Everything You Need to Know About The Busch Light Clash

This article is posted in collaboration with an outside sponsorship client. The opinions and information contained within do not necessarily represent Frontstretch and its staff.

The NASCAR season is about to start with one of the most controversial events of the year – the Busch Clash in Los Angeles. Busch Light Clash is scheduled for Feb. 4, and this has been the case for the last couple of years; there’s hype for it and a lot of negativity.

In this article, we will outline everything you need to know about Busch Clash and what to expect from the event in 2024. Regardless of its place in the NASCAR schedule, Busch Clash is starting to look like a great event and plenty to be excited about.

The Controversy

In 2021, The Busch Clash event was moved from Daytona to LA. This decision didn’t sit well with some of the fan base. The reason wasn’t so much the change of venue but the change in format, as it’s held inside a stadium, and fans preferred the open highway of Daytona.

It led to some resentment among the fans, but over the years, Busch Clash has proven to be a great event and one that presents a good opener for the new season.

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.

There are two other dates to keep an eye on when it comes to the 2024 season:

Feb. 18 — Daytona 500

Nov. 3 — Cup finale at Phoenix

No date has yet been announced for Bristol Motor Speedway, but it will be held in spring on a concrete track rather than the dirt we’re used to.

The Location

Busch Clash will take place in the LA Memorial Coliseum for the third time. It may be the last time it takes place there since the stadium has a three-year contract with NASCAR, and it will decide whether to renew it before the end of the year.

The race takes place on a quarter-mile track inside the historic football stadium, built for this occasion in particular. The Coliseum seats 78,000, but 14 rows of lower-level seats are not being used for fan safety, putting capacity in the 60,000 range.

Rules Change

There are two minor changes to the rules that fans may take note of. Starting in 2024, all road/street courses will have stage-break cautions. This doesn’t apply to Busch Clash, but it does to other races this season.

Cup Series cars will run a new aero package at all road courses and tracks measuring one mile or shorter. The package includes a three-inch spoiler, a simplified diffuser and diffuser strakes, the 2023-spec short track/road course splitter stuffers, and no engine panel strakes.

Format of the Event

• The event is open for all teams and drivers for the first time in its history.
• There’s a total of 350 laps in seven races.
• The 36 charter teams and up to four open teams participated in qualifying. Should more than 40 teams enter the race, the four fastest times in qualifying determine who advances to the heat races.
• Based on lap times, cars are put in one of four heat races of 25 laps each.
• The top five drivers in each 25-lap heat advance to the feature.
• The highest driver in the previous year’s Cup Series points standings had not already advanced to the feature in the last position (27th).
• The feature is 150 laps (green flag only in 2023).

There are, therefore, many different ways to wager on this event, and anonymous betting sites Bitcoin wagers, can cover each of the potential outcomes individually or as a parlay bet.

Confirmed Driver Changes

There have been a few driver changes for the upcoming season.

Kevin Harvick will retire and be replaced in the #4 by Josh Berry.

#10-Aric Almirola will retire at the end of 2023.

#31-Justin Haley will move from Kaulig Racing to Rick Ware Racing. Daniel Hemric will take over the #31 at Kaulig Racing.

John Hunter Nemechek will drive the #42 for Legacy Motor Club.

Front Row Motorsports lineup is now set with #34-Michael McDowell and #38-Todd Gilliland,

A.J. Allmendinger will return to the Xfinity Series full-time but run a partial Cup schedule.

Carson Hocevar will take over the No. 77 for Spire Motorsports, replacing Ty Dillon.

Noah Gragson will drive the #10 for Stewart-Haas Racing.

The Halfway Break Performance

NASCAR announced that GRAMMY-nominated and multi-platinum recording artist Machine Gun Kelly, also known as MGK,  will perform at the Halfway break at Busch Clash in Los Angeles.

Machine Gun Kelly is the true embodiment of what it means to be a modern-day rock star,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing development and strategy.

“We’re thrilled to have as captivating of an artist as MGK bring in the 2024 season during the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.”

Past Winners

 Busch Clash is a relatively new event, so there are not many past winners to discuss. This is the third annual Clash, and if we don’t count the times the event was held in Daytona, those are the only winners to which we can compare this year’s lineup.

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.

Sponsorship

Busch Beer was the event’s main sponsor from the 70s to 1997. After losing the sponsorship, the race was renamed until 2019, when Busch Beer returned as the titular sponsor and got the old name back.

“Becoming a NASCAR Cup Series Premier Partner afforded us the opportunity to evolve our presence in the sport and authentically connect our deep-rooted history in NASCAR to its future,” said Nick Kelly, vice president partnerships, beer category, and community, Anheuser-Busch. “We’re looking forward to enjoying the Busch Clash with all the fans who’ve waited, and asked for the return of the original race name.”

Exhibition Race

Busch Clash is an exhibition race, meaning that it doesn’t count towards the official points for the NASCAR Cup. The main significance of the race, therefore, comes from its timing. It’s the first race of the season and serves as an opener that builds anticipation for the New Year and new NASCAR season.

To Sum Up

Busch Clash will take place on Feb. 4. It’s the third annual Clash that will take place in LA instead of Daytona. NASCAR has a three-year contract with the Memorial Coliseum, meaning it may be the last one on that track. The decision to move the season’s first race to LA has caused some controversy.

It’s an exhibition race that doesn’t count towards the Cup points. Therefore, the race’s main appeal is the fact that it’s the season opener. We’re in for a great event this year, with Machine Gun Kelly performing at the halfway break. There have also been a few changes in the line up, with some of the best drivers retiring.