1. Will Cup drivers go mad at the Madhouse?
For better or worse, Bowman Gray Stadium has earned itself the nickname “the Madhouse.” It certainly has a reputation of brawls and over-the-top temper tantrums, finding itself at the center of a controversial moment annually.
As for the Clash, well, drivers have their own history of hot tempers and controversial moments in this exhibition event. Kyle Busch had strong words for Alex Bowman after a final lap at Daytona International Speedway in 2017. Jimmie Johnson took out the field to win it in 2019, while Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott collided in a dramatic way on the road course in 2021.
The first Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum featured Ty Dillon knocking cars out of the way left and right. Blaney threw his HANS device at Erik Jones, while Kyle Larson and Justin Haley had a feud that ended in a frontstretch crash.
The last two years in L.A. were relatively tame, however, and the race leaders had been able to steer clear of the bumper cars behind them.
That could all change this weekend.
On one hand, drivers could think twice about any actions – and subsequent retaliation – after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earned himself a $75,000 fine in last year’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
However, something seems to posses drivers when the Cup Series visits historic venues – especially when it marks a major return. Expect to see the spirit of the Madhouse make its way into fans jeering at the drivers and expect drivers to have even less patience than normal.
Fans could be treated to see drivers get mad or go mad. That will all depend on the ever-changing circumstances that make racing so much fun to watch.
2. How will the Bowman Gray aces fare in Next Gen equipment?
The Clash at the Coliseum certainly had its cool factor. Aura is what the kids these days call it. The trip to California for an exhibition race also proved extra costly for teams.
Part of the uniqueness of the Clash taking place just a few miles north of NASCAR’s backyard is that a few open teams decided to join the fun this year. The entry list has 39 cars on it, and two of those rides were given to some of the best to ever do it at Bowman Gray Stadium.
In the No. 50 Chevrolet, Burt Myers will represent Team AmeriVet this weekend at Bowman Gray. Myers has 11 championships in the track’s modified tour, including the most recent championship in 2024.
It is also intriguing to note that Team AmeriVet is taking the opportunity to run this race with Myers while electing to skip the upcoming Daytona 500.
Correct. 50 team is entering the Clash but not going to try the 500 as it likely will attempt races with 40 or fewer cars entered. And no third RCR entry expected. https://t.co/fVNHI6nqvy
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 27, 2025
For as good of a record Myers has at Bowman Gray, Tim Brown has a slight leg up. Brown has 12 track championships, and he is the track’s all-time winningest driver with 101 victories. The twist for Brown is that he will drive the No. 15 car for Rick Ware Racing, the team he’s currently employed by.
While modifieds look and drive a lot differently from stock cars, Brown and Myers have plenty of knowledge on how to wheel quick machines around the stadium. We also saw Ryan Preece, another modified guy, make L.A.’s main event in a Rick Ware Racing car in 2022.
Brown and Meyers won’t have to worry about the accountability of facing the Cup drivers for the rest of the season. The pair has one chance at glory, and one race with the fans hoping to see the two local legends pull off the upset.
3. Can a new face claim the Clash?
When you look at the history of the Clash and its winners, nearly all of the victors of this race either had or went on to have very successful careers. Only two drivers – Ken Schrader and Erik Jones – have less than 18 Cup wins over the course of their Cup careers. Everyone else has gone on to win a multitude of races and championships.
The more you think about it, though, it does make sense. After all, the Clash used to be a race for the prior year’s pole winners. You would expect to see drivers who had consistent speed and skill on the superspeedway tracks return to contend for wins in the next preseason events.
However, the last seven years have led to a variety of changes with the event location and the way the Clash field is determined. Three of the last seven Clash races took place on the Daytona oval, one took place on the Daytona road course, and the last three have taken place at the L.A. Coliseum.
Despite zero entry requirements, the introduction of heat races, and a slightly larger car count the last three years, the short track Clash events have been won by your usual suspects: Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin.
This year, it has to be time for someone else to step up, move some guys out of the way, and add a new name to the Clash winner history book.
4. Is the Clash destined to keep moving around?
In the last couple of years on the big track in Daytona, the Clash began to lose some of its prestige. The smaller fields resulted in 90% of the race turning into a single-file train with little actual racing.
Then, in 2019 and 2020, the Clash morphed into a demolition derby, and the carnage really seemed unnecessary, to put it simply. That played a big part into changing the way the Clash was done.
While some miss the tradition of the abbreviated superspeedway race, the Tuesday night road race at Daytona had some moments of intrigue, but still did not have quite the luster of a bigger event.
The first year in the L.A. Coliseum, however, certainly flipped the tone of the Clash on its head. The event in an unusual location brought in a swath of new fans, bringing a much-needed breath of fresh air to the Clash. As fun as that first year was, the excitement quickly faded.
This year’s return to Bowman Gray met some skepticism at first. North Carolina isn’t exactly as warm and sunny as the beaches in Daytona or L.A. this time of year, but the historic value of this event is bringing excitement along with it. However, there’s no telling how long it will take for this to wear off yet again.
A preseason exhibition is a great thing for NASCAR. It’s an important moment to introduce the unique stock car product in a different environment for sports fans while they wait for football’s biggest day. The Clash also gives race fans a nice little appetizer, helping build excitement for the Daytona 500 two weeks later.
The Clash should stay on the schedule as a NASCAR staple, so long as it does not burden the teams too much. The best way to keep things light – and make sure it doesn’t stale – is to continue moving around every so often.
Drivers clashing at Bowman Gray may sustain fans and the garage for a few years, but this event is a great opportunity to explore moving to new venues and possibly returning to some old ones as well.
Caleb began sports writing in 2023 with The Liberty Champion, where he officially covered his first NASCAR race at Richmond in the spring. While there, Caleb met some of the guys from Frontstretch, and he joined the video editing team after graduating from Liberty University with degrees in Strategic Communications and Sports Journalism. Caleb currently work full-time as a Multi-Media Journalist with LEX 18 News in Lexington, Kentucky and contributes to Frontstretch with writing and video editing. He's also behind-the-scenes or on camera for the Happy Hour Podcast, live every Tuesday night at 7:30!