Ryan Blaney was a little kid the first time he raced at Bowman Gray Stadium and remembers it being the coolest thing he’d ever done in motorsports.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Bumping, beating and banging were the headliners Saturday night, along with Chase Elliott, in the return of the NASCAR Cup Series to Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time since 1971. Elliott won the first of four heat races on the quarter-mile track and will start Sunday night’s Cook Out Clash from the pole.

One look at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday night told you everything you need to know. The legendary quarter-mile in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been a proving ground for over 80 years, and its fans remain some of the most passionate race fans in the country.