Posted on by Staff Report

The stadium lights won’t be the only things shining brightly come Sunday night — so too will NASCAR’s biggest stars when the Busch Light Clash (8 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) kicks off the sport’s historic 75th season in a most historic venue.

There are 27 spots available for the 150-lap showdown at the quarter-mile track built inside the venerable Los Angeles Coliseum, up from 23 in last year’s inaugural event. Thirty-six drivers are on the entry list, which means nine won’t make the big show.

Drivers will clinch their spot in The Clash via a series of heat races and last-chance qualifying races on Sunday before the green flag for the main event.

RELATED: Full starting lineup for Busch Light Clash

In short: The top five finishers from each of the four heat races (5 p.m. ET, FOX) Sunday advance into the Busch Light Clash. Those who don’t qualify that way will compete later (6:10 p.m. ET, FOX) Sunday in two last-chance qualifiers. The top three finishers in each LCQ race will also advance for a total of 26 spots (20 from heat races, six from last-chance qualifying races). The final spot is reserved for the driver who finished highest in 2022 points who has not yet qualified.

Follow along for live updates as we’ll post the lineups for the heat races, then the results from both the heat races and last-chance qualifying from the Los Angeles Coliseum, with the final Busch Light Clash starting lineup at the bottom of the page updated in real time.

Qualifying Heat Race No. 1: Results (bold* denotes driver has advanced to Busch Light Clash main event)

Finishing Spot Car Number Driver
1 10 Aric Almirola*
2 48 Alex Bowman*
3 31 Justin Haley*
4 42 Noah Gragson*
5 22 Joey Logano*
6 34 Michael McDowell
7 21 Harrison Burton
8 77 Ty Dillon
9 17 Chris Buescher

Qualifying Heat Race No. 2: Results (bold* denotes driver has advanced to Busch Light Clash main event)

Finishing Spot Car Number Driver
1 19 Martin Truex Jr.*
2 8 Kyle Busch*
3 3 Austin Dillon*
4 5 Kyle Larson*
5 4 Kevin Harvick*
6 9 Chase Elliott
7 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
8 2 Austin Cindric
9 78 BJ McLeod

Qualifying Heat Race No. 3: Results (bold* denotes driver has advanced to Busch Light Clash main event)

Finishing Spot Car Number Driver
1 11 Denny Hamlin*
2 14 Chase Briscoe*
3 45 Tyler Reddick*
4 12 Ryan Blaney*
5 99 Daniel Suárez*
6 20 Christopher Bell
7 38 Todd Gilliland
8 6 Brad Keselowski
9 15 JJ Yeley

Qualifying Heat Race No. 4: Results (bold* denotes driver has advanced to Busch Light Clash main event)

Finishing Spot Car Number Driver
1 24 William Byron*
2 23 Bubba Wallace*
3 1 Ross Chastain*
4 41 Ryan Preece*
5 43 Erik Jones*
6 54 Ty Gibbs
7 16 AJ Allmendinger
8 7 Corey LaJoie
9 51 Cody Ware

 

Last-Chance Qualifier Race No. 1: Results (bold* denotes driver has advanced to Busch Light Clash main event)

Finishing Spot Car Number Driver
1 34 Michael McDowell*
2 20 Christopher Bell*
3 38 Todd Gilliland*
4 21 Harrison Burton
5 6 Brad Keselowski
6 77 Ty Dillon
7 17 Chris Buescher
8 15 JJ Yeley

 

Last-Chance Qualifier Race No. 2: Results (bold* denotes driver has advanced to Busch Light Clash main event)

Finishing Spot Car Number Driver
1 9 Chase Elliott*
2 54 Ty Gibbs*
3 16 AJ Allmendinger*
4 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
5 2 Austin Cindric* (advanced via points provisional)
6 7 Corey LaJoie
7 51 Cody Ware
8 78 BJ McLeod

 

FULL STARTING LINEUP FOR BUSCH LIGHT CLASH (8 p.m. ET)

Starting Spot/Driver How determined
1. Aric Almirola Heat Race No. 1 winner
2. Martin Truex Jr. Heat Race No. 2 winner
3. Denny Hamlin Heat Race No. 3 winner
4. William Byron Heat Race No. 4 winner
5. Alex Bowman Heat Race No. 1 second place
6. Kyle Busch Heat Race No. 2 second place
7. Chase Briscoe Heat Race No. 3 second place
8. Bubba Wallace Heat Race No. 4 second place
9. Justin Haley Heat Race No. 1 third place
10. Austin Dillon Heat Race No. 2 third place
11. Tyler Reddick Heat Race No. 3 third place
12. Ross Chastain Heat Race No. 4 third place
13. Noah Gragson Heat Race No. 1 fourth place
14. Kyle Larson Heat Race No. 2 fourth place
15. Ryan Blaney Heat Race No. 3 fourth place
16. Ryan Preece Heat Race No. 4 fourth place
17. Joey Logano Heat Race No. 1 fifth place
18. Kevin Harvick Heat Race No. 2 fifth place
19. Daniel Suárez Heat Race No. 3 fifth place
20. Erik Jones Heat Race No. 4 fifth place
21. Michael McDowell Last Chance Qualifier No. 1 winner
22. Chase Elliott Last Chance Qualifier No. 2 winner
23. Christopher Bell Last Chance Qualifier No. 1 second place
24. Ty Gibbs Last Chance Qualifier No. 2 second place
25. Todd Gilliland Last Chance Qualifier No. 1 third place
26. AJ Allmendinger Last Chance Qualifier No. 2 third place
27. Austin Cindric 2022 Points Provisional

 

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

The 2023 edition of the Chilly Willy at Tucson Speedway continued Saturday with the second day of action at the three-eighths-mile asphalt oval.

Headlining the action was qualifying and a pair of 50-lap qualifying races that helped set the field for Sunday’s $10,000-to-win, 150-lap Super Late Model main event.

RELATED: Watch the 2023 Chilly Willy live on FloRacing

Joining the Super Late Model class Saturday were the Modifieds and two Legend car divisions. The Modifieds contested a 75-lap main event, the Legend car Semi-Pro/Young Lion class hit the track for 30 laps and the Legend car Pro/Masters division was in action for 35 laps.

Below are the takeaways from the second day of racing at Tucson.

  • The day opened with qualifying for the Super Late Model class, where the top-two competitors locked into Sunday’s 150-lap finale. Top honors went to Preston Peltier, who led the way with a 15.155-second lap. Sean Hingorani, driving for 2022 Snowball Derby winner Derek Thorn, qualified second to also lock into Sunday’s race.
  • Kole Raz powered to victory in the first 50-lap qualifying race. He took the lead on lap nine from Brandon Farrington and led the remainder of the distance, finishing 2.949 seconds clear of runner-up Andy Allen.

  • Also advancing to the Chilly Willy finale on Sunday from the first qualifying race were Zachary Riehl, Farrington, Bruce Yackey, Zander Peters, Brett Yackey, Dylan Jones, Barrett Polhemus and Blake Williams.
  • Opting to compete despite already being locked in to the Chilly Willy finale via his qualifying effort, Hingorani won the second 50-lap qualifying race after taking the lead from Jimmy Parker Jr. on the 17th circuit. Tristian Swanson was second after a side-by-side battle with Michael Scott in the final laps.

  • Also advancing to the Chilly Willy main event from the second qualifying race were Parker, Eddie Vecchiarelli, Kody Vanderwal, Rudy Vanderwal, Brandon Carlson, Darrell Midgley and Joe Paladenic.
  • Jaron Giannini survived a restart with six laps left to win the 75-lap Modified feature. Weston Marthaler finished 1.331 seconds behind Giannini in second, with Brian Harrington Jr., Branden Bonnett and Dominick Adams following.
  • Jake Bollman survived a challenge from ARCA Menards Series West competitor Tanner Reif to win the 35-lap Legend car Pro/Masters feature. Jordan Holloway crossed the finish line third ahead of Cody Brown and Brandon Giannini.
  • Bryceton Meyer dominated the 30-lap Legend car Semi-Pro/Young Lion feature, leading every lap on his way to Victory Lane. Tessa Marine was second, 0.742 seconds behind Meyer. Tanner Scarberry, Andrew Riehl and Alex Roe completed the top-five finishers.
  • Super Late Model drivers who failed to qualify for Sunday’s 150-lap finale will have one last opportunity to do so Sunday. A Last Chance Qualifier will be held prior to the main event, with the top-six finishers advancing to the finale.

The final day of racing during the Chilly Willy at Tucson Speedway will be available live at 3 p.m. ET/1 p.m. MT on FloRacing.

Posted on by Staff Report

Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen said Saturday that the track, in the midst of preparing for its final race on the classic 2-mile oval on Feb. 26, will not be on the 2024 NASCAR schedule.

MORE: Full 2023 Cup Series schedule

Planning continues for a new half-mile short track located on the current site, along with additional property enhancements.

“Unfortunately, even with the most aggressive timeline, we will not race in 2024 on the new track,” Allen said in an interview at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ahead of this weekend’s Busch Light Clash. “The timeline beyond that still has yet to be determined. There are just milestones we need to get through, not the least of which is the design of the race track. We’re still working on that. There are a lot of iterations we’re still designing, both on track and off track.

“It’ll be really exciting when we get to a point where we can share that. What we’re working on is really exciting. The fact that we race at a half-mile at Martinsville and Bristol, it’ll be cool to have another half-mile, especially out here on the West Coast with so much racing history here.”

Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval opened as California Speedway in 1997. It quickly became the region’s premier motorsports destination for both NASCAR and IndyCar races. Some of racing’s greatest drivers have won races on the high-speed track, including NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon and 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.

Tickets for the Pala Casino 400 and Production Alliance Group 300 (NASCAR Xfinity Series race) on Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval are on sale now. Fans can visit www.autoclubspeedway.com for the latest ticket information.

Posted on by Brandon White

The first night of on-track action for the 2023 Chilly Willy at Tucson Speedway has come to close.

Three divisions took center stage on Friday evening. Two 50-lap Super Late Model features headlined the night’s festivities alongside the Legends, Legends / Pro & Masters and Pro Stock races.

RELATED: Watch the 2023 Chilly Willy live on FloRacing

Opening night helped set the stage for what is expected to be a busy Chilly Willy weekend at Tucson, which will culminate into the 150-lap Super Late Model feature on Sunday afternoon.

Below are the takeaways from the first night of racing at Tucson.

  • Defending Chilly Willy champion Preston Peltier picked up from where he left off in 2022 by dominating the first Super Late Model race from the pole. The two-time race winner set the best overall time earlier in the day with a 15.051, besting Brandon Farrington by 0.094 seconds.
  • Brett Yackey finished second to Peltier in the first Super Late Model race. Jimmy Parker Jr., former NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor Kody Vanderwal and Kasey Kleyn completed the top-five.
  • Farrington was denied a shot at a victory as well on night one after he was passed late by Eddie Vecchiarelli in the second Super Late Model feature. Vecchiarelli is set to make his third Chilly Willy start after finishing third in last year’s event.
  • Sean Hingorani, who is set to compete full time in ARCA Menards Series East this year with Venturini Motorsports, finished third in the second Super Late Model race. Rounding out the top-five were Kole Ran and Tristan Swanson.
  • ARCA Menards Series West competitor Tyler Reif put together a dominant performance to win the Legends Pro Masters feature. Jake Bollman was second, followed by Brenden Ruzbarsky, Cody Brown and Brandon Giannini.
  • In the Legends division, Gavin Ray took the checkered flag ahead of Dylan Wolf by more than half a second. Andrew Riehl, T.J. Roberts and Tessa Marine made up the rest of the top five finishers.
  • A five car Pro Stock race saw Barry Levitt prevail in a thrilling battle with Richard Dorman, who spun coming to the checkered flag and settled for third behind Larry Leetch.

The on-track action for the Chilly Willy continues Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. ET/1 p.m. MT on FloRacing.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

In 1997, Joey Logano was a 7-year-old kid learning the ropes in his quarter midget in Connecticut.

A quarter century later, the 32-year-old enters the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season as the defending champion, a two-time title winner who’s enjoyed 31 points-paying wins in 14 full-time campaigns.

His growing statistics — and family — are about the only things that have seemed to change for the hard-charging driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

RELATED: See Joey Logano’s stats | 2023 Cup schedule

The aggression Logano shows on track today is not a new or learned trait; it’s been ingrained in him from the start.

“The Hartford (CT) Courant did an article about kids racing quarter midgets and stuff,” Logano said. “And so they asked me a couple questions and I said, ‘I’m going to be Jeff Gordon’s worst nightmare,’ and I was 7 years old racing quarter midgets. That was my goal.”

A photo of the original article that ran in the Hartford (Connecticut) Courant

Shawn Courchesne, who authored that article, remembers his first trip to Tom Logano’s “shop” in Portland, Connecticut, well. It was far less a race shop and far more a business headquarters — “a pretty significant building” that housed the large sanitation business the elder Logano owned and operated. Oh, and the family’s quarter midget racers.

“I met Tommy and met Joey and Deb [Joey’s mother] and Joey was very quiet,” Courchesne told NASCAR.com. “I mean, he was 7 years old and I think he was just shy about everything. And when he did speak, you could tell there was a confidence that he had in himself, but it wasn’t like arrogant. It was just a 7-year-old kid who was totally excited about what he was doing and the success he was having.”

Courchesne covered motorsports for the Courant for nearly 19 years before founding RaceDayCT in 2012, which covers motorsports in New England as the name implies. But there was something unique about Logano’s situation that Courchesne couldn’t shake.

“We kind of had this rule that we tried to avoid writing stories about the youth motorsports thing in the same way we try to avoid writing certain stories about Little League teams because you felt like if you did one, you would get 150 parents calling the next day: ‘Well, I want you to write about my kid now,’ ” Courchesne said. “I still to this day think it’s so interesting that we chose to do Joey. It just seemed like it was different than anything else we had heard or seen before. And then ultimately, that choice that we made was the kid that made it to the top and won a NASCAR championship and did all that he’s done.”

Logano and his family found early success as Joey won two track championships at Silver City Quarter Midget Club in Meridan, Connecticut, in the summer of ’97, taking home titles in the Junior Honda and Junior Super Stock divisions. By October, he’d won 17 Honda features and 24 in Super Stock.

But standouts at the youth level weren’t always uncommon, leaving Courchesne with hints of hesitancy — at first, anyway.

A photo of 7-year-old Joey Logano courtesy of the Hartford (Connecticut) Courant in 1997

“Even with as much success as Tommy was talking about they had, you know, in the back of my mind, it’s like, ‘yeah, I’ve heard of a lot of quarter midget kids that have had this success, and does it really get you anywhere?’ ” Courchesne said. “But what I do remember is that Tommy was all in at that point. He was like, they’re gonna make this work, and we’re gonna go places with this. And you heard that from a lot of people, but there was something about Tommy’s passion at that point.

“And obviously, I knew they had the resources as a family to make things work, which we all know is super important in motorsports, but it just felt like wow, this one does feel a little different. Like I feel like they can make this work.”

Indeed, the Loganos made it work — and quickly. Courchesne and the Courant kept close tabs on his progress even as he moved south to begin bringing those NASCAR dreams to life. Fast forward some 11 years from that inaugural interview, and Logano was climbing behind the wheel of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for his rookie season in the Cup Series.

Despite moving to Georgia early in his racing pursuits, Logano leaves no doubts his allegiance still lies with New England.

“They never walked away from their roots in Connecticut,” Courchesne said. “And when Joey made it to the top levels, he still came back to Connecticut all the time to do fundraisers to help people, to do appearances with certain groups that you wouldn’t expect a Cup driver to come do appearances with.”

In 2021, Logano returned to Silver City after donating to the track, helping fund the track’s first repave since 1975. And he continues supporting the track and its racers today, backing a program connected with the facility that grants families new quarter midgets for their kids to pursue their own racing careers.

As for the 7-year-old Logano who dreamt of being Jeff Gordon’s worst nightmare?

“I don’t think I ever actually became his worst nightmare, but that was my goal,” the 32-year-old Logano said.

He did, however, beat him head-to-head on a green-white-checkered restart in 2014 at Texas Motor Speedway, charging from third to first and powering around Gordon’s famed No. 24 Chevrolet for the victory on the final lap.

WATCH: Logano bests Gordon in last-lap thriller

“That was just the coolest, full-circle thing for me,” Logano said. “It doesn’t mean as much to Jeff, right? But for me, that was a huge deal, and having that whole full-circle thing. […]

“At least I beat him once. So that part was cool. I told him that story. He got a kick out of that.”

Now, Logano prepares to defend his second Cup Series championship starting with the exhibition Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM). And oh, by the way, Logano enters as the defending winner at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum too.

Posted on by Marcus DiNitto

With a lack of data and an inordinately short, short track, the 2023 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum has the betting market flummoxed.

The oddsboard shows no clear favorite to take the checkers Sunday in Los Angeles (8 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), as five drivers opened at +800 at the market-making Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, with two competitors just behind that group at +1000.

“These odds say that we really have no idea of who should be favored,” Ed Salmons, vice president of risk management at the SuperBook, told NASCAR.com this week. “I mean, it’s random. There’s so many guys that can win. It’s kind of like college basketball this year. We just don’t know who should be the guy or the team.”

Here are the odds to win the season-opening non-points race from three sportsbooks – the Westgate and NASCAR partners BetMGM and Barstool.

Driver SuperBook BetMGM Barstool
Joey Logano +800 +800 +800
Kyle Larson +800 +800 +800
Chase Elliott +800 +800 +800
Kyle Busch +800 +800 +850
Christopher Bell +800 +900 +1000
Ryan Blaney +1000 +1000 +1000
Denny Hamlin +1000 +1200 +1200
Tyler Reddick +1400 +1200 +1400
Ross Chastain +1400 +1200 +1500
William Byron +1400 +1400 +1500
Kevin Harvick +1800 +2000 +2000
Martin Truex Jr +2000 +1800 +2200

RELATED: See full BetMGM odds for Sunday

Salmons weighed in on why the top of the oddsboards looks the way it does.

“All you can do is go by what you saw last year, and for whatever reason, the Toyotas weren’t good on short tracks last year; but they have some of the better drivers in (Denny) Hamlin and Christopher Bell, and you always have to respect that,” the oddsmaker said.

Kyle Busch — Bell and Hamlin’s former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate who is now in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet — deserves special attention from bettors.

“You got Kyle Buch in the car that (Tyler) Reddick led the first (53) laps (in last year’s Clash) before he broke, and Kyle finished second last year and the Toyotas were off on speed, ” Salmons pointed out.  “So you have to respect that.

And, of course, the Hendrick Motorsports dynamic duo of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson always gets respect, as does Joey Logano, who won the Clash last year as a precursor to his Cup championship.

Looking for Betting Value

There’s been exactly one race at the LA Coliseum, last year’s Clash, and the practice of applying data from “comparable” tracks is even more imperfect than usual — typical short tracks are twice as long as this quarter-miler. Add in the randomness that’s likely to occur in the tight quarters, and handicapping the race becomes a challenge.

For his race simulations. Jim Sannes — a quantitative NASCAR betting and fantasy analyst at numberFire — inputted data from short, flat tracks while overlaying the variance of Bristol.

“The goal is to have drivers who run well on that track type to rise to the top but to have it projected as being a pretty volatile race,” Sannes said in a direct message. “It might not be perfect, but I do think that’s the proper way to handle something like this.”

He believes he’s found some value.

William Byron at +1500 odds and Ty Gibbs at +7500 may be worth a wager, according to Sannes’ model. The sims also point to Blaney at +1200, but that price appears to be long gone.

“It’s high on Blaney and Byron because they’re good on short, flat tracks but have odds a good chunk longer than the key studs.”

Salmons added of Blaney, “He’s as good as anyone on these kinds of tracks. He just never seems to be able to win.”

In an email, BetMGM Sportsbook trader Michael Ranftle said of early betting on the Clash, “There’s been some interest in Larson, Busch, (Brad) Keselowski, Austin Dillon and (Justin) Haley so far … but we expect most of the bets will come later in the week.”

Futures Update

While the Clash has no bearing on the championship, here’s a peek at how 2023 Cup futures odds have shifted at the SuperBook since opening numbers were hung last fall.

Driver Open Current
Chase Elliott +700 +600
Kyle Larson +700 +700
Joey Logano +1200 +1200
Denny Hamlin +1200 +1000
Christopher Bell +1200 +1200
Ryan Blaney +1200 +1200
Ross Chastain +1200 +1400
William Byron +1200 +1200
Tyler Reddick +1200 +1200
Martin Truex Jr +1200 +1200
Kyle Busch +1200 +1400
Kevin Harvick +1200 +1200
Chase Briscoe +2500 +3000
Bubba Wallace +2500 +3000
Alex Bowman +2500 +3000
Daniel Suárez +4000 +5000
Ty Gibbs +6000 +8000

At the top of the oddsboard, Elliott has been shortened to 6-1, making him the sole favorite. Salmons adjusted Elliott’s price after a customer placed a $12,500 bet (at 7-to-1 odds to win $87,500) on the Hendrick driver to win the title. The same customer made the same bet last year.

It’s a big bet, not necessarily a sharp one. Salmons categories the gambler among “house customers who we have relationships with, and they obviously like bet a lot on this stuff, so we let ’em.”

The SuperBook also wrote a $3,000 bet on Logano at 12-to-1 odds, although no adjustment to that price followed.

At BetMGM, Ranftle said, “A few bettors are on Austin Dillon at 150-1 to win 20k+. There are also long-shot bets on AJ Allmendinger, Justin Haley, and Corey Lajoie that win between 15k and 50k.”

Meanwhile, Ross Chastain, Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suárez have seen their odds lengthen during off-season wagering.

“Chastain probably had the most perfect year he could have had last year, and with Kyle being in probably lesser equipment than last year, you would think it would be harder for him to win,” Salmons said of his adjustments. Wallace moved from 25-1 to 33-1 at BetMGM.

“I expected more interest but our price was a tick too low,” Ranftle said. “There were a lot more casual bets on him last season at the opening line of 150-1.

Suárez has been lengthened at BetMGM to 50-1 from 40-1. “Not many takers on that one and we were a little lower than other books also,” said the bookmaker.

Marcus DiNitto is Senior News Editor at Gaming Today. He’s been covering sports business for 25 years and sports betting for 12. NASCAR is among the many sports Marcus enjoys betting but often loses on. Follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on by Staff Report

Editor’s note: NASCAR Studios has partnered with students from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism to provide content for the Busch Light Clash. This story is by Jacqueline Cao, who is pursuing a Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising.

Since 1923, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has functioned as an anchor for many of the city’s sporting events and competitions, including the Olympic games, World Series and Super Bowl. The stadium is also home to the USC Trojans’ football team and its devoted fanbase. This year’s NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash marks NASCAR’s second time constructing a quarter-mile race track inside the landmark facility.

When the NASCAR crews started their Coliseum build this past December, the final football game had been played less than a month prior and the playing field had been left untouched. This meant that NASCAR had only six weeks to transform the field into a temporary race track. Here is how NASCAR achieved this incredible feat in such a short amount of time:

First, bringing in the materials “[took] an army to move,” said Jeremy Casperson, director of civic engineering. The building process required 30 crew members, 9,200 cubic yards of material and 1,500 cubic yards of asphalt. It consisted of four major phases: delivering the materials, lifting and paving the field, setting the walls and painting the track. 

Similar to a game of Tetris, space and timing were crucial. 

RELATED: Full Clash weekend schedule | What to do in LA while visiting for the Clash

The engineering and building crews had to locate and transport materials that had been stored all over Southern California after last year’s Clash: The walls were in Fontana and Long Beach, the asphalt was brought in from Irvine and the dirt was stored in Anaheim. The availability of bulk materials was also an important reason why NASCAR utilized such a widespread network across the region, he explained.

Due to the limited area in and around the Coliseum, his team also had to ensure that the deliveries were scheduled correctly to prevent overcrowding and further challenges.

With the newly arrived materials, the crew lifted the surface of the field four feet. Doing this, as well as laying down the dirt, was a process that took “the better part of two weeks,” Casperson said. When finished, the middle track was 18 inches higher than the original field level; the outside track was four feet higher.   

After raising the surface, the crew paved it with 1,500 cubic yards of asphalt over a series of three days. At every race track, and even on roads, asphalt is used to help cool down the rubber of tires spinning at full speed. If you ever get a chance to walk on the race track, touch the ground and feel how cold the asphalt will be even if it’s been baking in the LA sun.

After the track was completed, the contractors installed three outer walls around the oval: the front barrier, the steel barrier and the back barrier. 

A painter prepares the outer wall for the Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum.
Jacqueline Cao | for NASCAR Studios

The most salient element of these walls was the SAFER barrier, shorthand for the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barrier, which was comprised of large Styrofoam blocks. Inserted between the barriers, the SAFER wall helps protect the drivers and race cars – and even spectators – by absorbing and reducing kinetic energy upon impact. This layer was essential for the Coliseum because the track’s short quarter-mile length led to a higher possibility of drivers bumping into and against the walls. 

And after more than a month of building, setting and installing, finally, it was time for the finishing touches.

Professional painting crews arrived to hand paint logos on the walls and stripes on the track. Since the Clash is one of the last few competitions that still has hand-painted logos, they aptly mirror the rustic and vintage feel of the historic LA venue.

After the final checkered flag waves to declare a winner at the Clash, the construction crews will have only two weeks to deconstruct the walls, restore the playing field to its original level and return the materials back to their respective locations to await their next use. For Casperson, this is a swift process with which he is quite familiar.

But not too long after the Clash, he and his team will immediately proceed to an exciting and revolutionary new project: the Chicago Street Race.

To see the track in action and the culmination of the crews’ hard work, don’t miss the second-ever Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, airing Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Tickets are available here.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum
(⏰ 8 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX, FOX Sports App | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the first exhibition race of the 2023 season.

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Busch Light Clash 101

Location: Los Angeles, California
Race purse: $2,085,000
Grand marshal: Rob Lowe, actor, filmmaker and podcast host
Honorary starter: Caleb Williams, Heisman trophy winner
Race distance: 150 laps | 37.5 miles
Stages: Break at Lap 75
Entry list: See who’s at the Clash
Qualifying order/Starting lineup: More info on Heat races, qualifying

Key things to watch 🔑

Top story line

The offseason is finally over, and drivers and teams are eager to shake off the rust; so what better opening statement can you make than winning the first race of the season? Although it is an exhibition race, Joey Logano’s march to victory at the Coliseum in 2022 en route to his second Cup Series title showed that there might be some correlation between starting on the right foot and ending on the right one. As Logano looks to defend his Clash trophy, others will seek to bookend their season in a similar way that the Team Penske veteran accomplished last season. After an offseason that featured a flurry of driver and team personnel movement, the first winner of the 2023 season will almost certainly set the tone.

RELATED: Drivers who could make an early statement

History tells us…

There will be a new winner at the Busch Light Clash. In the last eight Clash races spanning back to Daytona International Speedway, Logano’s 2022 win made him the only repeat winner in that time span — an anomaly. As the field expands to 27 drivers this season, the largest since the 28-car field in 2009, the odds become even slimmer for the reigning Cup Series champion to conquer the Coliseum a second time.

Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch are the betting co-favorites to win, but watch out for…

AJ Allmendinger. Allmendinger strapped into his Kaulig Racing entry in 2022 and put on a show for fans. After a poor effort in qualifying started him 21st for the main event, Allmendinger flashed his talent by finishing the race ninth overall. Sure, ninth may not look that impressive initially, but ‘Dinger tied Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones for the hypothetical ‘hard charger’ award by making up 12 positions on the track. But after a successful stint in the Xfinity Series, Allmendinger returns to the premier level ready to make a statement. His first race as a full-timer in the Next Gen era could be a storybook return on one of the sport’s biggest stages. | Analysis: Passing at the Coliseum

Familiar favorites ⭐️

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: Colors and schemes for the Clash | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Top 10 drivers with playoff spoiler potential | Read the full list
• Betting odds: Favorites, long shots to win at the Coliseum | BetMGM odds
• Season previews: Can Kyle Busch take RCR back to the glory days? | Team-by-team previews
• Championship cards: Betting favorites to win the Cup Series championship | See the favorite

Hot off the press 📰

Key stories and breaking news from the week leading up to the race.

• New year, new rules: NASCAR announced rules modifications | Learn more
• Safety: Safety enhancements made to Next Gen and data collection mandated | Read more
• Here we go: NASCAR gears up for landmark 75th anniversary season | Read more
• Garage 56: Testing in Daytona ramps up ahead of Le Mans | Read more | Jimmie among driver lineup
• Eyes on the prize: Key milestones for drivers to watch ahead of 2023 | Read more
• ‘Stacking Pennies:’ Ryan Preece joins the podcast to talk promotion | Listen here
• Chicago Street Race: General admission tickets are now on sale | Learn more
• Team news: Joe Gibbs Racing expands partnership with Interstate Batteries | Read more
• For the fans: NASCAR Fan Rewards launches as part of 75th season | Learn more
• Rolex 24: Meyer Shank Racing wins 24-hour race at Daytona | Race recap

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.

• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation! | Learn more
• Betting insight: Expert oddsmakers looking for answers on who to pick Sunday | Read full analysis
• Fantasy Live: A new season of NASCAR Fantasy Live will begin with the Daytona 500 | Tips for 2023
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going all the way: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Touching down in LA

Returning to the famed Coliseum for a second consecutive year, relive some key moments and highlights from the inaugural race. 

SPECIAL FEATURE: What to do in LA when visiting for the Clash

• Building it back: Coliseum construction complete and ready for racing | Photos from construction
• Winner, winner: All-time winners of the Busch Light Clash | From Daytona to LA
• Memory lane: Joey Logano holds off Kyle Busch to win inaugural race | Full 2022 race recap
• Race Rewind: Top five moments from Logano’s historic win | Watch them here
• See for yourself: Photos from the 2022 Clash at The Coliseum | Scroll through them

Take some notes 📝

Five hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• The 2023 Clash is the 45th running of the event and just the second year held outside of Daytona since its inception in 1979.
• Twenty-seven cars in the 2023 Clash will be the second largest field behind 28 in 2009.
• Ford won three of the last six Clashes after Logano in 2022 — its only wins in the last 18 years.
• The first 52 laps of the 2022 race went green; the longest green-flag stretch of the race.
• Only twice has a team swept the top-two finishing positions in the Clash: Hendrick Motorsports in 1990 and Team Penske in 2018.

Quote of the week 🎙

A notable quote from one star of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

• “I’m looking forward to going back. NASCAR has done a great job putting this event together, and I know there has been a lot of effort put in when you look at the celebrities coming out and the musical acts. It’s a fun atmosphere and an exciting way to start the season. From a racing perspective, we definitely want to have a better showing than we did last year, and I think we will. We improved so much from the start of the season to the end, and everyone has worked really hard this offseason, so it’s always fun to see where we stack up.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and co-owner of 23XI Racing

Posted on by Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR will host the 15th annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards in celebration of diversity and inclusion advocates and trailblazers throughout the sport. For the first time, the event takes place in Los Angeles. 

Ten individuals and organizations whose efforts are making a difference both on and off the race track will receive awards. Drivers, pit crew members, partners, industry leaders and NASCAR executives will be in attendance.

“We continue to make significant progress in increasing diversity and inclusion across our sport, a collective effort made possible thanks to those receiving awards today,” said NASCAR President Steve Phelps. “Their contributions are helping drive our sport forward, and these awards celebrate the passion and commitment of leaders who are bolstering our efforts to build a more inclusive NASCAR culture.”

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards honors deserving awardees who are setting an example by advocating for diversity and inclusion across the NASCAR industry.

The 2023 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Award recipients are as follows:

Crew Member Award: Chris Justice

Chris Justice is an 18-year veteran of the sport who began his career as a tire carrier with the inaugural NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program class. He now shares his knowledge with the new generation of pit crew recruits while serving as an IT specialist for Stewart-Haas Racing.  

Developmental Series Driver Award: Nick Sanchez

Nick Sanchez earned an ARCA Menards Series championship with Rev Racing in 2022. The NASCAR Drive for Diversity alum is advancing to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2023. Sanchez will pilot the No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet for Rev Racing with its technical alliance partner, Kyle Busch Motorsports. Off-track, Sanchez works with the De Moya Foundation to introduce new fans to NASCAR.

Sam Belnavis Industry Ambassador Award: Jamie Little

Jamie Little made history in 2021 as the first female broadcaster to serve as lap-by-lap announcer for a national racing series. A veteran motorsports reporter, Little joined FOX NASCAR in 2015 to cover pit road for the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. In 2023, Little embarks on her ninth Daytona 500 and also elevates to a part-time play-by-play schedule for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for FOX Sports.

Institution Award: Sports Biz Camps  

Sports Biz Camps provides high school and college students access to sports careers through education and engagement with industry professionals. Sports Biz Camps has worked with NASCAR since 2019 to provide students fellowship and shadowing opportunities within the motorsports industry.

National Series Driver Award: Daniel Suárez

In 2022, Daniel Suárez made history as the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. A graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, Suárez continues to be both an ambassador for the sport, the Mexican American and broader Hispanic community. He has carried the Daniel’s Amigos campaign with him for several years, winning support for the initiative at each stop.

Outstanding Intern Award: Susan Wong

Susan Wong participated in the 2022 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program. The Arizona State University student spent her summer with NASCAR’s content team where she created original social media marketing strategies for Tik Tok, introducing the sport to new fans.

Partner Award: Advance Auto Parts

In 2022, Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider and the Official Auto Parts Retailer of NASCAR, served as the primary sponsor of the Advance Auto Parts Drive for Diversity Combine, adding key support to programming focused on advancing careers and increasing diverse representation across the industry. The entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS) and Advance My Track Challenge, Advance has dedicated its resources to developing NASCAR at the grassroots level.

Team Award: 23XI Racing

23XI Racing debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021 with Bubba Wallace behind the wheel of the No. 23 Toyota. The team was established in part with the goal of helping to create a more diverse fan base and workforce that better represents the makeup of the communities in which they live and race. Since then, the team, owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, has worked with several partners to create initiatives promoting diversity and inclusion. 23XI Racing is also dedicated to fostering the advancement of those interested in motorsports. Through the SPEED Institute, 23XI Racing’s educational and professional development initiative, the team has also worked to help provide tuition support and internship opportunities for college-aged students.  

Track Award: Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway has continued to lead the way in engagement and commitment to community, building relationships that are inclusive of its local market and bringing a major positive impact to the surrounding area. In addition to ongoing partnerships with local schools and businesses in support of diverse communities, the speedway has provided a pace car for the CommUNITY Rainbow Run, a 4.9K benefiting the onePULSE Foundation and National Pulse Memorial & Museum.

Young Racer Award: Nathan Lyons

The 13-year-old, originally from Texas, attended his first NASCAR race at age six through the Speeding to Read program at Texas Motor Speedway, which sparked a love for the sport. Nathan Lyons moved to Concord, North Carolina, to pursue his dream to race in NASCAR and had five top-10 finishes in the 2022 Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Lyons was selected to the 2023 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Team.

Posted on by Staff Report

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200

New Smyrna Speedway

Nss Primary

  • Entry list
Entry Car No. Driver Organization Crew Chief Chassis Sponsor
1 01 Melissa Fifield Kenneth Fifield Jake Marosz FURY Race Cars Pine Knoll Auto Sales
2 02 Joey Coulter IV Coulter Motorsports Harold Holly Jr. FURY Race Cars SRI Performance, Race Fan, Bilstein Shocks, Drive for Five
3 2 JR Bertuccio Jr. Joseph Bertuccio Michae Bologna LFR Gershow Recycling
4 3 Jake Johnson Mike Boehler Greg Fournier Boehler Racing Propane Plus, Lin’s
5 5 Kyle Ebersole Bob Ebersole Bob Ebersole FURY Race Cars Ebersole Excavating Inc.
6 07 Patrick Emerling Jennifer Emerling Jan Leaty Troyer Captain Pips Marina & Hideway
7 7 Doug Coby Tommy Baldwin Tommy Baldwin PSR Products Mayhew Tools
8 09 Chris Hatton Jr. Chris Hatton TBA Troyer Generac Racing Team
9 12 Anthony Bello Paul French TBA Troyer JB Management/Horsepower Hill
10 16 Ron Silk Haydt Yannone Racing Philip Moran FURY Race Cars Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes
11 18 Ken Heagy Robert Pollifrone Greg Gorman FURY Race Cars Buoy One
12 19 Anthony Sesely Thomas Wanick Stephen Kopcik Troyer Wanick Construction, Inc.
13 22 Kyle Bonsignore Kyle Bonsignore Cam McDermott FURY Race Cars Chalew Performance, MTT, Munns Auto
14 24 Andrew Krause Diane Krause Rob Hyer Chevrolet Supreme Manufacturing Company
15 26 Gary McDonald Sean McDonald Chad McDona d Meade Chassis Lake and Ave. Landscape Supply, L.I. Wood Heat
16 29 Spencer Davis Spencer Davis Alex Query III FURY Race Cars Cove Race Products
17 32 Tyler Rypkema Dean Rypkema Zach Truesdail FURY Race Cars Northeast Dri ing, MUSCO Lighting
18 34 JB Fortin Nicole Fortin Kenneth Lechner FURY Race Cars CYA Screen Print, E & K Automotive, John’s Fuel Oil
19 36 David Sapienza Judy Thilberg Eugene Orlando LFR Sapienza Enterprises
20 41 Kevin Shea Kevin Shea Brad Caddick Troyer Colonial Tire & Towing
21 43 Matthew Kimball William P. Kimball Jr. Bill Kimball Jr. LFR J&M Towing, Poodiack Wealth Managment, Post & Beam, Edmund Ace Hardware, Trends of Fashion
22 46 Justin Brown Russell Goodale Doug Ogiejko Troyer Riverhead Building Supply
23 51 Justin Bonsignore Kenneth Massa Ryan Stone FURY Race Cars Phoenix Communications, Inc.
24 54 Tommy Catalano David Catalano David Catalano Troyer FX Caprara
25 55 Jeremy Gerstner Dawn Gerstner Stanley Butova Troyer Jerry Hunt Supercenter, T.B.E.S.
26 58 Eric Goodale Edgar Goodale Jason Shephard FURY Race Cars GAF Roofing
27 60 Matt Hirschman Roy Hall Michael Stein Troyer PeeDee Motorsports
28 64 Austin Beers Mike Murphy Ron Yuhas Jr. Troyer Dell Electric, Lumiere Electrical, Andrew James Interiors, AP Marquadt & Sons
29 71 James Pritchard Jr. James Pritchard Joseph Pritchard FURY Race Cars Freeway Automotive & Tire Pros
30 76 Jimmy Blewett Jimmy Blewett TBA PSR Products John Blewett Inc., FX Caprara
31 79 Jon McKennedy Tim Lepine Dale Hedquist LFR Middlesex Interiors
32 82 Craig Lutz Danny Watts Jr. Scott Tocci LFR Horton Ave Materials
33 92 Anthony Nocella Anthony Nocella Chris Burdell LFR Nocella Paving, K and D Associates, Airgas
34 99 Ronnie Williams Trey Tomaino TBA Troyer E.F.A.
35 20 Eddie McCarthy Edward McCarthy Jr. Bill Cole LFR McCarthy’s Marine Sales
36 25 Brian Robie Kayleigh Eastman Scott Spaulding Troyer Maurice Enterprises