By Stephen Folwell
Pine Whispers
Many students might be surprised if told they could hear race cars from the Reynolds Auditorium steps on a Saturday night. They also might be surprised to find out that NASCAR has some of its strongest roots in Winston-Salem, the namesake of the former “Winston Cup Series.”
Bowman Gray Stadium, next to the campus of Winston-Salem State University and the home field of the Rams football team, is NASCAR’s longest-running weekly race track. The quarter-mile track has hosted the likes of Richard Petty and Junior Johnson, NASCAR legends who are considered two of the best of all time.
Today, the track hosts up-and-coming drivers and well-known local favorites in a number of distinct racing divisions. Many Reynolds students enjoy going to the races on Saturday nights.
“I’ve been a couple times,” senior Leslie Rainey said. “It’s a really unique place and I feel like not a lot of people even know it’s there.”
Tommy Healy, a 2011 Reynolds graduate and a freshman at Clemson, went to the track whenever he could last summer.
“I’m going to engineering school, and I love figuring out the ins-and-outs of the cars,” Healy said. “There’s a lot more to it than the common stereotype of driving in an oval, taking all left turns for a couple hours.”
Bowman Gray is nationally known in large part because the History Channel had a weekly series called “Madhouse” about the stadium. It featured Bowman Gray’s tense rivalries that sometimes get physical and tear friendships apart.
“I think ‘Madhouse’ definitely sparked a lot of interest in the stadium,” Healy said. “I know a lot of people who had never heard of Bowman Gray and, after watching the show, wanted to go to the races.”
Senior Ian Brown recommended Bowman Gray to students who are looking for cheap entertainment. The stadium regularly has discounted tickets, including $1 Ladies Nights.
“The races are fun and I like them because they’re cheap,” Brown said. “You get a show from both the race and some of the rowdier fans.”
After the races, the stadium often hosts “unconventional” events such as the two-car chain races. These races involve two cars chained together, with the motor in the lead car and brakes in the back. Other special events during the summer include Demolition Derby and Monster Truck event. Complete schedules and details can be found at the track web site at http://www.bowmangrayracing.com.
Weekly races began April 28 with the Hayes Jewelers 200 and will run until late August.