This weekend in Winston-Salem -- a little ways off from the tobacco farms and not far from the greater Charlotte area -- the Carolina winter will heat up and the earth will roar back to life with the beginning of a new year for NASCAR with its annual preseason exhibition race,

A few short months removed from Team Penske's Joey Logano winning his third Cup Series title at Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR returns with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday night.

NASCAR's preseason Clash moves to the sport's roots this year. Bowman Gray Stadium will serve as host. Two weeks later brings the Daytona 500.