Despite rain, sleet and even snow, NASCAR officially opened its 2026 season Wednesday night in Winston-Salem with its exhibition race, The Clash.
Ryan Preece won the race for his new team, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, based in Concord. Preece lost his ride at the end of the 2024 season when Stewart-Haas Racing in Kannapolis shut down.
Preece said the victory came after uncertainty about his future in the sport.
“Like, I'm not kidding. Like I was moving back to Connecticut two years ago and, you know, the stars aligned and this opportunity at RFK came about and, you know, I remember there was nights where I thought if it, you know, is this going to come together and, or am I just going to be another story where it falls apart in the last second and I'm grateful," he said.
Teams now turn their attention to the season’s first points race, the Daytona 500, scheduled for Feb. 15.