66th Season Starts at Bowman Gray;
Road Construction Plan In Place
This Saturday, April 26, the Madhouse opens its gates once again amidst the sounds of roaring
engines and cheering crowds. Bowman Gray Stadium’s 66th season begins in just a few short days.
The legendary quarter mile track has an unrivaled history in NASCAR, and drivers still rocket around the same
flat asphalt track that Richard Petty, Glen Wood, Ralph Earnhardt, and Junior Johnson raced around decades ago.
Yet, there are some changes occurring at the Stadium with road construction in the area.
In the future, the completed Salem Creek Connector project will make entering and exiting the Stadium even more convenient
for spectators.
And in the meantime, local and state authorities are working hard to ensure that Stadium fans continue
to enjoy effective traffic patterns and plenty of free parking even with the nearby construction.
“We’re making every effort to provide adequate signage for people to and from the Stadium,”
said Dale Hester of the Winston-Salem Department of Transportation. “There really won’t be a difference –
we’re going to get fans in and out as quickly as possible just like we have in recent years.”
Plenty of signage will be at the Stadium and on the affected routes to the Stadium – so authorities including
Hester are confident that fans will have an easy time with the changes. In addition, a detailed map of the Stadium parking
areas, as well as directions to the Stadium, can be found on www.bowmangrayracing.com. On race days, calling 336-723-1819
will give race fans a further chance to ask questions about directions and parking procedures.
Overflow parking for some events will be available at the Anderson Center lot (Lot #6) nearby at Winston-Salem
State University. Shuttles will also be available to transport fans to and from the overflow lots if needed.
“Although
there’s some road construction, Saturday night at Bowman Gray Stadium will be pretty much as it has been for the last
few years,” said Hester.
But the real story of 2014 will of course be the action on the track, and Bowman Gray
Stadium racing has another full schedule ahead this season.
For the fourth year, the K&N Pro Series East will battle
in one of the wildest races for their series: the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 at the Stadium. The 150-lapper caps off a two-day
weekend that includes 100-lap Modified races on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31. On Friday, all Stadium divisions will
compete, and general adult admission is only $8.
Another two-day event is
on the schedule for early August when the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour returns. Strutmasters.com once again sponsors
the Strutmasters.com 199 for the Tour. The Tour Modifieds and three other divisions will race on Saturday. On Friday, Racing
Electronics sponsors Twin 50’s for the Stadium Modifieds with racing for four other divisions - and adult admission
is just $5.
The Modified Series is brought to fans again in 2014 by Brad’s
Golf Cars and Club Car XRT. Double D Construction Services sponsors the Sportsman Series for this season, with Q104.1 New
Country returning to sponsor the Street Stock Series. Traffic Control Safety Services will back the Stadium Stock Series in
2014.
A full season of other exciting races is brought to you by Kevin Powell
Motorsports, Whelen Engineering, the Winston-Salem Journal, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Great Clips, Midway Mobile Storage,
and Carolina Farm Credit.
But it all starts on April 26 with the longest
and most prestigious race for the Modifieds – the Hayes Jewelers 200. In addition to the Modified 200-lapper, there
will be racing for the Sportsman, Street Stock, and Stadium Stock Divisions. Qualifying will take place on Friday, April 25.
On Saturday, April 26, ticket gates open at 6:00 for practice, and the first race begins at 8:00 PM. Ticket prices, directions,
and more information can be found online at
www.bowmangrayracing.com or by calling (336) 723-1819.
