisafe No. 1 team. Myers is the defending winner of the Hayes Jewelers 200, a race he’s won a record 11-times.

Myers' biggest rival in the modern Stadium Mod wars has been Tim Brown. “The Rocket” made history in 2024 by becoming the winningest driver in the history of Bowman Gray Stadium. He tallied three checkered flags and now sits at 101 victories on the all-time wins list over Jimmy Johnson and Burt Myers. 

Brown has a few more things going for him headed into the season.  The big offseason news came with Jeff Day parting ways with Kevin Powell as owners of Brandon Ward’s team. Day now joins Tim Brown’s team to chase title number-13 for the Tobaccoville, NC driver. 

Meanwhile, Ward will drive his familiar No. 04 car under the newly formed Kevin Powell Speed Motorsports banner. Things won’t look much different for the Winston-Salem, NC driver as his cars, sponsors and crew remain mostly intact from the previous season, led by veteran crew chief Will Spaugh. Ward, the 2023 Stadium Mod Champ, scored an impressive six wins in 2024, the most of his career, on his way to a runner-up finish in the points.

Chris Fleming is the hottest driver of 2025 so far after his win in the Cookout Madhouse Classic in February as a part of NASCAR Cup Series Clash weekend. Fleming took the “Fans Challenge” during that race and elected to start in the rear of the field (the top-four in qualifying can elect to start in the rear and if they make it to the top-four at the race’s end they split a cash bonus). Fleming thrilled the Clash crowd working his way from the tail of the field in a crash-filled race to score the win over Burt Myers and pocketing a $5,000 bonus. The Mount Airy, North Carolina driver known as “The Showstopper” also won a hefty $9,000 in the Fans Challenge in July of 2024. 

Fleming, who finished third in last year’s standings, says he is not racing for points and only cares about checkered flags in 2025. Before the Clash victory, his last win came in the second twin feature in July of 2023. Fleming has 17-career wins at the Madhouse.

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VIDEO: Burt Myers reacts to the renovations at Bowman Gray Stadium ahead of the 2025 season.

Jason Myers had his toughest season at Bowman Gray in 2024. He failed to score a pole or win, in only his sixth winless season at the Madhouse. The first of Jason’s 41-career Stadium wins came in June of 2003 with his latest pole and win coming on the same night in August of 2023. Opening night will also be Jason’s return to the driver’s seat as he’s been busy playing the role of crew cheif for his nephew, Slate Myers, on the SMART Modified Tour. Slate, a fourth-generation Modified racer, will be racing his sophomore season at Bowman Gray in the Ben Gables owned No. 6 Modified. 

Other Drivers who will be gunning for the Hayes Jewelers 200 crown are veterans like 28-time Mod winner Lee Jeffreys and 22-time winner Randy Butner. 

Mike Speeney broke through with his first Stadium win last season and looks to carry that momentum, and his new sponsor QRC HVAC and Refrigeration, into victory lane.

Junior Snow was plagued with engine issues in 2024 and is returning to race a full season with a renewed outlook. 

2024 Rookie of the Year Riley Neal had a lot of speed at the Clash and looks to become a winner in the Modified ranks at the Stadium as he continues his family tradition of winning at the famed quarter-mile. He has now captured rookie of the year honors in both the Sportsman and Modified divisions. 

Jordan Fleming, son of Chris Fleming, didn’t get a win in a part-time effort last year but is primed for a breakout performance in 2025. John Holleman IV ran a part-time schedule in 2024 as he and his family moved to Tennessee, but “Superman” did earn two victories, including a 100-lapper in August. 

2014 Stadium Champion Danny Bohn will be back behind the wheel of his North American Construction No. 57 in 2025. He will again only race the extra-distance affairs. The third-generation driver comes in hungry, with one-win in a 100-lapper in June of 2024. He is the 2022 winner of the Hayes Jewelers 200.

Saturday will also be the season opener for the Bowman Gray’s popular local divisions. 2024 Champion Zack Ore leads a strong field of Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman drivers into a new season. Ore’s five-win season and consistency led to him being the Division II NASCAR Advance Auto Parts National Champion. 

Two-time defending Bowman Gray Champion “The Hot Rod Barn Hero” Christian Joyce looks to score a title hat-trick in the QRC HVAC and Refrigeration Street Stock Division. Regional Mini-stock legend and 63-time Bowman Gray winner AJ Sanders looks to earn his sixth Q104.1 Stadium Stock crown. The “Grand Master” of the Stadium Stocks has won the division title three years-in-a-row. In 2024, Sanders finished outside of the podium only twice in 14 races. Oh, and by the way, those two abysmal finishes outside of the top-three had the #24 car scored in fourth place. By virtue of the amazing performance, the 56-year old driver won the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Division IV National title.

The season opener opens on Friday April 18 for practice for all divisions and qualifying for the NASCAR Modified division. On Saturday April 19, racing action starts promptly at 8 p.m. ET, highlighted by the Hayes Jewelers 200. 

All NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series races for the 2025 Bowman Gray Stadium season will be streamed live on FloRacing. If you're not already a FloRacing subscriber, click here to sign up today.