Door-to-door racing quickly approaches as NASCAR Cup Series teams prepare for the Feb. 4 Busch Light Clash, the annual exhibition event serving as the NASCAR preseason.
The Busch Light Clash will provide fans with the opportunity to see new Toyota and Ford bodies, familiar drivers suiting up for different teams and young newcomers aiming to start their rookie seasons strong in an iconic sports venue.
Here is what to know about the exhibition race that sets the stage for the Cup Series season.
The location
For the third consecutive season, the Cup teams will head to the LA Memorial Coliseum. The 2022 season marked the first time the Cup Series competed on the purpose-built quarter-mile track inside of the historic football stadium. This was the first year of a three-year deal between NASCAR and the LA Memorial Coliseum.
Time and date
The Clash will take place on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. ET. Fox will provide coverage as Kevin Harvick joins Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer in the booth. Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will provide radio coverage for the race.
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Format
There will be four, 25-lap heat races and two, 50-lap last chance races that will set the field for the main event. The Busch Light Clash will be 150 laps with a break at Lap 75.
Setting the field
Heat race starting lineup - The field will be split into three practice groups. Each group will have three sessions. The fastest lap for each competitor in their final practice session will determine the heat race starting lineups.
Heat races - The top five from each heat race will advance to the Clash.
Last chance qualifier - Top two finishers from each of these will transfer. The race is 75 laps with green flag laps only counting. There is no overtime.
Feature - This event will have a 23-car field. The first 22 spots based on the finishing positions of hte heat races and the last chance qualifiers. The 23rd and final spot is reserved for the driver who finished highest in the 2023 season driver points who has yet to transfer to the Clash.
Support series
The third trip to the LA Memorial Coliseum will feature more than just the NASCAR Cup Series.
The NASCAR Mexico Series will compete in the King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseo at 5 p.m. ET. FS1 will provide coverage for the support race, along with Fox Deportes, Fox Sports 3 in Mexico. The race will be available pan regionally on Claro Sports and the D Motors channel on DirecTV.
Dignitaries
Machine Gun Kelly will perform during the halfway break of the Clash. Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias will be the grand marshal for the King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseo.
Past winners
Joey Logano won the inaugural Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum after leading 35 of the 150 laps. Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon rounded out the podium.
Martin Truex Jr. won last season’s Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum after leading 25 of the 150 laps. Dillon finished second and Busch finished third.
There are five drivers in the lineup who have won the Clash when it was held at Daytona. Denny Hamlin won in 2006, ’14 and ’16. Busch won in 2012 and ’21. Logano also won in 2017. Brad Keselowski won in 2018. Erik Jones won in 2020.
