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,

The winner of the Cook Out Clash on Sunday night will receive a trophy that pays respect to both the heritage of Bowman Gray Stadium and the winner of the most recent NASCAR Cup Series race at the track from 1971.

Between driver changes, crew chief swaps and rule adaptations, a lot’s changed over the NASCAR offseason. However, a lot has remained the same, specifically the mentality of all 36 chartered Cup Series drivers to win each and every week.