The second-ever Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum kicked off the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season on a chaotic note, as Martin Truex Jr. emerged from the smoke, twisted metal and flared tempers to score the victory.
Host Adam Cheek and on-site Jack Swansey break down their takeaways from the event, from the celebrities at the venue to the on-track action to the Clash’s future within the sport and if it should continue to be held in the City of Angels.
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Adam Cheek joined Frontstretch as a contributing writer in January 2019. A 2020 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, he covered sports there and later spent a year and a half as a sports host on 910 the Fan in Richmond, VA. He's freelanced for Richmond Magazine and the Richmond Times-Dispatch and also hosts the Adam Cheek's Sports Week podcast. Adam has followed racing since the age of three, inheriting the passion from his grandfather, who raced in amateur events up and down the East Coast in the 1950s.
Move this back to Daytona or Talladega.
Awful race.
NA$CAR will keep saying it is because it brings in a lot of $$$$$$$ which is all they care about.
What the heck are we doing a rap concert during a 25 minute halftime break in an auto race for? The point of an auto race is who can get there first. Halftime in an auto race would be like a 25 minute rest period in the middle of a ten kilometer track and field foot race. It is senseless! This was not the only egregious bunch of BS I witnessed, but it hurt the worst. I tuned out after the restart lasted two laps after the 25 minute pause for a vocal group that sounded like me trying to sing in church. Sheesh. NASCAR will lose me if anything resembling what happened at the LA Coliseum gets repeated at Daytona.
The “entertainment” is based on who will accept the fee NA$CAR is willing to pay. And it won’t be much! You get what you pay for! NA$CAR will never pay enough for anything worth watching.
And let’s wait to see which Vince’s “WWE Super Star” will be the honorary starter for the 500!
ha I don’t watch any “half time shows” I won’t bother watching during the big football game next Sunday either. I used to enjoy the pre-race concerts/events when we went to the races in person but I seldom watch anything like that on TV when I can easily change the channel. IMO it did go on WAY too long since I would flip back to see if they were back to racing or not. Nope, click, gone again.
It didn’t actually interest me. Normally at this time of the year I’d be all about it. I watched the IMSA race and enjoyed it. This race not so much.
I can’t believe NASCAR has come to this kind of “entertainment”! Go back to racing NASCAR, not WOKE! That was terrible!!!!!!!
I think you said it with less words than I did. Thanks.