LOS ANGELES: Whether NASCAR runs another race at the LA Memorial Coliseum or not, the three-year Clash experiment was an unmitigated success.
When the inaugural date for the season-opener in the City of Angels was announced in September 2021, the change was met with skepticism.
How could NASCAR remove an event from Daytona International Speedway—the Birthplace of Speed—following a 43-year run? How could NASCAR possibly convert a stadium into a quarter-mile track, and how would the NextGen car perform on the makeshift surface? Finally, how would the Cup Series and fans transition to a congested urban setting?
The 2022 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum was electric. There was a vibe surrounding the event unlike any NASCAR had experienced perhaps dating back to the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994. The youthful audience, a stark departure from NASCAR’s traditional demographic, celebrated to the sounds of Pitbull before cars rolled on the track for the feature.
In typical short-track fashion, bumpers banged and tempers flared only to be temporarily interrupted by the hits of Ice Cube at halftime before Joey Logano rose victorious.
From an industry standpoint, 2001 Speedweeks in Daytona were more significant due to a new television rights package and FOX Sports and NBC joining the fold. NASCAR’s popularity was at an all-time high. Unfortunately, the momentum stalled following the loss of Dale Earnhardt following the Daytona 500. And while the sport remained in the spotlight, it wasn’t the attention NASCAR was seeking.
Two decades later, nearly every driver who had competed with Earnhardt had retired—even his son Dale Earnhardt Jr., perhaps the most popular stock car driver ever. Racers who enjoyed crossover fame such as Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards were five years removed from competition. NASCAR’s most recent Hall of Famer, Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time champion, left the sport to try his hand at IndyCar. Champions Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch were in the twilight of their careers.
NASCAR needed an infusion of energy to restore the spark—and the Clash at the Coliseum provided just that. After running the Clash on the Daytona Road Course in 2021, the exhibition moved to Los Angeles—the second-largest market in the U.S. The decision paid off. More than 4.2 million people watched the 2022 Clash, earning the event a 2.32 rating—the highest in seven years. Los Angelenos tuned in as well. The race garnered a 2.7 rating—the best result in the L.A. market for a non-Daytona 500 race since 2016.
The West Coast buzz carried over to the Daytona 500 two weeks later. Mission accomplished. Increasing the field to 27 drivers for the 2023 Clash increased the mayhem and tripled the cautions. Martin Truex Jr., survived the first 126 laps before taking the lead and holding on for the win.
Fast forward to 2024. Upon arriving at LAX, we were greeted with the Los Angeles Times headline: “‘Prepare now:’ After historic rains, California’s next storm may bring ‘life-threatening’ flooding.”
Inside the media center on Friday, the buzz was stirring that the schedule was “subject to change”. By Saturday morning, whispers of moving The Clash to that evening began.
Once the modification was official, drivers were relieved and astounded that NASCAR had moved so swiftly.
“I think it’s awesome,” said Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver and 2020 Cup champion. “It’s one of the most logical decisions we’ve made as an industry potentially ever. I appreciate it. I know all of the rest of the industry personnel appreciate the willingness to make a change like that. And I think doing an event like this on a Saturday night is a better fit anyway.
“It’s a win-win for everybody. It’s one of the most practical decisions in a long, long time.”
NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell said a contingency plan took shape following discussions with the Coliseum, broadcast partners, and local officials when the weather, public safety, and additional community events came into play.
“I really applaud the Coliseum for even making this a possibility to the best of what is a tough situation for the fans and this racing community,” O’Donnell said. “But felt like this was the best option to keep everybody safe and get both events in.
“Everyone working together has been a hallmark of really the last couple of years of NASCAR and the challenges we’ve faced. You look at Chicago (Street Course). We want to make decisions that are in the best interest of everyone, first and foremost the fans. That was top-of-mind.
“When you have open dialogue with the industry, particularly drivers and why you are making decisions, they may not always agree but at least if you can explain the ‘why,’ that’s very helpful. And we’ve been pretty good about it in our recent past and got everybody on board.”
NASCAR moved up practice, scrapped the heats, flipped the Mexico and Cup Series, and set a green-flag start for The Clash to 5 p.m. PST. Denny Hamlin started on the pole but lost the lead to Logano on the first lap. Hamlin regained the point until his teammate, sophomore sensation Ty Gibbs, muscled away the lead on Lap 50. Gibbs extended his lead until a rash of cautions just before halftime returned the lead to Logano.
Following a quick intermission, Gibbs took control again. During green flag runs, he was unstoppable. But two late cautions tightened the field. After contact between Gibbs and Logano, Hamlin snatched the lead with 10 laps remaining. A chain reaction from Bubba Wallace running into Kyle Larson—and Larson slamming into Gibbs—knocked the driver of the No. 54 out of line and contention.
Hamlin, who was initially questionable for competition following off-season shoulder surgery, held on for his first Busch Clash win at the Coliseum and his fourth overall in the exhibition event. Despite the unique circumstances under which the race came to fruition, Hamlin applauded the effort.
“We should consider tonight a success, only because if it didn’t happen tonight, I just didn’t think it was going to happen at all,” Hamlin said. “While there would be some people that were upset about not being able to use their ticket for tomorrow, they weren’t going to use it Monday, either, and Tuesday I’m not sure was an option.
“This thing was just going to snowball into straining the teams, all the people here at the Coliseum that have to get this thing converted back over. (Saturday) was the only option to get this thing in, and I’m happy that NASCAR made unprecedented changes to make sure that the fans at least saw a race.”
For Hamlin, 43, kicking off his 20th season in Cup with a win is a morale boost, particularly for a driver who barely missed the Championship 4 Round the last two years. As both a driver and a co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin has a keen interest in the sanctioning body’s evolution.
In the last three years, he has experienced a reimagining of the schedule and the strategy of introducing new markets from Austin, St. Louis, and Nashville and venues such as Iowa Speedway, the Chicago Street Course, and the Coliseum.
Regardless of whether NASCAR returns to L.A. or not, no one can deny the impact the event has brought to the sport.
“Certainly you can’t argue it from a viewership standpoint,” Hamlin said. “I think that it’s got merit in going different places, but I think LA was very good to us, and I think we were good for this community, as well.
“If you look around at the stands, it’s more diverse than what you’ll see at most race tracks. I think it was a win for everyone.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
