Memorable moments from The Clash

From Daytona International Speedway to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Bowman Gray Stadium, The Clash has been through many changes over the years. Take a look at some memorable moments from the exhibition race, since the inaugural event in 1979 through last year's historic run at Bowman Gray — site of the 2026 Cook Out Clash as well.

Feb. 11, 1979: Buddy Baker won the inaugural Busch Light Clash at Daytona, in a 20-lap sprint to the checkered flag.

Feb. 12, 1984: Ricky Rudd survived a wild ride that included multiple flips, which forced him to tape his eyes open to continue racing during Daytona Speedweeks.

Feb. 12, 1995: Dale Earnhardt won the Busch Light Clash for the sixth and final time. Earnhardt remains the all-time winningest driver in the exhibition race.

Feb. 8, 2003: After being a day race for many years, the Busch Light Clash was held under the lights at Daytona for the first time.

Feb. 12, 2006: Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin became the first rookie in the history of the exhibition race to take home the checkered flag.

Feb. 9. 2008: Leading 47 of 70 laps in his first race with Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. found himself in a familiar spot in Victory Lane again at Daytona.

Feb. 18, 2012: After nearly wrecking off Turn 2, Kyle Busch pulled off an epic save and later drove through the field to win the race in a photo finish with Tony Stewart.

Feb. 16, 2013: Kevin Harvick led 40 of 75 laps to win the Busch Light Clash for the third time in his Cup Series career. This was also the debut of the Gen 6 car.

Feb. 14, 2015: Matt Kenseth ended up in Victory Lane, but drama occurred on the final lap between Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano. Coming to the checkered flag on the last lap, Logano pushed Harvick and ended up putting the Stewart-Haas Racing driver into the wall. Harvick exited his car and engaged in a heated post-race discussion with Logano.

Feb. 10, 2019: With 20 laps to go in the 75-lap exhibition race, Jimmie Johnson made contact with Paul Menard, causing a big multicar pileup. Shortly afterward, rain arrived to the track with Johnson leading. The race did not resume, resulting in the seven-time Cup Series champion's final win in a NASCAR-sanctioned event.

Feb. 9, 2021: Instead of running on the 2.5-mile oval at Daytona, the Busch Light Clash moved to the road course under the lights. In a dramatic finish, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney collided in the final chicane on the last lap. This allowed Kyle Busch to steal the win.

Feb. 6, 2022: For the first time in the exhibition race's history, the Busch Light Clash was held at a different venue. After hosting this event at Daytona every year since 1979, the Cup Series debuted at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Team Penske's Joey Logano led for 35 laps, holding off Kyle Busch to win on the quarter-mile LA bullring in the Next Gen car's debut.

Feb. 5, 2023: After a winless 2022 campaign, Martin Truex Jr. kicked off the new season with a win in the Los Angeles exhibition race. This was an early sign of things to come as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver ended up clinching the Cup Series Regular Season Championship. 

Feb. 3, 2024: In an unprecedented decision by NASCAR, the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum was moved to Saturday night due to the threat of torrential rain forecasted over the next few days in Los Angeles. 

Feb. 3, 2024: Denny Hamlin started from the pole for Saturday night's event and showed up when it mattered most to capture his fourth clash victory of his career.

Feb. 2, 2025: It was a tough, bumper-driven battle between Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney at the iconic Bowman Gray Stadium during the 2025 main event. The end result, however, was the 2020 Cup Series champ in Elliott prevailing at the Winston-Salem facility to capture his first career Clash victory.