NASCAR has confirmed that the iconic Los Angeles Coliseum will host its annual pre-season exhibition Clash.
The Clash at the Coliseum, which will take place on February 6 as part of the venue’s centennial celebration, will be the first time NASCAR’s prelude to the annual Daytona 500 will take place somewhere other than the Daytona International Speedway.
The traditional surface of the Coliseum will be replaced by a quarter-mile asphalt short track. The actual configuration of the track is currently being determined out, with numerous surface revisions being tried on iRacing.
“Los Angeles is synonymous with major sports and entertainment events, so we seized an innovative opportunity to showcase NASCAR at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of strategy and innovation.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to take centre stage in this market as we get our 2022 season underway.”
The Clash was held on the speedway’s road course configuration for the first time this season, rather than the Daytona oval track.
The Next Gen car, which is now undergoing final on-track testing, will be used by the Cup Series teams competing in the 2022 Clash, which is expected to have upwards of 25 participants.
Because of the style and composition of the new common Dallara chassis, the Next Gen cars are more closely resembling their showroom counterparts.
“From what I’ve heard, it will be like the layout of Bowman Gray Stadium, which has been incredibly popular,” said former Cup driver and current Fox Sports analyst Jamie McMurray.
“I think the one thing that is important to remember about Bowman Gray is that it’s not typically the best racing, but it’s the best entertainment in racing because of everything that happens on such a small track.
“I think anytime you can bring something new in and make it fresh – it’s a huge market for NASCAR and for partners and sponsors of the sport. So, I think this is a home run.”
The Clash at the Coliseum will be the first of two visits to Southern California, with a points race scheduled for February 27 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.
On Wednesday morning, the rest of the 2022 Cup Series schedule is expected to be published.
The uniforms of NASCAR racing drivers are currently available at the following websites for a reasonable price:
