Overview
- Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR announced on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, that the Wheatley Vodka Clash will be held on the Daytona oval on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027, opening Speedweeks ahead of the Daytona 500.
- The event will carry a new multiyear title sponsorship from Wheatley American Vodka, marking a commercial push to rebrand the preseason exhibition.
- NASCAR has published the full 2027 Daytona Speedweeks schedule but said details on the Clash’s race format and eligibility will be released at a later date.
- Team leaders and crew chiefs warned that placing the Clash eight days before the Daytona 500 creates a superspeedway-heavy stretch that could raise wreck risk, increase spare‑part and engine needs, and drive up costs for crews.
- The return completes another venue shift in the Clash’s recent history — from the Daytona oval through 2020 to the road course, the LA Coliseum, and Bowman Gray — and signals broader schedule reshuffling as tracks confirm 2027 dates.